You took some time off between albums, what did you do?

What did I do?

I rested, I vacationed, and actually I’ve been working on this English album for quite some time.

So after the English album, you know, we started to talk to different producers.

And so the one that we felt we should go with was Ric Wake.

And so he put a whole team together and I met them, all the writers that works for him.

Tell us about the team you worked with & about the songwriting experience…

So, you know, I met with Ric Wake and his group of writers and they were really awesome.

They were all so enthusiastic about this whole project.

And so there’s Greg Lawson, there’s Damon Sharpe, and a couple other guys.

Eric Sanicola.

So we started to work on this whole album.

It took quite some time and I felt like I had moved to Long Island.

I was there so often. I was there almost for a year and a half.

Just hanging out and letting them get to know me.

So the songs that we write would be as close to the truth as possible,

like what Coco Lee is really all about.

So anyways, the writing process took a really long time.

Of course, somewhere along the line we released a remix album for the Chinese speaking territories.

And that was a lot of fun. It’s called "D is Coco." and it’s really cool.

Actually, the first day I met all the writers was really interesting

because everyone was so excited.

They feel that they’ve never worked with a Chinese artist before.

And wow, this is something very cool and different.

So we went to the studio and it was just me, Damon and Greg.

These are the guys who worked on J-Lo’s album also.

So it’s more like R&B/Pop kind of style.

They played me a couple of tracks, different types of tracks.

And I’m like, "Oh, I like this one." Or like, "Oh, I like that one. That one’s hot. That one’s hot."

The song that we started writing first was so good.

That was the first day of writing.

Before we write, we’re listening to the track and we’re like, "Wow, this track is really sexy."

It’s like I could visualize something very sexual.

And let’s tap into Coco Lee’s sensual side, the more flirtatious side.

I can’t believe we’re in the studio and all of a sudden we’re all talking about very racy stuff.

Talking about strip clubs.

Not like I’ve been there, but the guys are telling me the strip joints

and what they want a girl to do to them.

What they think is such a turn on.

And I’m like, "Oh my God, I can’t believe the first day we just met.

First day I met Coco Lee and they’re talking about sex."

It was really weird.

So we came up with a song, "So Good," that’s pretty daring.

Probably the most provocative, the most racy song I’ve ever done.

Did you feel that your instant openess helped with writing the album?

Definitely.

We were very open, very honest with each other.

And I would tell them things that’s happened to me in my life,

whether it’s with my boyfriends or with family or with friends.

Things that really stuck in my head that I want to tell people about these stories.

And we’ll just share all these experiences in life and we wrote about them.

Did you feel pressure being a songwriter?

Well, the writing process for me is exciting and fun.

Because I’m always inspired.

The moment I hear a part of the track, I’m like,

"Oh my God, a great line, I got a great line."

I know what the song should be about.

I know the melody.

Everything just comes out naturally.

But the pressure comes after we’re done.

Is it good enough? Is this song good? Is it a killer?

Oh my God, are people going to love it?

So that’s when I get really nervous.

I’ll play it for Ric Wake and I’ll play it for different people and they’ll tell me.

And they always say, "Oh, this is hot.

Oh man, this is banging."

And so when I get that approval, we work on it some more and make it even better.

We heard you’re a control freak… Are you a tyrant in the studio?

At home, in the studio, everywhere.

No, I’m just kidding.

No, I just love it.

I’m just kidding.

No, I just know exactly what I want.

Whether it’s music or whether it’s a sense of style or what to wear.

Or with work, I always know exactly what I want.

So they always think I’m a control freak.

Yes, quite a control freak.

And that’s good and bad.

But in the studio, we’re in there from, let’s say, from 12 until about 11 at night.

So 11 hours, just sitting in there, chit-chat.

And then we play with the song and then we come up with ideas and just really try to nail it.

Really try to get something good in the studio.

But we all share that enthusiasm.

So it’s okay.

They don’t feel like, "Oh, I’m wearing them out."

Or like, "This is boot camp. Coco Lee’s boot camp."

They feel like, "This is fun."

And they find someone who shares the same passion to really create magic.

Because I think in the studio is like creating magic.

How did you come up with your first single ‘No Doubt’?

How we came up with "No Doubt," the song, was this kid, 18-year-old kid, Eric Sanicola.

He’s sort of like a young writer.

He just joined the group.

So the first day I met him, "Hey, what’s up? What’s up?"

And he’s like, "Oh, I got some really hot stuff to let you hear, Coco."

I’m like, "All right."

So he plays it and he sings this hook.

I’m like, "Oh, man, that’s a killer. Oh, my God. I love it. I love it."

So he had the chorus idea and I said,

"You know, let’s go with that one and let’s work on it some more."

So that time it was only me and Eric working on the song.

We’re in the studio. We’re like, "Okay, what do I like to do?"

You know, I like to dance. I love to dance.

I love to go to the clubs and dance with my friends.

You know, what happens when a bunch of girls go to clubs,

nightclubs and dance? you flirt.

You know, you sort of like you try to get the attention of the other guy, the hot guy.

And you know, you like flirt and yeah, whatever.

I know you want me, but, oh, ain’t that going to be that easy?

You know, so it’s that kind of attitude.

So I wrote that in that perspective and how I am, you know,

if I’m trying to flirt, I’m trying to get at a guy.

So the perspective is a girl who knows what she wants and she’s very much in control.

And she’s very flirtatious, kind of like a tease, you know.

But fun, very fun, a fun girl.

Who did you collaborate with on ‘No Doubt’?

So with this song, "No Doubt," we collaborated with two different rappers.

So there’s two versions. One is the G.O.D. version

and the other one is the Indian Blaaze version.

And he’s really awesome. We did the video together.

And he’s definitely the sweetest guy. He’s very intelligent and very down to earth.

So the G.O.D. version is really, really husky guy.

Actually, his name is Joon from G.O.D.

And we met a couple of years ago in L.A.

We all hung out. He’s a surfer dude. He’s super cool.

And so back then I said to him, "You know what? I love G.O.D.

You guys are fantastic and you guys are like the biggest group in Korea."

"I would love to collaborate with you guys one day."

And he was like, "Yeah, alright, alright."

So finally we finished the album and I told him we need some rappers.

I would love to get G.O.D.

And I called up JY who is the godfather of R&B in Korea.

And who I also worked with last time for my English album.

And I asked him, "Can you hook me up?"

So he got G.O.D. to do this and it sounded really good.

Now, the Indian version, it’s got so much reggae style, I think.

It’s like that reggae Caribbean tone that is just really, really awesome.

You know, I can never mimic what Blaaze did.

Because it’s so fast, what he was saying was so fast.

And really unique style and I loved it.

He created that party mood to the song.

That makes people just want to jump up and dance.

Is it true you were approached by Indian fans in Hong Kong? Do you plan to visit India one day?

Actually, this was last year during my birthday.

And so we’re in Hong Kong at this place and we’re dancing.

And about seven, seven Indian girls came up.

I guess they’re also having a party and they said,

"CoCo, are you Coco Lee? Please tell me you’re Coco Lee.

Because we love you. You know, in India you have so many fans.

Please, please, can you take a picture with us?"

I’m like, "Oh, wow!" I was very, very flattered.

I was very flattered because the last album I didn’t get a chance to go to India.

But I’ve always loved Indian music, especially their music videos.

It’s so elaborate and it’s just so glamorous. I love it.

And I think Indian girls are so beautiful.

One of the most beautiful women in the world probably are Indian girls.

And so when they said that to me, I was really happy.

And I told, you know, Sony that hopefully I get to go into India, you know, with the song.

And people, more and more people will like me there.

Yeah, so I’m looking forward to going to India to promote.

 

Was it difficult to choreograph the dance sequences for the ‘No Doubt’ video?

Yeah, that was a very difficult dance choreography.

That Shannon from the States, he’s really awesome.

And he’s worked with a lot of big artists like Missy Elliott, TLC, etc.

And so I was very, very happy to work with him.

And he did a great job.

The dance steps were very sexy with a bit, it’s got some Jamaican style in there.

And it was very tricky, lots of fancy footwork.

But I told him, you know, I like to shake the body.

I like to, you know, something that’s going to make the guy look wow

You know, I think it’s quite cute when a girl tease.

Because you’re not giving it so easily, you know.

So I want to keep that.

So the dance was sort of like teasing the guy.

Like, you want me, you want me, but you ain’t going to get me.

So I like that.

Can you tell us about ‘Magic Words’?

This was when the whole album was completed.

And, you know, I still wasn’t 100% satisfied with it.

But I still want to touch it up and make it even better.

So we hired Henrik.

He’s awesome. He’s from Sweden.

And he just recently moved to Hong Kong.

And a great music guy.

So we worked together for a pretty long time, cleaning up the whole album.

Just making sure it’s real tight now.

And I needed a ballad.

I really needed a ballad that’s sort of like a power ballad that showcased the voice.

But yet, that people can relate to, especially me.

So we actually tried to write a ballad together.

And he came up with a song called "Magic Words".

And I listened to the melody and the lyrics.

And I think back then, that’s when I met my boyfriend.

And I really could relate to the words.

And it was so beautiful. It touched me.

It really touched me.

I was like, "Wow, I think a lot of people will love this song."

Apparently, ‘Magic Words’ is your favourite video…

So with "Magic Words", the video concept is very, very interesting.

Because I’ve never done anything like it before.

The whole thing is in black and white.

And I have a fight with my boyfriend.

You see, actually, I have a boyfriend.

We’re pretty happy.

We have good times and bad times.

But we fight to the point that it feels like,

"Oh, wow. We’re actually going to break up."

And those emotions that run through you,

you miss the person and you feel like this is all over.

That kind of sadness, it’s overwhelming.

And I’m sure a lot of people can relate to that.

But the next thing is, the whole thing becomes color.

Because he calls and he says the magic words.

So I think that’s a very beautiful concept.

Because this is true.

Sometimes in a relationship, all you have to say are those words.

Whether they’re "I love you" or "I miss you" or "Baby, I’m yours."

Whatever it is.

Every couple has their own magic words.

But the moment you say it, then you feel so much more secure.

You feel so happy.

It just feels like that bond is so strong, nothing can ever break you guys apart.

And that’s something I could definitely relate to.

And there’s a line in the song that every time I listen to it, I feel it.

What is it?

I can get kinda low and I just wanna walk away.

It’s like there will be times in a relationship you feel insecure

and you just feel like maybe, "I don’t wanna do this anymore."

Whether you had a fight or there are flaws in the person that you just like,

forget it. Maybe it’s just not worth it.

And then you just say the magic words

and then it feels like everything’s okay again.

Or like, "I know it could be a pain to you at times.

I just wanna find a way to compromise."

A lot of these, it’s just like, it feels like he was writing about my life.

What was happening to me.

And even though he wasn’t, I’m sure a lot of people can relate to that song.

How did the idea fro the ‘So Good’ video come about?

The concept for "So Good" for the video,

we really wanted to make people go, "Oh!"

Really drop their jaws and like, "Oh my god!"

You know, Coco is so different.

And just really exploring my, what would you say, my flirtatious side.

The more sexy side.

And I like that.

I really love that video.

It’s very daring.

It’s definitely an eye-opener.

Because you know, at clubs, I dance a certain way.

When I go to the clubs, I dance.

That’s how I dance.

I dance kind of, you know, like, sexy style.

And I like that.

Whatever that would turn on a guy, I like that kind of stuff.

Why did you name the album ‘Exposed’?

I feel like my life is being exposed.

You know, I can read about it on the internet.

I can read about it on the newspaper and magazines.

Me having a boyfriend and our relationship.

It’s strange to me at first.

But it feels like I’m being very honest.

I’m being very, very, you know, real with people.

This is my life.

And I’m not hiding anything.

So exposed is like with this whole album, every single song is a part of me.

Especially the ones that I wrote.

You know, they are a part of my history.

They are feelings that I want to share with people.

In this album, you included a special song for your fans ‘All Around The World’…

There’s a song called "All Around the World"

which was in the soundtrack of "Charlie’s Angel Part 2".

That song I wrote it really for my fans.

I wrote it for my fans.

Because I travel all around the world.

And I remember when they send me to the airport, they always say,

"You know, Coco, we wish we had more time with you."

And if I could look at their faces,

they want to tell me so much.

They want to say things to me, but just they’re shy or there’s not enough time.

And I will always remember those feelings that I have with them.

I just wish I could stay there and just be with them and just talk

and just enjoy each other’s company because I feel like they’re my family.

But unfortunately, because of my work, I have to travel all around the world.

And I just want to tell them it doesn’t matter where I am.

I’m always their girl. I’ll always be Coco.

I’ll always be their big sister.

They like to call me "老大".

In Mandarin, they like to call me "老大".

I don’t know where they got that from, but it’s like, "Hey, the big boss."

It’s so really–it’s funny.

Do you enjoy touring?

In between the first English album and this one,

I did a lot of tours mainly in China.

There was a lot of fun going to Shanghai or Beijing,

just all these different cities because China is so big.

And the fans are just as enthusiastic as fans of Korea or Japan or Taiwan.

They’re all just as wild and crazy, and I love it.

When you’re being an artist, what you really want is crazy fans.

Of course, not like craziest.

You know, crazy like they’re screaming for you.

They want more of you.

And I love that energy, especially when you’re performing on stage.

They sing with you.

Oh, man, that’s the best feeling.

I remember there was one concert I did.

You know, when the platform, the riser, went all the way to the surface, the stage,

and I could see the fans, I’m like, "Oh, wow, that’s a big crowd."

And when they see Coco, they’re so excited.

They all scream at the same time.

And when you have 70,000 people screaming at the same time, oh, my God, it’s like thunder.

And you get an adrenaline rush.

And from there on, you know, it’s like I am possessed,

and I just perform, and it’s just so much fun.

Will you be touring and performing new songs from ‘Exposed’ soon?

If I were to go on tour with "Exposed,"

I think it would be a very racy tour,

something that might make people think,

"Ooh, she’s really pushing the limit."

And I like to do that, actually.

I like to be the first to do–I like to be the pioneer at everything.

And I think being an artist, especially being me, I like to start trends,

or I like to do things that people won’t dare to do.

You have always been a pioneer of R&B in Asia, how did you start & how has your style grown?

So it’s been probably a little more than 10 years now for me.

And the first album, when I released, 1994, when I released that album,

I remember in the studio, my producer was fighting with me.

He said, "You can’t sing like that. People won’t buy it because it’s so different.

You can’t have those–you know, those–which we call ad-libs, right?

You can’t have those because people can’t follow it.

It’s just not commercial."

And I fought with him.

I said, "No. This is my style.

This will always be my style.

This is the way I grew up. This is the only way I know how to sing.

I will not change my style."

I can’t believe I did that.

I was definitely fearless.

And I fought with him, and he was the top producer back then.

But I stood on my ground, and I just said,

"I put my foot down. This is my style."

And I’m glad I did that because it became my signature.

This is my Coco singing style, which right now, everybody sings pretty much,

you know, more urban, more R&B style.

But I’m glad I was pretty much the first one to do it.

I don’t want to say I am the first one,

but I know I was pretty much the first one for females to do it, right?

And now, for this album, I think we took it to the next level.

And I think as an artist, I’ve grown so much vocally.

I’ll listen to my old stuff and feel like,

"Hmm. Hmm. Let’s do it this way instead."

And every time I perform, I learn something new about myself or my voice,

and that’s how I keep on improving,

by watching my old videos or old tapes or old CDs and listen like,

"Hmm. That’s how I should do it next time."

So I feel like I’m constantly developing my voice, and it gets better and better.

For this album, I really explored my voice, my capacity,

and what I could do with it, different things that I could do with it.

There’s a song in the album called "Got a Clue,"

which I did sort of like a Jamaican almost, and then kind of jazzy.

A lot of the way I sing it was jazzy, but kind of like Jamaican.

So I don’t know where that came from,

but when I listen to music, that is how I want to sing it.

And so they felt, "Wow. That’s unique. We really like that style."

And again, with "No Doubt," also it’s a different tone that I use,

has a bit, I think, influence from Erykah Badu, maybe, that kind of style.

And I’m a big fan of hers.

Maybe listening to her music sort of influenced me in a certain way.

But it definitely shows in some of the songs that I’m exploring different ways of singing.

But I think the biggest difference compared to back then and now is,

instead of just belting everything or every single line as an ad-lib,

I think the ad-libs has a reason of being there,

because it’s part of the emotions that it needs to be expressed in that way.

So it becomes part of the song.

It’s not like something, stick it on there, just so they’re like fillers.

No. It’s part of the song. It’s part of the emotion.

It needs it. It needs it to be a song.

So I think that is the biggest difference,

now that I know how to utilize my emotions with my voice to make the song even better.

 

Where do you draw your musical influences from?

I think a good artist should constantly be learning

and to keep their ears open for, you know, inspirations, a certain sound.

So this album, I incorporated a lot of Chinese elements in there.

So there’s like hip-hop and the Chinese elements put together.

It’s got quite a chemistry and it’s quite good. I like that.

So we’re just playing with different sounds.

So whether it’s ethnic, whether it’s Chinese influence,

they all were very unique. Every single song was very unique.

How did you write ‘Music We Make’?

There’s one song on there called "Music We Make".

I didn’t want it to be like a typical song.

When we’re writing this, I said,

"You know what? Let’s not follow a format."

There’s a format to writing a song.

There’s verse, pre-chorus, a chorus, and then there’s, you know, a bridge,

and then you go back to the verse.

I said, "Let’s not do that. Let’s just listen to the track, listen to it,

and feel it. Just feel it. Go with it."

And that’s exactly what I did.

I sing one line and the other one I’m talking.

And then there’s no chorus. It’s just a saxophone.

This is what I feel is creating music.

You know, writing a song doesn’t have to be all about words.

It could be just beautiful music.

Whoever says a good song has to be all words.

It could be just music.

And the whole concept of music we make is

there are so many calamities in the world,

whether it’s natural disasters or wars and tragedies.

It’s just sad to see how people handle it during those times, during crisis.

If only we could find inner peace.

And I find music to be a cure for a lot of things.

And when you have music, it soothes you.

It soothes the soul. It makes you feel better.

It gives you tranquility. It gives you happiness.

And that’s what I wanted to do.

That’s why I wanted to create my own music, because it makes me happy.

And I hope people listen to my music and they will feel happy too.

Where are you based now?

Right now I’m more based in Hong Kong, because my focus is still in Asia.

So we have to fly a lot to different regions, doing concerts and shows.

Especially with this album, I really want to concentrate in Asia.

I feel like I have been out of the game for a while, out of that scene.

I just want to let my fans know I’m back.

I’ve always been here. I’m excited to see them.

And I can’t wait to spend time with them.

So we can just be like one big family.

I like that.

What do you do in your free time?

I like to stay home. I’m a homebuddy.

I like to stay home on the weekdays.

Somewhere where there’s the ocean view, that relaxes me a lot.

And listen to music.

Or hang out with friends or my family.

Go to karaoke, that’s more exciting.

I can never get away from singing.

What else can I do? Or go away on vacations.

Go to Hawaii or somewhere that’s warm.

I like really warm weather places.

You hosted the MTV Asia Awards once, did you enjoy the experience?

Yeah, hosting. That was something really cool.

When I did the Asia Award with Shaggy, that was a lot of fun in Singapore.

That was my first time really. I had to do the whole show.

That was fun, but at the same time it was intimidating.

Because I never did that before.

And there’s a teleprompter.

And I’m thinking, "Oh my God, if someone wants to mess with me,

and they just put whatever on there, I am screwed."

And I’ve seen movies where people do that.

You know, play tricks on people like that.

I’m like, "Oh my God, what did I just say?"

And I still have a smile on my face, but thank God that didn’t happen.

So I always try to memorize the script anyways,

without just looking at the teleprompter.

Because you never know who might do a little trick on you.

You’ve also had some movie experience. Is there a big difference between singing and acting?

When you’re a singer, you’re pretty much a one-man show.

It’s really all about you. It’s your talent.

You don’t need to have…

You don’t have to have dancers or a whole band.

You could just have a playback track. You’re fine.

But with movies, it’s a teamwork. It’s teamwork.

You could be great, but you have to have a cameraman who’s good.

The sound guy has to be good. The director has to be good.

And your counterpart has to be good.

So it’s not all about you.

And another thing is, when you’re an actor,

it doesn’t matter how big you are, okay?

You will sit in your trailer and you wait until it’s your turn.

And sometimes they wake you up at 4 o’clock in the morning.

You get there on time. Everything’s on time.

And then 4 p.m. they tell you,

"Sorry, we don’t have you today. We don’t need you today."

So you’ve already been up like 12 hours waiting,

sitting around with makeup, hair, everything done,

and then they say, "We don’t need you."

That’s life. That is just the way an actor’s life is.

It’s very tough.

I didn’t go into acting with being pampered in mind.

I never have that kind of way of thinking.

For me, I’m here to work hard.

I’m here to do the best that I can and do a good job.

That’s it.

What’s your next project?

What’s my next project?

I haven’t thought about it yet.

But right now, most importantly,

is to make the best out of this English album,

travel around the world with it,

to let more fans listen to this album

and let more people get to know Coco Lee.

That is my mission now.

Message to your fans…

Have a goal.

Know what you want in life and work really, really hard

because nothing is impossible.

As long as you have the will and the determination

and you’re willing to work hard, you could achieve anything.

I never think that I was able to be where I am today.

I feel very blessed and lucky that I have this opportunity.

But I feel that I’ve worked really hard to get to where I am today.

And of course, with all the fan support,

I couldn’t have done it without my family,

my fans and my record company.

So I’m very thankful every day,

but I’m very focused on what I’ve got to do.