Tai Ai-ling (戴愛玲) is not just a pop princess who has inspired numerous tributes on Taiwanese TV’s talent-show circuit, she is also real-life royalty.
Dubbed the “Iron Lung Princess” (鐵肺公主), Ai — who performs tomorrow at Taipei’s Y17 Youth Activity Center (青少年育樂中心) — put her name on the map with her potent delivery of The Right One (對的人), a ballad featuring her highly acclaimed screaming vocals (吼叫唱腔).
“I was born with this voice. It comes from my Aboriginal blood,” Tai said in an interview on Tuesday. “I sang in this screaming vocal style even before I became a career singer.”
Tai was discovered by Keith Stuart, the vocalist for Diplomacy Band (外交樂團) and a well-known pop-producer based in Taiwan. Because of his influence, her early work was focused on a hit-the-high-note vocal style, with Stuart composing the melody to The Right One. Her latest three albums, however, have explored more subtle vocal territory. On Jumping Pain (跳痛), released this May, she broadens her musical palette by flirting with rock, rap and electronica and reveals a rare emotional poignancy in Just Another Look at You (只要再看你一眼), a breathtaking duet with fellow crooner Roger Yang (楊培安).
“I’m not just capable of being explosive. I can be sweet or sad, too,” Tai said. “The more I live life ... the more I am able to convey more complex emotions.”
The Aboriginal diva also known as “Princess Ai” will perform the third and final leg of her Tai Ai-ling Jumping Pain, To Love Bravely tour (戴愛玲【跳痛,勇敢愛】巡迴演唱會) tomorrow at the Y17 Youth Activity Center. In addition to her own trademark power ballads, she will tackle rock songs by Faye Wong (王菲) and A-mei (張惠妹), as well as dance numbers by Lady Gaga and Kylie Minogue.
Tai inherited her princess title from her mother in the matriarchal Paiwan tribe (排灣族), and her next project may pay tribute to her native tongue. “Singing a song in Paiwan is not a question of whether but when,” she said. “I want to do a concept album in the vein of A-mei’s A-mit (阿密特), a cohesive album that can showcase the rocker in me.”
“I also want to hold more stadium concerts to treat my fans,” she continued. “I love performing live so much that if I’m enjoying it and if the audience loves it, I just can’t stop. I’ll go on singing and singing.”
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