Why China singing sensation Shila Amzah prefers life in Hong Kong
Malaysian who shot to stardom on TV talent show moved to city from China to escape the pollution and find some privacy. She tells Vanessa Yung about overcoming the haters as a child, how China changed everything, and her live chats with fans online
It may seem odd that Malaysian singer Shila Amzah makes Hong Kong her base when her career is thriving in China, but there are good reasons. And chief among them is her need to regain a healthier lifestyle.
Audiences in China first came to know Shila in 2012, when she won the reality singing contest Asian Wave, which brought a contract with the Shanghai Media Group. Her appearances last year in I Am A Singer, a popular reality show pitting professional singers against each other, made her a bigger sensation as she impressed not only with her powerful voice but also fluency in Putonghua.
Shila's growing popularity (she has more than 2.5 million followers on her Weibo account) ushered in plenty of province-hopping trips to perform across the country. Celebrity has also put curbs on her life in China: going shopping or working out at the gym is out these days ("I'd be swarmed," she says).
Coupled with a newfound love for Chinese food, the bubbly 25-year-old gained nearly 10kg. An asthma attack last year - her first ever, which she blamed on exhaustion and air pollution - was the tipping point for her relocation.
"When I got the first attack, I was very afraid. I felt like I wasn't going to live. I had to cancel a show immediately and went to the hospital," recalls Shila, who had to travel around with a nebuliser machine for almost a month.
"I struggled with my voice and getting my breathing technique back. It was really awful."