Charlene NgAaron Yan Ya Lun’s (炎亞纶) table looks suspiciously like a piano.
The youngest and arguably most talented member of Taiwanese boy band sensation Fahrenheit, tells the fans who have gathered to see him perform at St James Power Station: “My piano is like my table at home, I do everything in front of it, including watching TV and dozing off.”
This Jul 16 performance was to promote his debut solo album The Next Me (下一个炎亞纶), which was released Mar 25.
Aaron is the first Fahrenheit member to strike out as a solo singer. The 6-track album includes one with local singer Olivia Ong, as well as a piano instrumental piece played by Aaron.
While many were sleeping in on Saturday morning, ardent fans were queuing outside of St James Power Station from as early as 9 am to be closer to their idol in the standing-room-only showcase. Many of these fans, a majority of whom are (naturally) females, also attended Aaron’s autograph session on the day before at the IMM. From energetic young girls to middle aged ladies, they were armed with recording devices from digital cameras to huge professional DSLRs.
Introduced by Jia Hui, a popular DJ from Chinese hit radio stationY.E.S. 93.3FM, the 26-year-old star was greeted with boisterous screams from the 300-strong crowd when he stepped onstage. Dubbed as the season ‘winter’ in his band because of his cool and masculine nature, Aaron exuded the exact aura he represented throughout the hour-long showcase, perfectly comfortable with performing solo. Decked in a black blazer, white shirt and black pants, his outfit was simple yet stylish.
Presenting his title track ‘The Next Me’ (下一个我) less than 10 minutes into the showcase, his clear and soothing voice rose above the fervent screams below the stage. Despite saying that he wasn’t confident about singing the Japanese version of the song, the charming singer sportingly performed a short verse of it to perfection when he was provided with the lyrics, much to the delight of his fans.
Written and composed especially for Aaron, this song is almost an autobiography of his life, speaking of his struggles with having different personalities. Its music video is artistic and edgy, showing him removing his clothing piece by piece. However, while the symbolism was of him breaking free from himself and becoming a new person, comments of the MV on Youtube saw some fans deeming it inappropriate and even unnecessary for him to totally undress.
https://youtu.be/FsclO1tRRXY
Having played the piano since he was young, he was in his element playing and singing flawlessly his rendition of ‘Suddenly’, originally by Karen Mok. Admiring the Hong Kong singer/actress for her style and unique personality, he hopes to develop his own style as a solo artist in the future as well.
Naturally, the Taiwanese heartthrob also performed the piano instrumental in the album, ‘The Truth That You Leave’, effortlessly yet perfectly, displaying both skill and talent. Absorbed in his music, Aaron’s performance was visibly filled with emotion, capturing the hearts of everyone present. When the emcee Jia Hui commented on how engrossed he was while playing the piano, he responded with an unabashed “Yah!” before breaking into a grin, to the amusement of his fans.
During the showcase, several lucky fans got a chance to play games and take photos and polaroids beside their idol. Jia Hui picked 3 girls to play charades with Aaron, and from a board filled with post-it stickers, 4 other girls were selected by Aaron to take a polaroid with him.
14-year-old Ding Ding was one of the 4 lucky girls selected by Aaron. Hailing from Malaysia, she came to Singapore specially to watch him perform. “Ya Lun can fully show his charisma when he performs solo, but I love watching their teamwork when Fahrenheit performs as a whole,” she said on whether she preferred performances from Aaron as a solo artist, or Fahrenheit as a band.
Aaron also hinted at a solo concert in Singapore after performing the last song in the showcase, ‘See Only You’. Saying that he likes Singapore very much, he expects to be able to return to Singapore and stay for a longer period of time on his next visit. He also hopes to be seen as being more than an idol, and to record a song that will follow him as he grows and progresses as a solo artist.
He also added, “I hope every album can touch my fans, and bring encouragement to each and every one of them,” showing how he has matured since Fahrenheit’s bubblegum pop songs days.
The star thanked everyone at the end, promising that, “I will always be looking at you,” playing on the title of a song in his album, ‘See Only You’. Fans screamed their approval and affection with enthusiasm at the end of the showcase, while the more crazed ones were seen rushing out of the venue to board hired vans and taxis to follow their idol to his next destination – The Sheng Shiong Show.
Having been a fan of Aaron since Fahrenheit debuted, 18-year-old Valencia feels that: “In Fahrenheit, he didn’t have the chance to show his potential. He’s really good as a solo artist, and his vocals have improved a lot.”
However, due to rumoured disagreements between the members, she foresees a split in the band. “It would be sad. But since Aaron is doing well now, and the rest also have their own acting careers, I will continue to support them.”
It’s been a month since Wu Chun, one of the members of the quartet, left the band due to his acting career and family commitments (word is that he supposedly has a 5-month-old daughter). With 1 member gone and numerous rumours flying around about disagreements and a separation in the group, only time will tell if the remaining 3 members of Fahrenheit will be able to take the heat and stick as together as a band.
Photos by Charlene Ng