Olinda Cho makes Midlife, Sing & Shine! 4 Top 14

“At the beginning, I honestly had no idea how I was going to memorise all the lyrics. I wasn’t just learning the song itself, I was also learning the language, the pronunciation, and the emotional world behind the song.”

This wasn’t her first time tackling a Cantonese song on Midlife, Sing & Shine! 4, and judges had previously pointed out that she appears less at ease performing in Cantonese compared with other languages.

Naturally, that raises the question: why not stick to Mandarin or English, which she’s far more comfortable with?

Cho said contestants don’t have complete freedom when it comes to song selection.

The competition operates on a ranking-based selection system, where participants choose songs according to their standing.

By the time it’s their turn, options can be limited.

“When I entered the song-selection room, most of the remaining songs were Cantonese songs. Among those, Easily Hurt Woman was one that I was already familiar with, so I had to make the most practical decision,” she explained.

While English remains her strongest language and she is also comfortable with Mandarin and Hokkien, Cantonese is unfamiliar territory.

But for her, growth comes from stepping outside her comfort zone.

She believes that the role of a singer – or a contestant – isn’t to avoid obstacles, but to confront them head-on and improve with every performance.

This story was originally published in 8days.

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