CoCo Lee is amazing. Jaws inevitably
drop in disbelief whenever the striking siren sings
for those who would judge her solely by her Asian
looks. "They cannot imagine what I'll sound like,"
admits Lee, who is blessed with a soulful set of
lungs that simultaneously devastate listeners and
change the preconceived notions of who can or can't
sing R&B. "But always when I'm done singing, people
are very surprised."
Although she can count the element of surprise as
one of the facets of her vast musical repertoire,
CoCo Lee is by no means a novelty act. The 23 year-old
songstress signed with 550 Music in the US after
making an impact overseas that continues to
reverberate: CoCo has recorded and released twelve
albums since her 1994 debut, eight of those released
through Sony Music with whom she signed in 1996.
Whether in Mandarin or English, all of these discs
have enjoyed brisk sales in Chinese-speaking
territories throughout Asia.
"People liked my voice so much, it was so different,"
says CoCo about her Asian audience. "I also combined
the R&B feel with the pop music of Taiwan. Everyone
there used to sing really conservatively-they sing
to the melody and that's it. The music just sounded
so dead. I wanted to bring the R&B flavor and other
Wester-nized sounds to my music, because that's the
type of music I grew up listening to."
Her Stateside debut, JUST NO OTHER WAY, is a vibrant,
pulsating collection that reveals a special voice of
not only power but also range and emotion. Whether
moving the dance floor with the joyous and sexy
rapture of "Do You Want My Love" (punctu-ated by a
cameo from rapper A-Butter from Natural Elements) or
exploring the untamed longing of lost love on "Can't
Get Over" with second vocalist Kelly Price, CoCo
commands your attention with her tone, taste, and
drive.
Born in Hong Kong but raised in San Francisco, CoCo
Lee is the youngest of three girls-all of whom can
sing. Their mother, a medical doctor and a musical
talent in her own right, encouraged her children to
pursue more traditional careers.
Nevertheless, CoCo's older sisters began entering
local singing contests and were quite successful.
CoCo, for her part, spent much of her spare time
singing songs by such favorite artists as Whitney
Houston, Madonna, Debbie Gibson and George
Michael-so her move to the next level of performing
came naturally.
"I really idolize everything my sisters do,so I went
into singing contests and won also," says the
chanteuse. "That's how I really got into singing."
Unforgettable moments like the standing ovation she
received after performing for her high school junior
class kept the dream alive for the then teenaged
Lee.
"I remember going to a karaoke place at Fisherman's
Wharf where you can record your own songs," she
recalls. "My best friend paid for it, and I made a
tape. Later, she'd play it in the restaurant she
worked at and people would want to buy it. And
that's when I was like, 'Wow, I can actually sing
[as a career].'"
CoCo's first big break came during a vacation in
Hong Kong following her high school graduation. Just
for fun, she entered an annual singing contest-the
Asian equivalent of Star Search, and a breeding
ground for some of the country's biggest stars. CoCo
took second place; remarkably, she was the only
contestant to sing in English, delivering a
heartfelt rendition of Whitney Houston's "Run To
You."
"The next day a local record company called and
wanted to sign me," Lee remembers, "because they
felt that my voice was so different compared to
those of all the other Asian artists."
Aside from releasing a slew of albums, in August
1998 CoCo Lee performed in concert to more than
30,000 fans. (Only Michael Jackson has performed
before a larger audience in Taiwan.) She also worked
opposite international action star Jackie Chan,
supplying not only the voice for the lead character
in the Mandarin-language version of Disney's
animated adventure Mulan but singing the film's
theme song as well.
Now poised to take on the US, the sultry singer
shines on her 550 Music debut album JUST NO OTHER
WAY. She harbors a serious love jones on "All Tied
Up In You" while telling a potential lover all the
things she needs on the tender "Before I Fall In
Love." "Crazy Ridiculous" revels in the splendor of
the super '70s and finds CoCo getting playful with
modern urban wordplay. And Frankie Knuckles drops by
on "Don't You Want My Love," an uptempo dance track
bound to leave clubgoers sweaty and satisfied.
The artist herself isn't afraid to sweat: "When I
work, I work. I don't think about anything else. I
just wanna get the work done. And I'm a
perfectionist." Knowing no boundaries, CoCo Lee is
singing from the heart with nothing but soul on JUST
NO OTHER WAY. |
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