Quote: “Sometimes, it’s not just about talent or how hard you work. But it is about who you are at your core… . Take that leap of faith. You might just find yourself in a place greater than you have ever imagine,” – Vic Teo, Malaysian and Asian pop musician

BY YVONNE YOONG

“Not everyone can have a multi-million dollar company or a hair saloon that can change the industry,” said renowned Malaysian and Asian pop musician Vic Teo who humbly downplayed his superstar status in his moving presentation at the WOW conference last year.

But then again, not everyone can have a legion of fans following him across the world just to catch a glimpse of him at his performance – so much so that his fans caused a queue at the China immigration on the way to catch his performance in Guangzhao a few years ago.

And, it was no surprise either that his most recent Novara Ball witnessed a totally sold out concert.

First-hand witness Datin Winnie Loo who flew in to attend his performance attested that it was truly a heartwarming experience.

“Having known Vic for close to 20 years, it was incredibly moving to witness how far he has come and the impact he continues to make.

“The evening was filled with energy, emotion, and genuine connection. You could feel how deeply he is loved by his fans – the applause was thunderous – the crowd danced along with every beat, and there was an undeniable excitement in the air,” she said.

What touched her the most was witnessing how his music has “transcended borders – drawing supporters not just from Across Asia but even as far as Canada, all gathered in Macau just to celebrate him”.

“It was more than just a concert – it was a beautiful testament to his journey, his passion, and the strong bond he shares with his audience. I felt truly proud and honoured to be there, witnessing this milestone moment in his career,” she shared.

And that perhaps summed part of the many reasons why he was chosen as “WOW Icon of Passionate Artistry” organised by the Branding Association of Malaysia (BAM) last year.

Entertaining and uplifting the audience by assuring them that they can always have a comeback story through a multitude of challenges and difficulties, he was the only awardee to have a legion of fans flying in from abroad just to attend the WOW conference cum award ceremony, armed with placards cheering him on.

This “WOW” Icon of Passionate Artistry by the Branding Association of Malaysia (BAM) displayed courage, humility and openness in accepting the accolade and sharing his career journey so honestly.

And so it is with Vic Teo. As much as he downplays his achievements, this singer rightfully has his own comeback story which puts him in a unique league all his own.

“And, I hope my story will spark a little fire in you,” attested this singer in his opening address to the highly engaged and attuned audience – with a good portion of the crowd comprising fans from Hong Kong.

Sharing his story of how he started singing as a toddler under the guidance of his mother – also a singer from who he inherited the gift of singing from —- his honest sharing of his career journey – undergoing the highs and loss were inspiringly real.

“I began singing at the age of three. And, while other kids are busy figuring out their A, B, CS, or chewing crayons, I was trying to hit high notes,” he reminisced.

Attributing his inspiration to his mother, he said the “durian” – like the proverbial apple albeit the King of the fruits as he tongue-in-cheek considers himself an exoti breed – doesn’t fall far from the tree as far as inheriting his singing skill is concerned.

In 2004, having stepped into the music industry and making it as second runner-up on Malaysian Idol, he said that he was not only very confident then – but was also living in his own fantasy world where he was “already a superstar”.

“I had released some albums and I also earned a place in the Malaysian Book of Records for playing the piano non-stop for 24 hours. And, I also represented Malaysia at the World Championship of Performing Arts in Los Angeles,” he shared.

Admitting how his ego was inflated like that of a hot air balloon, so much so as if he was floating on Cloud 9, he decided to leave Malaysia and moved to Taiwan to pursue his musical career there.

Looking back, he was indeed naive to think that Taiwan would just welcome him with open arms, with his manager and him having to go around knocking on doors. Luckily, someone opened a door. Finding himself participating in a Taiwan reality TV show, he also met his mentor Bing Wan

But then came 2015 – which he considers the darkest year of his career.

“I signed a contract with a recording company, only to be trapped by the contract. I was caught and, after a long struggle, I was finally free,” he said.”

From the previous contract, he was offered a spot on a Korea reality singing show with him spending nearly four months there finding his way to the finals because of the significant prize at stake. However, during that journey, he overworked his voice and was hospitalised twice.

“But I secured my place in the final fourth place amongst all the other contestants. And, just as we were preparing to compete in the final round, guess what? The show got cancelled due to low ratings,” he shared.

Feeling like he was sucked into a vortex without any support, his musical career was flashing right before his eyes. Fortunately for him, he had a good friend in another fellow Malaysian artist – Penny Tai – who, upon seeing the news, called him to check on how he was doing.

“Sis, I‘m not good,” he replied. “I’m not good at all. What did I do wrong? Why is it so hard to pursue music,” he asked her.

In her wisdom, she posed the following rhetoric to him: “What do you really want to do?” – to which he answered he wanted to sing.

“Well, you can sing in cafes or bars – that will still make you a singer. But is that what you really want?” she asked.

After a long pause, he replied that that wasn’t what he wanted. “No. I want to make music… I want to make music that changes lives,” replied to which she replied happily – “That’s what I want to hear.” And, her words – spoken in the affirmative changed him.

With her guidance, his songwriting skills improved. He called Bing Wang for help and was welcomed to his production team.

“I shifted from being just a singer to becoming a singer songwriter to become a music producer. And surprisingly, I even became a radio deejay. Who knew that I could talk that much?,” he enthused.

HUMILITY BEFORE HONOUR

From here, the fast forward to 2018 was when he signed up with a new company in Taiwan called “Seed Music” to make music. After releasing his new single “Black and White” – he was back on track and thrust into the spotlight again and started touring in different cities in China when Covid-19 got in the way.

“I couldn’t believe it – that just when things started to work out right and I had things going my way – when bham! Something so small that you cannot even see with your own eyes came in the way. I had to pivot once again and get back into music production. And, after three long years of zero traveling in Taiwan, I returned to Malaysia to see my family,” he related.

Although his family’s business was affected for three long years – this didn’t tear them down but resulted in them coming back even much stronger than before. My family acknowledged how blessed they were by God which made him reflect that although he is a Christian by name – he hadn’t really known God at all. Going back to Taiwan, he went back to the church which was just across from where he lived.

“And, I stepped inside and told my pastor that ‘I really want to know God’ as I felt ‘protected’ even in my darkest days. And so, after taking a few bible courses, I realized that my life had started to change. I realized that I was never better than anyone and that I’m just an ordinary person who enjoys music,” he shared.

Acknowledging that when failure had brought him to his knees, and when the wall of his arrogance finally tumbled, his life started to change in radical ways. It was as if one day, he found his calling and had wanted to share his testimony, wanting to do what God’s will was for his life. But, what could he do if no one were to listen? What could he do, he pondered.

Going back to church for the second time, there didn’t seem to be a clear answer but he believes God sent him someone who came with a form for a singing competition in Hong Kong, reminding him that his contract in Taiwan would be expiring soon and would he consider joining a singing competition in Hong Kong which he did.

“And then, I signed up and told myself – ‘Vic – this is the last time. One last time — and this was my last shot.”

BREAKTHROUGH MOMENT

After making this vow to himself, little did he realise the turnaround that would come.

“But guess what? I didn’t just the win the second place in the singing competition but I also had a sold-out show in August 2017 with 1,300 attendees. The show got sold out in 10 minutes and my debut Cantonese Single ‘Sum Hoi’ garnered 1.5 mil views on YouTube. And, just fours days ago, I released my new song ‘Novara’ which went on to become Number One on YouTube in one day and also on Joox,” he shared.

“And, the best is yet to come. At the end of this year, on 31 December, I will be having my own solo show in Hong Kong with 5,000 attendees. So, if that’s not a comeback story I don’t know what is. And it took me 21 years to stand here, since I am a perfectionist as how my friends tease me,” he added.

Leaving the audience with a quote from Proverbs 29:17, he said, “A man’s pride will bring him low. But the humble in spirit will retain honour,” he concluded.

“Sometimes, it’s not just about talent or how hard you work. But it is about who you are at your core. Never be ashamed to ask for help. Because a simple answer might spark a change in your life. And, don’t be afraid to start from scratch. Take that leap of faith. You might just find yourself in a place greater than you have ever imagine. True strength is not reflected in the mountains you conquer but the kindness that you show and the humility that you carry on level ground,” he explained.

Concluding his speech to resounding cheers from his Hong Kong fans who were raising Neon placards and buntings cheering him on, “Let’s continue to lift each other up and shine together,” he concluded.

@Paparazzi360