INFAMOUS eyebrow plucker Steven Lim's tweezers will no longer be
the bane of Orchard Road - he is now a professional singer.
Years of tireless auditioning finally paid off on Wednesday
night.
After a sweaty performance in a Kbox Cineleisure function room,
attended only by a few friends and their families, he put pen (one
borrowed from this reporter) to paper. And signed a three-year
contract with Eliais World - an import/export business based in
Singapore and China - as a salary-based artiste.
The man who made an entire nation wince when he stripped to yellow
swimming trunks while singing She Bangs on Singapore Idol was also
promised $100,000 for future albums - proof that there's no such
thing as bad publicity.
The runner-up of The New Paper's Turn-off Of The Year in 2005's
Flame Awards said he first met Mr Cedric Soh, a partner in Eliais
World, four years ago when the latter was doing a street
survey.
'Cedric wants to help me become famous. Then, next time I can help
him endorse his products,' said Steven with a straight face.
Slightly nervous as he hadn't read the contract, he claimed to have
looked at Mr Soh's tax invoices and bank account to ensure his new
patron really does have the money.
Was sealing the deal in just three weeks too hasty?
Mr Soh, 29, said one album is not a big investment and that the
$100,000 will not be spent at once.
He suggested helping Steven expand to markets like China and Italy,
where he is not known, should he fail here.
Success means selling 1,000 copies of Steven's album this
year.
'Even if I don't make money, I can learn something from this,' said
Mr Soh, who sees this project as a possible first step into show
business.
Although they haven't decided on a producer or even a country to
release the album in, they hope to cut one in time for Chinese New
Year, and possibly distribute it free for publicity.
Part of the deal supposedly includes sending Steven to China for
three months of vocal training and an image overhaul.
'Even his relatives say his thinking must change. His actions are
sometimes too aggressive and impulsive,' said Mr Soh.
The plan is to release a Mandarin album in Singapore but an English
one in China because people there may not accept Steven's local
accent.
Mr Soh said Steven is a 'product with longevity', although he
admitted some people find Steven's movements 'strange'.
Steven will probably be packaged as a 'fun' singer who can make
people laugh.
Like William Hung? Mr Soh nodded.
Steven clearly has a good sense of theatricality, given his
motorcyclist armour and the yellow towel around his waist.
It prompted a little boy to come over and lift it up, asking: 'Are
you wearing pants?'
Fortunately for everybody, he was.
