Lee Chien Na

Gina Lee

With so many singing competition winners jostling to release albums, no wonder the wait for those who did not win can be rather long.

Taiwan’s Gina Lee made it to the top 10 of the popular One Million Star show in 2007 but is releasing her Mandarin debut album only now.

Her Golden Horse win for Best New Performer in the romantic drama omnibus Juliets (2010) probably didn’t hurt.

A pity then that her promise in acting is not repeated in her music. The most interesting tracks here are the two Minnan songs which bookend the record.

Last Train puts an R&B spin on a rather conventional scenario – “The train slowly pulls out of the station/Leaving your love” – and even samples George Michael’s Careless Whisper.

Meanwhile, Ardently Thinking Of Him is retro-licious sounding, complete with lyrics about pining for an old love.

The rest of the album is, alas, largely mired in maudlin ballad territory.

Still, if things don’t work out for her musically, at least she has a back-up career option.

(ST)