'People Don't Really Take Us Seriously as Musicians'

Hong Kong heartthrob Nicholas Tse.

Emperor Entertainment.

Nicholas Tse, 20, is a Canto-pop star who will be performing at the GLAY EXPO 2001 in Fukuoka, Japan, on August 11. Some 110,000 fans are expected to turn out for Tse, Japanese pop act Glay and other top bands from around Asia. TIME reporter Kate Drake caught up recently with the star. Edited excerpts:

TIME: You seem to be the hottest young thing in Hong Kong.
Tse: Seem to be?

TIME: What, you don't think so?
Tse: I don't think about it much. I just do what I do and I hope that people like me for what I do.

TIME: Is there a certain image you need to maintain to be a star in Hong Kong?
Tse: You have to be a good boy, you can't smoke, you can't do this and that -- I do all those things, on purpose. I guess I'm lucky I survive. When I go on tour I find that, because of this Canto-pop idol reputation we all have, people don't really take us seriously as musicians. We're just idols. But I met Luna Sea (a Japanese rock band) and they came to my concert. That was one of the biggest kicks of the whole tour. Once you're recognized by musicians that you really like, that's the biggest compliment. More than how many fans you have.

TIME: How big is your fan base?
Tse: My fan base really isn't that big. I don't even have a proper fan club. In Hong Kong the so-called idols go to campfires with their fans. But I just don't know how to do those things.

TIME: Do you get lots of e-mails from fans?
Tse: I don't have a computer. I'm not a techie.

TIME: Did you lose a massive part of your fan base when you first got your girlfriend?
Tse: I don't know and I don't really care. I always said that if you're going to stop supporting me because I have a girlfriend then go ahead. It means you only like me because I'm single, so you can go screw yourself.

TIME: How do you feel about being called one of Hong Kong's new heavenly kings?
Tse: I hate that heavenly king shit.

TIME: What does it mean to you?
Tse: It means: it's meaningless. It's just a way of describing how popular you are. It's like, if you're a kung-fu guy, you must be Jackie Chan or Bruce Lee. But you're just you, right?

TIME: What do you think of all the comparisons made between you and Edison Chen in the press?
Tse: I couldn't care less. There have been comparisons made ever since I started singing. And there have been so many rumors and crap that if you took it seriously, you would be miserable.

TIME: What classifies as Canto-pop?
Tse: Canto-pop is music that is easy listening and easy to remember. It's commercial, popular music. I used to dislike it when I first returned to Hong Kong from Vancouver and the United States. But it's something that I actually enjoy doing. There's also been a great improvement in the market. People are putting in a lot more time and thought into this Canto-pop thing. And there's a lot more variety in the music. Though it's not always like that. Sometimes it's not even up to the artists; at times companies need fast cash and you have to make an album and release it. You don't even remember what you sang.

TIME: Why do you think the Canto-pop scene has been able to change? Is it because of new stars like you coming in and shaking things up?
Tse: I guess so. I started singing when I was 16. It was quite hard, actually. When I stood on the stage all I got were boos from the audience. For two years I had nothing but crap thrown at me.

TIME: Why?
Tse: Because I did things that were different, I guess.

TIME: Who are the people that go to your concerts?
Tse: They're mostly Cantonese and aged between 10 and thirtysomething. I think my concerts are more explosive and different than the usual Canto-pop concerts. People jump around -- they don't just sit in their chairs. I would hate it if they just sat in their chairs.

TIME: Do you have a big fan base in Japan?
Tse: I held a concert in Tokyo and one in Osaka this spring. They're not as big as my concerts elsewhere, though. Only a few thousand people attended.

TIME: Where else have you performed?
Tse: Hong Kong, naturally, Singapore, Sydney, Melbourne, and five places in China. I still have to go to Beijing. And now I'm going to Fukuoka in Japan. That will be one milestone for me, I guess.