Songstress Wanting Qu says success comes from being true to yourself

Success may not have come early for singer-songwriter Wanting Qu, who had her first hits last year when she was 29. But it did come instantly. When her songs Drenched and You Exist in My Song were featured in director Pang Ho-cheung's romantic comedy Love in a Puff, she became an overnight sensation. And when You Exist in My Song was later covered by Li Daimo, a contestant for the ultra-popular reality talent show The Voice of China, her meteoric rise to stardom was complete.

Recently in town to promote her second album Say the Words - a follow-up to her award-winning debut Everything in the World released last July - the Harbin-born, Canada-educated songbird looks and admits she is exhausted from her intensive publicity tour schedule. During this interview, she asks that the music in the cafe to be turned down so she can speak quietly to protect her voice for a mini showcase later.

So how is she adapting to her new status as a celebrity? "I've started to accept it is part of my job," says Qu, after a thoughtful pause. She still performs in bars and cafes as she used to do before she was famous, sharing her music whenever and wherever she wants - as she did when she held impromptu gig at a jazz bar in Beijing a few weeks ago.

"I just walked into the bar, and there were a few black dudes playing my songs! I was like, 'Did you know I wrote these songs?'" Qu recalls.

That led to a jam session with the band, giving the audience a pleasant surprise. "I still do this kind of thing all the time. If I feel like sharing my music, any time and anywhere, I'll do it."

And just as Coldplay has Yellow and Sarah McLachlan Angel, the name Wanting Qu is synonymous with Drenched and You Exist in My Song, which she is asked to sing in all her gigs. "Oh that sucks. I didn't just write one song, guys. Listen to my other songs. You may like [them] too," she says.