What up folks? Hope your week has been going splendid! Here at rhythm.connection, we’re always looking into who’s popular in Asia these days, and our next interviewee has been getting a lot of attention this year so far…you might have heard of her, but if not, allow us to introduce you to former member of K-pop girl group Skarf and Singporean-born soloist Ferlyn G!

Ferlyn Wong (born February 1, 1992 in Singapore) is a Singaporean pop singer and dancer. Formerly a member of five-member K-pop girl group Skarf, Ferlyn has stepped out into the limelight as a soloist with her debut single ‘FIRST’ which was released in January of this year. Having an extensive training background and experience as a dancer, Wong has now stepped up to the challenge of doing music in her own way, and pursuing many other interests along the way. As she is currently doing a promotion tour in Singapore and nearby countries, she took time out of her busy schedule to talk to us about the challenges of going solo and looking ahead for what’s next!

For those who aren’t familiar with who you are, please introduce yourself briefly.

My name is Ferlyn G. You can call me FG. I’ve just released my first solo single in January this year consisting of 1 Korean dance song, 1 Mandarin dance song and 1 Mandarin ballad. For more updates about my recent works, go check out iGlobal Star Facebook page, iGlobal Star TV(YouTube channel) and follow me on Instagram (@IMGOLDFG).

How long have you been doing music for?

I started being a trainee when I was 12 years old. It has been 10 years.

What kind of artist would you consider yourself?

I would consider myself a sincere motivational artiste who wants to do music that is true to myself and I hope to influence my listeners positively through my music. My music is like my life’s journey and I will not be stingy to share my life experience with my listeners.

For those who are familiar with you, you were previously a member of Alpha Entertainment’s first girl group Skarf. You were in charge of vocals and dance in the group. Please tell us a little about your experience with the group and your training experience up to your debut.

It took us two full years of 24/7 training to make our debut. In between, there were countless times of member rearrangements. We went through many heartbreaking farewells, and awkward first greetings. Among the five members of SKarf, I was the first member to be signed, and was a trainee in Alpha Entertainment for the longest. Training was tough, almost 16 hours of daily training with no rest day. However, it was the strict training system that allowed me to improve a lot, as an artiste, in such a short time span.

How did you end up in Korea debuting as a singer there initially?

I took part, and auditioned successfully in the Alpha & JYP audition that was held in Singapore in 2010.

I heard you were attending Temasek Polytechnic and working as a dance instructor before you were casted. How did you family feel about your choice to leave home and become an entertainer in a foreign country?

They weren’t supportive at the beginning, but we were fortunate to have ample consideration time. My family knew that I have been working hard since I was very young to achieve my dream of becoming a singer, and they understood that we have only one chance in life, thus they decided to let me go for it.

What is one thing you can recall up to now that makes you think right away ‘This is it, I am really doing this…being a singer, it’s actually happening’?

Every single time I made it to a debut stage, be it for Skarf’s albums or my very own “FIRST’.

Now that you’ve experienced what it takes to make it in Korea, what has changed, as far as your perspective on that world goes?

I can only say that you reap what you sow. Also, behind that few minutes of fame/glitz & glamour on stage, is years of hard work and a lot of faith put in by many people including the artiste. Hard work may not always pay off immediately and that’s when having faith in what you do plays an important role.

Was it challenging to keep your personality intact with your role in the group?

Definitely, without a doubt. However, I can say that being in a group also changed my personality for the better. To be less self-centred and more humble.

Any insight that you can share to those considering entering that market, whether as a trainee, singer etc.?

At some point of your life in the entertainment industry, you will more or less lose that passion that you originally had, be it in singing, dancing, etc. In times like this, you really need to calm yourself down and find a way back on to the right track. Be it spending time with God, friends, family, quiet time alone, etc.

So a lot of fans want to know – was there any reason that played a part in your departure from Skarf?

I’ve all along wanted to produce an album consisting of music, style, and concept that I am most comfortable with, and lyrics which are closer to my heart. Being in a girl group, I’m not saying every girl group work this way, but we do not really have the opportunity to have a choice in the album direction. It is pretty much all decided by the management company.

Do you keep in touch with your former members or anyone you’ve met while you were with the group?

Yes I do. The method of communication varies between the advance technology of mobile chat apps and the old school email.

So you’ve released your debut solo single ‘First’. Talk about the experience of writing your own music and having more input in the creative process of it.

The whole experience of producing FIRST is priceless. I could finally work closely with my music producers and lyricist. And because my new company gave me a lot of say over the overall concept for this album, the stories in my songs are very personal, and sincere.

You had Tiny-G’s rapper, main dancer and Thai member Mint feature on the lead song ‘Luv Talk’ for the Korean version. How did that collaboration come together?

Mint and I became friends through a Korean dance variety program. We clicked almost instantly and ever since then, we kept in close contact. We have pretty similar style and I really wanted to share the joy and honor of working on my 1st solo album with her, hence, I invited her to be featured in my song.

Any chance for your Korean fans to see you on stage in Korea in the future?

I would definitely love to return to Korea, because no matter what, my birth place, as a singer, was Korea. However, currently there is some scheduling issues, and my management company is trying to work things out. Let’s hope that I will be able to meet my fans in Korea soon.

You’re also singing more in Chinese and English. Would you say you’re more confortable singing in your mother tongue these days as supposed to singing in Korean?

Living in Korea for almost four years, I had almost no reason to speak in my mother tongue, which is Mandarin. I’ve got to admit that I lost almost half of my Mandarin speaking ability. Hence, the comfort level isn’t very different. However, singing with the lyrics which I was involved in sculpting, it was way easier to covey the meaning of the song, because I meant every word I sing.

When can fans next expect more original material from you?

Currently, I have my personal vlog, FG Diary, on YouTube. For each episode, I will personally write a diary entry which concludes the episode. This diary will be given away to a lucky fan at the 10th episode.

Are there other things you aspire to pursue now that you have a bit more freedom?

I would love to kickstart my acting career and also, debut as a professional DJ too. If there’s any opportunity, I would definitely go for it.

As fans also know, you’re a very outspoken Christian. Is it difficult to juggle your spiritual life with your chosen career path? And any advice for those who might be going through the same thing?

It was harder for me to juggle my life with my career, when I didn’t have God in my life. I found myself believing that my life was meaningless, feeling inferior, feeling condemned, lost, and depressed. When you have God in your life, everything changes for the good. My advice is to keep the Faith, live with Hope and spread the Love.

As far as music is concerned, who gives you your inspiration?

Instead of naming a person, I think it’s more of the experiences in LIFE that inspires me. Not just my life, but any life story that inspires me and in which I can use to help others through my music.

What are your five most played songs currently?

Let Go (TaeYang), Destined (Van Ness Wu), Only Girl (Gen Neo), Whom Shall I Fear (Chris Tomlin) and Haru Haru (Big Bang)

Name any artist you would like to collaborate with, and why.

Van Ness Wu. He is my role model and the trigger for my interest in dancing and rapping when I was only 10 years old.

What is your guilty pleasure currently? It can be anything!

Watching dramas. I am such a drama addict to the extent that I slept only four hours before heading back to work once.

When you have spare time, what do you do for fun?

Reading and jigsaw puzzles.

Name one thing that fans may not already know about you.

I’ve always been the last to finish my meals. I’m a slow eater… really slow.

Any advice for aspiring artists?

Do not betray yourself for fame. Keep that passion.

Any final words for the readers?

Please look forward to more sincere work from me and support Ferlyn G. I hope to see you soon!

Many thanks to Ferlyn and her management at iGlobalStar for making this interview happen. As always, this has been a rhythm.connection exclusive!

J.