Local pop musician GINNIE told The Macau Post Daily in an exclusive interview on Monday about her experience in attaining one of the 12 “Favourite Song Awards” of the 19th “TDM – Best of the Pop” with her song “Whiskey on the Rock”.
Last Friday, the public broadcaster’s singing awards ceremony, themed “Create it! Sing it!”, attracted 77 shortlisted pop song entries this year with 20 prizes and cash prizes amounting to over 200,000 patacas.
GINNIE had two songs entered in the competition: one was her original song “Whiskey on the Rock” co-produced by local musician JM. Icarus; the other was a song by Ying May Supermarket.
Established in 2018, Ying May Supermarket is a canto-pop rock band comprising five local members, GINNIE said, adding that the band name came from the idea of gathering “music of different genres” in a supermarket. “Ying stands for ‘ying chun’ [handsome]; May stands for ‘may lai’ [beautiful]. We think that ‘Ying May’ adds some Cantonese cultural characteristics to the name,” GINNIE said.
Her first award
“The result is completely unexpected. To have the honour with ‘Whiskey on the Rock’— a song written and sung by me, is very surprising. The song represents my fierce yet expressive style,” GINNIE said. She added that artists need to follow their heart to produce what they believe to be their best possible music.
GINNIE noted that she wanted to express her gratitude to the broadcasters, her loved ones, friends and band members, especially JM. Icarus, who had singlehandedly arranged, recorded, mixed and produced “Whiskey on the Rock”. “This is the first time he has ‘escaped his comfort zone’ and produced an unfamiliar music genre, but we wholeheartedly enjoy the music-making process,” GINNIE said, adding that without her ever-supporting band members, she would not be able to perform a vast number of music styles.
GINNIE also said that competing in the music event was a bold decision for her, and she was astonished by the result. “‘Luck’ is the first word to come to my mind when they [hosts of the ceremony] announced my name. After singing the song live that day, I screamed backstage with tears of joy. I couldn’t calm down. The day, the joy and the experience are unforgettable,” GINNIE said.
Whiskey on the Rock
“The making of ‘Whiskey on the Rock’ is a bit unconventional. Last year we decided to participate in the Tap Siac Craft Market performance which requires an original song entry, after which JM. Icarus and I started brainstorming a new song. Initially, JM. Icarus just played some chords on a guitar with me scatting some melodies on it.
“The more we worked on it the more we loved it. Soon afterwards I filled the lyrics with a story about a woman and a man meeting in a bar. The name ‘Whiskey on the Rock’ represents the scenario, where the strong smell of whiskey is offset by the cold ice [rock]. It’s like holding their urge and playing it cool when the duo meets and flirts with each other,” GINNIE said.
GINNIE added that the music video (MV) of the song would be released soon which also features herself as the protagonist. “Both the lyrics and the MV ends with a cliff-hanger; the MV is quite playful in my opinion, but I still cannot wait to show it to the listeners,” GINNIE said.
According to GINNIE, her band is going to release more songs at the end of the year, and she will keep writing new songs for the fans. “Macau is a multi-cultural society, and I hope that ‘Whiskey on the Rock’, an English song, can be promoted to people with different backgrounds. I believe that the mission of the song, beyond the ceremony, is to permeate and be listened to by residents,” GINNIE said.
GINNIE works as a part-time reporter for The Macau Post Daily.
Local musicians GINNIE and JM. Icarus deliver their acceptance speech at the 19th “TDM – Best of the Pop” last Friday. - Photos provided by GINNIE
GINNIE sings during the 19th “TDM – Best of the Pop” singing award ceremony.
GINNIE and JM. Icarus pose with their awards last Friday.
GINNIE and JM. Icarus perform during the Tap Siac Craft Market event in November last year.
The undated photo shows the five local members of Ying May Supermarket, including GINNIE (centre) and JM. Icarus (centre-right), posing.
