Rao Zijie Is “Relieved” To Be Out Of SPOP WAVE! ‘Cos It Was Giving Him So Much Stress He Couldn’t Sleep

While Jeremy Chan was “shocked” and “disappointed” to be eliminated from SPOP WAVE!, Rao Zijie was “rather relieved” to be booted from the Mediacorp singing competition, which aired its third Quarter Final on Tuesday (Nov 30).

“I was so stressed [throughout the whole competition] that I couldn’t even sleep,” the former Night Owl Cinematics (NOC) artiste, 32, told 8days.sg in a phone interview. “When I closed my eyes, the songs and lyrics would pop up in my mind and I would keep thinking about how I should perform. Damn stressed leh!”

Besides practising on his own and going for rehearsals, Zijie would prepare for each round by listening to the song he was presenting “over and over again”.

He didn’t even “dare” to listen to anything else.

“To be honest, I’m not really disappointed that I’m out ‘cos now I can finally relax and do my own stuff,” he said. “I was too tense already.”

Feeling such immense pressure — to the point that he’s actually glad he isn’t continuing — isn’t exactly something we would’ve expected of Zijie, who is pretty much a singing competition veteran.

After taking part in Campus SuperStar in 2007, he went on to participate in several other contests, including some in Taiwan and Malaysia.

“I guess that is my ‘competition mode’, but maybe I’m getting older so I cannot handle the stress as well,” he chuckled, adding that it took him a while to agree to join SPOP WAVE!. “I knew it would get very stressful for me but I was also like, ‘Wow, I can still go on stage and compete with others. Okay lah, why not try one more time.’”

Despite being better-known as a host and YouTuber (although he doesn’t really call himself the latter anymore since leaving NOC), singing has always been Zijie’s number one dream.

“The reason I started acting and hosting is so that people would start to notice me, and then I can direct them to my music side,” he explained.

Zijie released his debut single ‘Tick Tock’, which is dedicated to his mother, in 2019 and regularly posts song covers on Instagram. He also plans to release a new single next year.

“By right, it was supposed to be out this year, but ‘cos of the pandemic and ‘cos I have no money — making music is very expensive! — I kept postponing it,” he said.

8 DAYS: Did you ask around to find out why you got the lowest score that lead to your elimination?

RAO ZIJIE: Not really ‘cos I respect the decision of the judges and most importantly, I personally feel like I did okay for the episode. Their decision is not something I can control, so as long as I feel that I sounded okay, then I’m quite satisfied with the outcome.

A lot of people have also dropped me messages telling me that I did very well and that they’re very disappointed I’m out, so I’ll try to reply them to say sorry and thank them for their support.

How far were you expecting to go in the competition?

I was expecting to be out by this episode or the next one. I definitely wasn’t expecting to win ‘cos my abilities are limited, and I felt like I was using up all my ‘tricks’.

Looking back, if you could have done anything differently, what would it be and why?

There isn’t anything for now ‘cos when I compare my performances in SPOP WAVE! with my earlier singing competition videos, there actually are some changes. For example, the tone of my voice is different, and I would say that my stage presence has improved, but that’s my own opinion lah.

How do you think you have changed since taking part in Campus SuperStar all those years ago?

I think I look older. (Guffaws) Jokes aside, I do feel like I’m more stable when I’m standing on stage, and there may be a slight improvement in my performances as well. As for my confidence, I’m still working on it.

Were there any unwanted incidents or hiccups during the competition, or was everything very smooth-sailing?

Actually, before the competition started, I was having some problems with my vocal cords. This is an issue that I’ve had for a long time and I can’t really explain it, but it’s also another reason I was so stressed.

Usually, I can sing for eight to nine hours straight before losing my voice, but now, I might lose it after singing just one or two songs, so it was a bit risky. I still practised at home, but on days when we were rehearsing or shooting, I didn’t dare to keep singing ‘cos I was trying to preserve my voice.

Do you know what’s causing this? Have you seen a doctor?

No, it doesn’t hurt so there isn’t really a reason to see a doctor. At the moment, I’ve started taking singing lessons, so hopefully I’ll learn some techniques to try and fix it.

You were with NOC for five years. How do you think your time there shaped you as a performer?

I think they helped me to hone my comedic skills and reflexes, and they exposed me to different audiences as well. I’m also more comfortable in front of the camera, and I no longer get stage fright.

[Ed: Zijie declined to share any of his thoughts on the super dramatic saga involving NOC co-founders Sylvia Chan and Ryan Tan. He announced his departure from the channel after @sgcickenrice first started posting the allegations against Sylvia in October, but deleted the post soon after.]

Based on your own observations and gut feeling, who do you think will win SPOP WAVE!?

I think… Gao Mei Gui. ‘Cos I think she’s been the most stable participant so far, both in terms of points and her vocals.

Watch the latest episode of SPOP WAVE! below:

SPOP WAVE! airs Tuesdays, 8pm on YES 933, meLISTEN, meWATCH, and Mediacorp Entertainment Youtube Channel.

Photos: Mediacorp, Rao Zijie/Instagram