“Compared to the beginning of my career, we’re dealing with a whole new generation ... and a whole new world now”
Being largely based overseas for much of his career, Lin has famously spoken about improving his Mandarin, even encouraging students at his former school to develop their language skills.
“With songwriting, I still feel as if I’m best able to express myself in English. It’s more direct and instinctive for me. Having studied English Literature as well, that’s just the language I continue to visualise in. When I write or sing in Mandarin, it’s different – musically, linguistically and culturally. You almost have to spend more time to think and plan the words and phrases carefully. It’s more crafted. I see that in my daily life, too; when you speak in Mandarin, we tend to be a little more careful. There’s an intricacy in that language and culture that’s deeper, and I’m still learning, still exploring. Having tried both, now it comes down to which language suits the musical style I want to explore, which language fits more seamlessly into the piece.”
Next year marks the 20th anniversary of Lin’s debut in the musical scene, a milestone he’s both excited and cautious about. “Compared to the beginning of my career, we’re dealing with a whole new generation and, in fact, a whole new world now. Sometimes, it can be a little mind-boggling to think about. I’ve always been very engaged with my fanbase. With our official fan club JJ Federation, for example, I interact with them pretty much on a day-to-day basis and that’s an incredible part of technology. On the flipside, though, with the level of unregulated content online, you’ll also see people who post falsified claims that can be really hurtful. I think that’s one of the most challenging aspects of being in the public eye. When you put yourself in the spotlight, unwittingly or not, you’ll get dragged into this dangerous vortex of toxic online scrutiny.
“I’m usually a very positive person, but I can imagine if it were another person who may not have the support that I do, some outcomes might be very different. A lot of issues, such as mental health, can emerge through this sort of media. I pray there’ll be more effort done to help this new generation. We need to be more sensitive with our words, and to be more responsible for our actions.
“I love doing what I do every day, and I’m so thankful to still have such loyal fans follow me over the years. For my 20th anniversary, I must admit we’re still at an early stage in terms of planning. We only have seven more months this year, but we’re trying to pull together a journey of 20 years of music making – something that I probably can’t finish expressing in one show, but that I hope will be very visually exciting and, dare I say, state of the art. We haven’t done a physical show in some time, so I definitely want to present this milestone in a new way, do something that differentiates my shows and my content to be able to give the fans something new and fresh. I definitely hope to be able to release a new album next year, too.”
For Lin, it was always about the love of his craft and the exploration of creativity. Storytelling through songs works as a medium for him to heal, to share, and to connect. With all the pressures of the world, he admits that being surrounded by good people and learning to stay grounded have been at the core of his longevity in the industry.
“I used to doubt myself a lot and I didn’t always have enough confidence to say, look, this is me and this is it. It’s been a long journey, but you have to remind yourself of where you come from and why you started. Even when the world around you keeps changing, always be true to yourself. That’s been my goal and my focus from day one.”
As he shares his story so earnestly, one thing becomes startlingly clear – in the world where fame can be a fickle friend, Lin has triumphantly coaxed his way into all our hearts through more than just his voice, but rather, a quality that’s just a little more profound: his compassion.