Tata Young the comedian. Can you believe that? I sure don't see it, but according to the pulchritudinous pop star, "I say this to my Dad all the time. That if I wasn't a singer, I'd be a comedian." Funnygirl or Thai singing sensation, there's never a doubt in the singer's mind that she was born to entertain.
As a young girl, she'd sing in the dining room pretending she was a big star having her own concert, while her loving parents played adulating fans to the dreamy-eyed ingénue. Her Mum would pass her fresh flowers procured from the market earlier in the day, while her Dad would hand over his own golf trophies, carrying on the pretence that they were singing awards. So resolved was Tata to become a singer, that she confesses, "I would do anything to be an artist. I'd be doing the Singaporean Idol. I'd be doing (her hands gesticulate in a circular movement)... all that man, to be a singer." Well it's lucky for Hady and Taufik then, that the gregarious knockout was discovered before she had to hit the reality show circuit!
When auditioning for a role in a music video, her head-turning looks caught the attention of the top honcho of a record company. Asked to sing on the spot, she promptly belted out an impressive rendition of the Elaine Page hit "One Night Only." From that day onwards, she never had to pretend to be a star in the dining room anymore.
After a string of successful records in her native country Thailand, Tata Young released her debut English album I Believe, unleashing her effervescent charm to the world. The album sold nearly a million copies across the region, and Tata's image became synonymous with her hit single "Sexy, Naughty, Bitchy."
On the cover of her full-length English album, Temperature Rising, Tata shows she's still sexy with her endless legs in a pair of mini shorts and stilettos. When asked by a fellow journalist why she uses sex appeal to position herself in the industry, Tata's answer is refreshingly honest. "Because sex sells. Simple answer. It works. But that is just a performance. Obviously I'm dressed like this (usually)," as she points to her modest outfit of a bright yellow top which hangs loosely off slender frame.
A stark contrast indeed, when one recalls her sizzling get-up in the music video for her latest single "El Nin-YO!" Scorching hot in a lacy bikini top, Tata seals her status as the sexiest singer in Thailand. Her sexy image has naturally drawn a fair share of criticism from the more conservative segments, so one wonders how Tata handles the blanket of publicity that can often wear down even the strongest individual.
"I try to say that it's (all) in a good way. It's all for my work. I mean if there wasn't attention on me, then I should be worrying. If there was attention, then that's a good sign right? So with all the positive stuff, I read. All the negative stuff, I have my people read it, and then they can tell me what I should know. So that's the way I do it." says Tata.
