Yuan (aka Tia Ray), who was born and raised in a small town in Hunan province, didn't recognize she had a talent for singing until her roommates used to ask her to sing every night in the dormitory after the lights were out.

 

And while she listened to lots of music from Hong Kong and Taiwan as a teenager, she fell in love with soul and jazz when she watched a live show at a Beijing bar.

 

 

As for Yuan, she insists that despite the current music scene, which sees only new singles come out, she still wants to release a full-length album because she is confident about her music.

 

"I am not in a hurry to become famous overnight because of one particular song. I want people to digest the whole album for weeks, months or years," she says.