Joi Chua on 30 years in music: “I never thought I would keep going for so long”

Looking back on her 30-year career, Singaporean singer Joi Chua said: “I never thought I would keep going for so long!”

Chua recently shared a video on social media that Jiangsu TV had produced to promote her appearance on Singing 2026. In it, she has a conversation with her younger self from 30 years ago, offering a brief reflection on her journey over the past three decades.

Contacted by a reporter yesterday about the video, Chua said this was her second invitation to appear on Singing 2026. The director had proposed the concept to promote the programme, but she saw the finished video only after production was complete.

“Very moving,” was her first reaction, Chua said. But she also joked that she had an advantage: “After all, I’ve been in the industry for 30 years. I’m older and have more stories to tell, so the production team was able to make a video like this.”

Looking back over those 30 years, Chua said she had never imagined she would persevere for so long. “I was still a student when I took part in V Singer in 1996. I wasn’t thinking of becoming a singer then, but somehow I’ve kept going until today.”

She added with a laugh: “I never thought I would stay so devoted!”

Chua has experienced highs and lows over the past 30 years, but sees them all as part of growing. Asked whether she had ever been hurt in ways she still found difficult to let go of, she replied calmly: “Getting hurt is inevitable, but it is also part of growing. You learn from it.”

She added: “At most, I hide under the covers and cry!”

That, she told the reporter, is one way she lets her emotions out.

Chua became a podcast host at the start of this year, launching her first video podcast, Music Talk with Joi.

She said her team had asked whether she would like to host a podcast, and she agreed without hesitation. “There are many outstanding musicians in Singapore, but they work quietly behind the scenes. I want to invite them onto the programme and let people get to know them better through conversation.”

Guests so far have included Kit Chan, Jimmy Ye, Jim Lim, Singapore female duo The Freshman and well-known Singapore music arranger Terence Teo.

Chua said the biggest challenge of hosting a podcast was having to do her homework. The next was arranging for guests to appear: “We have to work around their schedules.”

She hopes to release two episodes a month.

In recent years, besides appearing on variety shows in mainland China, Chua has also toured China to mark her 30 years in music. She has released three new songs: Scent of Jasmine; Two Worlds, a duet with Jim Lim; and, most recently, Gathering the Moon.

She said the three songs were very different in style. Scent of Jasmine was first recorded 13 years ago, while Gathering the Moon incorporates traditional Chinese musical elements.

“For various reasons, Scent of Jasmine was not released back then. When I recorded it again 13 years later, it still didn’t feel like an old song. Gathering the Moon could be described as a very contemporary take on a Chinese-inspired sound. I believe it will resonate with Chinese audiences across different regions.”