Good news just keep rolling in for Princess of Rock Jessie Chung! After a thousand fans attended Jessie’s launching show in Dongguan, Guangzhou, China, Future Entertainment & Music Group Australia brought in the electrifying news: There You Are is now certified platinum!
On Thursday afternoon, Future Entertainment & Music Group Australia held the “There You Are Platinum Award Press Conference” at SPAC in Shah Alam. Jessie Chung’s There You Are has stayed in the top ten of the international chart for eight consecutive weeks, an applaudable accomplishment. In addition, the album has been climbing at full speed up Baidu’s Music Chart, reaching the dizzy heights of 6th place as of December 30th.
Chairman of the Recording Industry Association of Malaysia (RIM) and Managing Director of Warner Music Malaysia & Singapore Darren Choy praised, “Jessie’s previous album There You Are was really well-received and popular. This fact can be further established by the music videos in it, which has each garnered more than one million views on YouTube, this is an achievement that you rarely see. Moreover, her new album Be Strong has been going from strength to strength, so far its total views on YouTube has already surpassed one million in a short period, congratulations.”
General Manager of Malaysia’s physical record distributor PMP Entertainment Mr. Wong expressed that Jessie Chung’s certified platinum record is a rarity, a scarcely seen feat in this age where physical record sales are unpopular among the masses. In three months, There You Are’s total sales exceeded more than 15,000 copies, this is something local artists of today have trouble achieving. Besides, the newly released album Be Strong has already sold nearly 5,000 copies in a week; the results are just remarkable.
Jessie Lays Bare Her Reason for Singing
Upon receiving her first platinum certified album, Jessie Chung couldn’t help but express her joy and bare her soul to the conference attendees. Although successful in her business, she chose to carry on her music career to send positive messages to and help the emotionally wounded. While discussing about the victims who committed suicide due to cyber bullying, Jessie began to sob and divulged that she has always been despised by many due to her special identity. While in Canada, her insecurities even pushed her to a point where she almost committed suicide. Thankfully, on the day she decided to end her life, God saved her and gave her a chance to comprehend the meaning of her life, which is strengthening the weak so they can survive in a world of hate.
“I accepted this calling. I told God ‘Here I am’, which is why my album ‘There You Are’ came into existence.” As she finished her speech, Jessie Chung took a deep bow towards the crowd and expressed her gratitude to all the supporting media and fans as she shed more tears.
Gives up Guest Artist Slot at A-mei’s Concert
Since the announcement that Jessie will be the opening guest artist for the A-mei Utopia World Tour 2.0 (Utopia Carnival) in Genting Highlands in February 17th and 18th next year, Facebook became a heated battlefield between Jessie’s fans and haters who have nothing better to do. CEO of Jessie Chung’s record label Future Entertainment & Music Group Australia Gary Scallan, incensed about Jessie getting cyber bullied with personal attacks and slanderous comments, insisted to pull her out of the concert.
During the press conference, Gary Scallan sent a video to officially announce that Jessie Chung will no longer be A-mei’s opening guest artist. The reason is to protect Jessie from receiving more wounds from cyberbullies. Director of Symphony Musical House Brian Choot then added that the company has invested a large amount of effort and capital to reinvent Jessie Chung, and her accomplishments so far are looking quite good, she has garnered many fans around the world. What’s incomprehensible is that a small group of senseless trolls with no good intentions are still inciting trouble online.
Jessie Chung’s promotional agenda in Bangkok, Thailand was supposed to last for ten days, but because of A-mei’s concert, she shortened her stay to five days so she could return to Malaysia before the 17th; since she no longer has to open for A-mei, Jessie Chung will continue her promotional activities in Thailand.
CEO Wages War Against Cyberbullying
In his speech, Brian Choot said, “In reality, since Jessie Chung’s change in identity, she has endured a plethora of hurtful comments throughout the last ten years or so. We had always chose to remain silent, to ignore, to let those offenders slide, but the comments this time are smearing our artist’s reputation, so we’ve chosen to rise up from silence, we’ve decided to speak up.” He stated that Gary Scallan was infuriated when he was notified about the slanderous comments, and has announced a cease and desist order against them. Ignorant commenters have one week to delete all defamatory comments or risk facing legal charges from the company.
Brian Choot also took the opportunity to refute the accusations from many internet users that Jessie Chung had paid money to become A-mei’s opening guest artist. “For every performance, Jessie receives a paycheck of five to six figures, and last year she has opened a huge solo concert and many concerts and stage plays. Why does she need to pay her way to become a guest artist?” He also exhorts the online users who are spreading lies and accusing Jessie Chung of hiring netizens to defend her to be more fair and honorable.
In response to the accusations brought on by many internet trolls that Jessie has hired internet users to fend them off and counterattack, the fans present at the conference all stated that they defended Jessie on their own will without receiving a single penny. Brian Choot expressed that anyone who knows Jessie Chung will understand that the reason why she is promoting her album across the globe is to help others and call together a group of caring individuals who are concerned about others, because her lone strength is still limited.
Jessie Disappointed by Missed Opportunity
When asked about her feelings in an interview afterwards, Jessie said with a bit of regret, “I’ve always been a fan of A-mei, and when I heard that I was invited to be her guest artist I jumped with joy, but afterwards when my Australian company heard that I was only opening for her, instead of being her guest artist, they had a lot to say about it.” To make things worse, the internet soon erupted with a heap of baseless comments. To take care of and protect their artist, the company decided to withdraw her out of this particular performance.
In regard to the malicious comments online, Jessie Chung, who is optimistic by disposition, has seen through it all already. “The comments are of little importance to me, many of A-mei’s fans actually told me that they were excited about me opening for their star. The trolls who made a commotion were only a small portion, so I wouldn’t pay too much attention to them.”
Future Entertainment has made plans for Jessie to release and promote her album in Thailand, Taiwan, Hangzhou, Beijing, Guangzhou, Australia, Canada, and South Africa. After her world tour, she will return to Malaysia in December next year to perform to a crowd of five thousand people at her solo concert in Genting Highlands.
