To debut or not? CONSTANCE spent almost one year ruminating after she was approached by Warner. A self-described “overthinker”, she remembers that the moment she signed came with a rush of exhilaration. Looking back at the ABRSM piano and opera singing exams she trudged through, she jokes, “I guess the universe was already like, I’m prepping you for this.’”
Indeed, long before she even understood what “preparation” meant, CONSTANCE was already introduced to the world through her Dad’s eyes. The cover star of Eason Chan’s 2006 album “Life Continues…”, 2-year-old Constance Chan crinkled her eyes into a crescent of happiness as she laughed and drooled, leaving behind a portrait of innocence and carefree bliss— a lasting impression that would follow her for the next 19 years. But now, as CONSTANCE steps confidently into adulthood, the world is her oyster, and she’s ready to reintroduce herself on her own terms.
With her debut song “doll”, she sings of breaking free from the manipulation of an old fling. She shares the experience of her first ‘heartbreak’ candidly but with restraint, because obviously, this person (cue eyeroll) doesn’t deserve more attention. “It’s so weird, whenever there’s white noise like the sound of the shower, I always visualise a picture or [compose] music”, CONSTANCE shares on the inception of “doll”. “I have a lot of noise in my brain, but whenever I’m in the shower, it’s kind of like a meditative process. I go in that zone and then I just come up with this whole idea, and then I just record it.”
Taking her ideas from the shower to the recording studio, nerves were high. “It was really, really, really intense. I was really nervous, and I was sweating so much.” On one hand, it was reassuring to be producing with a friend like Ernest Choi. On the other, having to take constructive criticism from a friend underlined the importance of keeping her ego in check. “Now looking back, I realise that he was really guiding me down the right path,” CONSTANCE reflects with gratitude.
The recording process began in 2023, and over time, she learned how to interpret a song and enunciate each syllable, picking up on the nuances of recording in a studio. She credits Choi for his level of precision, noting how he spent one hundred takes recording one lick. In turn, she re-recorded numerous times, knowing that she could become better each session. Through half a year of making “doll”, she had noticed a personal voice evolution, but humbly she insists that “there are just so many more things that I can improve on.”
When it came time to take her song to the stage, surprisingly, it felt easy, and it all circled back to why she became an artist in the first place. In recent years, attending more concerts has opened CONSTANCE’s eyes to the connection between singers and the audience. In particular, she vividly remembers how Hong Kong singer Serrini united the audience not only through a dress code, but also through her singing. More than her voice or humour, it was the way Serrini genuinely captivated a crowd, pulling them away from their phones and into the moment, that deeply moved CONSTANCE and reminded her of something her music teacher had once told her.
While studying at a performing arts school in the UK, CONSTANCE took a commercial music course that covered music production, songwriting, and performing. After a particular performance, her performance coach singled her out to say that she captivated on stage, singing as though she was genuinely speaking to people through the music. “I was like, wait, I didn’t know I had that. That was a really big part,” she shares, unpacking the memory like a cherished gift. “I think there’s that really deep connection in every single soul that actually connects all of us,” CONSTANCE says wholeheartedly, “I think that embracing your emotions is so important to being an artist because you have to express and feel in order to share it with people.” Interwoven between every lyric she writes and every melody she sings is the thread of her purpose as an artist: human connection.
WHEN THE LIGHTS DIM
At the beginning of August 2025, CONSTANCE performed “doll” on an arena stage at The Venetian Macao as part of the “WM! GO!” concert, and it all felt like a “simulation”. Moments before stepping onto the stage, she remembered a piece of advice from her dad: Carve out 5 minutes before a performance to be in the zone. Don’t speak to anyone else, take deep breaths, allow yourself to sit in your own body and create some peace and quiet. “Before going on stage, I was doing all this,” CONSTANCE says as she waves her hands up and down, demonstrating how she would regulate her breathing. “And then in my mind, it was so cheesy, it was “be in your own power”, “stay in your own”, “you go girl”. I was literally brainwashing myself. You always see these quotes and think, “Does they really work?” I think it worked because I wasn’t that nervous.”
The young singer has grown up, but remains the same at the core. Candidly, she admits, “I’m still that goofy little girl on that album. I still just laugh at everything. I’m still learning, and I’m still like a kid.” She adds, “I guess I would want to reintroduce myself as a little more mysterious and… edgy,” before giggling at her own declaration.
Looking ahead, there are “a lot of things” she is excited to try, especially experimenting with sounds from earlier times. She references the popularity of Dua Lipa and Sabrina Carpenter’s retro-pop songs and hopes to revive the sounds of Anita Mui’s music. “Even though society’s growing into a modern state where everything’s digitalised, I think there’s still that sense of nostalgia that everyone has,” CONSTANCE keenly observes. As the rising star forges her future, she carries the torch of the past — blazing an era that bridges both.
People say that at the height of concentration and adrenaline, there’s a peaceful quiet. It feels like being in total control, and time slowing down. “Being on stage, you’re talking to people and they’re listening. It’s a really quiet space, and you get to just focus on what you’re trying to say and sing your heart out.” This serene focus is known as the ‘flow state,’ and for CONSTANCE, being on stage is being in the flow.
Afterword:
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Photographer: Fish Zhang
Videographers: Matthew Ma, Harold Lau
Creative Director: Cherry Mui
Stylist: Hilary Tsui
Makeup Artist: Heisan Hung
Hair Stylist: Keith Wo
Producer: Marina Fairfax
Fashion Assistants: Audrey Kwan, Audrey Miu, Mama Yiu and Talia Tam
Photography Assistants: Ho Hsiao and Wai Leung
Gaffer: Lung Sum
Project Assistant: Harrod To
Editor
Karrie Lam
