'I was disappointed': JJ Lin reveals he considered quitting music after rumours of his personal life

When you leave a comment about someone on social media, it could make or break them.

In the Chinese talk show Cong He Shuo Qi released yesterday (July 11), Singaporean singer JJ Lin admitted candidly that he had considered quitting showbiz at one point in his 20-year music career.

"The world is going faster now and the internet has made it hard for people to differentiate and know a person as they truly are. Are they a fan just because they used a photo of JJ Lin as their profile image?" the 43-year-old said.

He also shared that he cares a lot about his listeners because they have seen his growth in the music industry.

"When the truth has been distorted, such as in the media… when everything I had was doubted, the first thing I'm concerned about is, 'What would my family think?' I treat my fans as my family so I would definitely care about what they think. Because they may not know the real me and may be led on by others." JJ said.

Since a few years ago, multiple rumours have surfaced online about JJ alleging that he is a womaniser. A video allegedly released by one of the women contained a voice recording which they claimed was JJ saying he wanted to go to her room to chat.

A separate rumour claimed that a woman who was allegedly his girlfriend committed suicide after quarreling with her friend, as the latter had threatened to expose her relationship with JJ.

JJ shared in the talk show that during those times, he had doubts about his career and wanted to leave social media.

He said: "There was a period of time when I seriously considered whether I should delete all my social media accounts. I don't need to explain anything to anyone. I am certain about how I should live my life. Just as long as I know who I am clearly, that's enough.

"I even thought, 'Should I continue singing? Do I want to continue being an artiste? Do I still want to release albums and hold concerts?' That was a low period for me. I was disappointed."

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He has also come to terms that he has to let go of his career if there is a need to.

"I came to a realisation that in the current times, a lot of things are unpredictable but we have to face them. It's not something we can control, but we can change the way we think and our actions."

He added: "If I want to continue, I have to handle and face [the rumours], no matter whether there are good or bad opinions, just stand on the stage."

JJ released his 15th album Happily, Painfully After in 2023 and is currently on his JJ20 World Tour to mark his two decades in the music scene.

"It's named after the journey I have been through. I wanted to look for that happiness… and what I should do… This album has a huge significance for me because it represents my decision," he said.

"For fans, it may just be a 20th anniversary album, but for me, it's one of the biggest decisions that I made at this stage of my life… I am not greedy for more and told myself that I would just do this. I am not sure about the future, I don't know if there will be a 16th album. Would I have another concert after the JJ20 World Tour? I honestly don't know."

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yeo.shuhui@asiaone.com

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