Remember them? Ex-Cantopop duo 2R — Singapore-bred sisters Rosanne and Race Wong — share updates, including new song

Before there was pop duo By2, comprising of Singaporean sisters Miko and Yumi Bai, there was 2R.

Born in Malaysia and raised in Singapore, sisters Rosanne and Race Wong formed Cantopop girl group 2R and made their debut in Hong Kong in 2001.

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They might have been inactive in showbiz since 2011, but they are active in their own pursuits.

Race, who lives in Singapore with her businessman husband David Loh and two kids, recently returned to Hong Kong for a visit and the two sisters met up with Hong Kong media.

Rosanne, 43, is based in Hong Kong with her dentist husband and two sons.

In an interview with As One, Race, 40, said: "I haven't been back for three to four years, and I really miss Hong Kong, including my friends and the food."

'We are not profitable yet'

Race started a real estate agency with sister Rhonda in 2014 and then the property tech firm OhMyHome in 2016. The latter was listed in the Nasdaq stock exchange in March 2023.

She told reporters that they are not profitable yet, so she has to keep working hard.

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"Any vocation is hard, not just entrepreneurship. I have been a singer, dabbled in finance, and now I am involved in real estate. I have to work hard no matter which sector I am in."

Race admitted that she considered going into cosmetics but she decided on real estate instead as she wanted something "permanent, one that will not be eliminated after 10 years".

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Race expressed that even though her husband wants her to devote more time to their two children, he also encourages her in her business endeavours. Whenever she encounters difficulties in her business, she would seek advice from him.

Rosanne, on the other hand, has been supporting her husband at his dental clinics.

"He opened his first clinic seven years ago, and I helped out with the decor and renovation. In the past three years, due to the pandemic, people were not going out and because wearing masks helped to cover their dental braces, business flourished and we opened a second branch," she said.

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When asked if they would like to go back to singing, Rosanne expressed: "I've always liked singing, but I don't have a room in my home where I can sing, so I sing when I am showering."

Rosanne added that organisers approached them for a 2R concert about five or six years ago, but they turned it down as rehearsals would take three months — something they couldn't afford as she was taking care of her young child and Race had just started her real estate business.

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Rosanne said she didn't think much about performing since then.

However, she now has a chance to release new music again.

She told reporters she will be starring in an advertisement for a South Korean shampoo brand. While she did not specify the brand, she revealed BigBang star G-Dragon was a spokesperson before.

The Korean singer collaborated with TS Shampoo in 2021.

Rosanne elaborated: "I will film the advertisement in Hong Kong... I can choose my makeup and manicure artist, hair stylist and assistant. Nobody asked me before if I liked my hairstyle in the past.

"But now, I have control over many things. I will also release a new song for the advertisement."

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jolynn.chia@asiaone.com