Malaysian singer JessC has made a powerful international breakthrough, winning four major awards at both the LIT Music Awards and the InterContinental Music Awards (ICMA) in the United States. To celebrate the achievement, she hosted a gratitude dinner on Tuesday evening, sharing her award trophies with fans and industry friends. She also revealed she is currently preparing a brand-new Mandarin release, collaborating with singer-songwriter Yise Loo. In a rare moment of honesty, she revisited a past controversy surrounding her Chinese New Year album, calling it her “black history,” and expressed deep gratitude to Jeanette Aw and Yise Loo for helping “wake her up” at a crucial turning point in her music journey.

At the celebration event, JessC proudly showcased her trophies alongside fellow artists and fans, turning the night into a shared moment of achievement and reflection.

JessC recently dominated the LIT Music Awards, winning multiple honors across different language categories. Her songs “Mari Menari Raya,” “My Style,” and “Expose” earned a Platinum Award, while “One Chance” received the Gold Award as well as Best New Artist recognition. At the same time, at ICMA, her Mandarin hit “MyStyle” earned the Best Asian Pop Music Award, making her one of the rare artists to be recognized across three different languages within the same award cycle.

She described the moment with emotion and disbelief:

“I never imagined a Hari Raya song could travel so far, be heard, accepted, and even loved by audiences in other countries. This is not just my achievement — it represents Malaysian multicultural music being heard by the world.”

Her collaboration music video “Mari Menari Raya” with Dato’ AC Mizal also surpassed 3 million YouTube views within a month, adding even more momentum to her success.

During the celebration, JessC also performed energetic renditions of her festive songs “Satu Suara Raya” and “Mari Menari Raya,” delighting the audience.

She admitted that none of her success would exist without consistent support from fans and collaborators. The night before the celebration, she was so excited that she could not sleep.

“If no one comes to my concerts, or no one watches my music videos, I would have no motivation to continue.”

She shared that she is now more driven than ever, and deeply values every form of support she receives.

When asked about future collaborations with Mandarin-speaking artists, JessC hinted that plans are already in motion, including collaborations with both Malaysian and Taiwanese singers. She also revealed that she has already completed a new song with Yise Loo, though recording has been temporarily delayed due to his personal commitments in the United States. The release is expected later this year.

JessC openly described Yise Loo as a key mentor in her music journey. She recalled a difficult period when she released a Chinese New Year album combining martial arts and music elements titled Wu Xin Nian. The project was heavily criticized online and even became the subject of parody, which she now refers to as her “black history.”

She admitted:

“Back then, I was experimenting and didn’t take song quality seriously enough.”

Later, with strong guidance from Jeanette Aw, she re-evaluated her direction and was introduced to Yise Loo and Quincy Wei, leading to the creation of two major albums that reshaped her career.

She expressed deep gratitude:

“Without them, there would be no me today.”

The celebration dinner drew around 300 guests, including media representatives and fans, all gathering to celebrate her international achievements.

JessC reflected that the experience taught her a valuable lesson: music cannot be taken lightly.

“You can’t do things casually anymore. Now, every album and every song must be done properly.”

When asked about future Chinese New Year songs, she laughed and admitted she still feels hesitant due to past experiences, but added that she is not completely closing the door.

Looking ahead, JessC plans to continue releasing songs in Mandarin, English, and Bahasa Malaysia. She is also exploring performances that incorporate Chinese opera elements, aiming to push creative boundaries while introducing Chinese cultural aesthetics to Western audiences.

Source: Oriental Daily News