Can a girl named Tata Young be ‘sexy, naughty and bitchy’?

Tata Young who?

The name may not be familiar yet but it certainly will be – soon!

By this time, local music lovers must be wondering who’s "The Voice" behind a song called I Believe being played on FM radio. That’s Tata Young, all right, the 23-year-old pop superstar of Thailand – that country’s counterpart of our very own Regine Velasquez – who’s embarking on an international career with her debut English album – yes, titled I Believe – which is being released by Columbia Records (locally by Sony Music Philippines).

Born Amita Marie Young in Thailand on Dec. 14, 1980, Tata started her singing career at age 11 when she beat 5,300 other young talents in the International Division of the nationwide Thailand Junior Singing Contest by belting out a song called Catch Me I’m Falling.

The victory brought Tata an entertainer’s contract with Yamaha Music in preparation for her impending showbiz debut. In 1994, then 14-year-old Tata caught the eye of A&R people at Grammy Entertainment, Thailand’s biggest entertainment conglomerate which immediately signed her to a contract. Her self-titled debut Thai album shot up the charts and sold more than a million copies. At 15, Tata became Thailand’s biggest pop sensation. Her follow-up album, Tata 1,000,000 Copies Celebration (containing the hit single Chan Rak Thur/I Love You), was also a huge hit. More hits followed.

In 1996, Tata held her Tata Live In Hollywood Concert at the renowned Hollywood Palladium and it got outstanding reviews. In July, 1997, the Chinese Government selected her to represent Thailand at the Handover Concert at the Hong Kong Handover Ceremonies along with such international artists as Wet Wet Wet, Michael Learns to Rock, Lisa Stansfield, All 4 One and the Brand New Heavies. That same year, she received the coveted Golden Pikkanes God Award from the Musical Artist Association of Thailand under the patronage of His Majesty The King of Thailand. In 1998, Tata was chosen to sing the opening song Reach For The Stars at the 13th Asian Games in Bangkok.

And now, billed as "Sexy, Naughty and Bitchy," Tata Young is ready to conquer the world. Are you ready for her?

Conversations talked to Tata Young on the eve of Valentine’s Day last February in Singapore where she was one of the performers at the 2004 MTV Awards.

Your nickname is Tata. Does it mean anything in Thai?

"Yes, it does. It means to paint and paint."

Paint and paint?

"Yes. Paint and paint. But that’s not where the name came from, though. The name came from India – you know the big company Tata? Funny but my parents were working in India a couple of years before I was born. My Mom saw the word ‘Tata’ everywhere and they were curious. They found out that it’s the name of a big company that did everything in India. Really big. My Mom told my Dad, ‘When we have a child, we’re gonna name him or her Tata.’ And also, Mom liked what it meant in Thai, which is ‘paint and paint.’ It’s cool with her. I don’t know why."

Perfect nickname for Amita.

"You think so?"

Anyway, you’re described as "sexy, naughty and bitchy" in the album. How do you find that description?

"Okay. ‘Sexy’ is fine. I think everyone has a bit of sexiness in himself or herself. It all depends on how you will look at it. ‘Naughty’ is good, too. I consider myself very naughty – you know, I’m always running around and being very naughty. ‘Bitchy’... Well, I would describe it this way: Let’s say we’re at a bar. I don’t think being ‘flirty’ is good. Women who flirt are not so nice. But women are being a bit ‘bitchy,’ it’s more like they are playing hard-to-get. Men tend to like it when you play hard-to-get. Very little of being ‘bitchy’ but attitude-wise, not in a bad way."

What’s the sexiest thing you’ve done so far?

"This album."

What about outside of your career, or maybe in a movie? Have you done any sexy role?

"I would say that I modeled a lot and a lot of cover shots that I’ve done were very revealing and sexy. But I’m happy with all the stuff that I’ve done because it’s not nude, only sexy in a nice way...in the way my clothes were done."

What’s the naughtiest thing you’ve done so far?

"Hmmmmm. Naughtiest thing I’ve done so far? I don’t know but I haven’t been naughty in a sense that, you know...If I run around not acting my age, like not being a 23-year-old and acting like a kid, that’s already naughty for me. I’m naughty in that way but not naughty in a naughty way, you know. I’m totally not like that."

And what’s the bitchiest thing you’ve done so far?

"Like I said, playing hard-to-get. It’s interesting and quite sophisticated. That way, men tend to want to know more about you."

How often do you do that – play hard-to-get?

"Oh, not all the time. It’s very tiring. I do it only when I feel like it and when I have the energy. Like for example today, after all these interviews, I’m going to play hard-to-get. I’m not going to talk to anyone because I’m really tired."

So you’ll just go to sleep...

"...exactly. I’ll go to sleep and be like a baby."

What do you think is the sexiest part of Tata Young? The face, the body or what?

"Honestly? It’s not physical. I think it’s my being natural. When people get to know me, they discover the real me. A lot of my guy friends tell me that they find me sexy because when they get to know me, they can connect with me mentally; we can talk about many things. Probably I’m sexy mentally but not so much physically because I don’t think I’m sexy at all."

Oh, but you are!

"Really!?! Thank you! I don’t know if it’s a compliment but I’ll take it anyway."

What part of your body do you find most attractive?

"My smile. I love my smile! I was born with great teeth. I’ve never had braces or anything. Yes, my smile – with my beautiful white teeth."

What kind of guys do you find sexy?

"Those who are gentle, those who are gentlemen. Wow, gentlemen just break my heart. These days, you hardly find men who are gentlemen. But Filipino guys are gentlemen."

Oh, yeah? Have you met some?

"Yes. I have a good friend in Thailand who’s a Filipino."

Oh, yeah? What does he do? Does he also sing, does he also perform?

"No. He’s self-employed in Thailand. He’s a great person, very outgoing, very cute but, sorry to say, he’s a lot shorter than me. I think tall men are very sexy, too, because I’m tall (5’8")."

Have you had any Filipino suitor? There are a lot of Filipinos in Thailand.

"Yes, a lot. What is a suitor?"

A guy who courts a girl.

"Huh!?! That’s a new word for me. I never knew that. So someone who tries to hit on me is a suitor."

Oops! Not really hit on you but someone trying to win your favor.

"Never! Not a Filipino guy. Eventually... I hope!"

Other qualities that you want in a man?

"Hmmmm. For him to love me for the person that I am. I think that’s the most important thing. He needs to be understanding because the kind of job that I do is quite difficult to keep up with."

Have you always wanted to be a singer?

"Yes. Always!"

Not anything else?

"Of course, when I was younger I wanted to be a veterinarian or a nurse."

Oh, you love animals!

"Oh, yes, I do!"

Do you have pets?

"I have six dogs. I love dogs."

Can you name them?

"Sure. Dude, Seaweed, Chiffon, Lilac, Missy and Pijoux."

Your father is American and your mother is Thai. How much of you is American and how much is Thai? Is it 50/50?

"No. I’m 100 percent American and 100 percent Thai. My father has lived half of his life in Thailand. But for me, I don’t consider myself half of anything because, you know, I have both of the blood and a hundred percent of everything. I grew up speaking both Thai and English fluently."

What’s your father’s name and what does he do?

"His name is Tim Young. He’s my manager; he travels with me. My mother’s name is Punchorn Young and she’s a housewife."

You’re an only child, aren’t you?

"Yes, but I have an adopted sister. She’s now 33."

A bit older than you are.

"My parents adopted her before they had me. So I was born with a sister even if I’m the only child by my parents."

How was it growing up an only child?

"Spoiled."

Rotten?

"Spoiled very rottenly and very bad because I think my parents had been waiting for me for such a long time, and my sister as well."

Does your sister also sing?

"No, she doesn’t but she inspires me. When we were younger, we shared a room and she would have her music on. You know, I grew up with a teenage sister so I always listened to her songs, Thai songs by Thai pop singers. She also had a lot of magazines. She works as a stewardess for Thai Airways."

You started early in your career. Don’t you think that you missed out on your childhood?

"Actually no. I don’t think so. I think a lot of people would love to be where I am. So I don’t miss out on anything. I even think that I get to do more than people my age do. Working has always been fun. My parents are always kind enough to just open doors and, you know, let me go out and have fun with my friends sometimes after work. So I did have a good childhood."

How normal a childhood was it?

"As normal as anybody else’s."

How do you handle success?

"Just be natural. Just be yourself. Once you start faking it, then you always have to fake all the time because you’re always in the public eye. So, be natural; be yourself; don’t fake it."

Who do you look up to as role model?

"I’ve always liked Madonna. I think she holds herself very well in the public eye. I think she has always something new for her fans. She’s a very interesting person."

In 1997, Elle magazine voted you as one of Thailand’s 10 Most Influential People. In 1998, Asia magazine voted you as one of the Influential Trend-Makers in Asia. How do you live up to your being a role model yourself? Are you careful about how you act in public, about what you do or say?

"Of course, I have to be. Like I said earlier, if you start faking it, then you’re never real. Then you always have to fake it. So the best thing to do is, as I’ve said, be natural and be yourself. I want to be in this business for a long time so I have to hold myself pretty well."

Do you have a lovelife, considering the busy schedule you have?

"Lovelife. Do I have a lovelife? Let me see...I did have a boyfriend before, we went on pretty fine. But it never lasted. Normally, I can separate work from love. But now, my priority is work. When I’m dating someone, the priority is us, not him and not me."

Are you dating anybody now?

"No, I’m not. So I’m spending a lonely Valentine’s Day tomorrow."

How sad!

"But you know, I’m lucky because I’ll be spending Valentine’s Day with a lot of people – at the MTV Awards!"

Anyway, now that you’re going international, what sort of image do you want to project – something sexy, naughty and bitchy?

"Well, of course! Sexy, naughty and bitchy. But at the same time, I think people want to see the real me, the person that I really am, and get to really interact with me and talk to me. I think it’s really important that you always touch base with your fans."

What’s the real Tata Young?

"I’m very simple...I’m comfortable...I easily make friends with people. Yeah, I like to have fun and hang out and talk to people and find out new things about people. I’m down-to-earth."

What’s the naughtiest thing you can say about Tata Young?

"Naughtiest thing, huh? You know, I get a lot of bruises because I jump around a lot and I crash into things. I run around with my dogs in the house when I’m not supposed to; it’s not a good idea. I still act like a 13-year-old and that’s very naughty, isn’t it? And, don’t tell anyone, I eat a lot of ice-cream!"

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