AFTER years of managing his own career, Alvin Chong has officially signed with Universal Music Malaysia under its 360 talent management deal.
The label will also manage and share other income streams such as touring, merchandise, endorsements, TV and film roles, in addition to monies from sales of the artiste’s recorded music.
The 27-year-old actor-singer, who inked the deal late last year, says that he has seen a positive development ever since.
“It was an easy decision to make, really. Universal Music has become like my family now,” says Chong, who adds that his schedule has become even more packed now.
“It’s a good thing, of course. I no longer have to worry about managing and sorting out appointments and performances on my own,” he added.
Kenny Ong, Universal Music’s managing director of Malaysia & Singapore, says it sees potential in Chong soaring in showbusiness.
“He has a lot of potential as a multi-faceted artiste and we can see how he has been growing as an entertainer. As we’ve already worked on collaborations with our partners in the Philippines and Indonesia, we’re planning to target other major markets around the region, including China, Taiwan and Hong Kong soon.”
For the first project with the label, Chong released the single Mencintaimu at the end of last year. The ballad is also the original soundtrack for Michael Ang’s drama My Coffee Prince.
Last month, the Penang-born artiste released another single, We Got This. It’s a duet with 16-year-old Filipina Isabela Vinzon, the runner-up for The Voice Teens Philippines 2017.
“Before I went to Manila to meet her for the first time, I followed her on Instagram. But I didn’t leave any comments or messages on her account, fearing that she might feel weirded out by getting messages from an older stranger,” adds Chong.
Fortunately for him, when the two met, they instantly clicked like old friends and bonded well.
“The age gap is not an issue. I find it easy to communicate with him,” shares Vinzon, who was recently in Kuala Lumpur to launch the music video for the tune.
Last Friday, Chong released another duet, Mencintaimu 99%, this time with Indonesian singer Dea Dalila. Made especially for the Indonesian market, the song is a combination of Chong’s Mencintaimu and Dea’s Cinta 99%.
Life as an artiste turned more interesting when Chong landed a deal as brand ambassador of ViVO Malaysia, Fujifilm Malaysia and KIA. He is also working closely with brands such as Swiss watchmaker Certina and Bodyholic for their campaigns here.
Chong’s first foray into the entertainment scene was in 2009, when he took part in the reality programme Astro Star Quest and emerged the champion.
In 2014, he played an extra in the Chinese movie 3 Brothers. He later received offers to star in two movies – The Dream Boyz (2015) and Huat The Fish (2016). In 2016, he had a cameo role in the drama series Dia Semanis Honey.
That same year, his portrayal as Johan in the hugely popular Michael Ang’s drama Suri Hati Mr Pilot got him noticed by Malay drama fans.
The rest, as they say, is history.