Top pop star coaches kids
Did you know
Two sang “New Roads” with Pru’s Noi for a recent advertising campaign.
By Kritsana Tangvalelerd
Photos by Varuth Hirunyatheb
Hot on the heels of the hugely successful programme The Voice Thailand, The Voice Kids was launched on April 27. Multi-talented singer-songwriter and actor Popetorn Soonthornyanakij (Two) was selected to be one of three coaches on the show.
During the blind auditions, the coaches were criticised by viewers for lacking chemistry between them and for not displaying the sense of humour familiar to fans The Voice Thailand. However, during the battle round, the coaches bounced back and successfully encouraged the young singers to shine on the show.
Student Weekly recently met up with the good-looking Two at the True Fantasia office to hear about working on The Voice Kids and about his latest single.
Student Weekly: How did you become a coach on The Voice Kids?
Two: I hesitated at first because I knew it would be hard to eliminate contestants. But then I talked to the crew and watched the original The Voice Kids from the Netherlands, and it looked really exciting. When I heard the voices of some of the Thai contestants, I found that a lot of them were great. I decided to do the show after that.
Student Weekly: What was your criterion for turning around in your seat during the blind auditions?
Two: I didn’t have any particular criteria. I just turned around when I liked the singer. Some of them were so good that they have me goose bumps.
Student Weekly: How did you feel about the abilities of the various contestants?
Two: Many of them were good enough to be professional singers. Some of them were well-trained, while others just had natural talent. Some contestants practised by singing along with YouTube clips, while others already had experience performing on stage.
Student Weekly: What did you do when the eliminated contestants obviously felt disappointed?
Two: I tried to give them advice about improving themselves. There was a psychologist on the show for the kids who felt really disappointed. She told us that kids must learn about winning and losing. I didn’t just tell them not to be sad, because I wanted to treat them like adults.
Student Weekly: As a coach, what was your general impression from working on the show?
Two: Thai kids these days have more ability than kids in the past. We used to listen to radio, but now kids have a lot more choice and are able to learn by using the Internet and sites like YouTube. The kids on the show were determined to do their best, with some rehearsing until they had sore throats.
Student Weekly: How did you feel about people saying that the coaches on The Voice Kids weren’t good as good as the team on The Voice Thailand?
Two: Criticism doesn’t matter to me. I can’t pretend be something that I’m not. I was chosen because of my personality, so that’s what I present to viewers.
Student Weekly: Do you have any advice for people who want to sing well in English like you?
Two: I watch a lot of English language movies and try to repeat the dialogue. When I listen to English language songs, I try to imitate the singer’s accent. It’s good to learn the lyrics and understand the meaning of the song, so that you know what you’re singing about.
Student Weekly: How do you feel about being an opening act for Ronan Keating’s Fires Live concert in Bangkok?
Two: It’s very exciting to be an opening act for such a big name. I’ll do my best. I hope people that don’t know me will want to listen to my music after the show.
Student Weekly: Can you tell us about your latest single, “Tha Thoe Pai [If You Go]”?
Two: It’s inspired by music from the 1950s. It’s a slow, pleading song about wondering how I would feel if my girlfriend left me.
Vocabulary
- chemistry (n): the relationship between two or a small group of people
bounce back (phrasal v): to become healthy, successful or confident again after having difficulties
shine (v): to be very good at something
eliminate (v): to defeat a person or a team so that they no longer take part in a competition, etc.
contestant (n): a person who takes part in a contest
criterion (n): a standard or principal by which something is judged
goose bumps (n): small raised lumps that appear on the skin because of cold, fear, excitement, etc.
psychologist (n): a scientist who studies the human mind and how it influences behaviour
throat (n): the tube in the neck that takes food and air into the body
dialogue (n): the conversations in a book, play or film
pleading (n): that act of asking for something that you want very much in an emotional way
