The new gem

Ploychompoo shines on screen

By Arlyssa P. Supangkasen
Photos by Varuth Hirunyatheb

In a world full of millions of videos from talented young singers, Jannine Parawie Weigel (Ploychompoo) stands out with her angelic voice.

She became famous by covering a variety of pop songs such as Passenger’s “Let Her Go,” Sia’s “Elastic Heart” and Charlie Puth’s “See You Again,” from the soundtrack of Furious 7. Her YouTube channel has more than a million subscribers so far, and her “See You Again” cover was even shared on the official Facebook page of actress Bella Thorne.

Unlike many YouTube singers, Ploychompoo had already signed with a music label before she started posting her videos. At 11 years old, she came third in the TV singing contest, Singing Kids, getting the attention of GMM Grammy. A few months ago, this German/Thai girl released her debut single, “Chuk Din Chak Ngor (Please Tell Me You Love Me),” which has received fantastic responses from music fans. Ploychompoo gained more attention after she played the naive girl Wirin in the star-studded TV drama Ban Lang Mek (The Cloud Throne) on Channel One.

Student Weekly recently met up with Ploychompoo to talk about her experiences in showbiz.

Student Weekly: What makes your YouTube channel different from others?

Ploychompoo: It might be the uniqueness of my singing and the way I present videos. They’re sometimes like a music video and sometimes a live recording.

Student Weekly: How do you feel about being called a Net idol?

Ploychompoo: I feel great being a good example for youngsters. I want adolescents to look up to good role models.

Student Weekly: Does three million views of the video, “Please Tell Me You Love Me” mean success to you?

Ploychompoo: I was surprised. I never thought that my own single would have this many views. I always do cover songs so I didn’t get my hopes up for my own song. I saw some original songs from other singers get less views compared to their covers. I’m happy that a lot of people enjoy my single. It’s another successful step for me, and I guess now I can call myself an artist.

Student Weekly: What did you write your first song about?

Ploychompoo: The title of my first self-composed song is “Krajok (Mirror).” I wrote it about a year ago. It’s a slow song about bullying. When I was younger and lived in Germany, I was bullied at school because I looked different. I was teased a lot. When we worked on group projects, I was usually last to be picked. That made me feel down.

Student Weekly: You’ve acted in a short film, Om Yim (A Small Smile), a feature film, Roon Pi (Senior) and a TV drama, The Cloud Throne. Which role was the hardest?

Ploychompoo: Wirin in The Cloud Throne because the character is much older than me. She is a university student who gets pregnant but I’ve never had a boyfriend. I don’t even understand what love is.

Student Weekly: How do you play a character like that?

Ploychompoo: The director helps me to understand feelings that I have never experienced. I have to use a lot of imagination. I also try to understand the thoughts behind her actions.

Student Weekly: Why did you accept this difficult role?

Ploychompoo: It’s challenging. I gained more experience because The Cloud Throne is my first time in a TV drama. Before this, I worked on movies. The experiences on set are totally different.

Student Weekly: How do you feel working with March Chutavuth?

Ploychompoo: It’s fun. March is a funny guy. He advises me about acting and I observe how he acts. Compared to other characters, I work with him most often.

Student Weekly: Why did you decide to study English at Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University?

Ploychompoo: I think it will be useful for my future, maybe for another career. I am already fluent in Thai, German and English. I might become an interpreter.

comments powered by Disqus