Jasmine Yen, the daughter of famous Hong Kong action star Donnie Yen, is carving her own path in the entertainment world.

The 19-year-old had her debut at the Singapore Majulah Music Night on Jul. 30, performing her single "idk" amongst other songs.

While some might brush her off as another "nepo baby" using her famous lineage, Yen is serious about music and determined to prove those critics wrong.

In an interview with Mothership, she shared more about her music career and debut experience.

@mothership.nova Idk why she loves Singapore weather, but love that for her 🫶🏻 (and yes, she is Donnie Yen’s daughter. Guess talent runs in the family 🫡) #NDP2023 #jasmineyen #tiktoksg #longervideos #1min #music ♬ idk - Jasmine Yen

Childhood dream

Yen remembers loving music as far back as when she was two years old, when she knew all the words to her favourite Disney songs.

This passion eventually led her to write her own songs at the tender age of seven.

"Every kid loves to sing and dance, so I just thought I'd grow out of it in the future. But as I grew up, it always just stuck with me."

She got her first taste of the stage at nine years old when she sang to 2,000 people at her aunt's wedding.

However, it wasn't until she turned 14 that she decided to pursue music seriously.

Yen then eventually gained acceptance into the prestigious Berklee College of Music in 2022.

Working on her debut

In July 2023, Yen signed with record label RCA Records China, a division of Sony Music Entertainment.

"I was so jetlagged, I was half dead," she laughed as she recounted the time she flew to Los Angeles to meet her label.

It was there in LA that she wrote her debut song "idk".

Here's an interesting bit about "idk": The melody from the first line is something that she randomly hummed and it eventually made it into the song.

This spontaneity in songwriting, she believes, brings an element of authenticity to her songs and lets her personality shine.

For the next five days of her LA trip, she wrote one song a day.

"And again, every day, I was jetlagged. But it was worth it in the end."

Making her debut in Singapore

When an opportunity to debut at this year's Majulah Music Night came, she took it.

And on the day of her performance, the 19-year-old cried backstage as she waited her turn.

"I was very nervous," she shared. "I was also very emotional because it was what I've wanted to do since I was 14."

She eventually managed to stop her tears and performed like a diva, just as her nine-year-old self did.

"I just felt very grateful to have such a kind audience. And after, when I went off stage, then the true emotions hit — like I did it."

Among the cheering audience was her family, who came to Singapore to support her.

They were as emotional as she was, said Yen.

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A post shared by 汪詩詩 Cissy Wang (@sweetcil)

Yen's mother Cissy Wang, also congratulated her on her debut in a dedication post on Instagram.

What’s next for her

With her album coming out on Sep. 1 this year, Yen is focused on creating more music that represents who she is.

She also hopes that she has more opportunities to perform for her fans.

“[T]he most important is for others to feel connected with [the album] to just to share, share the love, share the music together, and I just hope people can enjoy it.”

Top images from Instagram/ @callmeqh and @jasmineyen.