It was the famous English ballad "Scarborough Fair" which made 60-year-old Li De Ru fall in love with English songs two years ago.
Now an Internet sensation, Li is known for her unique rendition of English songs such as "Sweet but Psycho", "God is a Girl", "Can't Get You Out of My Head", and "Love Story".
@mothershipsg me in 40 years #tiktoksg #sgnews #douyin ♬ original sound - Mothership
Speaking to the Chinese media, Li, who originated from Swatow City in Guangdong, shared that she came across the song "Scarborough Fair" while scrolling through online content on her phone.
She initially tried to learn to sing the song on her own but she could not master the pronunciation.
She then took up lessons from a music teacher twice a week.
Fast forward to today, Li has mastered over 50 songs.
Just want to do what she enjoys
With her friends' encouragement, she subsequently created social media accounts to share her music.
She has since shared over 30 songs with her now 59,000 followers.
According to Southern Metropolis Daily, people of Li's age usually enjoy singing Teochew opera, which made Li different from other elderly people in her village.
Li shared that her relatives discouraged her from learning English songs, telling her that she didn't sound good and that no one would appreciate them.
However, Li has the support of her son, who told her to just do what she likes.
Li told the Chinese media: "I don't want to care about what others think. I just want to do what I like to do.
"I didn't sing because I want to become famous but I like English songs. This is my passion so I will persevere regardless of what people say."
She also impressed reporters with her diligently annotated music scores, comprising of English, Mandarin and Teochew words to help her with her pronunciation.
Image via Southern Metropolis Daily.
That said, what's most useful to Li in mastering English songs is to listen and practise singing the songs frequently so that she can remember them well.
Other than English songs, Li has also picked up Thai, Japanese, and Italian songs that she likes listening to.
When asked if she would ever hold a concert, Li said she doesn't think she's good enough for that but she hopes to learn more English phrases so that she can converse with foreigners.
While she does not know all 26 English letters, she knows simple phrases such as "Sit down, please" and "Nice to meet you".
Top image from lucas4357450/TikTok and happynelson24/TikTok.