Thai superstar Tata Young has been on a mission to dominate the sound waves since she was crowned winner of the Thailand Junior Singing Contest at age 11. The daughter of an American father and Thai mother, Tata achieved massive success in her native Thailand as a teen, and broke out into the international market with her first English-language album in 2004. As she prepares for her first show in Macau, this Asian star explains to Time Out how she manages to accomplish so much.

Are you excited to come to Macau for the first time?
Yes, I am.

Where’s the most exciting place you’ve ever played?
I’m just excited to be performing anywhere I am in the world. It’s such a great thing to be singing in front of people. I don’t have a favorite place, but it’s always good to perform in Thailand because people know me here a lot.

I would say The Venetian Macao would be one of the most exciting places in the world but another place is Japan.

How did you first get interested in singing? When did you know you wanted a career as an artist?
I started when I was really young. I started when I was like 10.

Who are some of your biggest inspirations?
Madonna.

How do you maintain your energy to travel around the world and keep performing, modeling, acting, recording?
I’m juggling it, but I have to say that somehow it has just worked out for me. I really don’t know how to explain it, but it just works out.

Where did the nickname Tata come from?
It came from India. My parents lived there for a couple years and they thought the name Tata would be really cool because if [I] ever came to India and saw the name Tata everywhere it would be very cool for [me].

You seem to be quite proud of being Thai. What importance does being Thai have in your music?
I’m very proud to be Thai and very proud to be American. I speak fluent Thai and English and that plays an important part in my music because I don’t have a problem with a language barrier. And I’m proud to be Thai because I have the best King in the world and I’m proud to be American because I can finally say that I have the best president in the world.

You come from a more conservative country, yet are viewed as a sex symbol. How do you balance that?
It’s difficult because you do have to juggle with the image a little bit when you are back to home and when you go to very conservative country, but I think it’s a new century now. Everybody understands fashion better and it’s not like I wear what I do on stage [when] I go walk on the street, so it’s a little different. I want people to look at me when I’m performing as another thing,... another person.

What’s your favorite part of the job? Recording? Photo shoots? Interviews? Performing? Meet and greets?
Performing for sure.

You’ve done some modeling and acting as well. What’s your favorite?
Modeling is good but keeping up with that is really hard. You have to look like a really good [clothes] hanger.

Did you learn anything from breaking into the international market or performing in English? Did it change your style or sound or attitude at all?
Of course, it did. I grew up a little more, also. My style needed to change. I don’t think I can be innocent or cute like a baby. I don’t think that’s gonna work out.

Your most recent English language album includes songs written by some of world’s bests, including Diane Warren, Paul McCartney and Natasha Bedingfield. What was it like to be recording their lyrics?
It was such an honor and pleasure to be able to record songs from Diane Warren, Paul McCartney and Natasha. I mean, they are all famous writers.

Have you started to do any writing?
I have, but mostly in Thai.

The last album you released was in Thai. Are you planning to continue to in the Asian market, or continue to expand in the international market?
Yes, that’s my goal. I’m not looking to be the first to breakthrough, but I’m just wishing that I would be [in] the first generation to breakthrough.

What projects are you working on currently?
My new album.

What are you listening to these days?
Corinne Bailey Ray and Amy Winehouse.

What’s your proudest achievement to date?
I’m proud of everything I’ve done and [that I’m] still standing today.

Is it everything you’ve ever dreamed of?
Absolutely.

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Tata Young performs in Macao at the Venetian Ballroom on April 12, 2009.