"I was like a vase then."

That's how local singer Kelly Poon described herself during the time she released her debut album Love Me Kelly in 2006 - a pretty face who did whatever she was told by her former management.

"I tried to change myself, always trying to be politically correct," she admitted.

She left for Taiwan in 2006, a year after coming in second in the Mandopop reality TV singing series Project SuperStar.

The 28-year-old's contract with Universal Music ended last August after yielding three albums. The singer was beaming when she spoke to The New Paper last week about how things have changed since signing with Rock Records, music label to popular acts like Wu Bai and Mayday.

"I feel like a new person. Now, I'm much more open, willing to take challenges," she said.

"Some people have asked me why I am so high. It's because I'm enjoying what I'm doing."

Her new mini-album, Super Kelly, which comprises five songs she wrote herself, was released last month. The songs were written over the last three years, after the release of her last album Smiling Kelly.

She didn't write any of the songs for Smiling Kelly as her manager then thought it was premature.

Being able to write her own songs is a dream come true for the songbird.

"I wouldn't have imagined myself doing an album like that in the past, and now I'm a singer-songwriter," said Poon, adding that she is proud to be playing a bigger part in the song production.

"I learnt to sing, play the piano, a little bit of guitar and to write lyrics."

She collaborated with six-member local a capella outfit MICappella - who performed at the Singapore Youth Olympics - for Ready, Go!, one of the songs in Super Kelly.

Poon wants to rope in more local acts to show other countries and Taiwan that there is talent on this little red dot and hopefully come up with a unique Singaporean-Taiwanese sound.

"I wanted to bring in (MICappella) for my live shows as well, but it's difficult because of scheduling."

Poon is using Super Kelly to dispel rumours that she has given up on a music career and is returning to her former job as an SIA stewardess.

"I want people to know that I'm still singing.

"I will be going back to Taipei and Malaysia for more promos for my mini-album. "After that, I want to go on a holiday."

This article was first published in The New Paper.