Are you hinting at something with that title?

Just that I'm a very passionate person. It's not easy for me to fall for someone, but once it clicks, I go as far as I can for that person. This is my character. I don't know how to hold back; my love is endless.

Even after going through a divorce?

I have not been thinking about starting a new relationship. Many people have asked me if I will remarry, and I don't know how to answer that question. You can't control who you meet, and how things develop. But now I'm more interested in what I can control, like raising my son, making albums, staging concerts and other jobs.

Your ex-wife has spoken about your marriage publicly. Why have you stayed silent?

I have never been good at opening up and expressing my feelings, except through songs. There were things that I should have said [to my wife] before but I didn't, and now it's in the past, and I see no point in saying anything more. It's best for everybody to let bygones be bygones.

Is it hard to be a single father?

No, I'm actually really enjoying spending time alone with my son. I think I'm drowning him with love. He has only two rules to follow: to eat his meals and do his homework. Like most parents, I want my son to see me as a friend, not a father, and I want him to tell me what's on his mind and know that I'll be there if he has any questions. I hope we can stay in this friend-relationship until he reaches his puberty when things can get a lot more difficult.

How was your relationship with your father?

My dad was a bit of a 'mix' between the traditional type of father and the more open-minded kind, which had a lot to do with his upbringing. He was raised in a traditional family, but went to study in France when he was 10. So he held up Chinese family values, but at the same time he had the mind of a Westerner. When I first started playing music in junior high, I spent so much time playing my guitar and listening to records that I neglected my grades and did badly in school. Some traditional parents would immediately confiscate their child's guitar and stop him from playing music, but my dad and I made a deal that as long as I got passing grades, I could continue to play music for as long as I liked. I think I learned my parenting style from my father. He gave me a reasonable goal to achieve; instead of asking me to jump from 30 marks to 100, which would have been unrealistic, he was clever enough to set a target that I could reach. And I thank him for not hindering my passion in music, otherwise, I don't think I could have been as successful in any other career.

Your son will be growing up in the shadow of his celebrity parents. How optimistic are you about his chances of having a normal, happy childhood?

I can only hope for that, can't I? I try to separate my work and private life. My mother was a famous Peking opera singer. At home, she was a regular mother, but on stage, she was a superstar. I think my passion for the stage could have come from watching my mother's performances at a young age, which wasn't necessarily a bad thing because it turned out to be what I truly love. But as a father, I want my son to be able to choose what he likes without being forced to follow in my footsteps. I never take him on set or to my recording studio. I don't want him to think of that as the environment he grew up in and thus his fate. I want him to find what he truly loves on his own. I believe only when you are genuinely in love with something, can you put your heart into it and do it well.

How much time do you spend with your son?

I try to get all of my work done during the week and reserve the weekends for my son. And during the week, I make sure that I am with him from the minute he comes back from school, until I tuck him into bed at night. Once he's asleep, I start my own work, writing songs, recording albums. So I think I actually dedicate more time to my son than most parents.

You will be staging your concert tour soon, which will last for several months. How will you deal with being apart from your son?

It's my job and I can only hope that he will understand. And I may bring him along for concerts on the weekends.

And the setting for this concert will be quite different from your previous ones?

Yes, we will bring the audience into a deep blue sea. In Putonghua, my surname, Yu, and fish are pronounced the same, so Harlem Yu is Harlem Fish and I want to take the audience to the world of this Harlem fish and let them experience the mysterious ocean and learn to treasure this giant natural resource of ours.

How will you be incorporating the ocean theme into the concert?

We are still designing the stage, but we probably won't have real water in the Coliseum or else we'll have to hand out raincoats in advance. We're thinking of decorating the venue to create an oceanic scene. We will also have dancers, crew members and even the security guards dress up, wearing snorkel masks or crab claws to match the theme. As for the audience, we are thinking of handing out identification cards as they come in that state which species of sea creature they are representing. I find Hong Kong audiences a bit more uptight at concerts than crowds in Taiwan. But if they are coming to my shows, I want them to be part of the experience.

Harlem Yu Concert 2010, Jan 9-10, 8.15pm, Hong Kong Coliseum, Hung Hom, HK$180-HK$580 Urbtix. Inquiries: 2730 8080