BEIJING, Dec. 26 -- Mandopop siren Na Ying is set to take the stage after seven years in seclusion.

    A performance billed, "The 20 Years of Na" is scheduled on December 31 at the Capital Gymnasium.

    Many fans consider her concert an official comeback performance.

    But Na dismissed the media speculation: "This concert is not a comeback because I never quit the stage."

    The 42-year-old singer said the show will be an all-round retrospective of her stage career over the past two decades.

    "Since my debut in 1988, I have had so many fans who have grown up with me. If they can make it to my show, some of the songs might bring back the precious moments when they fell in love or got a job. I hope this reminiscence will turn the concert into a big chorus," said Na.

    The concert will feature her greatest hits over a span of 20 years, including Follow Your Instinct, Na's personal favorite at an early stage of her career, as well as Conquest, Bitter Romance and Flower in the Mist.

    Na recently showed off a stunning new look for the concert, dressed in a slinky, shimmering mermaid costume.

    She said she didn't invite any guest singers to perform, not even the pop icon Faye Wong, who is her close friend.

    "I can hardly finish my own songs, not to mention inviting guest singers," Na said, laughing.

    Her dancing will be worth the wait.

    "I will feature jazz dancing, because I rarely do up-tempo songs, and also Spanish flamenco," she added.

    Na Ying wows the world with her magnetic and powerful voice as well as her ever-changing style.

    She was born in 1967 in Shenyang in northeastern China. She is famous for her ebullient personality and candid speech.

    Na made it to stardom after winning several nation-wide singing competitions in the late 1980s, and performing in gala spectaculars.

    After signing with Linfair Records, a Taiwan-based music company, Na pursued her career in Taiwan and Hong Kong, marking her successful transformation from gala singer to recording artist.

    Na is still recognized as one of the best female singers in China mainland, with an unshakeable sales record of more than 10 million albums.

    Although she has faded from the limelight since 2002, devoting time to her family and children, she was featured prominently in the closing ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

    Na's latest single, The Journey of Love, has topped every music chart since its release, proving the diva's charismatic appeal for fans of Mandarin popular music.

    According to her agent, The Journey of Love will be the theme song of her world concert tour next year.

    "The Beijing concert will be the first stop," said Na Xin, her sister and manager. "We have planned a series of concerts, and will perform abroad."

    Na said The Journey of Love is the capstone of her 20-year career in show business, and the prelude to a new chapter in her life.

    (Source: Global Times)