American-born Chinese pop singer CoCo Lee's new album, "East to West," will finally drop on August 14 after two years of preparation.

CoCo Lee's new style in her new album [xbsb.com]

Though optimistic that her new songs will be as popular as the hits of her career peak in the late 1990s and early 2000s, she is not expecting stellar record sales due to the worsening of the recording industry, Lee told popular journal Life Style in an interview.

CoCo's new album is an attempt to revive her faltering career after a disappointing reception for her last two studio albums under Sony. Her 2005 English album, "Exposed", failed to make a splash in the global market, and her 2006 Chinese album, "Just Want You", was less popular than her previous ones.

The new album, released under a new label, MusicNation, mixes Western and Eastern musical elements and reflects CoCo's own mixed background. Its first single "Party Time" has been aired on major TV music programs in China for more than a week.

She worked with producer Yao Qian, who churned out "Di Da Di", CoCo's most successful album, in 1997.

A sexy diva of mando-pop music in the late 1990s, CoCo Lee is one of Asia's bestselling female recording artists. Her albums and singles sold ten million copies worldwide, and she is the only Chinese singer who can boast performances at major international events like the World Music Awards in 1999 and the 2001 Oscars.

(CRI August 11, 2009)