Breathless in Taipei
Irish blarney ran a little out of puff the day The Corrs faced a Mandarin-speaking press in Taiwan

It was cultural shock when the Irish pop sensation The Corrs, now in Taipei for a promotional showcase, were confronted during Thursday's press conference with an unexpected musical challenge.

The two hosts presented an erhu to the violin-playing Sharon, a Chinese flute to tin whistle blowing Andrea, a Chinese gong to drummer Caroline and a pipa to guitar-player Jim, to which the group's big brother responded, "I think if I start practicing tonight, I could play it in three years' time."

The press watched as the four fiddled with their new "toys", successfully coaxing a twang or two. This was seeming a far more difficult task than the others they were put to - like making Jim judge which of his sisters was most beautiful ("I am," he responded), or asking the sisters if they got jealous of one another.

In truth, the four seemed rather bored, perhaps because every question and answer was translated into Mandarin for the Taiwanese press.

But probably more so since a lot of the questions related less to their recently released album, In Blue, and their changing sound than to more frivolously fodder typical of teen magazines.

It was not a first for them that day.

Earlier that morning, Andrea, 26, and Sharon, 30, had been quizzed at a round table interview about being "less Irish than U2 and the Cranberries, rap-rebel Eminem and where they were "manufactured".

Still, the two sisters - bemused yet accommodating - fielded the questions at ease. They were well-trained by the English press, they later explained.

To Eminem, Andrea confessed, "I do like the new album, although I worry about saying the things that he says!

"I wouldn't condone the lyrics for children or people who were vulnerable in the head!" she said, drawing peals of laughter from those in the room who understood. And to being manufactured, Sharon retorted, "Our parents were amazing, weren't they? Well done, Mum and Dad!"

Well done, indeed. The family-quartet, since their acclaimed 1995 debut Forgiven, Not Forgotten, have sold over 15 million copies of their albums worldwide.

The first single off their forth and latest release, Breathless, made its debut on both the UL and Australian charts at No. 1, despite mixed reviews from the media, so they are obviously far more than just "three good lookers and their big brother".

However, that identity seems hardest to shake.

"I feel really sorry for Jim, because it's sometimes the only question he ever get to asked in interviews," said Sharon on the media focus her brother gets, on being the thorn among the roses.

"It's almost a ridiculous question! I mean that's the way our family is, three girls and a boy. He's not going to fancy any of us, you know what I mean?"

That certainly lends a whole new perspective to the guys everywhere dying to swap places with Jim. Like 98.7FM DJ Daniel Ong, who attempted to "propose" to the only remaining bachelorette, Andrea, drawing a laugh and feeble "maybe".

Who could blame him. In a teasingly-revealing black skirt and a tank top, the brown-eyed beauty could make any girl feel like chopped liver. Any girls, except her equally attractive sisters.

Still, Sharon was quick to add, sex appeal alone does not make the band.

"I think if we couldn't play and we couldn't sing, we'd have no albums and nobody would ever know how good-looking we were or whatever. It's a visual world out there and it helps, but without the albums and the music, you'd never see our faces."

PS: Apparently they had a concert at a club called One 'O' One, and according to Denise of Power 98, the concert was great. The Corrs were better when they performed live and the crowd loves them.