18 YOUTH | Art Wednesday, October 31, 2018 CHINA DAILY HONG KONG EDITION CROSSOVER KING Chinese musician Zhang Yixing is eyeing the US market with his latest album featuring future bass, electronic and hip­hop elements, Chen Nan reports. hang Yixing didn’t sleep well the previ­ ous night. Although you can detect his lack Z of rest, the 27­year­old pop singer­songwriter, clad in a white T­shirt and a pair of loose pants, vibrates with energy and cheer as he talks about his third studio album, Namanana, which was released on Oct 19. In less than 12 hours, the album sold more than 550,000 copies on the online streaming service, QQ Music. “I sleep three to four hours every day. When I made the album, I practically lived in the recording studio,” says Zhang. One of the most promising and talented musicians to emerge from China’s pop music scene in recent years, Zhang is poised to make his first foray into the American market with his third album, which includes both an English and a Mandarin ver­ sion of each of his 11 new songs. By working with an interna­ Zhang Yixing with Norwegian record producer and DJ Alan Walker. Zhang made his US debut alongside Walker in August while giving a tional team, including US performance at the Lollapalooza music festival in Chicago. PHOTOS PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY singer­songwriter Andrew Bazzi and Los Angeles­based Grammy­nominated producer came from the title song of On his birthday, Oct 7, audi­ ed to film, TV drama and reali­ duo Rice ’n’ Peas, Zhang com­ the new album, Namanana, ence members from all walks ty shows, which greatly posed, arranged and produced which Zhang wrote a year of life and different ages gath­ broadened his fan base. His every song on the album. ago. The fast­paced and ered at an album preview Sina Weibo account has over With influences of future upbeat song paints an audible event held by the singer. Each 40 million followers. bass, electronic dance, urban picture of an African rainfor­ of the audience members had I write songs every He insists that he is primari­ and hip­hop music, he is aim­ est. 30 seconds to listen to one ly a singer­songwriter despite ing to deliver his musical con­ “I wrote introductions to song from Zhang’s new album day. Music is like the fact that his career path cept of “M­pop”, which focuses each of the songs on the album and offer up some feedback. water to me — it’s has taken him beyond music. on mixing Mandarin pop and I couldn’t find the proper “I looked at their faces when “I write songs every day. music with outside influences. phrase to describe the musical they listened to the songs. a necessity. My Music is like water to me — it’s “With Mandarin as the style of the title track, Nama­ Their reactions were pretty a necessity. My acting career main language, I want to use nana. Then I decided to give it straightforward, smiling, acting career has has been more about pure luck one or two foreign languages a new definition, the concept frowning, laughing, or some­ because I have been lucky to in my songs. The musical of M­pop, which incorporates times expressionless,” Zhang been more about meet some great actors who styles are diverse. That’s how I a mix of different music styles,” says. “Before the preview, I introduced me to the indus­ want to communicate with Zhang elaborates, adding that was really confident about the pure luck...” try,” he says. His recent global music fans,” he asserts. he had recorded 23 versions of new album. After that direct appearance was in Chinese “China has attracted world­ Namanana within the space interaction with the audience, Zhang Yixing, singer­songwriter comedy film, The Island, writ­ wide attention thanks to its of three days before choosing I felt mixed emotions, confi­ and actor ten and directed by Chinese rapid development. Now it’s the final version. dent yet, at the same time, anx­ actor­turned­director Huang time for Chinese pop music to He also combines tradition­ ious. It was an interesting Bo, and propelled him into the take its place in the spotlight.” al Chinese musical instru­ experience.” music talent shows before limelight. In August, Zhang made his ments, such as the erhu, Also known by his stage launching his musical career “With the new album, I US debut by giving a perform­ guzheng and bamboo flute, name, Lay, Zhang, who was in 2008 after winning a global want to remind people that ance at the Lollapalooza with multiple genres, ranging born in Changsha, Hunan casting audition for South I’m still a singer­songwriter at music festival in Chicago, from pop, and hip­hop to R & B province, listened to a diverse Korean entertainment compa­ heart,” he says. alongside Norwegian record in the song Mapo Tofu, which range of musical genres since ny, SM Entertainment. He rose “I am aware that I haven’t producer and DJ Alan Walker. is named after a popular Chi­ he was young. He gave his to fame as a member of K­pop achieved my goal yet as a sing­ The duo performed a remixed nese dish from Sichuan prov­ debut on­screen performance boy band EXO in 2012. er­songwriter, so I just keep version of Zhang’s song, ince. Zhang recalls that the at age 6 appearing in the TV Since 2015, he has shifted writing songs.” Above: Singer­songwriter Zhang Yixing sings onstage at the Sheep, which was released on song was written after he fail­ drama, We the People. The self­ his focus to the Chinese mar­ Lollapalooza music festival this August in Chicago. Top: The Oct 7, 2017. ed to properly cook the dish of taught singer­songwriter later ket and has become a pop star Contact the writer at cover of Zhang’s new album, Namanana, released on Oct 19. Zhang’s idea for M­pop spicy tofu, one of his favorites. took part in a number of TV with a career that has extend­ [email protected] Indie pop duo collaborates with singers of 1980s and 1990s By CHEN NAN songs by 10 female Taiwan mainstream pop music scene singers, each of whom perform with their catchy, easy­listen­ It happened when they were one of their songs with the duo. ing songs. drinking coffee on a sunny Besides Chyi, the pop duo In September 2015, they morning in Taipei. “This is has also invited stars like successfully held a concert at Chyi Yu. Oh my God,” Zhang Michelle Pan Yueh­yun, Win­ the Beijing Workers’ Stadium, Xiaohou and Qin Hao said to nie Hsin and Cyndi Chaw to an iconic venue that only a few each other. perform their hits, including Chinese mainland singers or That was how the two sing­ Sunset Red, Try to Forget and bands have been able to han­ er­songwriters from Chinese The Most Romantic Thing. dle, including rock singer­ pop duo, Good Meimei, met Thanks to the latest record­ songwriter Wang Feng, and their idol, the veteran Taiwan ing technology, they also ful­ Western artists, such as rock singer Chyi Yu, for the first filled their dream of band Linkin Park. time early this year. performing the popular song, It was a bold move, the duo “I was too excited to talk to Dream Chaser, with the late recalls. Through crowd­fund­ her,” recalls Qin. “She smiled Taiwan singer Fong Fei­fei ing online, which saw each warmly, spoke softly and wore (1953­2012). audience member pay 99 yuan a long, bohemian style dress — “All the 10 female singers for a ticket, they reached their just like how she used to look were some of the most popular goal of racking up nearly 2 mil­ on television.” stars during the 1980s and lion yuan within the space of a The duo spent the day with 1990s. We grew up listening to month and performed their Chyi, who is 61 now and rarely their songs,” says Qin. songs in front of an audience appears on stage these days. During the past 15 months, of 37,000 people on Sept 18. She led them on a walk the duo traveled back and “It seems that we’ve been around Taipei, showing the forth from Beijing to Taipei to Left: Good Meimei band, Qin Hao (right) and Zhang Xiaohou, is one too hard on ourselves, setting duo her favorite record store visit the singers and discuss of the most popular duos in China. Above: The cover of Dream impossible goals,” says Zhang. while sharing stories about ideas for developing new Chaser, the duo’s new album. PHOTOS PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY “Going from bars to live music her early days trying to make arrangements for their songs. venues, and then on to thea­ it as a singer. “It was more than about just ters and the Beijing Workers’ The meeting was part of a singing the songs. We are big for many years. There were so made it,” says Zhang. “Music 30­year­old former engineer duo first rose to fame by Stadium, it was like a dream.” collaborative project between fans. When we recorded the many problems that needed to has the same magic as a time who graduated from Zhejiang releasing songs online. In 2015, they also spent Chyi and Good Meimei, which songs together in the studio, be solved, such as securing machine.” Sci­Tech University, is one of Their debut album, Chun months touring more than 20 brought together the three the atmosphere was nervous, permission from their record “The songs we performed the most popular duos in the Sheng, which had seven origi­ universities in China, sharing singers to perform one of excited and surreal,” adds companies, dealing with copy­ when we were young are quite country, especially among col­ nal songs, was written and their stories of transforming Chyi’s most popular songs, Zhang.