Following the release of his brand new track “Music Warrior”, we caught up with the talented Chai Chang to learn more about his artistry, influences, and upcoming plans.
1. What inspired you to pursue a career in music, especially given your background in non-music degrees?
Having grown up in Hong Kong, China, I have been passionate about music and inspired by C-Pop, K-Pop and Western music. It has always been my dream to become a solo dancing singer as I am eager to perform my own songs to the audience.
When I was young, I never received any formal training in music. In my 20s, after graduating from my first non-music degree (i.e. Bachelor of Commerce), I worked in several public organizations and universities mainly in administrative and marketing roles. In fact, my cultural background and upbringing shaped my development and how I formed my own identity. There has been a traditional thinking that I have to study hard at school, achieve good results and after graduation, we have to look for a stable job in large organizations and gradually climb up the ladder.
Now, however, I am more mature and have more control over what I would like to achieve. As such, I decided to pursue a career in music, a field that I have been passionate about since childhood.
2. Can you tell us more about your musical influences, especially from C-Pop, K-Pop, and Western music, and how they shape your unique sound?
I always inspire by singers from C-Pop, K-Pop and English-speaking countries including CoCo Lee, BTS, Nicole Scherzinger and many more. There are specific elements in each type of music that make them unique and attractive. It’s my goal to integrate East and Western music, and to create music that can reach the broader audience.
I have a baritone so whenever I am working on new music, I have to make sure my voice matches the vibe of the music. For example, in terms of my vocal performance, I attempted to sing “Music Warrior” in different ways and ended up choosing a mix of both breather and stronger vocals as it can best showcase my unique sound.
3. What was the creative process behind “Music Warrior” and how did you incorporate CoCo Lee’s influence into this track?
Specifically for this song, I would like to have a strong dance and electronic beat as well as a dance break. My songwriters and I held various meetings to discuss the concept and flow. We also revised it several times so as to best communicate the song’s message and arrangement.
CoCo Lee was widely regarded as a significant figure and a diva in C-Pop. I have been her super fan since 2006 and I have always been so impressed by her powerful and emotional vocal as well as live performances. Throughout her music career, she experienced various ups and downs but she never gave up. “We just live once, so we need to make this only life a fruitful one,” she once emphasised during an interview.
I was fortunate enough to have met her in person on several occasions and attended her concerts in the past. Her smile, energy and music talent inspire me to stay strong and positive. Thus, this song is specifically created to show my respect to her.
4. How did you develop the “Music Warrior” concept, and what does being a “music warrior” mean to you personally?
I initiated the concept for this song in July 2023, right after the passing away of my music idol CoCo Lee. I felt like I should create a song to remember her and thus I gathered all my ideas and developed a music proposal. I then invited my songwriters to create this song together.
To me, a “music warrior” is someone who can use his/her voice to influence people. It contains some emotional attachment which can attract the attention. This is very different from traditional warriors like in many movies where they use swords and shields.
5. What kind of emotions or messages do you hope listeners take away from “Music Warrior”?
My new single “Music Warrior” is an electropop and dance-pop song. The lyrics describe how a music warrior uses music as a tool to overcome all barriers. No matter how hard the difficulties are, we have to remain confident, stay positive and never “back down from the climb”. We all experience challenges and obstacles throughout different life stages. It is not uncommon for us to feel negative or even depressed whenever we fall into difficulty. I hope my audience can feel more positive and happier when they are listening to the unique vibe and emotion of the song.
6. Your music video for “Music Warrior” showcases contemporary dance. What role does dance play in your identity as a performer?
Together with the release of my new single is a new music video which captures contemporary dance in 3 different outfits and settings. In fact, singing and dancing at
the same time is just like ‘multi-tasking’. It is never easy to strike a balance between the two.
Yet, I still believe that the dance can strengthen the unique power and energy of the song. It is also a great way to express music with strong beats especially during live performances and in music videos. I hope my audience can feel my passion and share my enthusiasm through my dance and music.
7. With two singles out, what’s next for you? Are you working on a larger project, like an EP or an album?
To support the release of my single, I’ll start doing busking and participating in live shows in early 2025. At the moment, there is no plan of releasing a full album yet as I would like to gather more songs and exposure first.
Next year, I will continue to release digital singles in both English and Mandarin to expand the audience base. Apart from dance and electronic songs, I will also release ballad songs to showcase a different side of me. I would keep on challenging myself and creating artistic character of my own.
Follow Chai Chang:
Instagram – Facebook – TikTok
