It was probably Vae's “Custom” (自定義) or Joker Xue's self-titled album. I was still quite young at the time, so buying a physical album usually meant asking my parents to get it for me. Listening to CDs in the car felt very special to me. It wasn’t like today, where you can just swipe past a song. Back then, I would listen to the same album over and over, read the lyrics, and even remember the order of every track. I still miss that feeling of slowly entering the world of an album.

Demi Lovato has had a deep influence on me. Besides her vocal ability and stage power, I've always been moved by her personal journey. She isn't someone who presents herself as perfect all the time. Instead, she showed me that a person can go through low points, struggles, and broken moments, but still choose to stand back up, keep singing, and keep expressing herself. The strength she gave me is not only musical, but also emotional — the courage to face myself honestly.

The most memorable performance for me wasn't necessarily the biggest stage. It was one time during a live show when I sang a very quiet, emotional song, and the room slowly became still. A place that had been noisy and lively suddenly became focused. In that moment, I felt that singing could really make people stop and listen to what you are trying to say. It wasn't just about finishing a song; it felt like I had created a real connection with the audience.

Before performing, I try to adjust my state first and let myself calm down. I usually do some simple breathing exercises and vocal warm-ups, but I also go through the lyrics and the emotional arc of the song. To me, singing is not only about hitting the right notes. It is more important to enter the world and the emotion of the song. When I am truly in that state, the audience can feel what the song is trying to say.

It changes during different periods of my life. Recently, I've actually been listening a lot to one of my own unreleased songs “Numbness”. What feels really interesting is that when I listen to it now, my state of mind is already different from when I first wrote it. It's almost like the same song reflects a different version of me at each stage. That is something I find very precious about creating music: it keeps a record of who you were at a certain moment, even as you slowly move forward from that emotion.

Right now, I really like the lyric from Livingston's “Warrior”: “Lost my pride, but you gave me armor. Took my life, but you make me stronger.” What I love about this line is that it doesn't describe a perfect or untouchable kind of strength. It feels more like the strength of someone who has been hurt, who has lost something, but somehow grows a new layer of armor through that experience. It reminds me that being wounded doesn't only mean losing something. Sometimes it also helps you understand yourself more clearly and become more grounded, more awake, and more determined. In a way, that is also what music gives me.

I would choose my original song, “Haunts Me.” It was the first song I ever released, and it has been almost a year since then. Over this past year, the song has accompanied me through a lot, especially through many changes in my state of mind. What feels special is that every time I listen to it at a different stage, I understand it differently. It originally captured who I was at that moment, but now when I listen back, it feels like I can see the traces of how I have changed and grown.

I think it is the contrast. In real life, my personality can be quite direct and strong, but when I sing, I naturally bring out a much more delicate and vulnerable side of myself. Maybe what people remember is the emotional tension in my voice, and the fact that when I am on stage, I try to be very real. I don't really like hiding too much when I sing.

I would really love to perform with A-Lin one day. Her voice is powerful, but it is not just about being loud. She has such deep emotional control in her singing. If I had the chance to share a stage with an artist like that, I think it would be a huge learning experience for me. I really admire the way she can hold both strength and vulnerability in the same voice.

Honest, intense, and powerful.

To me, music is an outlet for emotion, and also a way to build connections with people. A lot of the time, there are things we may not know how to say clearly, but a song can say them for us. Music helps me process myself, and it also helps me find people who feel the same things. For me, singing is not just a performance. It is a very honest way of giving a part of myself to others. That can feel intimidating sometimes, because you have to put something very real and vulnerable in front of people. But that is also what makes it beautiful. When you are willing to be honest, there is also a chance that you will truly be understood.