Chai Chang is back with his sophomore single Music Warrior – a tribute to the power of music and the person who inspired him to make his own.
The death of a musical hero can bring with it a tirade of unexpected feelings. It’s its own specific kind of grief – feeling so close to an artist without knowing them at all. For Melbourne-based musician Chai Chang, it was through losing his own musical idol that he was able to create something new.
After the death of Chinese American singer-songwriter and C-pop icon CoCo Lee last year, Chai knew that there was only one way that he wanted to honour the late musician’s legacy.
Chai Chang
- Music Warrior is out Friday, November 8
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A significant figure across C-pop music and a personal hero of Chai’s own, it seems only fitting that Chai has crystallised the immense impact CoCo Lee has made on his own musical journey through song. That song is none other than Music Warrior.
Music Warrior, as Chai describes it, “is an electropop and dance-pop song that is created to express respect to my music influencer CoCo Lee.” It’s an uplifting tune that reflects the icon’s ability to persevere no matter the circumstances. “Throughout her music career, she experienced various ups and downs,” Chai says about the superstar. “But she never gave up.”
With his idolisation of CoCo Lee as a jumping-off platform for the catalyst of the song, Chai has leapt into the abyss of uncertainty and found within it a strength of his own – a strength that cuts through the music of the track and grounds it with a message of his own resilience.
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“We experience challenges and obstacles throughout different life stages,” Chai reflects. “It is not uncommon for us to feel negative or even depressed whenever we fall into difficulty.”
“The lyrics describe how a music warrior uses music as a tool to overcome all barriers,” he continues. “No matter how hard the difficulties are, one must remain confident, stay positive and never ‘back down from the climb.’”
While much of the inspiration for Music Warrior has been Chai’s admiration of CoCo Lee, he himself is also openly familiar with the challenge of persisting in the face of setbacks.
“It has always been my dream to become a solo dancing singer, but it is easier said than done,” Chai says. “When I was young, I never received any formal training in music. [Throughout] the past year, I spent a considerable amount of time redefining myself. Learning to sing and dance [will] be an ongoing process and I never stop improving myself.”
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From CoCo Lee’s death and the inception of the single to the upcoming release of Music Warrior on Friday, November 8, it’s an understatement to say that it’s been a big year for Chai. Following his debut single New Reality last year, the Chai Chang project has been nothing but full steam ahead.
“I gathered all my ideas and developed a music proposal,” Chai says about the period just after CoCo Lee passed. “I then invited my songwriters Kevin Chen and Seetali Mack to create this song together.”
What followed was a process of refining and fine-tuning, reimagining the song until it spoke to the idea that grounds it – the idea that in music is power. “We revised it several times so as to best communicate the song’s message and arrangement,” Chai adds. “I attempted to sing in different ways, and we ended up choosing a mix of both breathier and stronger vocals.”
The track resonates with breath and strength, carrying an underlying message of grit and determination. It’s an idea that Chai understands deeply. After trying to study three different degrees unrelated to music, he’s finally finding the key he’s meant to sing in. Making music, it seems, is where Chai is most comfortable, and where he finds his own sense of power.
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“I believe it’s never too late to start pursuing a career in music,” Chai says. “I’m now in my 30s and I only started as an independent artist last year. Despite starting late, I still trust in myself and am eager to pursue what I really want to achieve.”
“It is my passion, courage and determination that are aligned with the song’s key message.” It’s the same passion, courage and determination that you can hear ricochet throughout Music Warrior – sounds that will no doubt inspire the same feelings in its listeners.
You can listen to Chai Chang’s newest single Music Warrior here.
This article was made in partnership with Chai Chang.
