The Wonderful World of ØZI
Born in Los Angeles and raised in Taipei, ØZI’s music fuses his experiences together to create an idiosyncratic sound that’s revolutionising Mandopop and establishing a strong foothold in Western R&B. This past year has seen the singer win Best New Artist at the Golden Melody Awards (think Taiwan’s Grammys) and ‘Man of the Year’ by GQ Taiwan, not to mention being the face of Nike in China and Taiwan. Oh and he also has his own record label - Forbidden Paradise. If that’s not impressive enough, let us direct you to his sophomore album Pedestal.
Released just last week, Pedestal is an 8-track eclectic exploration of growth and identity, with features from Arin Ray, GSoul & sunkis. Finding inspiration everywhere from unfiltered emotion at 6am to the streets of Taipei, we had to learn more.
Last week, we chatted (virtually, of course) with the singer/producer/director/fashionista (we could go on) about his aspirations for the Chinese music market, how he’s progressed between albums and his wide-ranging musical and style icons.
With that, all there’s left to do is introduce you to ØZI.
Congratulations on your album release, it’s phenomenal – I’ve been listening to it all morning! To start off with, please can you tell us your earliest memory of music in your life?
My parents are both artists; dad was a fashion photographer and mom’s a pop diva. My first memory of music is me running around my dad’s photography studio, listening to my mom’s albums while she was doing a photoshoot.
And how did you decide that being a musician was a passion you wanted to pursue as a full-blown career? Also what is the reasoning behind ‘ØZI’?
It doesn’t feel like work yet. I genuinely love every day I get to make music. I guess the best careers are the ones that don’t feel like work. Music is in the family tree though, so it makes sense that this was something I was going to pursue. The name ØZI came from the sonnet ‘Ozymandias’ written by Percy Shelley - it talks about a traveler in the desert coming across a broken statue of a pharaoh. The poem mocks the idea of eternal reign, and implies the inevitable end to all rulers and dynasties. I find that idea relatable as an entertainer: all stardom peaks at a certain point in your life. But the thing is, the poem also describes how the broken statue has survived, which to me symbolizes how I want my music and artistry to be - a legacy to be remembered forever.
You were born in Los Angeles and were raised in Taipei – how have these two cultures come together to influence your life and music?
Growing up as a third-culture kid, it’s been difficult to forge out an identity for myself between these two cultures. The thing is, authenticity is vital for me, so staying true to myself and my art is something really necessary. Musically, I take inspiration from both cultures. The way I think about instrumentation and chord progressions are really Western, and the way I approach my melodies is very Asian. The fusion of these two cultures shapes my music and I take a lot of pride in this.
For those who don't know, how would you describe Mandopop?
Mandopop is Mandarin pop music. It’s a genre that I’m proud to see constantly growing, spreading globally over the past few years. It used to consist of a lot of slow jam ballads, but the industry has been changing and now it’s sonically a lot more diverse. The genre focuses a lot on lyricism, so for native speakers, listening to Mandopop is very much like listening to poetry.
If someone is coming across your music for the first time, how would you describe it in a sentence?
“Sensual... healing? Haha?”
You’ve been very outspoken about your desire for Chinese music to grow in popularity across the world. What do you think is the biggest barrier in doing so and how do you see it being overcome?
I’d love to see Chinese music spread to new cultures the way other ethnic genres have done. I think the biggest barrier is lifestyle and cultural differences. Music is inspired by how people are living and what they consume every day. Other cultures have really become embedded in US or European life whether that’s anime, kpop or other factors. Seeing a Chinese song on the billboard charts one day would be insane, but it will take a lot of cultural understanding to get there.
You’ve written lyrics in both English and Chinese, but your new album Pedestal is pretty much in English. What was the decision behind this?
I see language the same way I see drum samples and instruments when I make beats - whatever I’m feeling will inspire the music. I take advantage in being able to switch between languages; it helps me express the duality of my heritage.
Last year you won the Golden Melody Award for ‘Best New Artist’ after releasing your first album ØZI: The Album in 2018. Now you’ve released your sophomore album, how would you describe your musical development since then and what lessons have you learnt between releases?
My first album was me finding my voice in the Mandarin pop music scene. The learning curve has shot up with every opportunity I’ve been exposed to since the success of the album. I met a lot of incredible people who’ve really influenced how I create art. I’ve trained myself to move between two different writing styles when I put songs together for different markets. Because of that, I’ve learned how to sonically connect with my audiences from different demographics. It was truly a challenging journey for me, but in the end, I grew a lot not just as an artist but as a person too.
Why the title Pedestal?
The name ‘Pedestal’ was inspired by the same poem that inspired my artist name ØZI. After the success of my first debut album, I feel like I was put on a pedestal. Both the public’s and my own expectations grew with my success. The album was a challenge for myself to elevate my artistry to a higher level. On that pedestal, I'm feeding off my insecurities - it’s the charge to kick my ass out of bed and create, and get better every day.
You collaborated with Arin Ray and GSoul on your track LUFU and sunkis on JUST DO YOU – how did these collaborations come about and what was the process like working with these brilliant artists?
For LUFU, I wanted the song to be a fresh take on R&B, almost like a cypher that combines diverse cultural elements into something new. With that said, reaching out to Arin and G.Soul was a no-brainer for me. I’ve been a fan of both them for a while now. As for sunkis, well, I grew up with him. He’s like my little brother. A year ago, he told me he wanted to pursue music as a career. We used to have lots of jam sessions back in school, so I knew he was talented and signed him under my label Forbidden Paradise - we’ve been working on some projects together that’ll come out later this year! We finished the song in 20 minutes - we were playing around with a beat I made years ago, and it ended up being Just Do You!
You’re not only a musician and producer, but also a director. How do you get inspiration for visual ideas that become music videos?
When I make songs, I often have an idea of how I’ll want their visuals to look. I’m really inspired by Donald Glover and Kendrick Lamar - they really have a handle on their visuals, down to a tee.
What inspires you lyrically?
I write a lot of my feelings down on my phone’s notepad. I’ll journal and revisit those emotions whenever I’m working on tracks and could be anything from heartbreaks, to lust, to partying till 6am in Taipei.
Can you tell us the story of your favourite memory when recording the album?
My first trip to Korea to work on the album was unforgettable. After meeting some incredible people, the tradition goes that after all the creating is over, you drink soju till 5am. It felt like a kind music camp and is something that will stick with me forever. I now make a point to invite everyone to Taipei for sessions, taking that tradition to the next level - sometimes people might not remember their trip!
What inspired you to start your own record label Forbidden Paradise? How do you encounter artists you want to work with?
Forbidden Paradise is a collective of musicians in Taipei, aimed at introducing a new sound into the Mando-pop game. My co-founders (MCKY and Razor who are legendary producers in Taipei) and I wanted to show the locals the possibilities our culture has.
You’ve won Man of the Year for GQ Taiwan and are the face on Nike in China and Taiwan to name just a few of your fashion ventures. How would you describe your style in 3 words?
Just. Do. You.
Your music seamlessly dips in and out of a range of genres, creating an album that flows perfectly. Who are your greatest musical influences and who would your ideal collaboration be?
I love Kanye West. The way he blends elements from so many genres is so inspiring. I love the vocal style of artists like Usher, Lil Wayne, Chris Brown and Eminem - each has such a distinctive approach to their music that has inspired me to work on my own style. My ideal collab would’ve been Daft Punk (RIP) - I love how they fused funk, electronic, soul and pop into their own sound. I guess now it would be Ty Dolla Sign or Anderson Paak because of their melodies and feel good tracks.
How has the past year affected your creativity and what music has gotten you through it?
For the longest time I couldn’t sleep, and if I do, I’ll just wake up from nightmares with no idea why. Quarantine gave me time to really calm the fuck down and understand myself: how to be alone when I need to be, and how to create when I’m not there mentally. It feels like everyone I talk to around the world felt this unprecedented sense of unpredictability, and we can all relate. It’s hard to work on anything when you don’t know if the world will even be here when you wake up. I started following simple routines like drinking hot tea before bed or digging through hours of music. Treating every day as a chance to learn helped a lot when I eventually went back sat down to write a new song.
You’ve literally just released your album which is a huge feat, but what’s on the horizon for ØZI?
I’m chasing that buzz from my last show - I want to hit that Taipei Arena solo concert! I’m taking it day by day though - working on a live set to showcase the album’s musicality, hitting up some artists around the world for possible collaborations, and just trying to stay inspired and elevated.
Imagine, you’re on the Last Bus home after your first crazy night out post-pandemic. Where have you just been and what are you listening to?
KOR Taipei, that's my favorite club...bumping to PEDESTAL and feelin’ myself.