A pop artist, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who writes cross-genre pop tracks, both otherworldly and deeply familiar. Her ear for melody, developed from the Miao heritage of Guizhou, and the cultural melting pot of Hong Kong underpins the catchy hooks she writes and her unique harmonic language.
Angel’s sonic world spans Whitney Houston to the Red Hot Chili Peppers, the electronic pulse of Zedd and Tiësto to the architecture of Bach and the vernacular of Thelonious Monk. Now firmly rooted in London's music scene, Angel spent years cutting her teeth in the city's jazz circuit before returning to her first love — pop music.
Sharp, witty and warm, her songwriting rewards the casual listener and the deep diver equally, with moments of quiet humour embedded in vulnerable lyrics that teeter between lighthearted and bold. Her debut single 'Hide n Seek' is an elegant, euphoric synth-pop anthem about a love affair so consuming it follows you into your sleep.
Pop music that makes friends with a range of other genres. Catchy melodies with strong harmonies with sprinkles of jazz and classical movements, and the zingy touches of distorted guitar sounds and synths.
Describe the moment you knew that you wanted to pursue music:
I knew I wanted to pursue music when I knew that I would regret my life if I didn't. I grew up always playing instruments around the house and at school, and I knew that I wanted to master it so I studied it academically and classically during my undergrad at the University of Cambridge, and went through the hoops of mastering jazz by pursuing a jazz master's at Guildhall.
I knew that I always wanted to return to writing and making pop music - since I was 7 or 8 years old, I remember listening to Taylor Swift and the Jonas Brothers on the way to school on my iPod nano with my friends and pop music became my companion throughout life. I wanted to dive deep into all the genres of music so that when I emerged, I would be able to say that pursuing pop music was an active choice, and to have something fresh to bring to the table.
How does your heritage impact your art?
My emphasis on writing clear melodies developed from the Miao heritage of Guizhou, and the cultural melting pot of Hong Kong. The karaoke culture and group singing culture in China and East Asia was what developed my love for ballads and solidified in my mind that melody is King.
What moment are you most proud of in your music journey so far?
Honestly? The release of my debut single 'Hide n Seek'. It's the first time when I've felt like I was 'ready' to show the world who I am as an artist and musician, and having released it independently was so rewarding. I think I spent around 30-40 hours on it at least, including the pre-prod all the way until the end of the master.
Your next music goal:
Release my first album and grow my community!
If you could collaborate with anyone, who and why?
Pitbull! It's just super fun music, motivational, wholesome and also a complete lack of ego. I love how his music invites you to join in without asking you to approve of it or need for its musicality to be validated.
A song that has shaped you:
For Life (Take You Out, Treat You Right) - Stephen Day.
I love the arrangement, the prod, the lyrics and just the vibe in general. It was my favorite song for a long long time. It's poppy, jazzy, folky, just everything. It feels like hope in a song, and it makes me feel like I'm the main character walking home by myself at 3am in a rom-com.
3 songs you're listening to right now:
Descensus (feat. Dora Jar) - Zedd
Good Ol' Days - Hayley Williams
Sideways (feat Coco Jones) - Charlie Puth
Your community shout out:
I love his new song 'SHOOK', super inspirational production H33ra (@h33ra)
Anything else you'd like to share:
My new single 'Hide n Seek' just came out on 8 May, and the music video came out 13 May! I will be dropping 2 more singles over this summer, culminating in a mini EP.
POST AD 2
CHAMPIONING ASIAN HERITAGE IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY
Across West to East Asian heritages - We aim to shatter stereotypes and help build bridge between genres, languages and sub regions. Evolving the definition of what being an Asian in the Western music scene entails.
We also have a strong focus on supporting and developing our community in the UK grassroots live scene. With 30 shows to date with 100+ artists on our stages.
