Billboard China Cover Story – Billboard

“Follow Your Heart,” the first single from Laure Shang’s new project, has been climbing the charts in China and is also a major move for the artist after not releasing an album for five years. Her last original electronic album, The Puzzle Pieces, was released in 2018 and was described by Shang as “an album that completely disregards market factors.”

So how has her thinking changed after five years?

In the past half-decade, Shang has been an ever-present force in Chinese music. She has consistently released a variety of singles, pushing her creative boundaries and exploring her potential. These songs range from film and television soundtracks to public welfare songs, and even to works related to TV shows that Shang has participated in, such as her 2020 original innovative electronic EP Ode.

Shang has been devoted to music for 17 years since she won season 3 of Super Girl in 2006, and “Follow Your Heart ” proves her unwavering passion. After years of careful consideration, Shang has crafted a song that is both an expression of her love for music and a declaration of her aspirations. With this single, listeners can gain a deeper understanding of Shang’s journey and her commitment to music.

“I was first known to the audience as a love-song singer,” Shang tells Billboard China for their latest cover story. “However, after debuting in the talent show, I entered a rebellious period, which eventually helped me find my true passion in electronic music.”

The year 2009 was the period of her greatest struggle and self-doubt, which she calls the “exploration period.” Shang remembers the most difficult year of her life like it was yesterday. With a burning desire to transition into electronic music, she was met with a dramatic moment of clarity – a voice inside her head that said, “You must persist in your creation, even if you don’t know anything and even if you have to overcome all difficulties.” This voice was so strong and it was a very real instinct, telling her that she had to finish this.

Shang’s music has inspired countless fans to recognize her as an “original electronic singer/songwriter.” From her cutting-edge electronic albums in and Ode to the Doom to her other heartfelt projects, she has captivated fans with her unique style. At the peak of her creativity, Shang was fueled by her emotions, writing songs with a passion and intensity that was unmatched. She recalls her 20s fondly, saying, “My head was full of emotions, and I would write songs regardless of many emotions. When I was young, the anger was like atomic-level fuel, strong creativity and productivity. This is a very rare state.”

Although her albums were well-received by niche audiences, the mainstream public’s reaction was mixed. She realized that she had entered a somewhat contradictory stage in her thinking about her own creative style. “On one hand, I hope that more people would have the opportunity to hear my work. On the other hand, the market’s perception of ‘Laure Shang’ conflicted with the direction of the music I wanted to pursue in the future.”

Shang is on a mission to find the perfect “connection point” with her audience. Although her bitter love songs have been her most popular, with the highest play rates on major platforms, these “big songs” may not be her personal favorites. Shang is determined to stay true to what she’s “particularly good at,” and “Follow Your Heart” is a testament to this commitment.

Shang has been keeping a close eye on Billboard and other European and American music charts, and she’s had a new idea. “I have noticed that many overseas musicians who stick to their favorite styles can still connect with larger audiences. With this in mind, I made a new attempt with my latest work, ‘Follow Your Heart,’ which I hope will be more popular. I am also challenging myself to create electronic works that are slightly more mainstream.”

With the attitude of “otherwise I’ll give it a try,” Shang has successfully attracted new listeners with “Follow Your Heart.” Even those who aren’t part of “Sesame” (Shang’s fanbase) have fallen in love with this song. Although it hasn’t been out for long, “Follow Your Heart” has already been featured in many mixed-cut short videos, and its playback data on major platforms is impressive. It’s an EDM song with great potential for popularity, and some have even called it Shang’s most “approachable” electronic music to date.

“’Follow Your Heart’ is a reflection of my observations of the world around me and my personal experiences over the past few years,” Shang says. “And it is also a summary of my own music journey. The success of the song since its release has been a great encouragement for me to write more. After writing songs for so many years, I am eager to find a new creative direction and discover my true musical value in this new and different environment.”

Learning to Be a Relaxed “Newcomer”

To promote her long-awaited new song “Follow Your Heart,” Shang visited the Tencent Music Entertainment Group building to hand out cookies. She suddenly realized that she had become a passionate “newcomer” in the music industry again, just like she was 17 years ago.

During her collaboration with TME for the intensive online and offline promotion of “Follow Your Heart,” Shang – who had grown accustomed to a Buddhist state-of-mind – felt like she had wound up the clockwork and was ready to go. “For me, it’s been more than 10 years since I’ve had such a deep collaboration with a platform,” Shang says. “It’s been five years since I’ve released a new album. Everything feels like I’m starting from scratch again.”

Shang says that promoting her music in this way, working with the media and fans to introduce her hard work, and experiencing this old-school style of promotion is something she hasn’t tried in many years. “At my age, suddenly going all out to promote my new song feels great,” she says. “It’s like starting over and getting back to business!”

Back in the day, when the Internet wasn’t as developed, Shang remembers doing all kinds of old-school promotional tactics, including running to radio stations, TV programs, newspaper interviews and touring the country to perform at music festivals. “As a newcomer back then, I felt that these promotional tasks were very complex,” she says. “But now that I’m trying to do this again and tell everyone the stories behind our music creation, it’s quite an interesting experience.”

Promoting her new song during the TME “building sweep,” Shang also observed those around her. “The TME colleagues responsible for technology are a bit shy and hesitant to say hello, while the marketing department is more outgoing and enthusiastic. Seeing these people working behind the scenes and quietly supporting my music, our relationship is very special. It’s because we have music as a bond that we’re connected.”

After promoting “Follow Your Heart” like a newcomer would, Shang also tried to treat every performance from a rookie perspective too. Shang, who rarely practiced her singing before going onstage, released a video on the studio’s Weibo account showing her seriously rehearsing backstage at TMEA in Macau. She received a lot of applause from fans. “This is the first time I’ve publicly sung this song, so I’m a little nervous about the first performance.”

Live performances are unpredictable, even if you’ve rehearsed everything to perfection. However, as a “newcomer,” this is the most exciting part because you can learn how to sing freely onstage. During the debut of “Follow Your Heart” at TMEA, Shang encountered a sudden situation that required her to improvise: The elevator platform under the stage suddenly stopped, and only half of Shang’s head appeared onstage.

Remaining calm under pressure, Shang used the emergency method of turning danger into opportunity and adapted to the situation to deliver an exceptional performance of the new song. Uninformed audiences even thought it was a special stage design. Reflecting on this performance, Shang admitted that her mind was “a little muddled” at the time: “But I’ve experienced it before when the timing of the elevator was too fast or too slow, and sometimes the elevator didn’t even lift up during the whole song. As long as there are no accidents, it’s fine.”

Also as a “newcomer,” the best thing is that because you don’t have too many burdens, you can have the courage to make fun of yourself. Shang chose to post a picture of herself with only half of her head onstage on Weibo, naming it “entrance into the pit,” and even calling on everyone to come and “whack-a-mole” with a hammer. Now, Shang can laugh at herself and is no longer as “stiff” as before.

As the lyrics of the new song are straightforward and honest, Shang realized that she has finally reached a creative stage where she “wants to be more straightforward” too. “My mind-set has changed now,” she says. “It makes me really uncomfortable to write things that are as stiff as before. We’ve finally made it through difficult times, so let’s love openly and do whatever we want without too many twists and turns. Don’t be too stiff and let yourself think too much.”

Similar positive energy was rare in Shang’s past works. Looking back at her earlier music’s “stiffness,” Shang admitted that it was a kind of emotional expression that released inner-depression. “At that time, the collapse, uneasiness and anxiety in my heart prompted me to find different ways to make music,” she says. “It’s different now.”

Shang says that like “Single Boy” in 2018, “Follow Your Heart” also has the same core spirit of “boldly abandoning worries, loving whoever you want and doing whatever you want.” She adds: “Creativity should still follow the emotional needs of different periods. When I wrote this song, it was one of the most challenging phases in recent years. We’re all tired now, so we might as well follow the more real emotional needs of the present moment in music.”

Shang is currently implementing this “relaxed” spirit in her upcoming music. “Compared to my other songs, ‘Follow Your Heart’ is relatively simple, with a strong live feel and not much technicality,” she says. “You don’t need to think about anything complicated; whether you’re singing or listening, just move freely and bounce along, sing along and release emotions together with everyone.”

Accepting the Limitless Possibilities Within Yourself

“Follow Your Heart” delivers a powerful message: Love yourself. By embracing who you are, you can find true happiness and the courage to love this imperfect world. Shang has her own unique take on this topic: “Loving yourself means letting go, being brave and boldly following your heart. This way, you’ll have fewer regrets in life.”

While creating “Follow Your Heart,” Shang learned to focus on the present rather than dwelling on the past or worrying about the future. She hopes that this song will inspire listeners to have confidence in themselves, embrace life’s ups and downs and accept the limitless possibilities within themselves.

During her five-year hiatus from music, Shang discovered a passion for AI technology. She’s collaborated with Fudan University’s AI research institute and is excited about the potential of AI in music creation and entertainment. Her obsession with AI technology is unparalleled in the Chinese music industry. “AI is on the verge of a major breakthrough, and in the future, it will be a powerful tool for music creation and have a greater impact on the entertainment industry,” she says.

Compared to relying on flashes of inspiration in the past, Shang now longs for a more stable creative source. “I hope my thinking about music can become more mature, while also entering into deeper levels of thought,” she says. Shang emphasizes that some of her experimental electronic music may be even more “abnormal” than her previous work in, but the quality will be even higher.

Shang’s upcoming project will showcase her entire creative worldview, including her unique take on love songs. While some listeners may prefer her classic “Shang-style love songs,” she’s exploring new ways of expressing love through music.

At home, Shang writes songs facing a white wall, where she can focus on her creative process. With her strong academic-research spirit, she’s become a real scholar studying “Shang-style music.” She hopes to organize her own unique creative ideas during her research process, find connections between different songs and create new works with a more rigorous theoretical system. Looking around the Chinese music industry, there probably isn’t another scholarly singer like her.

Just like everyone talks about Shang’s “foreign-language learning method,” she also has her own secret formula for memorizing lyrics. “Every time a singer looks up at the prompter, I can tell at a glance. It’s really obvious,” she says. “So I try to avoid looking at the prompter. I memorize the lyrics in advance and let my mouth form muscle memory, while my ears also need time to practice. When I sing, I especially like to watch the audience’s reactions. It’s a shame if I don’t look at them.”

Whether on stage or off, Shang loves to look directly into the eyes of her fans. The eyes are the most honest, and this kind of “eye contact” that cannot be replaced is probably the most equal and direct communication between two souls. In the “after-work video” filmed by fans backstage at TMEA, we were deeply moved by the interaction between Shang and “Sesame” (the nickname of her fanbase).

In Shang’s home, there is a painting gifted by a fan who is deaf and mute from years ago. “Although this fan needs a hearing aid to speak, he has learned to draw on his own and can still create very realistic paintings on his computer,” Shang says. “These things often inspire me to be more confident in what I am doing. Look, he has so much perseverance! This is the positive energy given to me by my fans, and it is also a confirmation of my current different attempts. The life status of my fans also inspires me a lot.

“There are some older fans who have been with me for over 10 years,” she adds. “They were originally high school students, and now they are already mothers holding their babies coming to see me. I have witnessed them growing up, falling in love, getting married and having children. We think of each other in our hearts, and our relationship has lasted for so many years. It is truly a rare and great fate.” In Shang’s heart, these original “Sesame” are more like old friends she has known for 17 years than just fans. Even if they haven’t seen each other for a long time, they never grow apart.

Shang once wrote this touching sentence on Weibo: “I’m lucky that I can still write, and I’m lucky that there are still people who can understand!” Over the years, the relationship between her and her “Sesame” has only grown. No matter how unconventional her “weird electronic music” is, her fans are still waiting by her side, never leaving or abandoning her. Since the release of “Follow Your Heart,” fans have been sharing messages of understanding.

Some fans wrote Shang into their graduation thesis, some successfully confessed their love because of “Follow Your Heart,” and some were inspired by Shang’s story of being accepted to Fudan University and getting into their dream company. Shang said that compared to the general sense of being a fan, this is the real “mutual inspiration”: “Their success makes me feel that I am useful to some people, and what I am doing is valuable.

“Music is originally an intangible subject that cannot be seen or touched,” she continues. “How can we as musicians determine that what we are doing is valuable? Once I know that someone will become more determined to improve themselves and achieve something because of my music or what I do, this is mutual inspiration for me. Fans’ achievements on their life paths actually give me great courage and motivation.”

Talking about mutual inspiration between people reminds Shang of her encounter with Coco Lee on the show Praise the Program. At that time, Coco Lee encouraged Laure, who was sitting in a wheelchair due to an injury. “Coco Lee’s care for others comes from the heart. A great musician like her must have a lot of love. When exhausted, what can support a musician to keep going is the love that comes from the bottom of their hearts.”

Shang, who lives a new life in music, is also practicing the philosophy of life she expressed in “Follow Your Heart,” pouring all her self-love, love for others, love for the world, and her most passionate love for music into her work.

–This article was written by Jifan Wang for Billboard China