Lay Zhang might not be a household name in the States, but he’s surely on his way there. As the East’s answer to the male pop archetype à la Justin Timberlake or Bieber, Zhang has already become one of Mandarin Pop’s most exciting artists to cross over to the US, where his album ‘Honey’ is currently charting. He’s an actor, too. The 27-year-old heartthrob has starred in over 10 films since he first started his career as a child star.

Being at the helm of M-Pop’s entrance into the US means that Zhang is accomplishing international recognition beyond that of his peers. While China might feel worlds away—it is exactly 12 hours ahead of New York—Zhang is helping to bridge the cultural, geographic, and artistic gap.

Enter the world of Lay Zhang.

 

What was it like for you to be a child star? Is there anything about working
at that age that you would change?

做一个童星是什么感觉？如果让你回到当初有什么是你想要改变的吗？

It was cool to be a child star. I got to experience a lot. So no, I wouldn’t change anything.

当童星感觉很酷，我有机会经历了很多趣事。回到当初的话也没有什么想要改变的

You produce and write a lot of music. Where did you learn these skill sets?

你制作并且写了很多歌，你从哪里学到的这些技能技巧？

I taught myself by watching videos and from making music with my friends. I also did song camps with my producers; they’re my teachers.

我通过看视频自学，也通过和一起做音乐的朋友们交流来学习。同时我也会和很多 制作人们通过song camp进行交流学习，他们都是我的老师。

As a music producer, what kind of music do you like or you want to try?

作为一个音乐制作人，有哪些曲风是你喜欢或者想要尝试的？

I like M-POP! I’m open to any kind of music, and recently I really like hip-hop.

我喜欢M-POP！我对所有的音乐风格都是开放的态度，最近我还挺喜欢hip-hop的

As one of the creators of M-POP, how would you explain it to Americans?

我们知道你是M-POP的开创者，你是怎么解释M-POP的呢？以及你会怎样让美国 听众熟悉这种风格？

M-POP is Mix-Mandarin POP. My native language is Chinese, so I can mix Mandarin with any language, and use any musical style to produce a song. So, by using English and other musical styles, I think Americans can get familiar with M-POP pretty easily.

M-POP就是Mix-Mandarin POP，我的母语是中文，所以我做音乐时会将中文和其他 所有的语言融合，也会将任意的音乐风格混合。所以，当我将英语融合在歌曲中，并且使用多样的曲风时，我觉得可以让美国听众对M-POP更熟悉

What is the story of your latest work, Honey? Is there a theme or connection
amongst the songs?
你最近的工作是什么，Honey吗？这张专辑的歌曲之间有什么主题或者联系吗？

Honey is my latest EP. It has “Honey,” “Bad,” “Amusement Park” and “和你” (“Honey” in Chinese). They all talk about love relationships. And they’re all M-POP.

HONEY是我的上一张EP。这张EP里有Honey，Bad, Amusement park以及和你四首歌。这些歌曲的共同点是都在围绕恋爱关系来诉说故事，而且它们都是M-POP！

Why do you think the US has been so receptive to your music?

你觉得为什么美国市场对你的音乐的接受程度是比较高的？

I’m surprised! I’m glad to hear that. I think M-POP includes many different musical styles so a lot of people can vibe to it. I have to say thanks to the fans everywhere, they are really the ones that help me a lot.

这个消息很惊喜！我非常开心能听到这种评价。首先我觉得M-POP包容了很多不同 的音乐曲风所以大家都能跟着享受，找到自己的感觉。其次我也必须要感谢我的粉 丝们，是他们帮助了我。

How do you balance acting, writing, singing, producing, touring, and so on?

你是怎么在演戏、写歌、唱歌、制作、巡演这些工作中找到平衡的？

By working hard and always reminding myself of my goals and dreams!

努力工作，时常提醒自己那些想要实现的目标和梦想

Is it possible to have a personal life while working as hard as you do?

8. 在这样的繁忙的工作日程中，你有时间享受自己的私人生活吗？

Not really, but I’m trying to give myself a break sometimes.

其实几乎没有时间，但我正在尝试偶尔给自己放假放松一下

We know that you just finished your first solo tour, the “Grand Line” concerts. How does it feel to be done?

我们知道你刚完成了你人生中的第一次个唱巡演“大航海”，你感觉怎么样？

I feel excited and sad at the same time. I’m glad to see my fans come together with me to enjoy this wonderful tour. It feels great to perform the whole show. And I do feel sad because this first tour is over. Looking forward to the second one!

我感到既激动又难过。我很开心能看到我的粉丝们从世界各地赶来聚在一起，和我一起享受这次大航海之旅，于我而言我非常享受在舞台上的感觉。但同时我也因为 第一次个人巡演的结束而感到一些难过和遗憾。期待下一次巡演！

What projects are you working on that we can expect soon?

有什么你现在正在筹备中的项目是我们近期可以期待的吗？

I just released a new song called “我不好” this month. And you may expect more in the future.

我这个月刚发行了一首歌曲“我不好”，之后大家还可以期待更多

You’ve become so well known in China. What is something that you want people in the US to know about you?

我们知道你在中国非常有名，那有什么东西是你想让美国大众知道的吗？

My name is Lay Zhang, and I really like boxing!

我叫Lay Zhang，我很喜欢打拳！