Episode Transcript
Speaker 1 00:00:03 Our guest this time is a superstar on the Rise. Cai Xukun, or Kun is a singer, songwriter, dancer, rapper and fashion icon, a phenomenon both on and off stage. Kun is one of China's most popular musicians today. His meteoric rise is a solo artist began with his first EP one. Every song on that EP topped the Chinese music charts. Kuns performances are daring and unconventional. His music is original, infectious and almost always pushing the boundaries. In this episode, Kun tells us about his influences, his dream collaborations, and his deep connection with his fans. I'm your host, Teo Vanden, brca. Welcome to the Edge, A podcast by TAG Heuer. How did your love of music and performing come about
Speaker 3 00:00:59 Since my childhood, my family used to tell me that as soon as I heard music, I would start to dance and sing. So it's probably due to some kind of innate love for music and arts as well as that we had a very artistic atmosphere at home, which influenced me a lot. I fell in love with music and performance because of that.
Speaker 1 00:01:22 With that in mind, which genre of music do you prefer to listen to in private, and how does that influence your musical output?
Speaker 2 00:01:34 Uh,
Speaker 3 00:01:36 Actually I listened to many genres of music including jazz, rock, hiphop, and various other music elements, styles. In fact, I think it's quite difficult to define a specific musical genre or a strict music to a particular style.
Speaker 2 00:01:53 Nowadays,
Speaker 3 00:01:54 Music is an art that fuses genres. The difference is between musical styles are becoming increasingly blurred, and that includes my own creative process. So rather than saying that my music belongs to a certain style, I believe it's better to see it simply a song or in other words, attitudes and ideas. I want to express
Speaker 1 00:02:16 Your musical style has constantly evolved from your w album I to phenomenon. Um, was it a conscious pursuit or a natural progression and will you be experimenting with a new musical style this year?
Speaker 3 00:02:31 In fact, the creative process behind the album phenomenon started about three to four years ago, so those songs were created quite a long time ago. I feel like the things I want to express in my creative approach have changed over time this year. I think my musical style will be very different from the past and my focus more on exploring broader and bigger topics rather than just expressing myself. I want to talk about the world and things as I see them through my own eyes. I think experimenting this year will be very interesting. It'll allow me to express many new feelings that I've accumulated over time instead of just sticking to my original musical style
Speaker 1 00:03:21 <unk>. Fantastic. Um, do you tend to express or hide who you are through your music or express yourself or hide who you are? Um, do you crave to be understood or do you fear not being understood?
Speaker 3 00:03:38 I think different songs have different approaches. Every song has its own function. Some songs are meant to be understood by everyone and some are more inclined towards self-expression. So I think that the feedback we hope to get from the audience is also different depending on the musical style or even the topic. But what I find interesting is that although we often would like to guess or the audience thinks about the songs, I think we should actually never try to guess because the reality is often completely different from what we can imagine.
Speaker 1 00:04:17 Where do you usually draw your inspiration for your music from and can you share a moment where you felt particularly inspired?
Speaker 2 00:04:28 I
Speaker 3 00:04:29 Feel like, again, a lot of inspiration and feelings from nature during my travels. Every city, every place I go and every person I meet can give me inspiration. Sometimes I might suddenly want to record the sound of the waves with my phone and that might inspire a few poetic lines for lyrics in my notebook. Other times I might reflect on past experiences and memories while looking at the scenery out of a car window or when I'm lying in bed and everything's quiet. I get all sorts of weird thoughts and interesting ideas. At the same time, I also get a lot of inspiration from films. Films are like telling you a story from a long time ago in a short amount of time. I really enjoy listening to other people's stories. By hearing them, I can feel the changes of their character over time and the differences or similarities between myself and that.
Speaker 1 00:05:42 You've delivered some amazing performances on stage. Is there one that really stands out for you that you are most proud of or are you still waiting for that perfect moment?
Speaker 3 00:05:56 I would say that I'm waiting. I'm still waiting and maybe I'll always be waiting. This is how I am. I always feel that it's not enough that there could be better creations and I'm always waiting to almost update myself so that an even better performance can count.
Speaker 1 00:06:18 Fantastic. Um, you'll be embarking on a world tour this year, which is very exciting. Which cities are on your list and what surprises do you have in store for your fans?
Speaker 3 00:06:32 Now we've confirmed that we'll be performing in five cities, Hong Kong, Macau, Quala, lump, Singapore, and Bangkok. Of course, we're also preparing even more surprises and looking for opportunities to meet people in even more places At the same time. I hope that in each city there can be some small surprises and different variations for our fans.
Speaker 1 00:06:56 Amazing. I can't wait to see what happens. Um, your personal style, be it in fashion, on stage or in your own music has always been unique. Is this something you feel came very natural or is it something that you've had to develop over time?
Speaker 3 00:07:15 I think that there are both innate and learned aspects to our aesthetic sense. Some of it is innate, meaning that there are certain parts of your inspiration that you just naturally like and are born with. Everyone has their own unique perspective and aesthetic sense, but even if some things are innate, I also believe that by learning we can also change and be influenced by all the things that we experience, all the stories we hear and all the things we understand. I think it's like innovating and inheriting the tradition at the same time. What's interesting is that whenever I see some very retro elements, I get some innate excitement, but also when I see futuristic elements, I feel very curious and want to understand them all. This is something that's very sensitive in my own aesthetic sense and actually everyone can identify these elements in my personal style as I often incorporate both into my outfits and performances.
Speaker 2 00:08:29 Brilliant.
Speaker 1 00:08:30 You've, um, got a massive following both on Instagram and in the wide world. How do you engage with your fan base and what role do they play in your creative process?
Speaker 2 00:08:44 Support
Speaker 3 00:08:44 From my fans is one of my major motivations and how I engage with them is actually different at different times. For example, recently I share my life with them more frequently, but sometimes I would rather use my work to express myself to them.
Speaker 1 00:09:01 You've collaborated with a number of artists who would be your dream collaboration?
Speaker 3 00:09:08 That's a good question. Collaboration is actually a direction that we've been focusing on for the past two years, and I think this year will be very important in terms of interactions, in terms of exchanges. So we hope to have the opportunity to collaborate with even more artists, musicians, and other friends,
Speaker 2 00:09:29 Collaboration.
Speaker 1 00:09:31 That's fantastic. Um, okay, so moving on from music and onto life, what do you like to do when you're not working? Do you prefer to immerse yourself in nature or are you more of a homebody
Speaker 3 00:09:47 Recently I've been really enjoying taking walks without any specific destination and just staring off into the distance, daydreaming and observing different corners of the world.
Speaker 1 00:09:59 Fantastic. So you like traveling. Um, is there any particular country or city that you're most eager to visit?
Speaker 3 00:10:11 Well, recently I've been to Paris and I think it's, it's a really beautiful place. It's been many years since I went back to Paris, probably around four or five years ago now,
Speaker 2 00:10:23 Put on Thek.
Speaker 3 00:10:25 I like revisiting the same places, but with different periods, moods and states of mind. This time I walked alone under the Eiffel Targon and I had a very different feeling even though I'd been there before.
Speaker 1 00:10:38 That's lovely. Um, you've touched on this a little already, but do you prefer to share your work or your personal life on social media?
Speaker 3 00:10:50 I feel that the content I want to share varies with different times, but I always want to keep a part of my life for myself. My life is something that belongs to me and I won't share everything on social platforms because I feel I need to have my own personal space.
Speaker 2 00:11:11 However,
Speaker 3 00:11:12 I also hope to share my feelings and updates with fans and friends on social media and other places.
Speaker 1 00:11:18 Great. Do you keep pets and do you have a preference for cats or dogs?
Speaker 3 00:11:27 Well, in the past I used to love dogs a lot, but now I also really like cats, actually. I love them both. Now of course, I have a really cute little dog myself and that brings me a lot of joy and warmth. He's just the most adorable little pet.
Speaker 1 00:11:44 How about food? What, what's your favorite cuisine and do you cook yourself
Speaker 3 00:11:54 More recently? I've been really interested in this area and I've been trying hard to experiment with different things. Actually, even the food I like is very different from before. In the past I might have been very casual about it and would often just go for something simple to solve the problem of what to eat, but recently I've become more refined and tend to go to restaurants more often. I've also discovered many new favorite restaurants. I dunno if you know what rice noodles are
Speaker 2 00:12:27 <unk> one of my favorite <laugh>.
Speaker 3 00:12:29 They're actually one of my favorite dishes. I love them so much and I'm someone that eats them very, very often.
Speaker 2 00:12:37 <unk> <laugh>
Speaker 1 00:12:40 Amazing. I have to try. Um, moving on to fashion, you're very active in fashion and regarded as a bit of a style icon. Um, what role does fashion play in your life? Is it a creative outlet like music or do they compliment each other or is it less important?
Speaker 3 00:13:03 Actually, depending on the time, I would try different outfits so you can observe my feelings through my style. I believe that to really understand a person, you need to look at their details and outfits. I think music and fashion are both ways of expressing oneself and they can help you understand a person's true in their self. Many times you may only see the surface of people, but if you really want to understand them, you have to look at the way they express themselves and the context in which they do so. So I think fashion and music are both ways of expressing them.
Speaker 2 00:13:42 Don't go wrong
Speaker 1 00:13:45 <unk>. Fantastic. So philanthropy is also something you're very passionate about. Why is giving so important to you and what are the ways in which you like to get involved?
Speaker 2 00:14:01 We
Speaker 3 00:14:01 Have our own sunflower project, which is a caring foundation for children. Now we're using more ways in seeking other avenues to help even more people in need.
Speaker 1 00:14:13 Fantastic. And what do you think are the qualities of a good role model and do you embody them,
Speaker 3 00:14:26 Have your own way of thinking, be creative. I think it's so important to maintain your own identity and not let yourself be assimilated by others at the same time, breaking through is also a very important driving force and remember that time will lead along behind, don't let anyone influence you, believe in what you do and stick to it. Our lives are really short and they change quickly every day. So having tenacity, confidence and believing in what you do are extremely important.
Speaker 1 00:15:06 Absolutely. Couldn't agree more. Um, you've had a number of accomplishments in your career already. What are some goals you still have yet to achieve? Looking to the future,
Speaker 3 00:15:21 I feel like there are still so many different things that I haven't accomplished yet. Not just in my career, but also in my personal life. I hope that in the future I will have the opportunity to do so. One unfortunate thing is that I still maintain the desire to explore and to take risks, and I really look forward to having more experiences and things happening to me in the future.
Speaker 1 00:15:49 Which parts of yourself are you looking to develop and what area of your own kind of skillset are you looking to explore?
Speaker 3 00:16:03 I think learning is an endless process. You always need to learn more, always need to discover your own shortcomings and then through that process refresh your mind, your thinking and your aesthetics and just constantly break through, whether it's your work, your performance, or your ideas.
Speaker 2 00:16:23 For
Speaker 3 00:16:23 Myself, I also hope that I can explore fields outside of music.
Speaker 1 00:16:27 And finally, Ty, what what are you most excited about in the near future? Is there a project you have coming up that you can talk about and if so, what is it?
Speaker 3 00:16:40 I'm going to Copenhagen to write songs with some old friends. There'll be a camp where we'll have a lot of time for creating because of the long time it takes to prepare. We now have some new inspirations, so I'll try to upgrade and innovate many of our previous demos, striving to bring new music to everyone that we could possibly perform to during our tour.
Speaker 1 00:17:05 Fantastic. How exciting. Um, <unk> thank you so much for joining us at the Edge. It's been fantastic speaking to you. Um, and good luck with everything you have going on in the future. There's a lot to come
Speaker 3 00:17:19 Thank you. Thank you very much for inviting me.
Speaker 2 00:17:21 Thank you so much.
Speaker 1 00:17:30 Thank you for listening to this episode of the Edge. If you'd like to listen to more episodes like this one, head over to our interviews with Ga Artis, guy Berryman, Jacob Elliot, Patrick Dempsey, and the Russo Brothers. And if you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to subscribe and leave us five stars. It does make a difference. Thank you so much to ta Kun for joining us. I'm your host Teo Vanka, and I'll be back next month with another episode of The Edge, a podcast by Tag Hoya. See you soon.
