SISI is an alternative R&B singer/songwriter that infuses dreamy, ambient synths and uses music as an outlet to mentally and emotionally free her. Her sound is inspired by the vocal fluidity and raw introspection of alternative R&B artists like Drake, Frank Ocean, and The Weeknd while invoking images of femme fatale / female power in the vein of Rihanna & Beyonce. Born in Massachusetts and raised in the Bay Area, Sisi was exposed to music at an early age, studying violin from the age of 6. At age 15, she wrote and produced several songs in English, Chinese and Japanese while performing at various community events, continuing to seek music opportunities while attending school. Two years ago, SISI moved to Los Angeles to pursue her music career further. Now dropping her debut EP, SISI has her foot on the gas and shows no signs of slowing down.
Born in Massachusetts and raised in the Bay Area, Sisi was exposed to music at an early age, studying violin from the age of 6. Inspired by diva singers like Mariah Carey, Beyonce & Christina Aguilera, she became drawn to singing and performing.
The first track on the EP titled “Views” showcases the refreshing artist SISI’s eclectic musical stylings. A smooth R&B piece, “Views” fuses contemporary pop and electronic synths to make this introduction a hit! It talks about SISI’s personal experience and ups and downs of love. The heart is always torn between the mind and the heart. “I’ve got my head in the clouds, but I want to come down” is a perfect lyric to describe the theme of this track because it explains how SISI’s mind is distracted, but she ultimately wishes she could smarten up. The EP transitions into “Let Go” and we’re instantly hooked, the heavily electronic track is hypnotizing and pure. The overall theme of the song is to “Let Go” and escape your day to day life. We as humans constantly crave connection, creativity and adventure and SISI herself in no exception. “Let Go” is an ambient track that highlight SISI’s genre-bending abilities.
Next up on the EP is “Chess”, a lyrically deep single that focuses on how some aspects of relationships are just a game. SISI recites prolific rhymes through flawless lyricism and a surprisingly hip-hop delivery. She fuses dark synth pop with a trap beat the keep us hooked. With a spectacular music video to match, “Chess” has already seen nothing but success. Another music video that was released earlier this year is “Take Me”, a haunting R&B track with hard-hitting bass and a heavy and dark melody. SISI has continuously proven herself to be a diverse and experimental artist. “Take Me” is about the overwhelming and blinding feelings of desire, that ultimately take over our senses and mind.
SISI’s debut EP ends with a song about self freedom and realization titled “All I Want”. The powerhouse vocalist starts the EP off to an incredible conclusion with her insane vocal register. SISI is the one to watch bringing seasoned piped and a vocal range that will blow you away."All I Want” is a truly spectacular, emotional and raw motif. It truly gives the listener a retrospective look into SISI’s emotions as she allows them to be on display in the most artistic way.
This debut EP is sure to be an absolute success, SISI has the fan-base, talent, ambition and confidence to rise to the top. Her angelic vocals, emotive lyricism and polished musical arrangements make her an instant legend and the one to watch!
Check out SISI’s debut EP here and red more below in our exclusive interview.
Hey SISI! We love your debut EP! Can you talk about the overall theme of the EP?
Thanks so much! The EP centers around themes of ego and power, and how these elements have played a huge role in my life. I’ve always been a really ambitious person, so the last 10 years of my life have been an internal struggle - wanting to reach an ideal, wanting to be in total control, always wanting to be the best. Sometimes ego was a good thing for me, other times it was harmful. There was a period of time where I started asking myself: is this all there is to life? And I realized that some of the qualities that made me externally successful were the same qualities that were making me feel empty and unsatisfied. Of course, there are some songs in the EP that relish in the idea of power hungriness, like Chess for example... it can be fun but ultimately you don’t want to lose yourself in it.
To give a little background on each track:
VIEWS is about being in the wrong relationship, but being blinded by the way it “looks” and “feels” on the surface
LET GO is about the constant grind of ambition, and seeking release from the pressure
CHESS is about women strategically taking power in a relationship, but treating the guy as dispensable. Almost like the player playing the player, although in real life that’s probably not healthy! :)
TAKE ME is about power dynamics natural in sex (wanting to be desired vs. wanting to pleasure), though this is more of a guilty pleasure / fantasy song more than anything!
ALL I WANT is basically about waking up. It’s the cathartic end to the EP, but also represents a new beginning. It’s about raw honesty, surpassing ego and finding freedom from within.
What was the writing process like for this track?
The writing process was actually very difficult for me, as this was my first original project and I was a singer before a songwriter. Additionally I was still trying to find my sound, I wavered between being darker vs. tropical/mid tempo. JR Keys, my producer and friend for many years, would typically come over to my spot and come up with musical concepts, while I tried to come up with melodies first, and then lyrics. I definitely thought too hard back in those days, and JR Keys and I had some longggg sessions where I struggled on a single line for hours. Ironically it was like the theme of the EP, I felt there was a PERFECT hook that I spent weeks trying to find, but the truth was I wasn’t letting go enough to feel it.
It took us about 2 years and several rewrites before we finally came to a cohesive 5 tracks (not surprisingly, all our songs got darker). Nowadays, I literally write full songs in 2 hours max. So the last 2 years were basically boot camp!
What do you hope your listeners take away from your music?
I hope listeners will hear similarities to themselves and enjoy the self empowerment themes in the EP, but also recognize there is a fine line between arrogance and confidence. Ultimately, confidence and happiness is what we truly want. We all struggle with ego though, so it’s a never ending thing as we grow and evolve.
What track on the EP would you say made you channel the most emotion when creating it?
Definitely “All I Want.” I wanted this song to be an emotional pivot point in the EP, and used it to channel all the desperation that I’d felt over the last several years attempting to find a way out of my own darkness. I knew the darkness was self made, so I really had to push through my sanity to free myself from it and find something more. I hadn’t felt joy in a long time. These days, I’m relearning how it feels to let go and tune into my emotions.
Do you have any upcoming events or shows you’d like to talk about?
No shows yet, but I have a whole lot of upcoming music in the works, so make sure to follow me on Spotify and sign up for my mailing list! I hope to do some regular live sets soon, and will keep everyone updated when I do!
Connect with SISI on social media
Instagram: www.instagram.com/iamsisimusic
Facebook: www.facebook.com/iamsisiofficial
Soundcloud: www.soundcloud.com/iamsisimusic
Official website: https://iamsisi.com/
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