When Emei was 15 years old, she took a year off from school to compete on “Chinese Idol,” and finished third. When she felt disillusioned by the experience and decided to attend college, she got accepted into Yale and graduated with a degree in cognitive science. So when she casually mentions she wants to headline Madison Square Garden — two or three times — don’t roll your eyes.
The New Jersey-born, Chinese American, self-proclaimed “theater kid” has a flair for the dramatic, but as she manifests herself onto the marquee at “The World’s Most Famous Arena,” she has data to back her cause. Four of her songs have passed the 20-million-streams mark on Spotify. Her overall streaming numbers place her in the top 1% of all independent artists globally, according to at least one metric.
Last month she released a new EP, “A Night at the Opera” and performed at The Slipper Room, a precursor to a two-night run at the larger Sony Hall in the fall (Oct. 16 and 17).
Things are trending up for Emei, but you can’t help but feel like she’s just getting warmed up: as she sings in the EP’s title track, “If you liked Act 1 you’re gonna love Act 2.”
Emei recently chatted with Highway 81 Revisited. Check out the highlights of our interview below the video.
How does “Night at the Opera” represent where you are as an artist right now?
This music feels like the beginning of something very special. Like it’s the first time I feel like I’ve tapped into really using music as a way of getting through parts of my life and it means a lot more to me now so it’s definitely an exciting time for me.
What do you like about your latest single, “What’s The Point?”
I’ve noticed I get so angry when I lose people, and last year I lost a few. I put all of that emotion into this song. I love how the production reflects those emotions and it makes me feel exactly like I did/do when loss happens and I love screaming it at shows.
Where did “Simple Request” come from? It’s a real departure for you. It sounds like a shoegaze song to me. Where did it come from?
This song’s a musical egg. I honestly think it was sent to me from somewhere else, hahaha. I wrote it with Nate Mercereau in a room where we barely spoke but there was a lot of emotion in the air, a lot of sadness, yearning, worry, etc. I wrote the lyrics and melody in one corner of the room and he made the music in the other. And when we came together at the end of the day, I recorded the vocals into the mic and that was that. “Simple Request” was made and it blew our minds.
You’ve said you are leaning back into being a theater kid. What made you move away from that approach initially?
Honestly, I think leaning into being a theater kid really scared me. I think my biggest insecurity ever since I was little was coming off as being annoying or lame or loud or too much, and as I write more music, I’m slowly realizing that my super power is leaning into being myself unapologetically. If someone doesn’t like me, then they just don’t see the vision and I’m not the one for them, and that’s OK!
As a child of immigrants, did you feel like an outsider? Did theater offer you a place to meet other outsiders?
I was lucky enough to be raised in Montgomery, New Jersey, which actually had a lot of immigrants and first-gen Asian kids, so I always had a tribe of friends that I could relate to. That still didn’t stop me from feeling like an outsider and that music was a pipe dream that wasn’t meant for people who look like me. But I think things are changing and Asian representation in the media is increasing, so yay! Theater was definitely a place for me to meet other likeminded people who loved music and performing just as much and I definitely treated it as an escape of sorts.
Do you feel that drama finds you in your day-to-day life? Does that inspire you as a songwriter?
I would say that most of my friends and family would definitely describe me as dramatic. Always been, always will be. I think sometimes I wish I felt things less and was more pragmatic, but it absolutely makes me the songwriter I am!!
How do songs start for you? A beat, a melody, a lyric?
Totally depends! I’d say a lot of this project was made lyric first and then slowly unfurled for me.
How do you write — on paper, voice memos, on a laptop, etc.?
Also totally depends! I go through eras/stages. Recently been a HUGE on paper note pad girl. I definitely use voice memos as well religiously. I wrote most of “Night at the Opera” in paper and pen, though, with a lot of scribbles.
TikTok was key to you getting noticed. Do you think TikTok and social media in general are important for maintaining your success?
Yes, social media is definitely still very important. I’m hoping one day I won’t be shackled to posting every day, honestly, but right now, every extra person I can reach with my socials just means I get an extra person to listen to my music and potentially find new songs they love! So, I won’t be letting up any time soon, that’s for sure.
How do you measure success? What are some milestones you’d like to reach?
I want to sell out a headline show (or two or three) at Madison Square Garden one day.
You had a taste of the entertainment business as a teen but decided to attend college. Why?
After getting that taste, it actually turned me off of pursuing music for like two years. I was so burnt out after Idol and I didn’t really get to express myself creatively that much that year. So, college was the obvious next step for me since, honestly, I’ve always been a bit of a nerd and actually enjoyed school. But as I continued in my academics and started writing my own music, I realized I couldn’t do anything else except pursue music, I just had to.
You’ve talked about your parents being very supportive of your career. Do you feel like they “get” your music?
Ah, my parents are the sweetest. They’ve always been so supportive but still realistic. They came to so many shows and open mics when I was a kid and still come to every single tour. My dad actually had me as his top artist last year on Spotify so that was a big deal. I actually think they do “get” my music!! I think “getting” my music just consist of “getting” me, ya know? So I do think they understand me and my big emotions.
How did you keep your billboard on Times Square a secret from your mom? How did she react when she saw it?
I just texted her the day before, “hey i’m going to boston to see alice (my sister), but I’m stopping in nyc! Wanna meet me in the city before i head to boston?” and she was like sure! So literally I didn’t really have to do anything, hahahah, but it was so amazing to see her reaction and how pleased and proud she was of me.
I’ve read about your admiration for Chappell Roan. Who are some other artists who have inspired you?
Yes! Love Chappell, I love Sara Bareilles and Ingrid Michaelson. I love Lady Gaga. I love Olivia Rodrigo and Hayley Williams, Wet Leg, Alanis Morissette, etc!! I’m just a big fan of women expressing themselves and their emotions so candidly through music and a bit of drama.
The pop music world moves quickly. How do you maintain a sense of normalcy?
I try to stay as present and grounded as possible! I take cold showers during very strange hard weeks. I exercise a lot. I spend time with my friends and family as much as I can! I journal. Ya know, all the things, and try not to get swept away in craziness sometimes.
How would you describe your fashion sense? Who are some of your fashion idols?
I’m currently living in the old venetian operatic fashion world. It’s been so fun looking at vintage corsets and dress hoops and masks and all of that. I’ve been drawing from A-line silhouettes and even a bit from Beijing opera styles that I grew up watching. I don’t have a specific fashion idol right now; I feel like I’m just really enjoying playing dress-up all the time.
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