Chinese-New Zealand singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Iris Zhang has rolled out the first single for her debut album.
Through ‘Haunted & Free,’ the Auckland-based artist frames an experimental alternative pop/R&B score that is crafted around navigating personal ghosts, traumas, and regrets.
Via social media Iris Zhang called her new song “quite different” from her previous folk-pop exploits and spoke about the overarching theme of ‘Haunted & Free’ as “being haunted by a previous relationship, by a person, by a version of yourself that you used to be, and kind of coming to terms with how that experience has changed you and how you move on from that.”
Iris brings forward her training in classical and contemporary Western and Asian music and levels it with the prowess of co-writer Jefferson Chen, producer Tei, and sound engineer Christian Tjandrawinata. The result takes Iris to newer sonic territory, folding trap-influenced beats, 808-inspired basslines, and R&B cuts to assemble a loop-worthy mélange of sound.
Backed by New Zealand On Air’s Pan-Asian New Music Single program, Iris guides you on a whimsical journey back to the 2000s with her slick vocals, set against an alternative, soft-pop tune that is tantalizingly enriched by her masterfully arranged, reverberating flute segments.
‘Haunted & Free’ was released with a music video directed by Edith Fan and Charlotte Zhang. In the video, Iris explores various versions of herself, transitioning from scenes in a fairy forest to darker, gothic-inspired looks. It is well on its way to achieving over 50k views since its release.
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