Cover 9m88 performing at Clockenflap in December 2023 (Photo: courtesy of Clockenflap)
9m88 performing at Clockenflap in December 2023 (Photo: courtesy of Clockenflap)
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Joanne Tang Yu-chi, fashion design graduate turned singer and songwriter, explains to Tatler the decisions behind some of her boldest moves
Joanne Tang Yu-chi, better known as 9m88, has been at the forefront of the indie music scene in Taiwan since her cover of city pop classic Plastic Love by Mariya Takeuchi went viral in 2018. The fashion design graduate, who’s found in music her true calling, has challenged the boundaries of Taiwan’s music industry and made jazz a mainstream genre in its charts that were previously dominated by Mando-pop. Through her success, she’s also became a spokesperson for a new generation of young Taiwanese musicians.
Her latest project, Sent, was released last October, and in December she performed in Hong Kong during Clockenflap, where she sat down with Tatler backstage to talk about the third album curse, writing in Mandarin, and her love for fashion.
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You’ve literally just stepped off the Clockenflap stage—how do you feel?
I thought I was fully prepared, but whenever I perform in front of such a big crowd, especially at such an international music festival, I feel more nervous than expected. It gave me an adrenaline boost for sure! Generally, I was super happy about it. I couldn’t hear the crowd’s reaction because of my ear monitors, but I could see their faces brighten up. This is such a unique feeling.
You made quite a statement wearing Hong Kong brand Yat Pit today. Can you tell me more about it?
I’ve known Jason Mui and On-ying Lai, the two designers behind Yat Pit, for a few years now, and I absolutely love their work. They do deep research into Asian, but more specifically Chinese, culture and they give traditional outfits such a unique twist. Fashion is always really important in my performances, and paying homage to Hong Kong culture through their work was just [an obvious choice] to me.
You recently released your third album, Sent—the third album is infamously usually the most complicated to produce—how was the experience for you?
That’s so true. For the first two albums, I wrote most of the songs and produced them almost all by myself. This time, I felt it was time for a change, and I wanted to introduce more artists to co-write and co-produce this with me. I had to let go of my inner control-freak, and it was really challenging to have to follow other people’s instructions on my own songs. It was like an inner battle, and some sort of ego trip. The process was quite uncomfortable, but the results were so worth it. And everybody’s influences and different touches made the album so much more unique and special.
Sent is also the first time you’ve not included English songs in your album. What was behind this decision?
I know that my fans listen mostly to Mando-pop, so this time, I treated this album like an assignment. It was actually a challenge to only focus on Mandarin.
[Compared to writing in English,] the way I write in Mandarin is much more intimate. So pursuing this project this way has really allowed me to connect with my audience. But the biggest challenge was to highlight this intimacy while maintaining my musical DNA, because Mando-pop has very specific codes and genres attached to it—jazz and neo-soul haven’t historically been [part of it]. But at the end of the day, it is [about] energy: it doesn’t matter what language you speak, people will listen what feels right to their ears.
Salomé Grouard was Digital Editor and Front & Female Content Lead at Tatler Hong Kong. Primarily focused on managing Tatler Hong Kong’s digital platform and content, she also covers gender equality, the music scene and sports through interviews with industry leaders, experts and trendsetters.
Interview highlights include renowned conservationist Dr Jane Goodall, Korean actor Park Seo Jun, singer Jorja Smith, Chinese TV host Yue-Sai Kan, YouTuber Kimono Mom, Japanese rapper Awich, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu fighter Mikey Musumeci.
She has also produced stories on revolutionising sexual wellness in Asia, activism within the surfing community, Asian trans musicians reclaiming their narratives through music and looked at the toxicity of gym culture through the lens of the plus-size community. She also covers music festivals, such as Hong Kong’s Clockenflap and Bali’s Suara.
