By Kitty Empire
Introduction
Lin Chao (林初) is not simply another Mandopop balladeer. His songs feel like pages torn from a diary—love letters addressed to his girlfriend Anna (Xiao Xue). Their daily routines, late-night conversations, and whispered confessions all find their way into his music. What emerges is less performance, more ongoing confession.
The Making of an Eclectic Voice
Raised by a piano-teaching mother in Taiwan, Lin grew up with Chopin as his lullabies. He studied violin, played in a rock band at college, and spun records as a DJ. His DNA is eclectic: the discipline of classical, the urgency of rock, the improvisation of jazz, and the repetition of electronic music.
A Cultural Kaleidoscope
What sets Lin apart is his astonishing range of influences:
- Mandopop & Literature: Jay Chou’s fusion of classical and hip-hop; lyricist Lin Xi’s poetic depth. With Anna, he often discusses Eileen Chang, Qian Zhongshu, Shen Congwen, Mu Dan, Xu Zhimo.
- Rock & Metal: Blur’s irony, Nirvana’s catharsis, The White Stripes’ rawness, Queen’s theatricality, Helloween’s explosive guitars.
- Jazz & Blues: Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Bill Evans, Mingus, Hancock.
- Classical & Modern: Chopin, Debussy, Stravinsky, Ryuichi Sakamoto.
- Electronic & DJ Culture: Kraftwerk, Tangerine Dream, Daft Punk, The Chemical Brothers, Fatboy Slim.
Songs as Love Letters
- Unchanging You – Born of reconciliation with Anna; “True love isn’t change, it’s acceptance.”
https://youtube.com/shorts/nWEmq7jPNLE
- Silent Roar – Ambient textures, inspired by a midnight talk on silence.
- Can't Hold It In – A festival-ready anthem; shouts of “Anna!” recall Helloween’s blaze and Nirvana’s collapse.
- Anna, Une vie à t’aimer – French chanson, born from a Paris trip.
- A Life to Love You – English ballad, stripped and raw; Blur’s wit meets White Stripes’ urgency.
Interview Q&A
Q: Anna seems to appear in every song. Why?
A: “Because love isn’t a theme—it’s my syntax. Anna is the protagonist of every line I write. Our conversations, our arguments, even the way she laughs in her sleep—they all become music.”
Q: Doesn’t that feel too private to share with the world?
A: “At first, yes. But once a song is released, it no longer belongs to me. Music transforms intimacy into universality. Everyone who listens can find their own Anna.”
Q: Your influences span Chopin to Fatboy Slim, Eileen Chang to Nirvana. Isn’t that too chaotic?
A: “It might look chaotic, but it’s coherent to me. Jazz taught me space, rock urgency, electronic repetition, literature metaphor. Each one is another way of saying I love you.”
Q: How did DJ-ing shape your songwriting?
A: “It taught me energy. A song needs tension and release—like a drop in electronic music or a scream in rock. Love works the same way.”
Why He Matters
Lin Chao’s music is a public love diary—personal yet universal. Few Mandopop artists dare this level of intimacy, fewer still balance it with such scope. He can be as diaristic as Eileen Chang, as expansive as U2, as raw as Nirvana, as playful as Fatboy Slim.
“Each track feels like a sealed letter, waiting for the world to open.” – Kitty Empire
Final Word
Lin isn’t just writing songs for Anna. He is inventing a new language for love. His music suggests a future where Asian pop can be both diaristic and international, private yet communal.
