An interview with Pei-Yu Hung

You are a Taiwanese vocalist and multidisciplinary performer whose work bridges pop, performance art, and contemporary theatre. Why were you inspired to pursue music, art, and theatre as a career?

Pei-Yu Hung: I think if I go back to the roots, or back to the basics, they are all connected by the same thing — making connections with other people.

I started dance training at a very young age, and it helped me understand how to feel and sense things in different ways. As a performer, I feel there are many tools available to me, and I hope to use those tools in a way that can also become my career.

Your approach to music is shaped by a body-based performance philosophy. How are you integrating dance, voice, and visual storytelling to expand the expressive range of modern pop?

Pei-Yu Hung: I see all of those elements as a toolbox. Like I said, they are tools that I can use whenever I need them, depending on what is the best way to tell a story.

Because I have trained my body for so many years, there is already a deep sense of awareness there. No matter which form I use — movement, voice, or image — I hope I can become a good storyteller through it.

You move seamlessly between lyrical pop and avant-garde soundscapes. How do you experiment with expressive depth to redefine contemporary Mandarin music and bring a bold Taiwanese perspective to the global stage?

Pei-Yu Hung: My theatre background has given me many experimental experiences, and that allows me to stay open when working with sound, visual ideas, and different kinds of expression.

I do not focus too much on having a fixed goal. I focus more on the present moment — what I can do now, what deserves my attention now — and I believe that naturally leads me toward where I need to go.

You released your second album, Still Moving, in October 2025. How did you approach writing the record?

Pei-Yu Hung: My team and I spent a lot of time discussing keywords. We shared daily experiences, ordinary moments, and personal feelings, then tried to capture ideas from those conversations.

We realized that we cared deeply about physical sensation — how music can move someone emotionally or physically. If a melody can trigger something in you, excite you, or create movement, that feels meaningful to us.

From there, we began thinking about artists we were curious about and hoped to collaborate with. When the timing was right, those collaborations naturally happened.

The record features collaborations with artists from Japan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Singapore. How did you decide who to collaborate with?

Pei-Yu Hung: The artists we worked with were people already on our dream list. We keep many dream lists — for lyricists, composers, visual artists, designers — and we always try our best to contact the people we admire.

Sometimes the timing does not work, and sometimes it does, but we believe it is always worth reaching out.

We were also excited by the idea of bringing together different cultures and perspectives. Those collaborations always brought surprises, freshness, and new energy into the work.

For your new single, It’s Nothing Personal, you worked with Japanese choreographer Chikago. How did you create the performance together?

Pei-Yu Hung: This was our first time meeting, but we immediately found common ground because Chikago also comes from theatre and dance. We shared many thoughts about feminine expression and how women are often expected to look or behave.

We were both interested in breaking those stereotypes and questioning them through movement.

We returned again to the body — trying not to think too much, but instead listening carefully to the music, the lyrics, and each other’s experiences. That exchange became a very meaningful part of the collaboration.

How would you describe your performance style during live shows?

Pei-Yu Hung: I would describe it as an immersive experience. For me, performing means sharing time with the audience, and the audience shares their time with me. That creates a very intimate moment.

I am actually quite introverted, but when I stand on stage, I feel that connection very directly. That is one of the moments when I feel most alive.

I think the people listening to the music can feel that too, and that shared feeling is very important to me.

What does it mean to you to be performing at South by Southwest?

Pei-Yu Hung: It feels like placing a flag on a new place in my life. It is amazing, because honestly it was beyond what I expected. Even now, it still feels a little outside my imagination.

At the same time, it has given me more courage to keep moving forward.

I feel that music can take me anywhere I hope to go.