Self-described as the Asian empress of Sydney’s gay streets, Dyan Tai writes his own narrative with latest single and accompanying visuals.
Paving the yellow brick road straight to the Emerald City is Sydney artist, Dyan Tai, a visionary for the modern pop genre.
Tai’s latest release, Narrative, is a swirling blend of electricity and intricate cultural layers – along with a stunning CGI music video by Juune Lee.
The track is riddled with tropes and whirls, attributing to Tai’s rich Chinese heritage and queer identity. Everything about Narrative oozes with a cathartic and liberating sense of freedom – it is impossible not to be magnetised by Tai’s colour-dripping energy.
The tune’s synth sizzling electricity is simply a thread to the greater design of Tai’s tapestry.
When asked what he hopes listeners will take from Narrative, Tai responded with; “This song is about shifting perceptions and confronting stereotypes about people of colour… and reclaiming our identities and taking ownership of how our stories are told”.
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The overall mantra of the track, was kept clear and simple, Tai’s own words of affirmation; “So much power inside my veins. I own my narrative. And my narrative is not yours to claim”.
Trickling with a golden stream of culture into the mainstream is the track’s inclusion of traditional Chinese instruments (Guzheng, Gamelan and Taiko drums). The visuals and album art are an extension of this concept. Lee designed the CGI footage with the intent to bring to life Tai’s heritage – basing the music video on The Rabbit God; “Who is a Chinese deity that manages love and sex between homosexual people” Juune explains.
Creativity flows throughout the video, particularly in the scene depicting Tai’s home and ancestral dwelling. Footage that was taken of the house is shown in the reflection of the crystals – leading us into a hypnotic wonderland of tradition.
Cemented in the eye-catching album artwork, is the inspiration of famous Ancient-Chinese queer story from the Zhou Dynasty 200BCE, The Bitten Peach. Tai has brought his heritage into the forefront of his work – it is colourful, liberating and downright exciting.
Check out Dyan Tai’s Narrative below:
