Drawing from ancestral ritual and cultural memory, Chan’s latest project blurs the lines between performance, storytelling and art-pop.
Hong Kong-Australian artist Rainbow Chan has announced her third studio album The Bridal Lament, arriving August 14 via Music In Exile, alongside the release of its striking new single, ‘Under The Laurel Tree’.
The forthcoming record marks a major new chapter for Chan, expanding on the acclaimed interdisciplinary stage work of the same name.
Originally developed as a solo theatrical production presented at festivals including Sydney Festival, Liveworks and OzAsia, The Bridal Lament draws from Chan’s Weitou ancestry and reimagines the traditional bridal lament – a historical ritual in which women publicly sang and wept before leaving their families for marriage.
Across the album, Chan transforms those themes of grief, resilience and transition into a rich blend of contemporary art-pop, storytelling and cultural memory.
New single ‘Under The Laurel Tree’ explores mortality, loss and existential uncertainty. Built around mournful saxophone, spectral vocals and drifting electronic textures, the track sits among the album’s darkest and most emotionally charged moments.
“‘Under The Laurel Tree’ emerged from a time when I was thinking deeply about mortality, while also researching Weitou bridal laments,” Chan said. “Those songs gave me a language for my own fears.”
The accompanying video was filmed during an artist residency at Canada’s Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, pairing frozen mountain landscapes with surreal, x-ray-like visuals that mirror the song’s haunting atmosphere.
To celebrate the release, Chan will present two intimate launch events in Sydney and Melbourne this July, combining live performance, storytelling and traditional snacks prepared alongside her mother, offering audiences a deeper glimpse into the cultural and personal histories that inspired the project.
The Bridal Lament arrives August 14 via Music In Exile.
Rainbow Chan 2026 launch dates
July 4 – 4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art, Sydney
July 8 – Hope St Radio, Melbourne
