Finding Strength In Vulnerability with Venice Qin
Photographs by Benn Jae
Singer-songwriter Venice Qin is not easily placed into a box, and that's exactly how she likes it. Pushing boundaries of pop music, and with aesthetics out of this world, Qin is gearing up to be the next big thing. Released November 17th, ‘ALIEN’, is an audacious debut EP oozing with confidence, vulnerability, and a desire to belong.
Hailing from Auckland, now based in Sydney, Qin carved a unique path to get to where she is today. Growing up as a musical theatre kid with 10 years of opera training and trained in the bassoon, - yes, the bassoon -, all to find herself as a hyperpop princess.
The opening track ‘ASSHOLE’ is a brazen start to the eclectic EP. “I really wanted to make a statement”. This earworm track is a big middle finger to those people we all know and hate, with feisty lyrics such as, “Didn’t wanna tell you you’re an asshole/But clearly you’re the type that needs to know”. Qin goes on to say, “There's this pressure placed on, particularly women and girls, to be soft-spoken and sweet, and that just doesn’t come as naturally to me”. Preaching to the choir on that one Venice.
Title track ALIEN is an exploration of the societal pressures to conform. “That’s the overarching theme of the album, trying to find your identity and where you fit in among society, cultures and social circles”, she explains. The accompanying music video is a wildly ethereal experience. Influenced by the Chinese mythological stories of her youth, ALIEN gives a nod to Chang’e, the goddess of the moon. As the daughter of Chinese immigrants, Qin explains “My mom really tried to maintain our Chinese roots and told me a lot of Chinese stories”. In the hypnotising video, donned with pitch-black eye contacts, bedazzled hands and her signature blue hair, Qin floats in slow motion, perhaps interpreted as floating away to or from her authentic self, “As I’m sinking into the backseat of the car/Thinking who did I let myself become”. Going on to say, “I am so incredibly fortunate to work with Benn (Jae), he’s not only my manager, but also my creative partner. We often think the same way creatively, plus we had a LOT of pinterest boards”. ALIEN affirms the universal experience of craving connection while rejecting the pressure and expectations to fit in.
When asked about her newest single VILLAIN, Qin offered up, “If all my other songs came together and gave birth, this would be the baby”. VILLAIN is perhaps the most vulnerable track on the EP. Delving into that fear of showing someone your whole self, the ugly and darker parts we tend to hide. “Benn (Jae) came up with “would you love me as a villain”and that spoke to me in an immense way. Then the lyrics and melodies just came together so naturally, it basically wrote itself”. Speaking on the upcoming music video for the track, Qin teases, “This video is by far my favourite one. Benn really helped me with the vision and I also got to work with eight of the most incredible dancers. It means so much to me”. Asking “Would you want me if you knew me”, VILLAIN neatly ties a bow around all the layers and complexities of the EP to create a body of work that feels like a safe space for the oddballs and misfits. In Qin's words, “I’ve concluded that I belong everywhere and nowhere at the same time”.
You can catch Venice Qin's new music video for VILLAIN here.