Shanghai’s most feted and original singer premieres her latest track “19” on NOWNESS. After seven years on the scene as a vocalist, songwriter and MC, ChaCha is still experimenting with sound, with a repertoire that bounces from reggae to trip-hop to dub. For this release she teamed up with Along, Guangzhou producer and founder of the hip hop crew Chee Productions, whose Cantonese rap keeps things exotic against ChaCha’s lilting Mandarin, the lyrics looping around the theme of youth. ChaCha is no stranger to collaboration, however, having worked with international notables from Scottish electronic music veteran Kode9 to Jay Soul and Finnish dub DJ Desto, who all helped produce her debut album under the name AM444. Her breakthrough came after becoming the first Chinese mainlander to win a coveted place at the Red Bull Music Academy Sessions in Madrid last year. “When I got back from Spain, I went into the studio for two months solid,” says the Guizhou-raised songstress. “I suddenly felt so much more freedom to make music.” ChaCha—who also goes under the moniker Faded Ghost, a rare female DJ on the Shanghai circuit—is putting her talents into overdrive, working on a solo album. “It’s time for something experimental,” she says of the impulse. Add to that a reggae album for exclusive release in Japan, a small tour and a set of mixtapes, it makes for a packed calendar—with just enough room for ChaCha to share her opinions on music, food and Chinese megastars with us. 

Shanghai slick or Beijing gruff?
Beijing gruff.

Reggae dancehall or dubstep?
Dubstep.

Late nights or early mornings?
Late nights.

Hot lips or smoky eyes?
Smoky eyes.

Jacky Cheung or Jackie Chan?
Jacky Cheung.

Green tea or gin fizz?
Green tea.

Denim or leather?
Denim.

To the beat or off key?
Off key.