Setting the frequency with enigmatic keys and an immersive rising texture, we are already intrigued by KALA CHNG‘s latest album, Star and the dramatic opening song, Love Saves the Day.

Inspired by books The Secret and The Power, and the essence of love energy, KALA CHNG opens the song and album with the assertive lyrics, “Shock them into focus, when they give you hate…”

“Show them what love is, love is great” continues KALA as she sings about changing the world and conquering your goals with a big heart! We are obsessed with the meaning of the songs and the conscious prowess that KALA CHNG delivers her art with.

The British pop music artist with Chinese ancestry cites Kate Bush and Lady Gaga as some of her inspirations, but it is clear that KALA CHNG is creating a universe of her own.

Speaking on the overall theme of the album, KALA confirms that it is oneness, “we are all stardust, we are all stars, we are all connected”.

She continues, “It’s a message of love, hope, joy, forgiveness, community and possibilities, that I wrote over the pandemic. Each song is from a different moment in those years, listening to and witnessing the world around me.”

The second track on the album is Faded, which features East Asian nuanced details, speaking on the soundscape, KALA says, “As a songwriter and co-producer I create a blend of synths, beats, strings, East Asian classical sounds and catchy pop lines, pulling from a range of genres, each track with it’s own flavour.” We love the dimensionality of the track and the cohesive tapestry that KALA is creating with her sound.

Next up is Boombox which kicks off with claps and a vibrant synth as KALA sings about the “ebb and flow that we must master” ,as she sings consciously about the human condition and her love for music and dancing.

Red Sea is next which opens with an ethereal ethnic soundscape as she questions whether salvation is too late, and asserts her boundaries. Good Badass Girl features an exquisite Asian flute with keys, orchestral crashes and lyricism about self-realization and how deeply she knows herself.

The sixth track on the record is Love Letter (To Knowle West) which shows a more vulnerable side to the rising multi-disciplinary artist and references one of her previous songs.

Blind is the first single from the record and is a gritty and pushy track about the coming down of the Colston statue and the ripple effects. We love the political nuance in the rising artist’s work as she pleads, “open your eyes, open your eyes, open your minds”.

Next up is the cleverly titled Water, Falls with empowering lyrics, “I know you can rise up and shout”. We love the risers and string and how cinematic the track is.

The title track of the album, Star, takes us on a more cosmic journey as KALA sings, “Our history is a part of us, who we’re meant to be, is it up to us?“, as she compares our existence to that of the celestial bodies, and finding our purpose whilst supporting each other.

Track ten is called Never Too Late and shoes the emotional fragility of KALA as she sings about stumbling and falling down with a sonic landscape of keys and textures as the song expands to reassure us that it is never too late and how we all have our fate.

Finally, we have the album version of Breathe Again which was originally released in 2020, and the album version of her 2021 single, The Music. Both have delectable soundscapes and inspiring lyricism, showcasing the diverse and emotive deliver from KALA. We particularly the intro of The Music as KALA sings about losing herself in the music and her legacy of love!

KALA CHNG is also one of Bristol’s voted Happiness Champions, a named Culture Ambassador, a community activist, and was on the Bristol Cool List 2021 for her music. We have added Love Saves The Day to our New Music Spotlight playlist and have been exploring KALA CHNG’s wider discography and previous albums!

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