stayc main image

Kiana Ledé - Goes 'Deeper' About Hard Work & Perseverance

May 18, 2023

Kiana Ledé has been rocking in the R&B scene and her latest single “Jealous” continues this trend. The other day, Sonical.ly had the chance to sit down and talk with Ledé about her musical journey.

Read more
stayc main image

DJ Khalil - The Secrets to a 5x Grammy Award Winning Career as a Music Producer

May 18, 2023

Anyone within the hip-hop scene knows the name, DJ Khalil. He gained popularity for both his music-producing and DJing skills. The other day, Sonical.ly had a chance to sit down and talk with DJ Khal

Read more
stayc main image

Ed Sheeran Successfully Defends Himself in Copyright Trial

May 7, 2023

Copyright infringement cases are very much on the rise in the music industry. Recently, Ed Sheeran was on the receiving end of one. Fortunately for him and the music industry as a whole, he won. Who

Read more
stayc main image

How AI Technology Impacts Artists’ Rights

April 28, 2023

Artificial Intelligence (aka AI) is not a new thing. It has been used for various purposes like social media algorithms and Siri on your phone. However, for the first time, AI is being used in

Read more
stayc main image

Who is Kiana Ledé?: The Story Behind the “Jealous” Singer

April 28, 2023

From Kidz Bop idol to R&B and pop singer, Kiana Ledé has fully planted herself within the music industry. The release of her latest single “Jealous” featuring Ella Mai adds to her growing achievements

Read more
stayc main image

Breaking The Silence: A Look At Mental Health In The K-pop Industry

April 23, 2023

In the past few years, the K-pop culture has experienced a number of suicides, which has devastated the Korean entertainment industry. Sulli from f(x), Jonghyun from SHINee, Goo Hara from KARA, and

Read more
stayc main image

Breaking Down The Genius of SZA’s Album ‘SOS’

April 20, 2023

Since SZA has released her latest album ‘SOS’, it has made a lot of buzz in the music industry. The album has received positive reviews for its combination of R&B, pop, and hip-hop and featured.....

Read more
stayc main image

Korean Indie/Pop Rock Bands You Need To Know: Day6, The Rose, & HYUKOH

April 20, 2023

With K-pop bands like BTS, BLACKPINK, TWICE, and SEVENTEEN, Korean music has been on the rise over the past ten years. But Korea’s music culture doesn’t stop there....

Read more
stayc main image

Logan Straats’ Return to His Roots Wins Him a Songwriter Award

April 18, 2023

Writing songs that are popular but you don’t resonate with can be hard. But stepping back and deciding to take a different path can be just as difficult. However, Logan Straats proves that returning..

Read more
stayc main image

Fairchild Radio Holds Chinese Songwriting Contest for Canadians

April 18, 2023

Read more
stayc main image

How Do Dancer’s Listen to Music When Creating Choreography?

April 15, 2023

Having a keen sense of rhythm and a grasp of how music works are essential for dancing. With the use of counts and beats, dancers use music as a form of expression and creative style.....

Read more
stayc main image

Show Me The Money: South Korea’s No. 1 Rap Competition

April 10, 2023

Read more

Success Through Self-Exploration: Lexie Liu's Rise to Stardom

stayc main image

Photo: FLAUNT MAGAZINE

Whether you know Lexie Liu from her performance as Seraphine in K/DA’s “MORE” or her fourth-place finish on The Rap of China 2018, there’s no denying that the Chinese hip hop star is a global sensation. From being the youngest Chinese artist to perform at SXSW in 2017 to signing with record giant 88rising, Lexie has been bridging cultural gaps with her unique, futuristic music for the past half-decade.

It might be easy to assume that she accomplished this by jumping on every opportunity that came her way, but the truth is that it was a bit more complicated. To achieve everything she did, she actually turned down a deal from a major Korean entertainment company, which took interest in her after her rise to fame on the reality TV competition series K-pop Star 5.

Today’s story explores an idea heavily proximal to the concept at Sonical.ly’s core—that aspiring music creators can reach new heights while playing by their own rules, without the backing (and often limitations) that comes with a record company.

We can say this with confidence because Sonical.ly’s founder, Elmo, actually worked with Lexie when she was just starting out on her solo career after K-pop Star.

Elmo considers the first and foremost thing he taught her during this time the key to writing a hook, and if you’ve ever listened to any of Lexie’s music, it’s safe to say she took this lesson very well.

Once she had a catchy hook to get an audience moving, the next part was finding her niche. To be able to be true to oneself and allow that to shine through music—that’s what makes a true artist.

Elmo and Lexie experimented with a number of different styles to draw out what spoke to her most. The end result was her first hip-hop single “Coco Made Me Do It”—a smashing success that became her ticket to giant music festivals like SXSW and high-profile competition shows like Rap of China.

While competing on Rap of China, Lexie signed with 88rising, a record label dedicated to platforming the works of Asian diaspora hip-hop artists such as Joji, Rich Brian, and NIKI. This allowed her to reach a worldwide audience and gain renown for her distinctive style, effortlessly blending English and Mandarin lyrics with retro-futuristic beats.

In an interview with Flaunt Magazine, Lexie explained that she tries to “put together interesting elements from [her] limited understanding of both cultures [Chinese and American] from movies, music, and literature.” The outcome of this is her debut EP 2030, an eclectic collection of songs that capture the essence of her personality and musical journey.

Since then, she has departed from 88rising and released two more albums—Meta Ego and Gone Gold, reinventing herself each time as she continues to investigate different genres, themes, and sounds. Meta Ego takes 2030 to another level by dialing back the auto tune and shifting focus to Lexie’s natural vocals, which have been consistently praised for their unique, dream-like quality. Gone Gold is a more ambitious foray into the territory of dance music, proving her worth in the genre of mainstream pop.

Lexie’s constant exploration and iteration are made possible by the creative freedom she has, which in turn can be difficult to exercise when part of a record label or a group. Her musical journey from a young woman passionate about hip-hop to global stardom highlights the very real possibility of achieving your potential without the support of a large record company. If it worked for Lexie, it could work for you, too.