DANIELLE GUIZIO sweatsuit, and THE M JEWELERS necklaces. LEXIE LIU projection.

20-year-old rising superstar, Lexie Liu, is redefining the music industry as China's first female international phenomenon. The young songstress engaged the spotlight in 2015 for the K-Pop Star show, and The Rap of China in 2018. Earlier this summer, she announced her signing to 88rising, causing a worldwide frenzy in the Hip-Hop community. While Pop, R&B, and Hip-Hop appear in Lexie’s tracks, she refutes any ties to one genre while honing her sound over the next few years. Fluent in Mandarin and English, Liu hopes to evolve globally and break boundaries in both language and melody.

Today marks the drop of Lexie’s first official EP, 2030, which narrates her views on life and journey within music; manifesting her inner-psyche through dream-like vocals and vibrant musical films. Dynamic in all aspects, Lexie holds a promising trajectory in the years to come. We met up with the emerging idol to discuss her creative process, dream collaborations, and her course in breaking boundaries.

DANIELLE GUIZIO top, WOOD HOUSE pants, ADIDAS by WANG sneakers. LORN projection.

How have you evolved as an artist since your K-Pop Star and Rap of China days?

I gained a lot of performing experience from both of these shows, as well as a deeper understanding of the industry. Both were quite important factors when I decided to become a musician.

You’re a rising influence in China as Hip-Hop is still viewed as an emerging genre. How do you hope to alter the outlook on music there?

People are becoming more open-minded to different genres in China, and I’m so happy to witness it. Overall, everything is getting more standardized and industrialized. I'm hoping to help redefine people's understanding of certain genres by breaking through the boundaries of languages and genres so that they might connect with something new in my music.

While you deviate from a specific music genre, hip hop, r&b, and pop are common in your work. How do you hope to manifest versatility in your music?

I guess I haven’t settled down with a certain genre or ever thought of creating one yet. Cause I’m still in the process of finding my own voice while hoping to give the audience something new and trying to incorporate lots of different genres into my music-making.

Who would your dream collaboration be with?

I DREAM to collaborate with… 6LACK, Roy Woods, PARTYNEXTDOOR, Swae Lee, Future…

When writing new music, what’s your creative process like?

I would usually capture interesting moments of my daily-overthinking and try to create a story with them. Then I would get on my laptop to find the sound in different beats that sync with my ideas. If I luckily find the sound, I'll start my songwriting.

What subjects inspire you?

What inspires me are the things that I’m most confused by... humanity, love, and emotions.

How do you hope to merge cultural lines in your music?

I like to play with my favorite sounds in both English and Mandarin by mixing the rhymes and melodies from time to time. Like puzzle pieces, I try to put together interesting elements from my limited understanding of both cultures from movies, music, and literature.

In the years to come, how do you envision your growth as an artist?

I gotta keep making quality-controlled music that comes from my heart with my team and hope more people will find it intriguing.

Tell us about 2030.

It’s my first official EP release here, I’m very excited and a little nervous about it cause that's when the first impressions are made. It’s about my journey of music, my life and how I see the world in different sides.

Production: Morgan Vickery

Photography: Jonathan Carmelli

Production/ Photography assistant: Daniel Zelikovsky

Stylist: Martin Tordby

Assistant Stylist: Adrian Manuel

Makeup: Yuui Vision

Location: Russian Samovar