Is Taiwan’s Yellow 黃宣 the region’s hottest pop artist to watch? Huang Xuan on getting out-Googled by Coldplay, the viral Golden Melody Awards and why he really feels Jack and the Beanstalk – interview

May 10, 2023

Style caught up with Taiwanese pop act Yellow 黃宣 in Hong Kong. Photo: Puma

When Sony signed Huang at age 17, the music label was keen to turn him into yet another pop idol – but instead he chose to write songs that could sit alongside Frank Ocean or Moses Sumney’s

He recently performed at Hong Kong’s Clockenflap festival during the same time slot as Arctic Monkeys – but it was his awards hosting gig that landed the style icon film offers

There’s a moment midway through my conversation with the artist Yellow 黃宣 where the energy in the room suddenly changes. It’s when I tell him I like his music.

Of course, it’s not unusual for journalists to fawn over their subjects – or to fake fandom for a cynical selfie. But a face of wide-eyed surprise, a forcefully energetic high five, and a collective intake of breath from his entourage, all collectively greet the notion that an English-speaking music writer – let alone a wider international audience – might enjoy the songs of a Taiwanese singer-songwriter, however successful they already are in the Chinese-speaking world.

“Wow, that’s called vibration, it’s beyond languages – that’s true energy,” exclaims the dumbfounded artist, his poise momentarily broken. “You touched me, man. That means a lot to me. I’m so emotional right now, I’m almost crying.”