Karmic retribution and reward are at the top of Shi Shi’s mind on a ruminative album that takes her sound in a more electronic direction. Known for subtle, soulful vocals and R&B arrangements, the Korean-born artist marks her 10th year on Taiwan’s music scene with Boomerang, which emphasises synths and samples—and notably contains no ballads. The 10 tracks are largely mid- and fast-tempo grooves that fall across the emotional spectrum, from synth-pop anxiety over not fitting in (“Infp”) to romantic optimism in laidback alt-R&B (“Jagi”)—and sheer ecstatic abandon in the pop-house beat of “Bounce”. Adding an executive producer role to her writing and production, Shi Shi worked with producer/singer-songwriter KIRE and brought in guests like Karencici and Sean Ko, the latter of whom adds depth to the late-’90s emotive R&B of “Tmt”. Below, Shi Shi gives Apple Music a peek into the process of creating Boomerang. Where do you find your musical inspirations? “I’ve been asked this in interviews many times, and each time my answer is pretty much the same: Inspiration is everywhere in the walking, talking and TV watching I do every day. But the strongest and most significant influences are emotional loss and regret, as well as interpersonal struggles, crises and hard work—and the enlightenment and spectacular quotes they provide, ha ha! “When creativity is driven by uncomfortable emotions, it’s common to cry during the writing process. If I outline a melody for a song with my heart in pain, I’ll continue to work on it if it still sounds good to my sober mind a few days later, even though I’ve promised my fans I’ll stop writing sad songs. So it was a treat to write positive songs like ‘Jagi’ and ‘Bounce’ with KIRE and ‘Try’ with Alex Colours. Later on I discovered that sad songs only make people more sad—listeners and singers alike. So even if my songs can help my fans through their hard times, I really hope to write more soothing and therapeutic songs in the future. I was half-successful this time. I tried hard to ensure an equal distribution of fast and slow and happy and sad, but what I ended up with was an album with no love ballads but groovy mid-tempo numbers full of inner turmoil. There are some clever bits hiding inside; I hope listeners can locate them without too much trouble.” After the eclectic pop and jazz of earlier albums, what led you to this sound? “女‧人 Woman actually covers a lot of different genres and encompasses all of what I soaked up in Taiwan. It could probably be called a ‘C-pop x experimental’ album. At the time, we used R&B as the main classification for Where Is SHI?, but it’s fairly alternative as well. “But back to the main question. The albums up to Where Is SHI? used a lot of real instruments. This time I really wanted to try out a different sort of production, so I worked with a few different types of producers I met who, because the songs were different, used the tone of electronic drums in place of real drum kits or electronic strings or synths in place of the sound of actual strings. Even so, the album still has lots of guitar and other instruments—it’s just that many songs have a higher proportion of samples and electronic sounds. I’ve enjoyed trying to give listeners a Shi Shi that’s a little different. It’s still an alt-pop album, but I hope these elements can touch or rock your soul.” Did you draw from your own life for songs about mistakes and self-reflection? “Someone with an INFP personality seems like they always have lots of things in their mind they don’t actually say: internal struggles and annoyances, as well as things they continually pick up from their own life and that of the people around them. All of that can all be put into songs. It’s like, if I hadn’t said or done something, would I now be free of that enormous sense of regret over a particular situation? And now I need to make adjustments so I won’t make the same mistakes.” What impact did the collaborations on the album have on your music? “I actually prepared for this album quite early. The singles started being released last year [in 2022], but through carelessness and procrastination, five singles have already come out. My collaboration with KIRE has only got smoother over the course of more than a year, and it was through him that I met the producer 高維綸 M.KAO. “And I met Boiii p and Sean Ko on TV programmes—Sean later had the same mentor as me so we had lots of interaction. And we decided we had to do a song together! I love his low voice on ‘Tmt’. Karencici I met at a symposium a few years ago and even before her debut I knew she’d be a force to be reckoned with. I’ve always loved her work and her charisma, and she’s always supported my music. Plus, lots of fans have been clamouring for us to work together—so that’s why I found her for this project! “For other collaborations... Sometimes I’m kind of a driven workaholic and I’m always learning how to calm down, to make music with greater ease. At every stage I’m learning different positive things from other people. This time I realised that my collaborators were all very chill. I’ve learned lots from the younger ones and my French friend Alex—and all of the producers as well.” What other genres are you interested in tackling in the future? “Ha ha—I’ve just released an album and you’re already asking for my future style. I’m also thinking about what my next step should be, though. I think people should be able to guess from my every move and help me come up with something. (Forming a group is a perpetual dream of mine.)” What songs from the album stand out most in your mind? “I love the five songs that haven’t been released as singles—‘Unwind’, ‘Adddicted’, ‘Judge Me’, ‘Tmt’ and ‘Bullet’. ‘Adddicted’ in particular; it tells of an infatuation with someone that fosters unbearable love and hate. ‘Tmt’ is about toxic relationships modern people often encounter. Besides those two, ‘Try’ and ‘清醒夢’ [‘Lucid Dream’] also have lyrics and music with a feeling of going around in circles on problems that no amount of effort can solve. When the writing was finished, I realised that they were right in line with the initial theme for the album. “‘Judge Me’ describes a close relationship plagued by mutual distrust that leads to argument—so painful that you might wish to simply leave. But leaving isn’t the best answer because the other person’s presence is so important. I’ve realised that conflict will always be a part of family, friend, love and work relationships, and we don’t really want to give up so easily. We need to face those problems. Everyone has their own distinct personality and background. When we work hard to understand and show empathy, the relationships will grow more and more irreplaceable. “It’s been 10 years since I came to Taiwan to launch my career in music. I’ve been through a lot of ups and downs that have taught me quite a bit. And I’ve seen things come and go. Through observing myself and others, I’ve discovered that life returns to you what you put into it. It’s inevitable, just like a boomerang. “Some kinds of pain need time to fully recede. The tighter you grip to something, the harder it is to keep in your grasp. And the more forcefully you want to throw it away, the sharper it will snap back.”