VAVA’s Chinese New Year Playlist

VAVA might be best known as a rapper, but she’s set her sights far beyond. “I’ve made breakthroughs with dance this year, and I want to try more forms of music in the next,” the Sichuanese artist tells Apple Music. She’s built her career on pushing boundaries and bridging generations, and 2021 was no exception. Her viral collaboration with actor and comedian Cai Ming saw her fuse rap with elements of traditional Chinese music, which VAVA described as revitalising. “I often incorporate Chinese characteristic elements into my work, like Peking opera and folk songs,” she says. And her feature on US rapper Saweetie’s 2021 single “Best Friend” remix saw her hit the world stage with a verse rapped in Chinese. “It’s always been my goal to break out of Asia,” she says. With that in mind, VAVA’s new year playlist features pop and R&B hits from across the globe, including Dua Lipa’s “Be the One”, Tierra Whack’s “Hookers” and The Weeknd’s “Party Monster”—her go-tos for getting any celebration going. “I wish everyone all the best in 2022, and that we get past the pandemic and embrace better times,” she adds.