Yisa Yu: Walking by the “New” World

Yisa Yu, who made her debut with the Chinese variety show Super Girl, has already become one of C-pop’s top female stars. 2019 was a fruitful year for her, with the debut of her new album Walking by the World and her single of the same name to great critical acclaim. Yisa has created an exclusive New Year’s playlist for Apple Music, while sharing her memories of the holiday and wishes for the New Year. “The Chinese New Year is about reunion and vacation! Although there have been times when I needed to perform, like for the Spring Festival Gala last year when my family watched me on TV, I have always rushed to go home and reunite with my family at the first opportunity,” she says. On the way home, she listens to her song “Going Home”, written by A-Yue, because “the lyrics say, ‘Going home, I just want to go home, and earn money. I want to give my family something special’. What could be more true?” “My relatives and I will buy special clothes, like red suits, and take photos together. When we eat together, we’re careful not to break anything, and nothing in our home is thrown away before the fifth day after the New Year. For those of us in Sichuan, it’s not the Chinese New Year without lanterns. We also eat rice balls in the mornings, bacon, sausages and other varieties of cured and salted foods.” But what about music? “New Year’s music is traditional and joyful. I immediately think of songs like ‘Step by Step’ or ‘Golden Snake Dance.’ My playlist theme is ‘Walking by the World’ as a reflection on the passage of time, and the short amount of time we have together on earth. Many songs here are about missing my hometown, relief, confusion and longing. It’s about learning to find joy in the time that you have.” “Smile!” Yisa encourages. “I don’t want to be like everyone else anymore, like I was before. Everyone is their own person. We should have our own ideas and make our own choices, choose things that can bring us happiness, and abandon those that make us feel worried, sad or inferior. Just keep smiling and moving on.”