For Akini Jing, the Lunar New Year is a chance to take stock. “The world may judge and label you in lots of ways, but it’s important to take an honest look at yourself to reduce the friction in your mind,” she tells Apple Music. The Yunnan-born electronic artist—also known as Zhu Jing Xi—makes sure she gets space for herself during family gatherings. “I always prepare the Dai people’s special holiday dishes and the whole family gets in touch with nature,” she says. “But I like taking time alone during the day to think.” To that end, here she designs a New Year playlist to inspire balance and harmony, with symphonic pieces like “Spring” from Yau Lim and the Shanghai Philharmonic sharing space with spiritual music and ambient cuts with jazz and eastern elements. “Songs with soothing lyrics or music are never out of fashion,” she says. While “瑛達遖” (“Inng Da Nam”), a tender ballad written about her grandparents, reflects the importance of family, Zhu is well aware that the holidays can be stressful. “Dance tracks with a party vibe—or even an aggressive feel—help release stress,” she says. “These are especially good for young people spending the holidays with the older generation.” Jing’s picks include New Pants’ New-Wave-hued hit “你要跳舞嗎” (“Do You Want to Dance”) and Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaur’s indie-dance hit “A Dream I Have”—plus “Call Me Shadow,” her lead single from forthcoming martial-arts-themed LP Villain. For Akini Jing, the Lunar New Year is a chance to take stock. “The world may judge and label you in lots of ways, but it’s important to take an honest look at yourself to reduce the friction in your mind,” she tells Apple Music. The Yunnan-born electronic artist—also known as Zhu Jing Xi—makes sure she gets space for herself during family gatherings. “I always prepare the Dai people’s special holiday dishes and the whole family gets in touch with nature,” she says. “But I like taking time alone during the day to think.” To that end, here she designs a New Year playlist to inspire balance and harmony, with symphonic pieces like “Spring” from Yau Lim and the Shanghai Philharmonic sharing space with spiritual music and ambient cuts with jazz and eastern elements. “Songs with soothing lyrics or music are never out of fashion,” she says. While “瑛達遖” (“Inng Da Nam”), a tender ballad written about her grandparents, reflects the importance of family, Zhu is well aware that the holidays can be stressful. “Dance tracks with a party vibe—or even an aggressive feel—help release stress,” she says. “These are especially good for young people spending the holidays with the older generation.” Jing’s picks include New Pants’ New-Wave-hued hit “你要跳舞嗎” (“Do You Want to Dance”) and Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaur’s indie-dance hit “A Dream I Have”—plus “Call Me Shadow,” her lead single from forthcoming martial-arts-themed LP Villain.