FiFi Zhang's Shimmering BPMs Serenade the Apocalypse

FLEETING HEARTS, the first full-length LP from Shanghai-born, NYC-based artist FiFi Zhang is officially out. A glimmering dance pop record exploring missed connections and dial-up emotions, Zhang dropped the project on October 2, at midnight, unleashing her Jersey Club anthems as spells cast in the night. Leading up to the project, Hypetrak Magazine had the pleasure of sitting down with the artist in the latest print issue, where we dove into her musical inspirations and creative process. As a part of Nueva Generaciones, a music program platformed by Hypetrak Magazine and powered by Corona® Extra, the artist returns to the spotlight to showcase her single “Fallen Angel” in an exclusive music video produced by Hypetrak.

With ten tracks written, produced, mixed and recorded by Zhang, FLEETING HEARTS is a passion project that fully exemplifies her sonic evolution, from house, UK Garage and Jersey Club to anime-inspired soundscapes. Glimpses of New York City appear with the addition of jazzy trumpets and horns, adding atmospheric dimension to her BPM-coded algorithm. The rollout of the project included hyper-stylized visuals for “Where U Are (angel with no feathers)“, “Chasing the Moon,” “Petals” and an official music video for “You Ain’t In Love,” with Zhang also leading the charge as a creative director, video editor and stylist. In the latter, she asks which of her personas is worthy of admiration, cosplaying in ’90s-inspired threads.

In conversation with Hypetrak, the multidisciplinary artist opened up about her love for niche designer fashion and how her penchant for sci-fi films and anime influenced her visual world-building while working on the album. FLEETING HEARTS ponders the state of modern connection, utilizing visual motifs inspired by the popular anime franchise Neon Genesis Evangelion, Chinese proverbs, and spiritual archetypes of light and darkness to anchor her apocalyptic dream. “The moon is a big theme in Asian and Chinese culture, and there’s a saying in Chinese, ‘鏡花水月,’ which means ‘flowers in the mirror, moon in water.’ It represents the ultimate goal: you’re chasing something that is seemingly really close, but forever out of reach,” she shares with Hypetrak Magazine.

It’s a sci-fi-inspired tale of unrequited love in the digital age — her signal to connect buffering into oblivion. But as Zhang serenades her muses, she finds a respite from the unknown on the dance floor. “Fallen Angels” is the thematic centerpiece of the album. Produced in collaboration with electronic artist Dazegxd, the record twinkles with electricity as Zhang’s dreamy vocals flutter atop a hyper-kinetic beat. Dive into her performance in the video and galleries above.

FLEETING HEARTS is out now on streaming platforms, including Spotify and Apple Music. Stay tuned on Hypebeast and Hypetrak to see more from the artists of Nueva Generaciones.

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