[INTERVIEW] ØZI – What Kind of MANIAC Are You?

Stefan Chen Yi-fan, aka ØZI, is a Taiwanese American singer-songwriter and rapper. ØZI is noted for mixing different genres, such as, contemporary urban hip-hop, R&B, Mandopop, and more. He won Best New Artist in 2018 at the 30th Golden Melody Awards for his debut album. At the age of 4, he started piano lessons and then guitar lessons at the age of 10. He also attended Berklee College of Music. As both of his parents are entertainers, he was definitely born to be in the entertainment business. He recently started his brand “MANIAC” that shows different levels of his artistry.

Not long ago, ØZI performed at the MetaMoon Festival in New York, USA and will soon be releasing the track “Come Alive?”. HypnoticAsia had a chance to interview ØZI to learn more about him.

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Please introduce yourself to the readers of HypnoticAsia. 

Hello HypnoticAsia, this is ØZI. I am a singer-songwriter, music producer, and the founder & creator of the brand MANIAC; currently based in Taipei and Los Angeles. 

Is there a track you would recommend for those who want to check out your music?

I would recommend any song from my up and coming project ADICA, otherwise I would say “hair tie”, “LUFU”, or “0.03”. 

You made your official debut as a singer-songwriter in 2018; how would you say you and your music have changed over the years?

I feel like my music has evolved a lot with me over the years. I don’t see myself as an artist that is defined by a genre, but more of a melting pot of all the elements of what inspires me. Because music and visual arts are what I use to manifest my persona, it’s fair to say that my artistry has grown with me as a human being. 

Who or what has motivated and influenced you to do music?

Well, my parents are both in the music and fashion industry (singer and photographer), so I was pretty much born into this path. Spending most of my childhood backstage of my mother’s concerts, and in my father’s photo studio, it felt natural for me to follow their paths and their passion. It’s also because they’re in this industry that they’ve been very supportive with me. 

As a songwriter, have you ever written music for others or thought of doing so?

Yes I have had the pleasure to work with many amazing artists, including Asian superstars like Jolin Tsai. I often find myself having more fun producing for others than working on my own projects because I tend to end up over-thinking. 

What is your process of writing/composing songs?

It really depends. I like to always start with producing because it helps me sketch out the ideas in my head and sets the vibe of the track. Once I set the mood right, I start top-lining till I get all the melodies down. Then I go back to my beat to polish up the rest. 

You’re known for integrating different genres and languages in your tracks. Happen to have a name for this genre mix? Were you ever worried that the genre mix wouldn’t be accepted?

I stopped trying to categorize my music after realizing how hard it is to define the genre; I know all my influences come from hip-hop/R&B, rock, and electronic music. I never really worry about my music not being accepted because I think as an artist, as long as we stay honest and authentic with our art, we will always be putting out our best work. 

You’ve had many collaborations in the past few years with artists from all over Asia. We saw that you’ve worked with GSoul, Soft Lipa, and Yellow Bucks. Do you have any fun stories about these collaborations? How did some of these collaborations come about?

If I were to tell all the stories of how these songs came about with the artists I’ve worked with the past years I think I won’t be able to finish this interview…like ever. A lot of these collaborations happened during COVID, so a lot of the records are done “online”. Now that the world is back open, I can’t wait to be able to perform these records with them soon. 

Is there an artist you’d like to collaborate with that you haven’t already? 

Bring Me The Horizon

Recently you were in New York for the MetaMoon Festival! How was that experience?

It was surreal being able to perform at Barclays Center. Such an iconic venue. Being able to share that stage with many of my friends also made the experience very fun. I loved the energy of NYC and I can’t wait to throw a show there again next year. 

Online Fact Check: “His goal is to globalize Chinese music, to make it popular as K-Pop.” Is that true? How is that goal coming along?

You know what? I often look back at that statement I made. Since the beginning, pushing my culture has been my agenda and you can catch me say that on all the platforms and award speeches that I have given over the years. However, ever since I starting building my brand MANIAC, I have discovered new ways of how I want to bridge cultures. As to what that vision is, I think it’ll be very clear once my projects in 2023 roll out one by one. 

Online Fact Check: “JYP Entertainment wanted to recruit him but his father denied the offer because he didn’t think it’s the right thing for his son to become a trainee, and be limited by the company.” Is this true? Can you tell us more about this, such as, would you have wanted to join JYP? How do you think your career would be different now if you did?

I’ve gotten several offers and recruitment’s from K-pop entertainment companies when I was in high-school and college, and I would be lying if I tell you it wasn’t something that I’ve considered of doing because how how successful K-pop was and still is. That said, my love for music comes from the liberty of being able to freely create and craft sounds that help me express myself. At that time, I didn’t think signing a decade-long contract and learning a foreign language aligns with my passion and therefore I didn’t choose that path. 

It seems as if you were practically raised to do music as we saw that you learned multiple instruments at a young age. If you were not doing music, what do you believe you would be doing instead?

I would say probably fashion or films but those are also things that I’m already doing. I do have a strong infatuation of all tech-related realms because of my love for sci-fi films, so I guess maybe somewhere in that field…? 

We saw that there’s a different side to you with your brand MANIAC. Can you tell us more about the brand and your goals?

My brand MANIAC is an intersection between art, music, and fashion. It’ll focus on interacting with tastemakers and culture vultures around the world and collectively explore the concept of “identity”. 

The name is inspired by the origin of my artist name Ozymandias, by deriving the name from “-mandias” the same way ØZI was from “Ozy-”. As someone that has struggled with “identity crisis” my whole life (being a third-cultured Asian American, and and a melting-pot of different music genres, etc.), the process of creating MANIAC required me to confront who I really am. 

MANIAC is not only my personal journey, but as a creative director to take on that challenge, and inspire people to also discover their personal “maniac”. 

What can we expect from you in the future?

Manifesting everything I said above. 

Is there anything you’d like to say to your fans who continue to support your music and art? 

Tell me, what kind of maniac are you? 

Follow ØZI:

Instagram | YouTube