Artists of 2020- Diandra Interviews 9M88: Going Beyond Mediocrity

Am I the only one freaked out by 2020? Do I think the world will get crazier? 100% We are human being; we would not be us if we were not excessive. In this, comes a wave of rising artists that will have the task of reminding listeners their heart matter. Enter 9M88 whose fashion sense has certainly caught attention, but it is her dreamy R&B style that maker her one to watch. In our interview, we discuss how sound and style truly don’t mean anything beyond the heat you place behind them. 

Diandra: Do you feel a location actually does influence a sound, particularly when you think of your native Taiwan and now you home, New York?

9M88: I really think so. In Taiwan, we listen to Mando Pop a lot. It is a kind of mellow, love song kind of style so people expect me to have those kind of sing-along songs versus, when I arrived here, I felt like it was more musical. People are more open-minded to newer sounds. For example, when I am here, I tend to do more experimentations with my band versus in Taiwan. 
9m88 – 愛情雨 Love Rain

Diandra: Do you feel that openness in sound is making way for Taiwanese artists to break into other music markets like, the U.S, especially when there is a racial divide?

9M88: I feel like it is a transformative and transitional era. Mando-Pop listeners are gaining a more open-minded way of listening to music. There are more Hip Hop and R&B artists coming out of Taiwan, and they are appreciating more their sounds and personalities. Since they like them as personalities, they appreciate more what they do in music. 
9m88 – 最高品質靜悄悄 Airplane Mode ft. Leo王 (Official MV)

Diandra: As an artists that does so many collaborations what are the key lessons you have learned about making music from other artists?

9M88: Communication really counts. At the end of the day, it is about feeling something that is irrelevant to music.It is about marketing strategies, egos, and personalities clashing, and that can really distract you from the music. It could make you feel greedy or jealous or feel like anything but the music. It could put you in the mindset of caring or worrying too much. So I always try to center myself and, with the other person, always going back to the music and making sure it is always taken care of. 

Diandra: So I imaging that you feel more like a confident leader in your career having to learn communication? 

9M88: YES! Yes, I have had a lot of trial and errors. I have had a lot of failures. Going back and forth, I have learned to negotiate with other people, and appreciate them in terms of their music tastes and visions.
馬念先 & 9m88 – 你朝我的方向走來 Walking Towards Me (Official Music Video)

Diandra: So have you seen something you like about yourself as a leader? 

9M88: As an Asian artist, it feels really hard to make it in a non-mandarin speaking country. By trying, I still push myself in the front- row, even when I am nervous. The first time I performed here, I was so nervous and I did not speak English properly: so I appreciate that I am open to being fragile. 

Diandra: So what is your first memory with R&B and Hip Hop?

9M88: That is an interesting question. I grew up listening to a lot of Mando-pop, and then, in middle school, I heard Alicia Keys. I was like “WOOOW! WHAT IS THAT!” It felt different to my brain. The way she phrased sentences with soul in it. Hip Hop I listened to more Pop-Hip Hop like Nelly and Jay-Z, and then I got deeper into Hip Hop when I started listening to De La Soul. But, for me, when I heard Erykah Badu it was so exciting. She had this jazz to her and was so soulful and I thought, “This! This is it for me!” She combines so many different genres and can make a live show so energetic. 

Diandra: How has fashion influenced you as a musical artist? 

9M88: The first college I went to in Taiwan was a fashion school. It is so important as an artists to show something beyond personality, and fashion is an extension of a person. You can see, right away, from a person’s outfit what type of music they do. You can see their lifestyle. Like Erykah Badu, you can tell she is so spiritual and in the zone. 
9m88 – Aim High (Official Music Video)

Diandra: What was the inspiration behind Beyond Mediocrity? 

9M88: It is really all about me. It sounds like ME! I am not sure about many things, and I can’t pretend to be someone else that I am not. This title feels like an achievement to my assurance in being me. It is a celebration that yes I am doing it. I am here and doing my music and following the path that I chose to do. 

For More Information on 9M88 Click Here.