She’s been accused of living in LaLa land. You probably have to be a bit cuckoo to try to break in to today’s pop music world. Today’s artists are judged on an entirely different standard that extends beyond the merits of their vocal ability. There’s a greater creative expectation requiring stars to be luminous. To shine so brightly, a performer not only has to be a skilled music maker, but a multi-faceted and interesting personality with a genuine penchant for connecting with their audience.
The dancefloors newest songstress, LALA, an Edmonton native, is all that and more. Her collaboration with the remix production duo Maniacalm on the single "Never Forget You" yielded LALA her first American Billboard hit. It was followed with the sonically stirring "I Miss You" (co-written by LALA).
Now the artist, who came out as bisexual last month, is releasing her first solo track, "Who’s In My Mouth?". It’s a high-energy ditty that shines the light on the world’s obsession with the celebrity lifestyle while simultaneously showcasing the talent of the pint-sized firecracker that is LALA.
GC: What is the biggest misperception about LALA?
LA: That I’m a bad driver. That I must be a martial artist. Also, some people assume I’m a stripper or playboy model because I like to show skin.
GC: You seem to embody several different personalities in your music.
LA: More than several past relationship partners have accused me of being bi-polar.
GC: How so?
LA: I can be the Asian sweet "love you long time" submissive girl. I can be the warm, gushy type. I can be superficial, sexy, playful, and I can be the bold, rash, take-no-bull-shit-from-anyone fierce chick too.
GC: How often are you compared to GaGa?
LA: All the time. I don’t know why except our names rhyme.
GC: Where did you get the name LALA?
LA: It’s been my nickname since birth. My brother called me it when I was young and is somehow caught on with rest of my family caught on.
GC: What is the biggest difference between GaGa and LALA?
LA: Hello? I’m Asian and an Edmonton girl.
GC: Do you hope to be some kind of Asian pioneer in music?
LA: Hell yeah. It’s ridiculous that no Asian solo music artist has ever broke big in mainstream pop. There are tons of Italians, Latinos, black, and, of course, white artists in the music world, but no Asians. I don’t understand why. Where is our Asian invasion?
GC: Is racism to blame?
LA: Racism is everywhere, even among Asians. Native born Asians dislike westernized Asians. I am Chinese but I also embody some East Indian influences. My parents and their parents were born in India. I’m my own United Nations.
GC: Has being Asian hurt your career?
LA: It’s been challenging, for sure. I began my career singing and writing R&B music. It was tough because R&B and hip hop are dense with history and unfortunately for me, Asians aren’t a part of that history. No matter how good I was at singing R&B, and I was good, I didn’t feel like I could ever fit in. No one was listening or cheering me on.
GC: Is that why you switched to dance?
LA: When I turned to dance music, things changed. The gay scene embraced me. All of a sudden, doors started opening and more opportunities presented themselves to me. I felt accepted, comfortable, and at home. I had an audience, and for the first time I started to realize possibility. I began to think that maybe from here, others might start to accept me and give me a chance.
GC: Were you ever the Asian stereotype?
LA: Hell no. I failed first grade! What Asian kid fails first grade?
GC: Do you play the violin?
LA: I tried the violin but I quit after a few months. The one stereotype I’m happy to admit is I play a mean game of badminton. No one can beat me.
GC: Stereotypes suck, don’t they?
LA: They can, but they can also be unifying.
GC: The LGBT community battles stereotypes everyday.
LA: Some stereotypes are true and it’s not a bad thing. My main gays know style. I don’t know why but they dress better than other guys, they smell better, and the best thing for me, they can dress me better than I can dress myself! The Queer Eye is a stereotype, but is it so bad? It only becomes dangerous when people use stereotypes as a weapon to promote hate.
GC: Like?
LA: Like when haters spread nonsense like gay people can’t commit to lasting relationships so they shouldn’t be granted the right to marry. Or when they say a hot Chinese chick isn’t street enough to sing hip hop.
GC: Do you hate being labeled?
LA: Yes because I tried to conform to the label. When hip hop wouldn’t accept me, I tried so hard to fit into the Asian market. It was like impossible because it was not my box! The stereotype would not accept me even when I tried.
GC: How about being labeled as a lesbian?
LA: That’s not me either because I can’t deny my attraction to boys.
GC: Are you bisexual?
LA: If you have to call me something, I guess that’s what I am. But I can’t stand that people assume bisexuals will sleep with anything that walks. I’m very particular with what I like.
GC: And that is?
LA: I like things with an edge. I want someone to give me a ride on the wild side.
GC: How do your parents feel about your music?
LA: My parents and family don’t really understand. They don’t know what happened to me, or why they never had the good girl Asian daughter. However, deep, deep, deep down somewhere in them, they are secretly rooting for me.