Shanghai-based singer-songwriter, DJ and producer Gigi Lee released her latest track last weekend, “Mama’s Dumplings”, a tribute to her mother’s love metaphorically represented by the most famous in northern China.

Released by Warner Music China on May 6, just before Mother’s Day, she first recorded the upbeat pop song a few years ago. Post-production was completed before Shanghai’s seemingly endless lockdown began.

“Obviously it’s a song about a mother’s love. I have always had a very difficult relationship with [my mom], Since I was a child. And because of that, I always felt a certain distance towards her and my father, which affected my life choices in a certain way: going to boarding school, leaving home to go to university, go abroad, travel and [coming] back to China – but in Shanghai instead of my hometown,” Lee told RADII. “All I’ve done is be away from them and live [an] independent life. »

Parental estrangement appears to have been both challenging and challenging for Lee, who hails from the city of Dalian in northeast China. She notes that her independence has allowed her to discover and explore her passion for music, but loneliness could also be an issue and “the days could be dark”.

“I remember once when I was in my apartment, looking out my balcony window. It was raining outside. I was depressed… I had never felt so lonely and sad. Dumplings were all I had, [and I was] cry while I ate. It reminded me of those dumplings I had every time I went back to Dalian; it reminded me of my mother. As I was crying, I started writing ‘Mama’s Dumplings’,” Lee says.

Later that same year, Lee returned home to be with her family for Chinese New Year, and she recalls making dumplings with her mother – dumplings presumably filled with Chinese chives and eggs, Lee’s favorite. .

“When she was making them, I was next to her. I glimpsed her [and] she had more wrinkles, more gray hair. Then she smiled at me. For the first time, I felt she had love for me and the way she expresses her love is in these dumplings,” Lee says, talking about the inspiration behind the song. “[Now]we have the song “Mama’s Dumplings”.

While Lee, like most people in Shanghai, is currently stuck in her apartment, she is doing her best to stay positive and productive, writing new music and making videos. She does, however, tell RADII that she can’t wait to perform live again and share her latest single with the public.

“Once this is all over, which I hope will be soon, for all the shows I do, I’ll be happy to perform this track during my DJ set or just live performances, singing some of my songs,” says Lee. .

Music fans in China can listen to “Mama’s Dumplings” on QQ Music. International listeners can discover the new track on Spotify and Apple Music.

All images via Gigi Lee