ROCK MY WORLD

J Lin may be one of the biggest stars of Mandopop, with 14 studio albums and numerous chart-toppers to his name since he burst onto the scene in 2003, but he is not one to rest on his laurels. Earlier this year, the singer released his first EP recorded fully in English—a gamble by one of Chinese music’s most well-known names, but one that the 40-year-old thought was necessary. “I felt a strong tug in my heart that the time was coming where I had to see myself as two individuals. It was about bringing myself back to ground zero—starting up again, reminding myself of my core values and just seeing myself from a different angle because I felt that I needed the fresh perspective,” says Lin of the rationale behind the release.

To really drive home the difference, Lin ventured far outside his comfort zone. “Everything was very deliberate, even the musical style,” he discloses. “I intentionally did not try to reach any high notes in the album, except for ‘Bedroom’. I sang from the perspective of an alter ego. The things that I’ve done before, I tried not to do. I wrote from different