Spotlight on Taiwanese-Australian singer and songwriter Kim Yang

Spotlight on Taiwanese-Australian singer and songwriter Kim Yang

2023-07-30

Today we take you to meet Taiwanese-Australian singer and songwriter Kim Yang. Her music career began in 2009 after auditioning for Taiwan’s "Super Idol." Since then, she has performed in many countries, sharing her stories and experiences. Her next concert will be in Taipei on Aug.11. FTV reporter Stephany Yang caught up with the singer-songwriter to discover the inspiration behind her songs.

This is Kim Yang, a Taiwanese-Australian indie folk singer-songwriter. Many of her songs are about human vulnerability and strength. The song "Brave" hopes to inspire people to say "no" and not be afraid to set healthy boundaries.

Kim Yang
Singer-songwriter
"Brave" is a song that I wrote after I had a mental meltdown. As an emerging artist, I had to say yes to a lot of things, a lot of jobs even though I did not want to do them at all. I guess I just tried so hard to get my name out there. I wrote this song after a mental meltdown, and I realized that I really need to be brave enough to say "no," to look after myself. I hope that people can do that too, especially for young women in any industry, really.

Yang lived in Taiwan till she was 24. Since she was young, she was always passionate about music. She auditioned for Taiwan’s "Super Idol" in 2009 but didn’t start singing full-time until she moved to Canberra.

This song written by Yang is titled "Fantasy," and it’s dedicated to her parents.

Kim Yang
Singer-songwriter
To be honest, my parents were kind of reserved about me doing music full-time. At the time, when I told them about doing music full-time, they were really shocked. They were like, "How are you going to feed yourself? Do you have enough money?" I love Taiwan and I love my parents. Sometimes there are a bit of cultural differences. I probably learned a lot from Australia as well. This song "Fantasy" is really about me fantasizing about a bit more love and validation from my parents for me to be a musician.

Yang moved to Canberra in 2012, where she worked many different jobs. In 2017, she started writing songs in hopes of sharing her stories with the world. She busked around Canberra and performed in markets and cafes.

Kim Yang
Singer-songwriter
When I was in my late 20s, I had some regret I guess because I used to be on a TV show back in Taiwan here. It is called "Super Idol 3." I almost got a contract but I didn’t accept the recording contract. There was always "what ifs" in my life. What if tried? What if I give it a go? I did give it a go in my late 20s. Now, I have been performing since 2017. I got my own band, my own shows, sellout shows, and played in music festivals in Australia as well.

Since then, she has written numerous original songs and collaborated with renowned local artists, and played at major venues in Australia and around the world.

This original song by Yang, "Missed Chance," is a tribute to a young fan who encouraged her to keep pursuing music.

Kim Yang
Singer-songwriter
A little young girl she saw me on the TV show and she wrote me an email. I knew she was really sick. She had chemotherapy. Her mom wrote an email for her saying "Hey, my daughter really loved your music. Can you keep doing more music?" At that time, I gave up music after the TV show because I think I was only 19 or 20 because I got sad being criticized because once you get your name out there, there is always different noise. I was frustrated with the music. I didn’t want to do anything. I didn’t respond until three years later, but that email address became disconnected. I never knew how she is, whether she was still there or not and whether she recovered from chemotherapy. I also wrote a song to thank her.

With many new songs in the works, Yang hopes to continue singing and writing music to inspire more people to chase their dreams and share their stories.