Chen Li Talks 'Immigration' Tours — All 17 of Them in the Last 5 Years

When referring to the “Immigration” tour that has endured for many years, in Chen Li's memories, the prelude to each performance holds unforgettable moments. “I'll be standing behind two big screens waiting for the opening and then I'll see red and green lights flashing in front of me. Despite the mere presence of cold iron frames surrounding the stage, for some inexplicable reason, being in this environment makes me feel extremely familiar and safe.”

In ancient times, the entrances on both sides of the stage were known as the Tiger Gate. Once the performer passes through the Tiger Gate, no matter what is unfolding on or off the stage, The Show Must Go On. The flickering lights before the start of the concert evoke memories for Chen Li of “the first thing I saw when I was born.” Through the screen, he can even make out the cheers and encouragement from the front-row crowd, meters away. Each upcoming show is like a newborn baby coming into the world, everything is like an unknown “migration”. Therefore, every time Chen Li passes through the Tiger Gate, the feeling is both nervous and brand new.

In relation to the 'Migration' concert, Chen Li once expressed, “I hope these blue nights can bring us lasting tenderness in the future.” She likes to use different colors to evoke the emotions evoked in each moment, and the “Migration” associated with fish, of course, is blue. As the various stages of the fish life cycle progress, migration is a consequence of the adaptation of the fish to changes in the external environment. From 2019 to 2024, Chen Li has held 17 “Migration” tours. For her, “Migration” is not just a simple concert. records the process of her development as a singer.

Unique Creative Styles for “Addiction Prevention”

One of Chen Li's albums was called “Fang Chen Mi”, which means “Prevention of Addiction” in Chinese. In fact, this extremely smooth concept record makes it very easy for listeners to get addicted to it. Instead of cultivating an addiction to the online realm, the album aims to immerse its audience in the offline world. To promote this vision, Chen Li's team organized a physical album photo event, encouraging CD recipients to unleash their creativity and share imaginative photos with each other.

The absence of an official introduction for “Fang Chen Mi” stands out in the Chinese music industry, where lengthy album introductions are the norm. This departure may have a deeper, more creative meaning. Despite having received over ten versions of album intros, Chen Li still believes that the most appropriate intro for “Fang Chen Mi” is no intro at all. “Just listen to the songs, nothing fancy is needed. If you like, sing along to a few lines. If everyone has similar experiences to those in the songs, feel free to perform them.”

The promotion methods for “Fang Chen Mi” are also unconventional. In the current era of digital music, 'Fang Chen Mi' chose to release the physical CD version first, with the online platform release following some time later (partly for copyright reasons). If listeners want to hear the whole album as soon as possible, they have to buy the physical album, evoking a nostalgic feeling reminiscent of using a Discman to listen to music in the 1990s, thus achieving a significant physical sales volume.

This year, Chen Li will unveil her ninth album. The new project has already recorded three songs, with all the lyrics written by a good friend with whom she has never collaborated in music before. Chen Li describes the lyrical style as “a bit more serious”, while the melodies continue to reflect her personal taste.

Finding balance in leisure time

Chen Li currently lives in Hangzhou most of the year, occasionally returning to Beijing for short stays. Unlike the busy work environment in Beijing, in Hangzhou, Chen Li fully embraces a 'slow down' lifestyle: “It's just because the walking environment in Hangzhou is somewhat superior. In Beijing, I have a group of old friends who care for each other like family. I just want to venture out independently, to a place with fewer friends and seek peace, to see if I can acclimatize.”

On Chen Li's Weibo account, her life in Hangzhou is vivid: the cafes she loves, the crafts she likes to create, the designs she loves to produce… Chen Li really enjoys this relaxed and sophisticated lifestyle. “Many of my little hobbies can be fully realized in Hangzhou. The pace of life here is slower, and I have enough time and space to engage in many “non-productive” activities, so I live quite comfortably. You cannot invent a particular life for the purpose of creation. life itself is the goal.”

The simple sketches that appear on his physical album 'Prevent Addiction' are an authentic reflection of Chen Li's life in Hangzhou: 'Drawing is a 'little corner' that I especially love. Drawing makes me lose time, observe and contemplate constantly, including the precious lines and colors created by the void.”

“Every day, people have different desires and I think the key is to find a balance. Sometimes you like it, sometimes you like it, you eat when you're hungry, you take a nap when you're sleepy, you get up and play when you wake up, these are all very simple truths.” Everything has to go with the flow. As long as one approaches life with a “playful” attitude, one can find one's own balance.

– This article was written by Jifan Wang for Billboard China