The Chinese singer-songwriter opens up about intention, timeless sound and why his self-titled album marks a defining new chapter.

Whenever KUN visits Singapore, it usually comes with crowds, flashing cameras and wall-to-wall attention. This time felt different. The Chinese singer-songwriter kept things deliberately low-key, choosing intention over spectacle. There was no forced hype, no rushed promo run. Instead, the focus stayed firmly where he wanted it: on the music.
When we <a href="https://www.lofficielsingapore.com/culture/exclusive-kun-cai-xukun-new-era-with-latest-single-jasmine-music-celebrity-interview-deadman" title="Exclusive! KUN Steps Into a New Era With Latest Single, &ldquo;Jasmine&rdquo;" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sat down with KUN during his recent visit</a>, it was clear this project meant something personal. He wasn&rsquo;t here to sell a moment. He was here to talk honestly about his work, his life and the long road that led to his self-titled album, out on 6 February. That sense of clarity and calm shaped the entire conversation.
KUN first rose to prominence as the leader and main vocalist of Chinese pop phenomenon Nine Percent. Since then, he has steadily carved out his own lane, earning a reputation as one of Asia&rsquo;s most versatile creatives. A singer with control and emotion, a producer with a sharp ear, and a storyteller who thinks visually as much as musically, KUN continues to move across genres without losing his identity.
The past year set the foundation for where he is now. When we last spoke, he had just released &ldquo;Jasmine&rdquo;, a smooth, soulful track that hinted at a shift in sound. Now, after two years of non-stop work, he&rsquo;s ready to share the full picture. Singles like &ldquo;Deadman&rdquo;, &ldquo;Jasmine&rdquo; and &ldquo;What a Day&rdquo; are not isolated moments, but pieces of a larger story, one rooted in personal experience and lived emotion.
Despite his relaxed exterior, KUN is deeply driven. This new chapter sees him leaning away from polished pop and towards a warmer, more retro palette, drawing on soul, jazz and R&amp;B influences he grew up with. His songwriting is increasingly shaped by real life and he shares that he&rsquo;s embracing spontaneity more than ever. For instance, KUN shared that he decided to record &ldquo;What a Day&rdquo; live to tape after being inspired by the energy of fans who packed out his sold-out show at LA&rsquo;s Fonda Theatre and wanting to capture that moment forever.&nbsp;
Everything about this era feels deliberate. There&rsquo;s no gloss for the sake of image, just a clear sense of self-expression and craft. Below, KUN talks us through his mindset, his love for analogue recording, nostalgia, fashion and what fans can expect next.

Welcome back to Singapore, KUN! How was new years for you and what&rsquo;s your mindset like going into 2026?
For me, 2026 is about being more active. Keep moving, keep driving. I feel like there have been a lot of moments, and 2025 was definitely a starting point for me. We reset.
2025 was a transformative year for you. What was 2025 like for you looking back and what was your personal highlight from the year?
We had &ldquo;Deadman,&rdquo; &ldquo;Jasmine,&rdquo; and &ldquo;What a Day.&rdquo; These are like my babies, right? I spent two years working on this album, and we finally started it.
Did you have any reservations going into this new chapter of your musical journey?&nbsp;
Honestly, there are no reservations, no hesitations. You know, you just have to do it, because there&rsquo;s no tomorrow. I feel like just being honest with yourself first and focusing on your work, because when you believe it, people feel it.

KUN - What a Day (Official Video)

With your most recent single &lsquo;What a Day&rsquo;, you said you &ldquo;wanted to make a song about celebrating life and the simple joys that come with it.&rdquo; What are some simple joys in your life that you&rsquo;ve started appreciating more lately
Every moment in my daily life right now matters, because we&rsquo;re traveling around the world, right? And I enjoy it because I like to explore different cities and places, talking to different people and different cultures. That&rsquo;s what I like.
&lsquo;What A Day&rsquo; is also special because it was recorded live to tape. Tell us more about that process. Why was it important for you to have the song recorded this way?&nbsp;
Because when you record to tape, especially in one take, you can&rsquo;t change it after you record it. There are no second chances. Everything in that moment, that energy, stays forever.
In a hyper digital world, the music landscape has become increasingly digitalised. Here with &lsquo;What A Day&rsquo;, you&rsquo;ve instead returned to analog. What does the analog medium mean to you as an artist?
Sometimes I&rsquo;m just an old-school guy. I like to bring the old school into the new school, and I feel like these days, not a lot of people are doing that anymore. This is something I always wanted to do and have always wanted to try. But probably not anymore, because it&rsquo;s too expensive. [laughs]

&lsquo;Deadman&rsquo;, &lsquo;Jasmine&rsquo; and &lsquo;What A Day&rsquo;, do these singles set the tone for your next album or EP? How is that coming along and is there an overall theme to it?
Everything I put out right now belongs to the album. In this album, there are 11 tracks, right? All different styles, all different sides of me, because everything came from my personal life, my personal experience, my own story. So it&rsquo;s a part of me, my journey.
It&rsquo;s also character-driven. There are different chapters and different styles. You&rsquo;ll hear it. It&rsquo;s like storytelling.
As a listener, there&rsquo;s a nostalgic element to your recent singles. Was this intentional and what is nostalgia to you?
I think it flows naturally because that&rsquo;s what I listened to. That&rsquo;s what I grew up listening to. I listen to classic tracks like jazz, soul, R&amp;B stuff. I would say it&rsquo;s timeless. It&rsquo;s timeless. I hope after 20 years, people listen back to this album and still like it. You can&rsquo;t just follow the trends, right? To me, it&rsquo;s boring.
You also held a one night only sold out concert at the Fonda Theatre in LA last year. Take us to that night. How did it feel to perform your new songs live for the first time?
The first time was always special, and I was so close to my audience, so it was very intimate. I had a very good time. Great memories! After that final show, I decided to record &ldquo;What a Day&rdquo; in one take.

You had your own concerts and performances in Singapore before. What was that experience like and what are some of the highlights from your trip to our sunny island?
It&rsquo;s warm! For me, it&rsquo;s perfect! I would definitely come back here with my new album.
We can&rsquo;t talk about KUN and not talk about your style. With this new musical chapter, are there any shifts in your fashion to reflect this new sound?
My fashion style always follows my music. When I recorded &ldquo;Deadman,&rdquo; I was wearing a cowboy hat for more than two weeks. Whatever I put out at that moment, my fashion style follows it. I&rsquo;ll just be that guy. Just be &ldquo;Deadman.&rdquo; You know what I mean?&nbsp;
The album focus track is called &ldquo;Colder.&rdquo; There&rsquo;s like rock elements on it. That&rsquo;s why I&rsquo;m wearing the leather jacket now. You know, I&rsquo;m just being that guy.
What are your plans for 2026 and what can fans look forward to?
I will start touring with my new album, and I&rsquo;ll definitely come to Singapore to perform. So please come to the show! I&rsquo;m dropping the new album on February 6th. If you&rsquo;re interested, please take a listen. I spent more than two years nonstop working on this album, and I hope you like it.&nbsp;

Exclusive! KUN Speaks on His New Album, Nostalgia and Recording to Tape

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