Since his debut as an artist back in 2022 with “listen to this when you’re down <3,” Yung Kai has been met with exponential success with his worldwide viral hit, “blue.” The Canadian-Chinese indie musician grew his following through TikTok, where he amassed a whopping total of two million followers. As it stands, “blue” remains a staple in the Billboard Philippines Hot 100 (dated April 5, 2025), as it currently sits at the No. 8 position, and previously peaked at No. 4.

Last March 23, the artist performed for his second-ever festival at Wanderland’s tenth anniversary, taking the stage with an array of his sweet serenades. As his career and stardom continues to expand, he is also set to take the stage for the 2025 iteration of the Head in the Clouds Festival this May 31 to June 1, alongside international stars like G-Dragon, 2NE1, and more.

In an exclusive interview with Billboard Philippines, Yung Kai delves into the journey he’s explored with his growing success as he travels around the world on his first international tour.

Billboard Philippines: First and foremost, welcome to the Philippines!

Yung Kai: Thank you.

You know your music is very, very well loved here. You’ve been a consistent chart topper with “blue.” How does it feel that your music is this prominent on a completely different side of the globe?

I mean, it’s just crazy because like I never would have expected this scale of my music reaching so many voices. Because when I put out “blue,” I was just like, “I’m just making music for fun. You know, just whatever, like I’m in school, right? I’m just making music on the side.” Then, it reaches the Philippines, you know, like Indonesia, everywhere.

It’s just so crazy. Yeah, I just never would have expected it. It’s like a dream.

Photographed by Mayks Go

You also recently released your entirely new single, “Do You Think You Could Love Me?” So can you walk us through the process of how you made that song?

Yeah, so this song, I actually made it a long time before. I made it before “blue,” and I think before “wildflower” too, or around the same time as “wildflower.” But it was actually just a song that I didn’t like that much back then. And then so I just like hid it for a long time. I just put it away in a folder that I’d never look at again, right?

And so I don’t really remember exactly how I wrote it, but since it was around the same time as “wildflower,” it was like, it was probably at a time when I was watching K-dramas, you know, watching Chinese dramas and stuff. I can’t remember which ones, but yeah, it’s probably inspired by some K-drama. I just came back to it like a few months later, and then I’m like, “Oh yeah, it’s pretty good. And then I put it out.”

Photographed by Mayks Go

Do you think like a lot of your music comes from the media you’re watching at the time?

It does, 100% it does, yeah. Most of my songs are inspired by something I watch, for sure. Maybe some small things here and there outside of what I watch, but mostly what I watch. 

What do you think is like the most significant viewing experience that led to a song?

It was probably for “blue,” which is like, because it was inspired by like what I find so much in this Chinese drama. I just remember a certain scene that made me feel some way, you know, made me feel some intense emotions. I think I was able to just translate that pretty well into a song. I remember there’s just this one scene, it was like the guy and the girl going on a date to the aquarium or something, and I just thought it was really cute, very pretty.

There had to be some cute moments there like, “Whoa, I fell into his arms! Whoa, I just leaned on her!” You know, something like that. Even though it’s just those little moments, you know, but it took them a long time to get to that point to go on a date to the aquarium. It’s like, you know, their backstory and everything, so it’s like, “Oh, they’re finally doing that!” That’s fun.

In 2022, you debuted with “listen to this when you’re down <3.“ Has music always been a part of your life prior to this? How did you get into songwriting?

I grew up like playing music. My first instrument was drums, actually. I got some piano and I started playing guitar. So, it was always here and there, and then during like senior year, junior year, high school, which was like 2019, I believe, I started producing more music just on my own. And then, that’s when I started just like making beats. I put beats on my YouTube. I made like ten beats and I just put it on YouTube. 

That’s when I started trying more to like take it more seriously, grind a little bit more. I tried posting like at least once a week or maybe even once a day, I forget. But yeah, so yeah, it’s always been a part of my life. I always liked writing songs. I always liked producing music. Just to be here right now, it’s just so insane. 

Photographed by Mayks Go

Yeah, you’re performing for one of the biggest festivals in Manila!

I didn’t know that. That’s crazy. It’s my second festival ever.

Really? 

Yeah, like I just did my first festival in Thailand. That was my first ever festival like last week. Yeah, so this is my second ever festival. And now that you’re telling me this is one of the greatest festivals in Manila, that’s so crazy. 

When you were first starting out, when you were first doing those samples on a daily basis — which is not easy — what were some of your inspirations at that point? 

My biggest inspiration is wave to earth. It’s just like the way I write. When I was writing “blue” and other other songs and stuff, I would literally listen to Wave to Earth songs. Before I started writing, I just listened to ten wave to earth songs, and I read the lyrics. Then I prepare myself, and I put it away and I go write my song. It’s like, I feel like I really learned how to write from like Daniel from wave to earth. I learned so much from wave to earth. Without them, I wouldn’t be here. There would be no Yung Kai basically.

Photographed by Mayks Go

With your rapid growth as an artist, how would you describe your personal growth as well in your journey?

It’s a little crazy. Personally, because it was so stunning, because before I wrote “blue,” I was doing covers on TikTok and Instagram, right? So I did kind of have a following, but after I put out “blue,” I started like going crazy. Life has completely changed, you know? When I go to campus now, every few steps I take, someone’s like, “I love your song. Can I take a picture?” Just the previous year, I was just walking around campus, just going to class, putting a hundred percent into school. Then, suddenly it’s just like, so many people know me.

Personally, I’m still not like used to it. It feels so new to me still. People always say, “Oh, you’re famous now!” “Wait, you’re so cool, you’re famous.” I don’t feel like that at all. I still feel like a student. Like, I feel like I’m on a field trip right now. I still feel like the same person, I guess. People just know me now, you know? 

Do you feel at any point where it’s kind of just like a bit more stressful now because of everything that’s happening? 

Honestly, yeah, it is. But also whenever I feel like that, I just remind myself, like, “This is my dream.” You know, just to be here, too. It’s so crazy, like, I never could have imagined this. Whenever I feel stressed, when I get home from doing a show where I’m like 1 AM, really tired, I just remind myself, “This is my dream, living the dream.” So I gotta appreciate it.

Photographed by Mayks Go

Of all the five songs that you’ve released so far, which one do you think really describes you the best?

I think [it’s] probably “blue” — I feel like it shows most of me. But there’s a song — I’m thinking of an unreleased song — that I think I relate to a lot more, or I think it’s authentic to my music, and it feels the most like me. I hope to put it out soon. Well, I played it actually at the last festival. It’s called “Flower,” and if you search on TikTok, you’d probably find it. 

Can you walk us through how this song kind of represents you?

I’m from Vancouver and I got an Airbnb in Vancouver, because I was just like, “I need another place to write music.” So, I brought my whole set-up to this Airbnb to write music, and then it was 1 or 2 AM, right? I was just playing some guitar, just some chords. I think the environment was just perfect for me to write that song. This wasn’t based on a drama or anything, this was purely just me, thinking about my own feelings and what I was feeling exactly at that time.

I think it just feels the most true to me, because it also wasn’t based off of a drama or anything, it was just me, you know? After I put it out, you guys will see it in the lyrics and stuff. 

Photographed by Mayks Go

Would you say most of the songwriting comes from your personal experiences or these media that you consume?

I think it’s kind of half-half, maybe. But for the songs that are half-half right now, it’s more watching dramas and stuff, but recently it’s been more real life experiences. I’m trying to do more of that, because dramas, I don’t know, they start feeling the same now. There’s still some good ones.

What is the drama that you’re currently watching?

I’m watching When Life Gives You Tangerines. I just watched the first episode, but that’s like the first drama I’ve watched in a while. The last drama I watched, I forget what it was — it was so long ago. I just watched the first episode (of this series). It’s a little slow, but I’m gonna try to keep watching it, see if I feel anything, maybe write a song about it. 

Photographed by Mayks Go

Since you’re experimenting with different kinds of songwriting, what are new sounds and themes that you’d want to explore in later music?

Mmm, that’s interesting. Most of my songs are like love, right? I really like writing about love, love songs. It just comes naturally for me. But new themes, I really don’t know. Maybe about family — how much I love my mom.

What can fans expect from your music coming out this year?

Yeah, I’m working on new music right now. I have a lot of new songs ready to put out. Yeah, I’m trying to drop a few times to see maybe an album towards the end of the year. Maybe an EP. But I’ve always been kind of like go with the flow to see what happens. Just write, then if I like the song, just put it out.

Photographed by Mayks Go

Listen to Yung Kai’s chart-topping hit, “blue” here: