From humble beginnings in Malaysia, to finding a niche on Sydney cabaret stages, to now evolving into a global electronic artist, Dyan Tai has been on the up-and-up.
The trilingual, Chinese-Australian musician — aka the self-described “Gaysian Empress of Sydney” — is embarking on their first international tour with shows in London, Berlin, Amsterdam and Helsinki, in support of their recently released EP Supreme and latest single “Con Artist”.
Before their forthcoming shows, we caught up with the rising star as part of our Up-And-Coming Australian Artists series, supported by Mentos, to find out more about their early life, biggest inspirations, and what’s to come in the future.
Dyan Tai’s album Supreme and new single “Con Artist” are out now.
Rolling Stone AU/NZ: How much did music influence you in your early life?
Dyan Tai: I grew up in a small town called Ipoh in Malaysia and my parents separated when I was young. So music was my happy place. It was always there for me to escape and dream. I was classically trained as a pianist and violinist since I was 5 or 6-years-old, but I always wanted to play pop songs. I remember listening to Britney [Spears] on TV or the radio and was able to replicate it note by note on the piano. I only found out recently that it’s called absolute pitch? I don’t know, but it’s very useful for me now as a music producer!
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What artists influenced you growing up?
Even though I make electronic and hyperpop music, I actually grew up listening to pop and R&B. Mariah [Carey]’s Emancipation of Mimi is one of my biggest influences, especially making vocal layers and harmonies. And I also love Nicki, M.I.A. and of course Lady Gaga who inspired me to start producing music.
What are some career highlights so far?
It’s definitely the response to my song, “Let’s Get Bubble Tea!”. That’s the first song I ever released that people actually cared about and it introduced me to a new audience. A lot of them are really young queer and trans kids who either relate to the coming out story or just massive boba fans. Either way I’m just really grateful that people love that silly hyperpop song.
Tell us about your latest album/EP.
My latest EP, Supreme is a collaboration with, in my opinion, the best but underrated LGBQTI BIPOC artists in the Australian music industry. I got to work with BVT, Jamaica Moana and Lupa J all whom I have looked up to for years. The EP is also called Supreme because it speaks the honest truth about sustainability especially as a self-managed, solo artist in the music industry. It’s about being the best and most supreme version of ourselves and creating an alt-reality through music and through hyperpop where we can all thrive, especially if the real world is not ready for us just yet.
My latest single, “Con Artist” is quite literally about my ex-boyfriend whom I discovered after years of dating was a real life con artist. It’s really sick and twisted. He was a UK backpacker who put on an American accent and was finally deported after he was arrested for credit card fraud. He would send me photos in front of Westpac and said he was at work and created fake Facebook, Instagram accounts to tag himself at fake work events (from Google Images), and posted fake comments from these accounts. He even tricked me into having a threesome – you’ll have to listen to the song to find out!
What kind of personality traits and values do you believe it takes to succeed in the music industry?
While talent is undeniably very important, I really do believe that finding success in the music industry, especially as a small queer, BIPOC artist, is about perseverance and discipline. It’s about persevering every time you get rejected and seeing your peers get on festival lineups you want, persevering with posting content even when they don’t make it on For You Pages. And having the discipline to get out of bed to write and release new music and making sure every new release and live show is 100% your best body of work. I have to admit that’s harder to do on some days but the more you do it, the easier it is. The less you care about the outcome and learn to enjoy the process.
How would you describe your music to a potential fan?
I make pop music that draws inspiration from hyperpop, dance and Asian/world music soundscapes. I usually write about quite serious subjects like gender, culture and trauma but in a very light hearted, tongue-in-cheek, humorous way. I love performing live! I like to think of my live shows as performance art with Beijing opera aesthetics and Harajuku, Decora subcultures.
What are your goals for 2025 and beyond?
I am going on my first international tour in November with shows in London, Berlin, Amsterdam and Helsinki – but the best part of this tour is also being selected out of >10,000 people to be part of a global songwriting festival, Anti Social Camp in London which has been described as the SXSW of songwriters. I’m really excited to get into the studio to write and produce artists from around the world! And getting to meet Pink Pantheress, Dave Bailey (Glass Animals), Nathan Sykes (The Wanted).
I’m also really excited to join the Mighty Hoopla Sydney lineup alongside Kesha, Rose Gray… There is still a part of me (the queer, bored kid in Malaysia) who still doesn’t believe this is possible! Community support has really ignited a fire in me to keep going and keep making music, this is for the people who are there for me every step of the way!
