Formerly the mastermind and frontman behind L.A.’s synth-pop band Ming & Ping, for whom BAO wrote and produced five albums over a decade, he finally decided to release a record under his own name. “Releasing under my own name was scary at first, but I leaned into that idea to express myself without any insecurities about the audience’s reaction. I really hope this album’s honesty will encourage other Asian American artists to express themselves in their own most unique way. As I get older, one of my biggest passions is to encourage Asian American creatives to freely express themselves because I know first-hand how much pressure there is for us to stay in our narrow lanes.”
Branching out from the rigid electronic pop of Ming & Ping, BAO set out to make a genre-less record that intentionally showcased the beauty of imperfections.
“The aesthetic of this album was driven by the Japanese concept of Wabi-sabi, which Wikipedia defines as ‘the acceptance of transience and imperfection.’ Wabi-sabi actually goes beyond that to include intentional imperfection. That’s been my vibe for a long time as a person and a creative. I had three influential records that I wanted to fuse together into a musical love-child: Face Value by Phil Collins for it’s tight vocal hooks, emotive performance, and innovative production. Jon Brion’s soundtrack to Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind for its very human production, dirty recordings, and super emotional/visual instrumentals. As well as Starboy by The Weeknd and Daft Punk, for its mashup of vintage dance instrumentals with fucked-up lyrics.”
Further exploring the theme of Perpetual Heartbreak, BAO says, “I love that I can weave different stories about my past romances, my immigrant roots, and my Asian American community all together into this theme. It takes effort to affect positive change, but it’s also necessary to just soak in the sadness sometimes. Sadness is something that one needs to be processed.”
BAO treats each album as if it were a movie with different scenes or an exhibit with different rooms. A visual artist since childhood, he has exhibited artwork in galleries and museums in Los Angeles, Houston, New York City, and Miami. He is also a design professional with a science degree in Environmental Design from the ArtCenter College of Design, which informs the multidisciplinary approach to his musical projects such as Ming & Ping and now his debut solo album.
“It’s a snapshot of the subject matter I’m most passionate about: interpersonal relationships, culture and identity (mostly Asian American identity), and mental health. For my audience, I wanted to create a go-to album for when you want to bask in the glory of sadness. Personally, I have a few go-to records like this including: Ryan Adam’s Heartbreaker, Fiona Apple’s Tidal and When the Pawn…, Julia Michaels’ Nervous System and Inner Monologues Part 2, and Mac Miller’s Swimming. It’s no coincidence that several of those records were produced by Jon Brion.”
When asked how he feels the record fits into today’s musical landscape, BAO describes Perpetual Heartbreak as, “a pop record with thoughtful lyrics. I’m encouraged that pop music has been disrupted a bit lately, songs that sound more unpolished and organic – as evidenced by the success of artists like Billie Eilish and FKA Twigs, Troye Sivan, and Charli XCX. Also Solange’s ‘Cranes in the Sky’ and Julia Michaels ‘Issues’ winning Grammy Awards made me believe that thoughtful lyrics that touch on uncomfortable or vulnerable topics can and should belong in pop music.”
Born to a single mom of five and immigrating to the United States when he was three years old, his Vietnamese American upbringing has profoundly shaped him. BAO explains, “My identity has never been well-defined. I don’t fit into either Vietnamese or American culture. All my traditions are mixed and my memories are reconstructed from family lore. ‘Far Away’ is a song about that. This struggle gives me a sense of purpose to uplift my immigrant and As-Am community.”
Continuing to speak in support of fellow Asian American artists, he says, “I hope that this album can hold up to some of the incredible As-Am artists that have achieved success recently, including a few of my favorites: Mitski, Thao (& the Get Down Stay Down), Japanese Breakfast, and MILCK. These are people–coincidentally all women–who evidently poured their hearts and souls out into records that don’t fit neatly into any particular genre. I think as Asian Americans there’s pressure to either try to impress the big boys by mimicking a certain genre or to lay low and ‘pass’ as regular. It’s notable for me when an artist intentionally avoids all that and lets their individuality shine.”
