Karencici started her music career when she was only 16, packing up her suitcase from her hometown of Los Angeles and moving to Taipei to break into the Mandopop industry. She joined The Voice of China in 2016, where she was mentored by Taiwanese singer-songwriter David Tao.
In an interview with Taiwanese music streaming platform KKBOX, the singer shares that during her time on the hit Chinese reality singing competition, she was only 18 and just discovering who she was. “I was just following whatever [the] directors told me. ‘Oh we feel you should go for this … dark, rock girl type of vibe’, so I was like, ‘okay whatever, as long as I can get on the show’. It was after the competition I got to know myself more, know music more and I realized…I like R&B and hip hop, so I just started doing my own thing.”
Four years later, she finally made her debut with SHA YAN. Described as a complete pivot from the aesthetic she donned in The Voice of China, audiences saw a change from her dark, rock image to one that is “fashion-forward, progressively urban, and unapologetically feminine.”
In 2021, she joined Korean rap star Jackson Wang’s hip hop supergroup, PANTHEPACK, where she and the rest of the four-member act released their stellar 10-track debut album titled, THE PACK. In a press statement for the record, it was said that the group was “all hands-on in the creative process, including songwriting and production.”
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She also released her stellar sophomore album, 99% Angel, which was featured in HipHopDX Asia’s April edition of “Best Asian Hip Hop And R&B Of 2022 (So Far).” Editor MC Galang wrote, “On her new album, Karencici shows off a chic sheen in her collection of house-inflected dance-pop and R&B tracks, flexing her vocal strengths in two mellow numbers, including the closing track, ‘Sorry Not Sorry.’”
“Greedy & Confident,” her latest single from the album, weaponizes the traits women are often faulted with when we assert our agency, desires, and dreams. In the liner notes for the music video, Karencici shared its purpose was to “empower women. To show confidence in everything you do and stand for what you believe in. Brava.”
As we approach the worldwide premiere of “The Regionals: Taipei,” Karencici shares that it was “absolutely amazing” to perform on a Hit-Boy track. “I was already a big fan of his work. I feel honored to be on [his] track.”
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She shares the same sentiments when talking about her fellow “The Regionals: Taipei” participants, saying, “I think we all have our own styles…It was pretty cool to see it all be put together.”
“The Regionals: Taipei” brings an eclectic mix of their local hip hop and R&B, with Julia Wu and Karencici coming into the track as singers.
“I hope [that] through ‘The Regionals’, [we get] to spread our culture and introduce Asian artists to listeners worldwide,” Karencici continues.
Catch Karencici together with Julia Wu, Kumachan, and NICKTHEREAL in the Taipei edition of the history-making cypher series, The Regionals premiering on HipHopDX Asia on September 23 at 7 PM, Taipei time. Pre-save “The Regionals: Taipei” here and catch the music video premiere down below:
