Putting yourself out there as a budding music artist within an oversaturated industry is, to put it simply, no small feat. To do so from a city like Hong Kong, which has been entrenched in a conservative creative culture, is an even more impressive accomplishment. However, twenty-three-year-old indie artist risy, who began finding her passion by singing during assemblies at her school, has not only embarked on her journey as a singer-songwriter but has done so with an incredibly refreshing mindset. “I rely much more on self-expression and synthesis of things and people that inspire me rather than just trying to make a perfect copy of a song that I’ve listened to.”
“Copying” is something that Hong Kong does a lot. I know, as I’m from there and have seen it time and time again. Be it sensibilities from England or cultural niches from Japan or the U.S., it’s hard to prove yourself as “original” or “unique.” Yet, here risy is, gallivanting around meadows (no idea where she finds those within the sprawling metropolis) as she effortlessly makes our hearts swoon over her soft, cushiony melodies, candid yet emotionally rich lyrics, and nostalgia-steeped aesthetics—all wrapped up in something that feels both familiar and new while being raw and authentic.
We sat down with risy at SUPERCRITICALITY, an event held by our partners CRITICAL MASS. The space and purpose of these gatherings offer a creative haven for HK’s like-minded youth—a place they can return to on a biweekly basis to share in all things art, music, fun, games, and so on (but more on that in another post to come). At this event, risy put on a fairylike show, playing many of her hits and a cover or two, backed by her bandmates—all of whom were seamless in their performance. In giving us a moment of her time, risy opened up about how she creates her music (which she’s been doing since 2018), what growing up in HK was like as an aspiring musician, and how she navigates the playing field of being a professional artist in 2025. Check out our interview with risy below.
RADII: You grew up in HK. What’s your impression of its creative scene growing up compared to where it’s at today?
risy: I think the creative scene was more conservative back then. You’re shaped by what you know, and my parents’ understanding of creativity and the arts was based on what constituted “accepted” forms of creative expression, such as hyperrealistic art and ballet.
While I still love both very much, I often wondered if it was simply because they were everything I knew about creativity. The objective of creating for me then was to replicate the ‘art’ that I saw and heard, because I thought art was only “art” if it imitated life. Nowadays, I rely much more on self-expression and synthesis of things and people that inspire me, rather than just trying to make a perfect copy of a song that I’ve listened to.
I think this shift is also reflected in the creative scene in Hong Kong today—an amalgamation of subcultures expressed through different mediums. The flea markets, experimental offline events, collectives, and classical musicians are all testaments to how Hong Kong acts as a melting pot, allowing every flair in the creative scene to coexist and flourish.
Staying in the past, what was your earliest memory of music that stuck out the most?
The earliest memory of music that stuck out for me was singing at assemblies in primary school!
You’re brave! So then, after that, how did you navigate putting yourself out there as a music artist among your family, friends, and peers? Were you shy about it? Confident? What was that journey like internally?
I wanted others to find my music organically, so I decided to make a completely different account to put myself out there as an artist. I also didn’t want to bother my family and friends. If they want to give my music a listen, they can, but I don’t want that facet of my life to have such a dominant hold over my personal life.
Actually, anytime I realize someone that I know—however briefly—comes across my music, I have to admit, I do get a jumpscare. I’m like, umm, how did you find me? Should I migrate? But that feeling kind of melts away when I remember that it’s going to be difficult for people to not know that I’m putting myself out of my comfort zone, especially when I’m doing it so publicly.
Speaking of comfort zone, can you give us a simplified rundown of your creative process for writing/producing songs?
I work with producers to help make my music. Recently, I’ve been working a lot with Horizon, my friend and ever-versatile producer, who’s based in the U.S. Sometimes, he crafts a beat around a vocal melody or lyrics that I write.
However, most of the time, he sends a short beat idea over, and I hum a tune over it before carefully “listening” for lyrical inspiration from the way I hum the melody, if that makes sense. When I hum and freestyle over a beat, I kind of enunciate different syllables, and sometimes they sound like words that I could make out and then turn into lyrics.
Looks/aesthetics are very much a part of branding yourself as an artist. How would you describe your style—in both how you dress and the vibe of your visuals (music videos, profile photos, etc.)?
I like to believe that I have a soft Y2K style, but that might just be wishful thinking, haha. I think it complements my music, so I like dressing kind of artsy and feminine.
Have there been any surprises or challenges in your journey as an artist from when you started to where you’re at today?
There’s been plenty! The person that I was a few years back thought that I would be solely making indie pop music. I’ve always loved R&B, but I thought I didn’t have the skill set yet, so I never ventured deeper into that genre back then. Nowadays, I love blending genres, and I’m constantly challenging myself through that.
Managing the momentum of my growing career has also been insane. I was just posting reels that I thought were funny and relatable, and suddenly that snowballed into something more. I’ve been getting many new opportunities, and I’m so grateful to anyone who has ever given my music the time of day. It truly means so much to me.
Well, with growth in sight, what are your top three dreams for being the artist you want to be?
Make merch that I’m proud of; create a supportive community; collaborate with other artists.
And outside of music, what do you get up to for fun?
I love ballet, watching K-dramas, reading, and painting. Hanging with friends and family is also a must!
Switching to something more philosophical, what do you think the world is missing right now? And what about in Hong Kong specifically?
I think the world has yet to learn about the independent artists from Hong Kong. I think they’re absolutely amazing (I’m not biased at all). It would be incredible to propel all these creatives onto the international stage!
Lastly, from everything that you’ve experienced so far, what’s one very useful piece of advice you’d like to share with other aspiring artists like yourself?
Enjoy the process and you’ll look back and see that you’ve made progress!
Check out risy’s music video for “Baby If I Were An Android” below, and be sure to follow her on Spotify for more of that fairy-esque, pop-infused magic.
Cover and accompanying images via Ng Wing Yan // All other photos via CRITICAL MASS.
