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Iris Zhang - Single Review: Castle

31 May 2021 // A review by madeleinehoward

Auckland based indie artist Iris Zhang launched her second single Castle on the 28th of May. The track is a delicate, intricate song that touches on isolation, desire and self-sabotage.

Born in Beijing, but now Auckland based, it took Iris two degrees, three majors and four years of writing tax advice before she took the plunge and decided to follow her true passion for music. After gaining a steady following on her YouTube channel and gaining recognition from international artist Shawn Mendes, Iris is preparing to launch her debut EP this year. 

Castle follows on from Iris' debut single Small Ache which was released at the end of 2020. Small Ache has more of an upbeat, R&B feel to it, whereas Castle is lullaby-like and comforting in its instrumentation, but haunting in its lyrics.

The eerie jingle of a music box opens the track before Iris’ smooth, velvety vocals ease the listener in. Accompanied by soft acoustic guitars, twinkling piano and strings, Castle is like drinking a warm cup of coffee on a cold day. Despite the beauty of the music, the lyrics are somewhat chilling and a juxtaposition of the fairy tale ambience of the track.

Iris Zhang has one of those voices that is truly unique. Her lyrics are mesmerising and her music is captivating. I look forward to seeing what else she has in store for us with her EP.

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆ ( 4 / 5 )
 
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About Iris Zhang

Beginning with piano lessons at the age of 4, Iris is also a classically trained flautist, Chinese zither-ist, and self-taught guitarist. The confident child who warbled herself to sleep every night grew into a passionate vocalist, performing in countless choirs, churches, competitions, and, more recently, YouTube covers. Over the past few years, Iris has cultivated a dedicated fanbase online and her covers have received positive attention from several established artists (most notably, Shawn Mendes - in a reaction video which has since garnered over 24 million views).

Iris has also been crafting poetry and songs since her early teens, most of which she has kept squirreled away. But after 2 degrees, 3 majors, and 4 years of writing tax advice, she finally realised it was high time to pursue her true passion. These days, Iris writes about fairy tales, mental health, being Other, heartbreaks and small aches.

She plans to release her first EP in 2021.

Visit the muzic.net.nz Profile for Iris Zhang

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