Modernity Breathes into Tradition on Adai Song’s Album “The Bloom Project”

About the Artist

Adai Song is a Chinese-American singer-songwriter, producer, and DJ. She built her musical foundation playing the violin and absorbing classical, traditional Chinese music, and both American and Chinese pop. SAfter graduating from UCLA in 2016, she launched her solo career, blending Chinese folk, jazz, and pop with electronic elements. Her debut album, Cyan Black (青黑), released in 2018, garnered attention after she secured second place in Tencent’s “the Force” Music Competition. She later gained broader recognition through the Youku music show Chuang (这！就是原创). Beyond her solo work, she composes and produces for film and television, and also performs as ADÀI, an electro persona through which she explores electronic, EDM, and DJ-driven music.

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The Album

Now, she returns with her 2025 album The Bloom Project, released on August 28. This album is a feminist reinterpretation of the 1920s Shanghai “shidaiqu” genre, which is an oldschool blend of Chinese folk and Western jazz. Produced by Adai herself alongside a team of international collaborators, including Electron, Jack Choi, and Siyi Chen, the album features eight tracks: A Lost Singer, Night Shanghai, Make Way, I, I Want, Carmen 2025, Wuxi Tune, Wild Thorny Molihua, and River Run. It blends traditional instruments such as the pipa, guzheng, and shakuhachi with EDM, electropop, and rap, bridging eras and cultures through an international collaboration of artists and producers to create a seamless East‑meets‑West sound.

A Lost Singer opens the album with airy and curvy vocals that create an atmosphere of wandering. Then it moves into a blend of instruments like piano, bass, and the sound of the erhu, which shifts the mood into more solidity and shape. Next, Night Shanghai is an electronic take on a 1947 classic. This track captures the vibe of a city that never sleeps. By combining traditional instruments with dance beats, it creates a vibrant, energetic, yet mysterious atmosphere. Following this, Make Way is another reimagination of the Chinese classic “Rose, Rose, I Love You.” Song’s arrangement transforms the mood into one of breaking free, letting go of constraints, and embracing boldness.

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Next, I, I Want is sultry, with a shower of desire and a bubbling reach for power. Furthermore, the title conveys a longing for personal identity. The fusion of traditional and modern sounds underscores the tension between societal expectations and individual aspirations. Then, Carmen 2025 takes on the classic opera character Carmen and reimagines her story through a modern lens. Her composition pushes EDM against a backdrop of traditional instrumentation and vocals that push and pull. After that, Wuxi Tune starts off heavy with Chinese folk melodies, then modern beats come in. The entire song sounds experimental but in a way that builds upon what already exists.

Next, Wild Thorny Molihua, a reinterpretation of the classic “Jasmine Flower” (茉莉花), leans more on bass and incorporates rap. Moreover, the vibes suggest that resilience can be found in the beauty of a flower too. Lastly, River Run closes the album on an upbeat note. The melody flows, and the lyrics “I set you free, you find another door” convey the idea of moving forward, echoing the river’s relentless movement.

Overall, the album thrives on contrasts and fusion, constantly bridging tradition and modernity. Through clever arrangements and inventive instrumentation, each track carries its own identity while contributing to the larger narrative. As a result, The Bloom Project feels both rooted in history and boldly contemporary, celebrating empowerment, experimentation, and cultural dialogue at every turn.

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