INTERVIEW: Yify Zhang

Following the release of her latest single “One Thousand Years”, we  had the pleasure of catching up with Chinese-born, US-based artist Yify Zhang to discuss the emotional and cinematic storytelling behind the track, the themes of fate and longing that connect it to her previous release “Forest Opening”, and how her music explores loneliness, invisible connection and self-reconnection across lifetimes.

“One Thousand Years” lives in a space of unresolved connection rather than reunion. What drew you to telling a love story that never quite fulfills itself?

I believe that we all live many lives as souls in the cosmos. Some of us have had more past lives than others, and come from this rich history of karmic past that we are resolving with our current lifetimes. As an artist, I really wanted to tell a story that arcs across lifetimes, and reflects that love can take on many forms— some more somber and others more joyful (the latter is coming too!) On a personal level, I've felt this sense of disconnection while living in very large cities surrounded by people, and “One Thousand Years” was born from that.

This song completes the arc that began with “Forest Opening.” How did your understanding of these two characters evolve as you moved from betrayal to this quieter, lingering form of longing?

Underneath rage is always an unresolved sadness. “Forest Opening” was the expression of rage, and “One Thousand Years” is the quieter truth underneath it all— that despite everything this lover was able and unable to do for the protagonist, she loves him and can't just simply replace a connection that runs so deep.

The idea of two people being drawn together across lifetimes but never meeting feels both mythic and deeply modern. What does that tension represent to you?

I've often felt that living in our modern world of dating, meeting people has felt like this game of chance. Sometime we brush shoulders with, almost meet, but never come face to face with the ones who will truly understand and see our souls. With all that said, I do believe that manifestation is a real thing, and that when we are ready, we will magnetize the right people to us. It's just that sometime, we live in the void of the in-between. “One Thousand Years” was that void; it reflects the isolation that so many of us go through. 

There’s a very specific kind of loneliness in the song, being surrounded by people yet feeling something essential is missing. Is that drawn from personal experience, observation, or something more intuitive?

A mix of all of these! I've personally felt this at a soul level, and have felt the most moved by art that tells stories of loneliness. Loneliness is an interesting concept because we can be alone, yet not feel lonely. We can be surrounded by people, yet feel a deeply lonely. As an artist I wanted to tell the story of loneliness being in connection with the right people, ones who can see us, understand us, and champion us.

Your music sits between cinematic storytelling and emotional intimacy. When you were creating this track, did you start from the narrative, the soundscape, or a specific feeling?

The process of songwriting varies with each song. For “One Thousand Years,” piano melody you hear at the intro came to me first. It was this melancholic sense of isolation and a deep longing for something more. Then the words and melody arrived nearly simultaneously. The production was the last piece.

You chose to keep the song in Chinese while making it accessible through subtitles. How important is it for you to preserve that linguistic and emotional authenticity for a global audience?

I spent the first 12 years of my life in China, and it was only recently (this project), that I allowed myself to explore writing in Chinese. Not only did it open up a whole new side of me as a writer/artist, but the way I sing has changed because of it. Singing in one's mother tongue has this more natural feel. With that said, reaching a global audience is very important to me :) I personally watch a lot of foreign films and music videos, and deeply appreciate subtitles.

Across both “Forest Opening” and “One Thousand Years,” there’s a strong undercurrent of fate, memory, and invisible connection. Do you see this story as tragic or is there something hopeful within it?

I see this as a reflection of both tragedy and hope. “One Thousand Years,” like I've mentioned before, is a state of this void. It doesn't mean that these two people will never meet again. It's just that we as an audience haven't seen that yet.

Your broader mission is to create soundscapes that help listeners reconnect with themselves. How do you see a song about longing and absence contributing to that kind of inner connection?

I think somewhere inside all of us are shadows that we have been or are afraid to face. Metaphorically, these two lovers are parts of ourselves we've cut off from one another, creating a deep sense of loneliness because we're disconnected from ourselves. And it is my hope that listeners can be inspired to face their own shadows and do the work it takes to integrate ourselves fully. I also create instrumental soundtracks (tuned to 432 hz frequencies) for meditation works.

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