Vents MagaZine Music and Entertainment Magazine
Shanghai born, Toronto transplant PIAO is leaving quite an impression with her heartfelt lyrics and vocal range, hitting both ends of the spectrum. She has found the perfect notch where her music and vocal range meet as one. PIAO’s exquisite pop style has filled out with slight demands of soft rock, indie rock, pop-punk and other staples of throwback rock music genres.
PIAO’S debut EP “tissues” call to mind the late 2000s sound and a modern touch with layers of songs that build on each other towering themselves as a blueprint of what PIAO can offer as a musician. The EP has a gorgeous touch reminiscent of the pop, pop rock artists back in the Disney channel days.
Her debut release is the intro to her storying telling EP. “SFL” which stands for “Searching for Life”. PIAO graduated from college right when the pandemic hit. Being forced into something nobody was ready for, allowed her to reflect on life and to understand that we must take life one step at a time. A song which bridges pop and R&B, she introduced herself to the world with powerful vocals and a message.
PIAO brings her gentle silk vocals in her second track “tissues” which creates the flow of this soul-searching body of work. Her harmonies glisten through the song and creates a bond with each listener.
“spacebubu” transitions the story to a personal side of love and relationships. This ballad begins with intriguing piano. PIAO demonstrates her vocal control and abilities with falsettos as flattering as Ariana Grande.
Gracefully flowing into what is my favorite song of the release, “Haunted by Potential”.
The struggle of accomplishing our goals can be daunting creating anxiety. The vocals convey a great deal of emotion with a compelling piano backdrop. This song will become a long time favorite for years to come.
The best ending is an upbeat track taking us back to early teen years of Disney shows and what better title than “Hannah Montana”. A crisp, supple, a new wave, where PIAO has filled out with strains of her nostalgic memories she grew up as a kid. The song starts with an Avril Lavigne type guitar chord, PIAO’s vocal eccentricity swiftly elevating the bar of the song, powerful drums and a punchy bass. She has a tendency towards up-tempo songs, which underlines her “go like lightning” pace, as if each line she wrote was from her personal diary.
Her lyrics stand up just fine for the emotions that she’s trying to put through. Favoring her nostalgic memories, PIAO has given her narrative a shape and specificity, heavy with emotions. She says, “I would not be where I am without Hannah Montana. Like every Asian kid, I studied classical piano from a very young age. The idea that Hannah/Miley got to live a double life inspired me to sing, and so singing was my alter ego for a while until I gained enough confidence to tell my friends/family about it”.
Watch the “SFL” Official Music Video
Connect with PIAO Instagram @omgitspiao
LISTEN https://sndo.ffm.to/qroqdyp
Photos provided by Cage Riot
