Singer China: "Emotions and psychology in songs — how personal feelings are transformed into lyrics"

      MODA topical: What emotions most often become the source of your songs?

      For me the main source are the feelings I call "dragon" emotions. These are such intense experiences when everything is boiling inside and it feels like they need to be poured out. They are simultaneously powerful, stormy and incredibly alive, and it is from them that the energy of songs is born.

      MODA topical: When you write lyrics, do you first think about the melody or about the feelings you want to convey?

      Most often I don't think in advance at all. It all begins as an inexplicable flow, an inner impulse that can't be stopped. In the moment I immediately sing the words and the melody, and only afterward do I start to work out the meaning and the details. Often it's this spontaneity that makes a song sincere.

      MODA topical: Are there songs that are hard to record because of their personal nature?

      Yes, there are such songs. For example, I have a song about my dad. It's hard to record because the emotions are too deep and painful. Two years have passed, and I still can't fully record that track.

      MODA topical: What process helps you turn experiences into words and music?

      I immerse myself in my emotions and return in my mind to the past. When I relive those moments, melodies and words begin to form in my head. It's almost like a journey through time, when feelings come alive and transform into music.

      MODA topical: Which experiences are the hardest for you to express through music?

      Tragic experiences are the hardest for me. Pain, loss and deep fears are very difficult to bring out, even in creativity.

      MODA topical: Has it ever happened that listeners understood a song differently than the meaning you originally put into it?

      Of course. Sometimes their interpretation is even more interesting than my own. It's amazing and pleasant when a song begins to live its own life and find resonance in its own way.

      MODA topical: Does the mood of the day affect the style of the lyrics and the melody?

      It affects it a lot. Especially if I haven't slept enough or I'm under the influence of some strong natural factors, like a full moon. Mood sets the tone for the song, and the melody turns out completely different depending on how I feel.

      MODA topical: How do you distinguish personal experience from artistic imagery in songs?

      You need to find a balance. Often to create an artistic image I add elements of personal experience. Personal experience makes the song sincere and soulful, while artistic images give it brightness and expressiveness. This is how harmony between honesty and aesthetics is born.

      MODA topical: Is there a song that has become a kind of therapy for you?

      To be honest, each of my songs to some extent performs a therapeutic function. Each one helps me live through emotions and understand myself a little better.

      MODA topical: When emotions are strong, do you write faster or, on the contrary, try to work longer on the lyrics?

      The stronger the emotion, the faster the song is born. Only in rare cases, when the experiences are especially painful, the process can slow down to give myself time to realize and digest the feelings.

      MODA topical: Which instrument or technique helps you express the feelings of a composition?

      The piano and my voice. They allow me to convey emotional depth as naturally and honestly as possible.

      MODA topical: How do you determine that a song is ready and that its emotions have been conveyed honestly enough?

      I know it by the goosebumps. If during a performance or when listening to myself I get goosebumps, it means the song is ready and the emotions in it have reached the required sincerity.