From pop beginnings to his current blend of jazz, soul, and contemporary production, KUN&rsquo;s musical path has been one of constant expansion.

Multi-hyphenate artist <a href="https://www.lofficielsingapore.com/beauty/cai-xukun-kun-joins-charlotte-tilbury-as-global-makeup-brand-ambassador-beauty-celebrity-news" title="Cai Xukun Joins Charlotte Tilbury as Global Makeup Brand Ambassador" target="_blank" rel="noopener">KUN</a>&nbsp;has unveiled his latest single, Jasmine, marking another bold step in his evolving sonic journey. First rising to prominence as the lead vocalist of the Chinese pop phenomenon Nine Percent, KUN has steadily built a reputation as one of Asia&rsquo;s most versatile creative forces. Known for his expressive vocal range and finely tuned production sensibilities, he continues to bridge genres with ease, proving himself as not only a performer but also a songwriter, producer and visual storyteller.
Jasmine follows the May release of Deadman, a groove-heavy, retro-soul-inspired track that received critical praise for its smoky atmosphere and emotional depth. While Deadman showcased KUN&rsquo;s ability to blend raw soul and jazz with a modern edge, Jasmine leans deeper into nostalgia and sentimentality. Lyrically and sonically, it&rsquo;s a song of feeling rather than definition &mdash; a dream-like memory suspended in melody, with KUN&rsquo;s falsetto cutting through in moments of quiet vulnerability before swelling into powerful, resonant belts.

KUN - Deadman (Official Video)

This creative evolution is mirrored in KUN&rsquo;s live performances. On 2 August, he took to the stage at Los Angeles&rsquo; legendary Fonda Theatre for his first-ever West Coast headline show &mdash; a milestone moment that sold out within minutes. The night was charged with electricity, with fans travelling from across the United States and even overseas to be part of the occasion. It was not just a concert but a celebration: of artistry, of connection, and of the bond between KUN and his audience. Alongside fan favourites, the setlist featured surprise arrangements and sneak previews of unreleased tracks due later this year. Adding to the magic, the evening doubled as a birthday celebration, complete with fan tributes and a cake presented on stage.
Next month, KUN will bring his show to Singapore for the Bubbling &amp; Boiling Music and Arts Festival on 14 September, followed by a set at Head In The Clouds New York on 20 September. Ahead of his Singapore performance, we spoke to KUN about his creative process, musical reinvention, and the lessons he&rsquo;s learned along the way.

Hi KUN! As we&rsquo;re past the midpoint of 2025, how are you and how has this year been for you so far?
KUN: I&rsquo;ve been doing great. It&rsquo;s been a really exciting year so far &mdash; I&rsquo;ve been trying new sounds, playing in new cities, and finally making the kind of music I&rsquo;ve always wanted to make. It feels like I&rsquo;m really in my own lane right now.
Love your single Deadman! What made you explore this more soulful and jazzy sound? Was there a point of inspiration?
Thank you. Deadman came from a moment where I felt like I had to completely kill off a version of myself &mdash; almost like closing the chapter on an old persona. Sometimes you have to bury that old self to make space for who you&rsquo;re becoming. It&rsquo;s not about loss, it&rsquo;s about starting fresh. In the song, Deadman is that persona &mdash; the part of me that had to die so something new could live. Soul and jazz carried that emotion perfectly &mdash; raw, human, and alive.
You continue to explore this soulful genre with your new single Jasmine. Who is Jasmine and what is the story behind her?
Jasmine isn&rsquo;t a person &mdash; it&rsquo;s more like a mood you can fall into. It can be anything, or anyone, you&rsquo;re deeply drawn to. The energy is totally different from Deadman &mdash; more rhythmic, more surreal. Like a memory that&rsquo;s both close and far away at the same time.
From pop to jazz and soul, how would you describe your music journey so far and what are some of the important lessons you&rsquo;ve learnt when creating your own sound?
My sound&rsquo;s grown with me. I don&rsquo;t try to lock myself into a genre. I just bring together the elements I love, put them through my own filter, and make something that feels timeless &mdash; something people can connect to no matter where they&rsquo;re from.

"Jasmine isn&rsquo;t a person &mdash; it&rsquo;s more like a mood you can fall into."

You are also heavily involved in the visuals of the accompanying music videos. What is your creative process when visualising a song? Do you already have an image in mind?
Usually, yeah. As soon as I start writing, I see colours, textures, or scenes in my head that match the emotion of the song. It&rsquo;s like directing a little movie in my mind while the music&rsquo;s playing. Everything&rsquo;s connected &mdash; the sound, the look, the feeling.
On that note, what inspired the visuals of Jasmine? What story did you visually want to convey?
With Jasmine, I wanted it to feel like stepping into a dream you can&rsquo;t fully explain &mdash; soft edges, surreal light, and moments that feel both intimate and distant. It&rsquo;s about contrast: the warmth of connection, and the mystery of not fully knowing where you are in the memory.
While Deadman and Jasmine have been released as singles, do you have plans for a full EP that fans can sink their teeth into?
Definitely. Deadman was the spark &mdash; that moment of breaking away from the old and stepping into a new creative space. The rest of the songs pick up from there, each one exploring a different piece of that transformation. I can&rsquo;t wait for people to hear the full journey.
Beyond music, you also work closely with brands and creatives in beauty, fashion, and entertainment. Talk to us about your work ethic. How do you find balance between working in those fields and music?
For me, fashion and music are both ways to tell stories. Sometimes they even inspire each other. No matter the medium, I&rsquo;m trying to express who I am and what I want to say &mdash; that&rsquo;s what ties everything together.

What do you like doing in your free time and what brings you joy?
Honestly, I like quiet moments &mdash; listening to vinyl, watching films, going for walks. They slow me down and help me reconnect. Joy for me is being fully present, not thinking about the next thing all the time.
You&rsquo;ve achieved so much in your career but what has been your biggest personal achievement so far?
Learning to slow down. For a long time, I was always chasing the next milestone. But once I learned to sit with my emotions and be present in the music, that&rsquo;s when I felt the deepest sense of fulfilment. That&rsquo;s why I keep making music my own way.
You just wrapped your US showcase! How did it go and any plans for a world tour in the near future? Would Singapore be a stop?
The LA show was amazing &mdash; so much energy and warmth. It reminded me how universal music is. There are more shows coming, and yes &mdash; I&rsquo;ll be performing at the Bubbling &amp; Boiling Music and Arts Festival in Singapore. Can&rsquo;t wait for that.
What&rsquo;s next for KUN and do you have a message for your fans in Singapore?
Right now, I&rsquo;m still in the studio &mdash; finishing more songs and music videos. The new album is coming, and I&rsquo;m excited to share it with you. To my fans in Singapore: thank you for the love and trust. I hope we meet very soon, and I can bring all this new music to you in person.

Exclusive! KUN Steps Into a New Era With Latest Single, “Jasmine”

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