In many respects, a new pop song by Tennyson King and Kim Yang strikes all the right chords for western listeners. There’s a catchy first riff in “你的所有 (All of You)”. Moreover, Yang’s warm, melodic voice ushers in a soothing, soulful opening. As she passes the vocal baton to King, there’s an almost ’80s innocence as he shares his optimism about being in the city.
“My ears are tingling / The streets are singing / Telling me everything’s alright,” King sings with folksy charm.
Then something unexpected happens. Together, they burst into a soaring harmonic chorus in Mandarin. And they pack their vocals with the pure emotion so characteristic of Chinese pop music. That’s followed by a flash of Lina Cao’s elegant guzheng (a Chinese plucked zither). But moments later, King’s English-language folksy singing once again anchors the song in the West.
Listen to the studio version of “你的所有 (All of You)”.
The Hong Kong-born and Ontario-raised King and Yang, a Taiwanese Australian, have created a dreamy musical gem—the equivalent of taking a gentle ride across the Pacific Ocean. In a news release announcing their new single, they refer to “你的所有 (All of You)” as “a bilingual love letter to bustling cities, transitional moments, and soul-stirring serendipity”.
“The song is about all the sensations that come from exploring a big city,” says King.
“From the smells of street food to the sounds of people to the visual spectacle, the city offers an array of joyful emotions but can also feel overwhelming when experienced alone,” he adds. “It’s a heartfelt plea to these cities to be gentle and guide us through their busy streets and dazzling lights.”
King also produced “你的所有 (All of You)”
King will perform a solo show this weekend at Vancouver TAIWANfest. His set is scheduled for 4:15 p.m. on Saturday (August 31) in šxʷƛ̓ənəq Xwtl’e7énk Square (north of the Vancouver Art Gallery).
He’s part of a new wave of North American composers who are writing songs with English- and Chinese-language lyrics. Others include Vancouver’s Van Lefan and Jason Qiu, and LA’s Lowhi.
As the producer of “你的所有 (All of You)” King also wove in traditional Chinese instruments. This reflects a new creative direction for the self-described indie folk-rock nomad. He promises more of this on his next full-length album, which will be a follow-up to his first full-length disc, Good Company. It earned him a Canadian Folk Music Award nomination.
King grew up in Mississauga, where he learned classical piano. He spends part of the year in New Westminster when he’s not on the road or hanging out in his hometown.
This year, King has performed in Taiwan, Japan, and the U.K., where he played the legendary Glastonbury Festival. He’s currently touring Western Canada; in the past, he’s gone on three tours of China and five tours of Australia, and performed in Vietnam, Thailand, Brazil, and New Zealand.
Meanwhile, Yang is a previous MusicACT Artist of the Year nominee. In 2023, she was nominated for Best Live Voice in the Australia Capital Territory by her country’s National Live Music Awards. Like King, she performed at the Jade Music Fest in Asia in April in her hometown of Taipei.
Tennyson King and Kim Yang performed “你的所有 (All of You)” at last year’s Jade Music Fest.
Event details
Vancouver TAIWANfest presents Tennyson King at 4:15 p.m. on Saturday (August 31). He will perform on the Pancouver Stage in šxʷƛ̓ənəq Xwtl’e7énk Square (north of the Vancouver Art Gallery). For more information, visit the Vancouver TAIWANfest website. Follow Pancouver on X @PancouverMedia.
