Artist Spotlight: Venice Qin Finds Herself MOONLANDING in an “Overdose” of Love
Venice Qin, born and raised in New Zealand and now based in Australia, is an artist who strives to break the norms. As someone who once felt different, like an alien, as touched upon in her debut EP ALIEN, she is now beginning to find her place in new territory. From across the world, Qin hopped on a Zoom call with EnVi before the release of “Overdose” and dove into all things toxic love and reshaping identity in her upcoming album 奔月MOONLANDING.
Delusions to Dreams to Reality
Qin’s musical career began with a pivotal moment: High School Musical. Qin “obsessed” over the movie when she was younger and ended up singing one of the songs for her own school competition. “I beat all the other kids and that really gave me the confidence just to know that I was good at something I really enjoyed,” Qin recalled.
Another activation moment for Qin came to her during high school when she wrote a song for her high school’s drama production. Qin ended up going on vacation during the school holidays and missed all the rehearsals for the show. However, when she came back, a great surprise met her. “Everyone was singing my song that I’ve written because they thought it was really catchy and they really liked it,” Qin said. “I think seeing my peers react like that to something that I had created and I [had] written fully from scratch myself was really the moment that I thought ‘Oh, this is cool!’”
Carrying these experiences close to herself, especially discovering High School Musical at age seven, Qin knew she wanted to pursue music, even though she wasn’t sure how. “I think I’ve just been a bit delusional in a good way,” Qin joked. “So I’ve just kept on being delusional and saying I wanna do music.” Pop music eventually clicked for Qin and everything fell into place. She released her debut EP ALIEN in 2023 and has been living out her dreams since.
Overdosing on Love
Qin’s latest single “Overdose,” released on August 1, is a dreamy pop song all about indulging yourself in a love you know is not going to last. Riding the waves of fun times and dopamine rushes, “Overdose” dives into the good feelings of love and romance before the end. Whenever Qin would find herself in romantic connections, she would eventually start to wonder if they would last or not. “If it’s gonna end anyway, let’s see how crazy we can make this and how crazily this will burn out. I hate being bored, and so I was just really drawn to the whole adrenaline and the flames of it all,” Qin said.
Written in only a few hours, “Overdose” became a point of reflection for Qin. “Writing “Overdose” really was a turning point for me because I realized that I do naturally, sometimes, go for the things that aren’t good for me just because I want to not feel bored,” she said. Qin also emphasized the importance of collaboration on this song, seeming as she felt she wouldn’t have been able to naturally write this song if it weren’t for her co-producer Maribelle.
The music video, set in a New York City apartment, paints a warm hazy picture as Qin answers a phone call from this person she knows things won’t last with. Taken in one shot, the video shows Qin walking around the apartment, from a window in the kitchen to the couch in the living room. Switching up the tone from her usual glammed up looks, this video shows a more candid and cozy look from Qin as she wears a t-shirt, shorts, and minimal make up. It brings an element of reality that Qin wants listeners to see.
“I think we really want people to see that side of me as well. My other music videos are very much me and my full glam on, the body suits are on, and the heels on. It’s crazy with strutting around in my heels and I think it’s important for people to see both sides of me,” Qin said.
An ALIEN finding home
Qin has gone from floating around in space and not having a place to be herself in her last EP ALIEN to grounding herself in her upcoming album 奔月 MOONLANDING. When talking about the changes she underwent between the creation of both projects, Qin talked about the growth from leaving home to living on her own. Qin wrote and produced everything for ALIEN back at home in Auckland, New Zealand. Qin expressed feeling some limitations in her exploration. Almost a year later, she now lives in Sydney, Australia, on her own and has discovered many things about herself.
”I really discovered just how chaotic and unhinged I absolutely am,” Qin said playfully. “Through the other experiences which will be uncovered in the album, I’ve discovered that I am just as crazy as the people I was afraid of when I was a teenager,” she continued.
In other ways, Qin has also settled into her identity as a Chinese person who grew up in New Zealand. Growing from quiet to bold, Qin’s self expression has blossomed. “I know that I don’t have to be a perfect Chinese person, but I also don’t have to feel the shame of, ‘Ohh I’m completely whitewashed’ per say [or] feel like I need to act like a western person,” Qin expressed. “That’s always been a struggle that I’ve faced; Thinking ‘Which side am I?’ I think in ALIEN you can still hear me questioning that and not being as bold.”
MOONLANDING
Spreading her wings far and wide has finally led her to 奔月MOONLANDING. Qin said this album celebrates and reflects on her culture and the small pieces she has collected that have helped shape her identity. Giving a little tease of what’s to come, Qin talked about “Home Country,” one of her favorite songs on the album. Holding a special place in her heart, Qin shared a sentimental moment from the recording process.
“It’s actually the first and only song so far where I cried in the studio when recording it,” she said. The song touches on her personal experiences of dealing with racism. “When I was singing the song to the mic, all I could think about was my mom and her experiences [and how] I don’t think that my experiences were anything bad at all,” Qin heartfully explained. “But when I think of hers, I just think of how strong she is and how proud I am to be her daughter.”
Qin welcomes fans and new listeners into her world with open arms. She aims to create a space for listeners to feel like their most authentic selves, celebrate who you are, and be anything that you want to be.
奔月MOONLANDING will release on September 15. Keep up with Qin on her socials: Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube!
Interested in more women in music? Check out our exclusive interview with singer-songwriter Ellise here!
