Evolution of a rising star

Leah Dou captivates Clockenflap with a 12-year retrospective, fusing emotion and evolution in a multilingual performance. Her authenticity, resilience, and genre-blending skills showcase her unique path to stardom.

Chinese singer Leah Dou marked the last 12 years of her musical journey with a heartfelt and memorable performance at the Clockenflap Music and Arts Festival in Central Harbourfront, Hong Kong, on Dec 3, one month shy of her 27th birthday.

Showcasing more than 10 songs, ranging from her debut single With You from 2012 to tracks from her fourth and latest album, Spring Outing, Dou highlighted the milestones in her musical career, illustrating how her creative process and mindset have evolved.

Dou is the daughter of diva Faye Wong and rock musician Dou Wei — a once high-profile musical couple who held immense star power in China. Bearing the family name, she has forged her own path to stardom by releasing four albums, all composed, written, and produced on her own.

In her song Orange from the 2020 album GSG, she expressed her insecurities and lingering unease in her heart: "Big men say my mama's famous, but I don't know what that means. Nana says to stay away from people that might harm me."

For many fans, this serves as a touching connection between Dou and her mother. Playfully, people claim Dou has many "hereditary fans", who harbor deep affection for both Dou and her parents, along with high expectations for her to achieve the same excellence.

Ning Yashu, 26, from Beijing, identifies herself as one of these fans. Initially drawn to Dou because of her admiration for Wong, she later developed a profound appreciation for the unique talent of the young singer. "I was struck when I heard With You in high school. Since then, I've been following her works, attending her shows, taking pictures at places she has been to, and imitating the poses she has struck," she said.

During her performance at the Clockenflap stage, Dou sang in Chinese, English, and Cantonese. Admitting nervousness and a fear of forgetting the lyrics, she wrote her setlist on her hand to ensure she delivered her best to the audience.

The show climaxed when she presented a Cantonese song by Hong Kong pop star Eason Chan — a track her mother had also covered years ago.

Having grown up in Beijing, Hong Kong, and studied at the Berklee College of Music in the United States, Dou is influenced by different languages, cultures, and musicians. The earliest memories of songs she enjoyed include those by Michael Jackson, Cocteau Twins, and later Lana Del Rey. Addressing questions of identity and belonging, she sees herself as "a combination of a few different cultures".

"I do feel it's like a mixture and has its upsides and its downsides," she said. "There's a lot of people who can relate to many different cultures, but at the same time, sometimes they don't feel 100 percent related to [each culture]. But that's not a bad thing."

While Dou's first three records are in English, Spring Outing, released in April this year, marked her first Chinese studio album. Blending jazz, hip-hop, EDM, and R&B, the album exudes a sense of relaxation with a retro flavor preferred by millennials. More importantly, Dou shows herself more authentically with genuine lyrics singing in her mother tongue.

For the first time in public at Clockenflap, she performed her new track Fireworks. Many fans were moved to tears when she sang the lyrics, which translate as "Mom, I've grown up. I no longer need to be surrounded by people smiling at me... The most special gift my mom gave me was teaching me how to appreciate a rainbow."

Dou's commitment to staying true to herself is also evident in her gender-neutral appearance. Sporting a striking chin tattoo and a short haircut, she deviates from the traditional image of a young woman. Sometimes she faces misunderstandings, with some people imagining her as someone who kicks the door open every time she enters.

Nonetheless, she brushed it off, stating, "I'm OK with people sometimes misunderstanding or having certain opinions about certain things because I'm the same. It's like human nature to sometimes take things at face value, and you can't really understand someone by just reading tabloids or things written about them."

"This is just me. I hope we can all have the courage to be ourselves," she added.

Her singer mother once wrote a song for her when she was just an infant. Titled Tong, which is the last character of her Chinese name, the song goes, "You shouldn't go astray, but you don't have to be too obedient," which happened to foreshadow Dou's life in the following years.

Whether in her approach to her appearance or her decision to withdraw from a top school in Beijing and later Berklee, Dou has refused to be a typical pop star. She has consistently persisted toward one thing — creating and exploring music that genuinely resonates with her.

Those who have personal contact with Dou perceive her as a humble, down-to-earth, and even shy young woman. Her third album, which was created during a low period in her life, reflects her resilience in the face of criticism, defeats, depressive feelings, and dark thoughts. She titled it GSG, short for "green shy guy", after hearing a friend say, "you look like a green shy guy". According to Dou, a green shy guy is someone who longs for recognition from the outside world and connection with others.

Dou expressed her desire to give back to her supporters in her own way. "All I have is hope. I hope I can in some way, through the music or through the work that I do, pass on some good energy. Whether it's good energy, strength, or just laughs," she said.