EP Review: Tissues by PIAO
Words by Zuzu Khalil
In today’s day and age, it’s hard not to feel like you need to present yourself differently to others in order to fit in. Although we all experience creating a “double life” for ourselves to some degree, not many of us openly admit that we are putting up a charade.
Shanghai born and Toronto based singer, PIAO, released her latest EP, Tissues, just last month. The EP is an exquisite mix of sounds encapsulating the feel of the late 2000s while still giving a modern touch. Layering sounds reminiscent of the pop/pop rock artists of the Disney Channel days with mixtures of soft and indie rock, and R&B, it’s evident that PIAO used this EP as a way to perfectly mend her musical style with her remarkable vocal range.
Throughout each song, PIAO takes us through her journey of navigating a double life. With riveting vocals and vulnerable lyrics, PIAO paints the picture of the struggles many of us experience as we try to find who we are and work to build a future for ourselves.
The EP is a collection of five tracks, beautifully structured so that each one builds on the other, giving the feel of a more cohesive story. Throughout each song, we get a glimpse of PIAO’s experiences of trying to find self-love, acceptance of growing up, heartbreak, and learning to love again.
In the first track, SFL, PIAO tells her story of attempting to live up to the standard of perfection - whether that be having a ‘perfect’ appearance or having a ‘perfect’ life. Spacebubu is a superbly vulnerable song where PIAO reveals the aftermath of heartache – more specifically she touches on the struggle of regaining the ability to trust and love somebody else after falling out of love.
Hannah Montana is the focus track from the EP and serves as an homage to one of PIAO’s idols and someone who inspired her to pursue a career in music. She says, "I would not be where I am without Hannah Montana. Like every Asian kid, I studied classical piano from a very young age. The idea that Hannah/Miley got to live a double life inspired me to sing, and so singing was my alter ego for a while until I gained enough confidence to tell my friends and family about it.”
PIAO has broken the mood of traditional pop artists as she has worked to establish a lane of her own. Throughout her EP, Tissues, we really get a perfect display of PIAO’s ability to create something that is so in tune with her emotions and personal experiences while still allowing others to relate and connect to her story.
If you are looking for an EP that incorporates pop and R&B accompanied by heartfelt lyrics and soft sultry vocals, PIAO’s Tissues is the collection of tracks for you. You can stream the EP here and make sure to give @omgitspiao a follow to keep up with what’s coming next.