London-based Chinese musician Dian Sheng released “Sid” in September 2023 – his debut English-language album and, by the sounds of it, something he’d been building toward for a long time. A Goldsmiths and UCL graduate, Dian Sheng came to this record with a background in music, literature, and philosophy, and all three show up in the writing. Eight tracks, eight different sonic directions – pop, rock, funk, jazz, electronic – held together by a consistent artistic vision. Since its release, it’s picked up radio play across the UK, US, Canada, and Ireland. Hollywood producer Sefi Carmel worked on two of the tracks, and British producer Moises Zetina called the lyrics “literary masterpieces in music.” That’s a big claim, but spend some time with the album, and you start to understand where it comes from.
Lyrically, the album moves through identity, relationships, and personal growth, but the philosophical angle keeps it from feeling like standard alt-pop subject matter. These are songs that actually have something to say underneath the hooks, and they reward repeated listening for it. The arrangements are thoughtful throughout – each track gets its own sonic space without the record feeling scattered, which is a production and mixing achievement on an album this genre-fluid. Dian Sheng‘s vocals do a lot of work across eight very different songs, shifting from the warmth the ballads need to the energy the funk and rock tracks demand, and the fluency never wavers. Worth noting that English is not his first language – he’s been in the UK for seven years – and the command of both the language and the melodic writing is something you’d expect from someone who’d been doing this in English their whole life.
Musically, it’s like every song is its own genre, but there is a common thread throughout all eight tracks: this beautiful sheen of brightness over the whole thing. It’s warm, whimsical, and wonderful. There is essentially zero cynicism or irony throughout the entire album – it’s genuine self-expression all the way through, and its brightness is contagious. Actually, any of the eight songs could be the one playing in a Hollywood movie at the end of the second act, where the protagonist comes to some revelation or honestly bares their soul. It has that flair for the dramatic without being theatrical; it’s the honest kind of drama.
I’m going to highlight a couple of the songs to showcase how sonically varied the album is in reality. I’ll start with the first song on the album, “Right Now,” a straightforward rock anthem with very strong rhythmic motifs that are echoed in the vocals and the various rhythm section elements, which help it nest in your ear even if the shouted chorus lyrics are slightly awkward sometimes.
The second song I want to highlight is “It Will Be Alright” because it has a very unique feel. It has clear jazz, R&B, and funk influences, but it retains Dian Sheng‘s bright tonality and vibe. The groove pocket here is so deep and is incredibly satisfying to listen to, and is unlike any song on the album. It’s an energetic funk tune with an addictive quality, and is very rewarding on repeat listens because there are so many textures and rhythmic tools, spotting all of them is like an Easter egg hunt.
The final song I want to highlight is the beautiful ballad that Dian Sheng ends the album with, “Shining As Your Name”. I think it has the best lyrics on the album. The delicate, warm piano sound that accompanies the vocals the whole way through is done tastefully with masterfully executed fills to drive up the emotion at key moments in the poem that is the lyrics of this song.
Dian Sheng‘s own framing of “Sid” – “my way of conversing with the world” – could easily read as overreach from another artist. Here it feels accurate. The album has the quality of someone genuinely trying to bridge two worlds through music and mostly pulling it off. American radio host Susan Gabrielle, who compared “The Way Before” to Taylor Swift in terms of emotional sincerity and vulnerability, put it well: it’s hard not to like him. “Sid” is an assured, genuinely warm debut from an artist who has plenty more to say.
