Versatile voice

Yuan Yawei, also known as Tia, was in Beijing recently to introduce her second studio album, Tiara.

For pop diva Yuan Yawei, performing at a live show means that "each cell is stimulated" by the sounds from the band around her.

She can hit very high notes - powerful or pillowy - and add a few twists while lowering her tone. "When I perform live with my band, there is no disguise. I am totally in the zone and I am true to myself. My voice is controlled by the chemistry produced between me and my band," says Yuan.

Also known by her stage name Tia, Yuan was in Beijing recently to introduce her second studio album, titled Tiara.

At the press conference, the singer-songwriter lets the music speak for herself by performing three songs from the new album, including Don't Speak, Love From Afar and I Will Always Love You.

It has been four years since Yuan released her debut self-titled album, which was full of jazzy and soulful music.

On Tiara, Yuan has co-written seven of the 12 songs, including an English song, titled Pink Power.

She also continues to display her versatile voice - interpreting soul music, which is not considered as a mainstream music genre when compared with pop.

In June, she will launch a national tour and the first stop will be Chengdu, in Sichuan province, on June 2.

Veteran Chinese singer-songwriter, Liu Huan, is a fan and when Yuan showed up at the popular reality TV show China Star, aired by Dragon TV in 2015, Liu said: "For years, there weren't many soul and jazz singers on the local music scene, but Tia came along and blew us away with her fresh and free music."

Despite having been in the music industry for more than a decade, Yuan, who is in her early 30s, doesn't keep a high profile, instead, trying to enjoy her creative space and tempo.

Speaking about her work, she says: "Writing a song is not like making a cake. There is no mapped-out logical plan. A lot of it is spontaneous experimentation. I just live my life and get inspired."