Birth name Steven Zhu Website www.zhumusic.com Years active 2014–present | Name Steven Zhu Genres ElectronicHouse Role Music Producer | |
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Labels Mind of a Genius, Columbia Records Albums Suits & Boots, The Nightday, Genesis Series, The Nightday EP Nominations Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording Similar People R3hab, Matthew Koma, Luciana Caporaso, Calvin Harris, Twin Shadow Profiles | ||
Occupation(s) Producer & vocalist | ||
Steven Zhu (born 1989), known professionally as Zhu (or ), is a Chinese American electronic musician and singer who has been active since the beginning of 2014, signed to Mind of a Genius Records and Columbia Records. Until mid-2014, Zhu remained anonymous, asking to be judged by his music alone. His debut album, Generationwhy, was released on 29 July 2016.
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Career
Describing the current music climate as "very black and white", Zhu's manager Jake Udell acknowledged that race played a role in Zhu's initial choice to release his music anonymously, saying: "Some of us don't even know the limitations of our own prejudice. Rather than put those limitations to the test, we've created an engaging way for fans to focus on the music rather than who's behind it."
After being discovered by David Dann (founder of Mind of a Genius Records), Zhu's first track "Moves Like Ms Jackson", a mashup of several songs by Outkast, was released anonymously in February 2014 and was positively received by blogs and reviewers covering electronic music. Other tracks appeared on the music streaming site Soundcloud throughout February and March, followed by an EP titled The Nightday in April 2014, which earned a number 1 play of the week on Triple J. The first single from the EP, titled "Faded", drew support from Pete Tong, who named it an "Essential New Tune" on his radio show on BBC Radio 1. "Faded" was released in March 2014.
"Faded" quickly climbed the global charts, peaking at number 3 in Australia and the UK, and number 12 on the US Dance/Electronic chart. "Faded" was certified platinum in Australia in 2014. As "Faded" was nominated for a Grammy, Zhu stated in an interview that "the project (Zhu) is all about art, and we try to make it about the songs and the response." On 15 May 2015, Zhu appeared on Pete Tong's "After Hours" show and performed a 40-minute DJ mix, mostly consisting of unreleased remixes, and also announced the Nightday Collection clothing line.
In 2015, Zhu released his collaborative EP, Genesis Series. The EP received critical acclaim for its diverse sounds and diverse range of talent. "Working for It", the lead collaboration with Skrillex and THEY., reached the top 40 and was certified platinum in Australia, and also charted on the US Dance/Electronic chart.
In 2016, the single "In the Morning" was released. After his Neon City Tour, he announced that his debut album, Generationwhy, would be released on 29 July 2016 and that "In the Morning" was the first single from the album. On 13 June 2016, Zhu released the title track, "Generationwhy", as the second single from the album. He first premiered the record at Coachella 2016 during his closing set in the Sahara Tent. Zhu's Coachella performance was praised, with a writer for the New York Observer suggesting that he could be "the next Daft Punk".
Zhu was a featured performer in Ultra Music Festival 2017 in Miami on the live stage on March 24, 2017. His performance was positively received.
In 2017, Zhu provided remixes of "Andromeda" by Gorillaz, "Bad and Boujee" by Migos, and "Feel It Still" by Portugal. The Man. That same year, he released his third EP, titled Stardustexhalemarracekhdreamz, on August 18.