Chinese American Bear make music in English and Chinese. The group includes married couple Bryce Barsten and Anne Tong, who originally set out to only make a few songs for fun, but things changed for them after a surprising reaction to their first two singles “Hao Ma” & “Dumpling.” Chinese American Bear make music that blends Chinese mando-pop and the Western indie pop canon, writing songs that flit between English and Mandarin, capturing a spirit of cross-cultural joy and longing, that is often poignant while never losing its sense of fun.

Today, CAB are announcing their signing to UK independent label Moshi Moshi (Girl Ray, Anna Meredith, Hot Chip), and sharing a first single for their new label, a track called “Feelin’ Fuzzy (毛绒绒的感觉).”

Like many of their songs, “Feelin’ Fuzzy (毛绒绒的感觉)” is influenced by Tong’s upbringing in an immigrant household. Bright and effervescent, the song is about a teenage Anne’s desire to have fun with her friends while under the watchful eye of her mother. “Lyrics about parties and big nights out are contrasted with the spoken Chinese portions of the song, which were inspired by the draconian rules and impossibly high standards of Tong’s childhood home, as she mimics her mother’s common reprimands of “do your homework, practice piano, no playing, keep studying.” It’s an excellent encapsulation of what makes Chinese American Bear so appealing; expertly-constructed, immediately infectious pop music, that folds a unique and relatable perspective in among its irresistible hooks.

Tong says of the song:

“When I was writing the lyrics for this song I wanted to lean more into my experiences growing up in a Chinese immigrant household. I had a stereotypical tiger mom who had very high academic expectations and set very strict household rules. When I was a teenager I was never allowed to go to friend’s homes after school, never allowed to go to parties or school dances on weekends, and definitely not allowed to date. My days were strictly focused on studying, practising piano, and preparing for exams. This song is about what I longed to do during my teenage years instead of the upbringing I actually had. I have very vivid memories of my mom reminding me to study and practise over and over again, and I wanted to capture that repetitiveness in this song. I’m hoping other kids of immigrants can relate!”

order “Feelin’ Fuzzy (毛绒绒的感觉)” HERE