The return of Cao Fang to the limelight shows that making it on the indie scene as a woman isn't easy, but it is possible. Chen Nan reports in Beijing.
Singer-songwriter Cao Fang blew audiences away with her love ballads and her sweet, clear voice when she was 23.
But after releasing two successful albums, Meet Me and Farther Than the Sky, in 2005 and 2007, Cao struggled and became depressed as the limelight dimmed around her.
When she returned to the scene with a new EP, Light Rainbow, she stunned audiences again - this time, with her rock beats and exotic new look, including flowery see-through long dresses and short haircut.
"I know exactly what kind of songs audiences expect from me. But now I'm approaching 30, I want to be true to myself," she says.
Her first concert for the new EP will be held at Beijing's Starlive on Saturday.
Cao stands out in the indie music scene as she shows that ladies are no shrinking violets when it comes to singing and songwriting. These women utilize and explore their feminism through music as a form of self-expression and are becoming a big draw at live music venues across the country.
"The new songs might not be so easy to sing along to as my early songs," Cao giggles. "I don't know whether they will accept a new Cao Fang or not. I'm looking forward to the reaction."
All five songs on the EP were written in 2011 when Cao returned to her hometown, Xishuangbanna, Yunnan province. Looking at the sky inspired her to write the title song, Light Rainbow. Her encounter with a girl, who traveled across Yunnan after breaking up with her boyfriend, led Cao to write the song, Heartbroken Traveler.
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