Interviews

Christina Chong Discusses Music and Personal Stories in Twin Flames EP

August 25, 2023

1 min read

Christina Chong Talks About Her Music & The Personal Stories In Twin Flames EP

Summary

Christina Chong’s EP Twin Flames is finally out, fulfilling her longtime dream of creating and sharing her own original music.
The EP is available on major platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music, as well as for purchase as a physical copy.
The songs on the EP are deeply personal and inspired by real-life experiences, such as a passionate relationship and a heartbreaking breakup.

Christina Chong spent the best part of a year writing, producing, and exploring different musical styles to release Twin Flames, her first EP of original music.

A graduate of the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts, Christina pursued her dream of playing lead roles in musical theatre by taking film and TV acting work. After starring in projects like Black Mirror, Doctor Who, Johnny English Reborn, and Dominion, Chong landed the role of La’an Noonien-Singh on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. This gave Christina the confidence and opportunity to explore her voice and create her own original music.

FilmmakerFocus had the absolute pleasure to chat with Christina Chong about her EP, Twin Flames. She sampled each song and shared some of the personal stories behind each track, as well as sharing the exciting next steps in her music career.

Christina Chong Talks Twin Flames

FilmmakerFocus: We are here today to get to know you as a recording artist. Your EP, Twin Flames, drops on Friday, August 11, which is today. Congratulations!

Christina Chong: Thank you so much. It’s so weird to think that I have finally achieved that dream that I’ve had for absolutely years. And especially to see the physical copy. But for it now to be out online into the world is incredible.

I’m very fortunate. Speaking of physical copies, I just so happen to have a physical copy of your CD right here, signed by you. I love it. I love all the songs in your EP, and I want to ask you all about them. But first, how can people stream your music?

Christina Chong: So you can go to Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Deezer, or YouTube, all major platforms, it’s all on there. And they can also buy the physical copy today. If you go to my Instagram (@christinachongx), most of the links to the major platforms are there. And then, you can also buy a physical copy while they’re still in stock. I’ve got very limited CDs available. But there’s a link to my Shopify shop in my Instagram link at the top of my page.

Have you always dreamed of becoming a recording artist and making your own original music, alongside your acting career?

Christina Chong: Just as I was about 19, I quietly said to myself, “One day.” I was working with an A&R guy who’d worked with Amy Winehouse. And he said to me, “Look, if you’re going to do this, you got to take it seriously. You got to do it now if you’re going to do it.” I’m 19. I was like, “Okay,” but I’d already booked a musical theater job in Germany, and already signed the contract, I was like, “Well, I can’t do this now because I signed a year and a half in Germany.” And he’s like, “Well, then we can’t do this. You have to choose one or the other.” I chose the Germany job. And I said to myself, “I’ll do it when the time is right for me.”

Because of things in my other career, it kind of inspired me to do it for myself, fulfill that dream. And it gave me the confidence, the means, the everything to just go ahead. And one of the women I was working with at the time, Elaine Overholt, who has done the Oscar winning film CODA, she was the vocal coach on that, [and] she did Chicago the musical. And funny coincidence, Elaine also worked with a guy called Paul Bogaev who was also the musical director on the musical I did in Germany, Aida the musical. And so, Elaine knew Paul really well, because they worked on Chicago, the musical, the film version with Catherine Zeta Jones and Renee Zellweger.

My whole career came 360. And the whole reason I’d gotten into TV in the first place was to play leads in musical theater. Because I thought if I fast track, get a profile, then jump back into musicals, I can play main roles. And it’s just so wacky the way it has happened, that I’ve had to have these this whole long, over a decade’s worth of film and TV work to finally get to where I want in the most random way. I would never have thought the way it’s happened that it would go down like that. I just didn’t think.

Who are your musical influences? Or let me put it this way: It’s late at night. No one is around. You crank up your iTunes. Who are you listening to?

Christina Chong: Well, I go through phases. I’m very much like depends on my mood, I guess like a lot of people. So if I’m driving, for example, there’s an artist that I really love at the moment, a new artist Grae, G-R-A-E. I can play her whole album. Actually, her whole Spotify discography. Yeah, so she’s amazing. So check her up. G-R-A-E. And then Amy Winehouse, I can play anytime, practically. And it’s funny how I’d connected with an A&R guy who was working with Amy at the beginning, and I just feel so inspired by her. And yeah, it’s also the mood I’m in, and it’s not necessarily one particular artists. It can just be a song on the album. Or I’m very into the ’70s disco. Earth, Wind and Fire. Jamiroquai. No, that’s not 70s. But Jamiroquai still has that 70s disco beat to it. And obviously, Michael Jackson, classics, Motown. Love Motown.

There are four tracks on your EP, and we’re going to talk about each song. The first release is Twin Flames. Love it. I’ve listened to it the most since you dropped it a few weeks ago. Tell us about Twin Flames and what the song means to you.

Christina Chong: So this all started: This was the last song I wrote, actually. Twin Flames was the last song I wrote on the EP. But the whole journey started with me sitting down and just spilling my guts of all the emotions and the key things that have happened in my life, and picking out authentic moments because that was the whole thing about this journey, I wanted it to be truly me. Not a character, not me hiding. It’s just Christina. I was like, “Okay, if it’s gonna be just me, I need to use real stuff.”

The hardest issue that I was going through at that time was a breakup with the guy who I’m no longer with, but who I consider to be my Twin Flame. It’s like two parts of the same soul, they say, and they only meet every four lifetimes. So apparently, we’d lived before in Sicily in the 1800s. And we were told by a psychic, “If you go back to Sicily, and back to this little fishing village together,” she said, “I think it’ll be very healing.” For me. So I booked the flight straightaway, and I think it was [in] May. We went to Sicily and went to this little fishing village, and nothing happened. I was like, “Oh, I thought she said it’s gonna be like…” I was imagining something to happen, you know? Like, what’s gonna happen? Nothing happened! And then we went to bed that night in this hotel in this little fishing village. And in the middle of the night, I woke up with this intense panic attack that I’d never experienced in my life. I thought it was gonna die.

I went out into the balcony, I couldn’t breathe. He was still asleep, and I was literally looking about to get someone’s attention to call an ambulance, because I was like, “This is where I die.” I literally thought I was going to die. I couldn’t breathe. He comes out of the room. He’s like, “What’s going on? What’s going on?” I couldn’t talk. Anyway, he sat with me. I managed to gather my thoughts. But it was like that, you know when you’re crying, and you get that feeling, it was like that. And [the psychic] had told us that when we were together in Sicily [in the past], he had left to go on some political work business, left the country, that island, and died at a distance. So just didn’t return.

I was left thinking he’d abandoned me. And I’m waiting for him, and he didn’t come back. So thatThe abandonment issue within me still lingers. It didn’t affect him because he simply didn’t know any better. He just left and never came back. That moment in the hotel was a pivotal point for me, as it was the first time I experienced a panic attack. It was like my emotions were finally catching up with me.

Wow. That’s truly extraordinary.

Christina Chong: The song is about… it says “We were told we met before this,” which refers to that story. When we first got together, I instantly felt a strong connection. It was like, “Whoa, what is this?” The feeling was incredibly intense.

The next release is “No Blame.” There’s a personal story behind that, isn’t there?

Christina Chong: Oh, absolutely. Twin Flames is about meeting this guy and experiencing an intense, passionate relationship. When the love is so strong, you have so much to lose as well. The higher you climb, the harder you fall. No Blame is about the breakup. But it’s not about blaming anyone. It’s about realizing that it wasn’t anyone’s fault. It was simply a matter of timing. You can love someone deeply and find the right person, but if it’s not the right time, it just won’t work. It’s a song that reflects on how everything unfolded. The breakup is sad, but it’s also okay. And I don’t blame you.

And I absolutely love the music video. You can find it on YouTube at Christina Chong, along with the videos for your other songs. It’s amazing how you turned a short film into a music video.

Christina Chong: And the guy in that is my Twin Flame. The guy who plays the love interest in the music video is my Twin Flame. So we filmed that in 2016 when we met and little did we know it would become a music video for the breakup song that I wrote about him.

Again, you cannot predict life. Track number 3 is “Can’t Show Love.” I love how upbeat and fun it is. I also love the music video for this too, with some home movies of young Christina.

Christina Chong: Can’t Show Love was all inspired by figuring out why things didn’t work in the Twin Flame relationship. And going back into my childhood, and trying to figure out the key relationships and major relationships with family members, because that’s where most of us get our trauma from. It doesn’t have to be major trauma, but small trauma, big trauma, whatever. But a lot of our issues stem from childhood and the first relationships we had. And not that there’s anything wrong with that, we all have that. Even if we think we’ve had a perfect relationship with our parents, that can screw us up. If we think that we come from a perfect childhood, then we’re always looking for perfection in a partner.

And maybe you have the perfect example of mom and dad, a great relationship. Well, that’s then what you’re looking for, and you won’t settle for anything less. So in an opposite way, you’ve still got some kind of trauma. So it’s about going into my dad’s childhood as well. What was his dad like to him? How was he to me? Then, what am I looking for in my relationship with men? And similar, my mum, what was her relationship like with her dad? And my granddad on my mom’s side is also in the video. And therefore, how does that play out? The intergenerational trauma of it all? And how does that play out?

I love that there’s a narrative story to the way you’re dropping the songs and there’s a through-line through it. You’re a storyteller.

ller. It’s quite evident in your music, and it’s evident in your other work as well. But let’s talk about track four, I Get To Choose. This song really caught me by surprise. It’s so light and sweet, and it really snuck up on me as I kept listening to your EP. I have to ask, what is “I Get To Choose” all about?

Christina Chong: So let me tell you, this is actually one of my favorite songs, maybe even my favorite. It was so unexpected, you know? I knew I wanted to write an empowering song, celebrating myself as a woman and celebrating the fact that I had moved on from a past relationship. This song was written after the breakup, when I realized that I could exist and be happy on my own. We come into this world alone, and we leave alone. It’s just me, myself, and I.

For a long time, things were tough for me. I had to work really hard, scraping by and taking whatever work came my way just to survive. I took roles that weren’t necessarily what I wanted to do, but I had to do it for the money. I didn’t feel seen or believed in. But now, writing this song, I realize that I get to choose. As a woman, I get to choose what I do and where I go. I’m independent and in control of my own life. I’m in a place where I’m happy being single and enjoying my own company. Looking back, I realize that this journey has been incredible. And it’s not the end, of course. I don’t want to die yet. But it’s taken me on this amazing circle.

One day, when I was traveling to a big job, the car that picked me up drove past the school I went to as a 14-year-old. It wasn’t the quickest way to the airport, but for some reason, it took that route. I saw my 14-year-old self walking up the road, and it hit me. Little did she know that years later, all of this would be happening. She struggled back then, with her identity, racism, and not feeling seen. But now, I’m on the other side of that, and when I sing this song, it brings tears to my eyes. I think about everything I’ve done to get here and how I finally made it.

Well, you’re definitely being seen and believed in now. Christina Chong’s Twin Flames EP is available now on Apple Music, Spotify, wherever you stream your music. And don’t forget to subscribe to Christina Chong’s YouTube channel to watch the music videos for each song. Congratulations again, Christina. It’s amazing that your music career is taking off, especially during these challenging times.

Christina Chong: I know, talk about good timing. (laughs) If there is ever a time to go on strike, now is the time. I also want to mention that I have Twin Flames merchandise coming soon. Keep an eye out for it, there’ll be a link in my Instagram (@christinachongx).

Excellent. So what’s next for you in terms of your music? Any live performances or plans to go on tour?

Christina Chong: Honestly, I’m open to whatever comes my way. If it’s meant to be, it will happen. I don’t know what’s coming next, to be honest. I have some remixes of Twin Flames in the works, including electronic and house versions. Maybe even acoustic versions of the EP. I’d love to release a Christmas single as well. But beyond that, nothing is set in stone. The logical step would be to work on a full album, but we’ll see. Keep an eye out for updates.

Then, after the album, I can’t wait for the tour to begin!

About Christina Chong

British actress and singer Christina Chong is making waves with her original music, available for streaming on Apple Music, Spotify, and other platforms. Check out her first EP, Twin Flames, released under the Goldun Egg label. Christina has also showcased her talent in various TV and film roles, and she currently portrays La’an Noonien-Singh on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.

Listen to Christina Chong’s Twin Flames EP on Spotify, Apple Music, and all other music platforms.

Source: FilmmakerFocus Plus

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Maya Beaumont

Maya, a film critic based in Los Angeles, developed her analytical skills while studying Journalism at the University of Southern California. Her passion for independent and documentary films led her to become an advocate for underrepresented voices in the industry, offering insightful commentary on their works.