Following the release of their self-titled debut in 2022, Chinese American Bear returned at the beginning of June with a new single called “Feelin’ Fuzzy (毛绒绒的感觉)” and the news that the C-pop inspired duo had signed to UK indie label Moshi Moshi. Now Anne Tong and Bryce Barsten are revealing that their sophomore album Wah!!! (I’m reading that in Waluigi’s voice, though the band can confirm or deny whether one should) will be out October 18 with the new song featured on its tracklist.
Today we’re also getting that album’s second single, which matches its predecessor’s sunny tone as it swaps a borderline-extraterrestrial electric guitar for an earthy acoustic sound which lends itself to a similar retro space inhabited by much of Jonathan Rado’s work. Sung in both English and Mandarin (as their band name and track titles imply), “Heartbreaker 伤心情歌” is a feather-light composition led by Tong’s gentle vocals and unexpectedly savage lyricism. “We had this loose idea about someone who dreamed of becoming a big music star and then getting their heart broken by it,” Tong shares. “We’ve always wanted to write a song like ‘Heartbreaker’—this kind of playful, ’60s-style, midtempo heartbreak song,” Barsten adds. “We like the juxtaposition of singing about heartbreak paired with a more playful/upbeat sounding song. Most heartbreak songs are really sad and slow!”
Regarding the instrumentation, Barsten notes that “Heartbreaker” was made with “the cheapest and dingiest sounding instruments we have. Which we love! A semi-broken $100 acoustic guitar tuned to Nashville tuning for that 12-string sound, and an old 1980s Casio CT-310 I got when I was 10 years old. It’s all truly heartbreaking.”
Get your heart broken below, and pre-order the new LP here.
