On Oct. 6, Chinese R&B diva Tia Ray, a pioneering musician and acclaimed vocalist-songwriter, presented “An Evening with Tia Ray” at the Grammy Museum, becoming the first Chinese female singer to headline her own show at the celebrated music institution. Earlier this year, Tia released her English-language album NEW DAY, followed in the second half of the year by an international tour spanning six cities across three continents. The special performance underscored growing interest in Tia Ray and Chinese R&B within the global pop music industry.
Tia delivered outstanding performances of more than 10 signature songs in Chinese and English, including “Love Herby,” “That Girl, Ah Chu,” “Beautiful Day” and “Pressure,” and joined special guest Bren Joy for a duet of “This Is Love.” The invitation-only music event at the Grammy Museum welcomed veteran producers, songwriters and other seasoned music industry professionals. Grammy winner Paul E. Phamous, one of the producers of Tia’s song “Complicated,” served as host.
Tia’s captivating live performance won over the audience and seasoned industry professionals alike, drawing a prolonged standing ovation at the end of the show. Despite differences in language and cultural background, the performance demonstrated music’s power to transcend those boundaries. The audience not only experienced the distinctive appeal of Chinese-language music but also recognized Tia’s exceptional artistry, which combines her Eastern cultural roots with a global musical language.
The Grammy Museum holds a special place in the global pop music industry, having hosted international stars including Taylor Swift, Adele, Ryuichi Sakamoto and ROSÉ. Tia’s special performance brought her world-class vocal artistry to the attention of leading figures in the global pop music community, while giving Chinese-language music greater visibility within the international industry. As a veteran music critic observed, Tia naturally carries her deep roots in R&B and soul into an international setting. When she presents her artistic vision in full to these leading industry professionals, “Chinese-language music is no longer simply a regional label; it is being heard with serious attention and assessed within the same professional framework.”
The first Chinese singer to appear on IFPI’s annual Global Digital Singles Chart, and the recipient of numerous accolades including Billboard’s Women in Music Global Force Award, Tia has steadily strengthened her international presence. Her achievements range from repeated invitations to perform at the SXSW (South by Southwest) Music Festival since 2025, including record audience turnout at its Sydney edition, to cultural exchanges at leading universities abroad. She has also just successfully concluded a solo international tour across six cities on three continents and has been invited to perform at the Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix on Oct. 9. The Grammy Museum showcase reflects the steady growth in the international influence of Chinese R&B that Tia has helped build in recent years.
From stages in China to live performances around the world, Tia continues to explore how Chinese R&B can connect with a global audience. Her Grammy Museum special performance marked a striking international appearance for Chinese pop music, demonstrating the exceptional artistry of Chinese singers to the global music industry and revealing the inclusiveness and vitality of Chinese-language music in an international context. Beyond a milestone in her own performing career, the event offered another opportunity for Chinese musicians to forge deeper connections with the international music industry. It also reaffirmed that music with enduring resonance can transcend linguistic and cultural boundaries, reaching listeners across different languages and cultures.
