FEATURE: Spotlight: Revisited: Chloe Qisha

FEATURE:

Spotlight: Revisited

Chloe Qisha

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LAST year…

I spotlighted Chloe Qisha. She is a Malaysian-born artist based in London. Qisha was included in the BBC's Sound of… 2026 shortlist. Having released two E.P.s, including 2025’s Modern Romance, her mixtape, Fantasize, is out on 30th October. I want to revisit this amazing artist and drop in a few recent interviews. Prior to heading to Japan for a couple of dates soon, she plays Boardmasters 2026 on 9th August. I do want to start out with Jae-Ha Kim that was shared in the Chicago Tribune. Speaking with Chloe Qisha about, among other things, her upcoming tour, we doi learn new things about a remarkable artist:

“Born in Malaysia, Chloe Qisha moved to the United Kingdom at the age of 16, thinking that she would pursue a career as a therapist or psychologist. But instead, the London-based artist became one of Gen Z’s most exciting alternative pop stars, with songs that are fresh while conveying a retro vibe that pays homage to ’80s pop. Her latest single “YDH” is her answer to a stressful 2025. “I wanted a song that captured the feeling of letting your hair down and having the best time,” Qisha said. “’YDH’ is a good summation of that. I wanted to capture the raw, instinctual feeling of having a crush [when] there’s no rhyme or reason to it. That first initial pang of a crush can be all-consuming, and I like capturing that kind of raw emotion in a song.”

Q: What is your future bucket-list venue?
A: I’ve always said my ultimate dream would be a headline show at Red Rocks in Colorado. There’s something about that amphitheatre that’s really legendary. At night, especially with how it’s lit, it looks beautiful. I also like venues where there’s staggered seating or standing because you can see everything clearly. It’s somewhere I’d love to see a show, but also somewhere I’d love to play.

Q: What are your five favorite cities?
A: London, Tokyo, Singapore, Penang [Malaysia] and New York.

Q: What do you do to maintain your health while on the road?
A: I do a daily vocal warm-up that lasts about 30 minutes and is tailored to me and the songs I sing. I usually do it once in the morning and once before soundcheck if I’m performing that day. I also stay away from dairy, try to eat well and stick to food that is safe so I don’t get sick. And I drink chamomile tea before bed because it helps me sleep.

Q: When you go away, what are some of your must-have items?
A: My journal and my headphones. Traveling without my headphones is torture to me. [Laughs]

Q: What is your guilty pleasure when you’re on the road?
A: Honestly it’s just having some time to myself. I can be quite introspective, and I do my best music listening when I’m able to sit with good headphones and listen to something on repeat without distractions. Usually it’s when I’m traveling from one place to another or looking out of a window. I like being able to listen to music and daydream. It’s not the most social habit, but I try to do it at least a couple of times on a trip”.

Travelling to Asia, Europe and the U.S., Chloe Qisha has a busy diary. She will take her music to crowds far and wide. She is someone who I have been invested in for a while and she is one of our most important artists. Let’s move to NME and their conversation with Chloe Qisha earlier in the year at the 2026 Ivor Novellos:

“The former NME Cover star spoke to us while at the 2026 Ivor Novellos, where she was nominated for the Rising Star Award alongside Kwn, Divorce and BBC Sound of 2026 winner Skye Newman. The award ultimately went to Jacob Alon, who also took home the Best Song Musically and Lyrically trophy for ‘Don’t Fall Asleep’.

Teasing more material, the singer said that she is currently planning on “slowly rolling out” a “new chapter”, and is well underway with adding the finishing touches to some new music that she will “100 per cent teasing and trialing” at her upcoming live shows.

“I think the music is going to be a little bit different,” she added, staying tight-lipped about when fans can expect it to drop. “But it’s music that I’ve been rinsing personally nonstop for the last six months, so I’m really excited for it to just be out in the world.”

Speaking about her nomination at the Ivors – which celebrates the craft, cultural impact and enduring importance of songs and screen compositions – Qisha opened up about what makes someone into a great songwriter, sharing that it ultimately boils down to capturing a sense of personality and maturity.

“I think being incredibly authentic to yourself… but also allowing time for that. Sometimes it doesn’t happen immediately, and you have to grow in yourself,” she explained.

“I think you need to have a better understanding of yourself before you start putting yourself out in the world. But as long as you keep putting good music out that feels authentic and important to you, then it will find the right people.”

Qisha faces a packed summer of touring, with live shows including Isle Of Wight Festival, Bristol Pride, Wilderness, Boardmasters, Reading & Leeds and supporting Self Esteem at the opening of London’s new British Airways ARC. Visit here for tickets and more information”.

I am going to end with Cosmopolitan that was published in June. They observe how this “emerging Pop artist” has their hearts. I think she has won the hearts of so many fans around the world. Such a phenomenal songwriter who I can imagine releasing music for many years:

“Do you think that there’s still a stigma around pop music?

I don’t think so as much now. Especially with The Powerpuff Girls [Sabrina Carpenter, Chappell Roan and Charli XCX] last year. They really made it into its own echelon of cool. But you will still get your annoying boy who loves ‘insert your British indie band in the 90s here’ kind of vibe. I always say you have to be a different breed of human to be a hater, because, a) who’s got the time? And b) the industry is saturated with so many artists and so many different kinds of music that fit every shade of genre, that if it’s not for you just move on.

Do you think women have to battle bigger, and often more critical, expectations when it comes to delivering a live show than their male counterparts?

They 1,000 per cent do. The bar for pop girlies is unusually high. Especially with the virality of TikTok and how big someone can become overnight these days, there’s no grace for growth. People expect Addison Rae to come out of the gate singing like Beyoncé, but then also dancing like Tate McRae and then also giving 20 years’ worth of experience all packed into one. But then, I feel like a pop boy can go on stage with the same T-shirt and denim jeans they’ve been wearing all tour and just rock out with a guitar and we’re like, ‘Yes, King, give me more.’ It’s the same with Chappell [Roan], she can’t step a hair out of line. If a man set boundaries with the paparazzi, we’d be like, ‘Yes.’ But then she does it and suddenly, she’s a diva.

Finally, you’ve released two EPs – is there an album coming?

I would love to call it that, but I just don’t know. I’m trying to be more open to the different ways of doing music. I think there’s merit in just putting stuff out and seeing where it lands. Ultimately, as long as the music feels authentic to me and I’m proud of it, I’m happy for songs to just keep coming out. Eventually, I hope that I will look up one day and be like, ‘Ah, this is the collection of songs and this is what I’m going to call it’”.

There is a lot of rightful excitement around Chloe Qisha. She is a superstar and her upcoming project, Fantasize. I am not sure if she is classing it as an album or mixtape. I am not sure of the distinction between the two. Whatever it is, this is the first full-bodied release from an artist who has a huge international following. A major reason I wanted to…