Crystal Chen

Crystal Chen writes with a soulful voice, making humorous and heartbreaking observations that gel perfectly with her ornate blend of soul and jazz influences. Alongside music, Crystal works as a photographer and videographer, orchestrating elaborate 35mm and medium-format photo shoots and off-the-cuff documentation.

After reintroducing herself at the start of 2024 with her R&B/boogie slanted single ‘Love Letter’, Crystal successfully mounted a Boosted crowdfunding campaign to raise the funds to record her forthcoming debut album, You can call me CC at Roundhead Studios. Created with a cast of collaborators drawn from Tāmaki Makaurau’s burgeoning live music and visual arts communities, 'You can call me CC' is a rose-tinted collection of songs about her experiences.

Over the last year, Crystal has released her recent single ‘Kiss It Better’, shared the stage with Revulva and Telenova, appeared at The Others Way and Cubadupa festivals, and hosted her own headline performance at Big Fan.

Along the way, her singles and their lush music videos have been celebrated here and abroad by the national Student Radio Network, the Sydney International Womens Film Festival, and won ‘Best Music Video’ at the HALO International Film Festival, then nominated for an LA Independent Women Film Award and ‘Best NZ Music Video’ at the 2024 Vision Fest Film Festival.