Karencici

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Karencici
林愷倫
Karencici in 2023
Karencici in 2023
Background information
Born
Karen Lam

(1998-01-12) January 12, 1998
Los Angeles, California, United States
GenresR&B, Hip hop
OccupationSinger-songwriter
InstrumentVocals
Years active2016–present
Labels
Member ofPanThePack
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese林愷倫
Simplified Chinese林恺伦
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinLín Kǎilún
Wade–GilesLin2 Kʻai3-lun2
Yue: Cantonese
JyutpingLam4 Hoi2leon4

Karen Lam (Chinese: 林愷倫, born January 12, 1998), better known by her stage name Karencici, is an American singer-songwriter. She is known for her Mandopop, R&B and hip-hop influenced music which often blends Mandarin and English lyrics.[1][2] She is also a member of PanThePack, a Chinese hip-hop group formed by Jackson Wang in 2021, alongside Wang, J.Sheon, and ICE.

Born in Los Angeles, California, Karencici moved to Taipei at the age of 16 to pursue a music career and participated in Season 1 of Sing! China in 2016. She released her debut album, SHA YAN, in 2018, which earned her a nomination for Best New Artist at the 30th Golden Melody Awards. Her second album, 99% Angel, was released in 2022 and earned her a nomination for Best Female Mandarin Singer at the 33rd Golden Melody Awards. Her 2024 Mandopop song "Hard to Say" (愛你但說不出口), went viral in South Korea, prompting various K-pop artists to cover the song.

Early life and songwriting career

Karen Lam was born on January 12, 1998, in Los Angeles, California.[3] She spent part of her childhood in Hainan,[4] and took piano, dance, and singing lessons that her grandmother enrolled her in.[5] At the age of 14, she signed up to audition for Super Idol in Los Angeles alongside her mother.[1][6] Only Lam was invited to audition, which resulted in an offer for a record deal with HIM International Music. However, her parents felt she was still too young, only signing the deal two years later.[6] Lam then moved to Taipei to pursue a career in the Mandopop music industry.[5][6] Arriving in Taipei without family or friends, Lam depended on her family back home for financial support until the release of her debut EP.[4]

As she began writing songs for her record company, Lam's mentors prompted her to develop her composition and music production skills through online tutorials.[6] In 2016, she participated in Season 1 of Sing! China, where she was mentored by Wang Feng.[6][7] She later adopted the stage name Karencici, basing it on a nickname her grandmother gave her as a child.[8]

As of February 2022, she has written over 400 songs, including songs for Jolin Tsai,[1] Hebe Tien, and Yoga Lin.[4]

Music career

In April 2018, Karencici signed with South Korean label Ocean Star Music, under which she released her debut EP Blow Up in July 2018. Its title and cover were inspired by the 1966 film Blowup.[9] The self-produced EP consists of three English-language R&B tracks, including "Go On", which features Korean-American rapper Junoflo and marked her debut on Taiwanese radio.[1][7]

Her debut album, SHA YAN, was released in late 2018,[10] earning her a nomination for Best New Artist at the 30th Golden Melody Awards.[11] Reflecting on the album in a 2023 interview, she admitted it was "not very Karencici at all" as she did not have much musical or creative input during its creation, and no longer felt it reflected herself "personally or stylistically".[2] In 2019, Karencici won the Best R&B Single for "Timeless" at the 10th Golden Indie Music Awards.[12]

In 2021, Karencici joined PanThePack, a Chinese hip-hop group formed and led by Jackson Wang, alongside J.Sheon and ICE.[10][2] Their single "Buzz" was released on 28 August,[13] followed by their 10-track debut album, The Pack, in September.[14]

Her second album, 99% Angel, was released in 2022. It was named one of the "Best Asian Hip Hop And R&B [albums] Of 2022 (So Far)" in April 2022 by HipHopDX,[15] and earned her a nomination for Best Female Mandarin Singer at the 33rd Golden Melody Awards.[16] The following year, in May 2023, Karencici released her second EP, Everybody Loves Me.[17] She described it as a "super pop album", that was "light, bright, and playful for the audience".[2] The EP features collaborations with Taiwanese rappers OSN and J.Sheon, KnowKnow of Higher Brothers, and a vocal performance from her partner and producer Kvn.[17]

Karencici made her acting debut in 2024 with a brief guest appearance in the second season of the Taiwanese television drama The Victims' Game.[8] In July 2024, Karencici released the single "Hard to Say" (愛你但說不出口), a Mandarin R&B track about struggling to express one's love through words. The song was covered by the South Korean singer Taeyang at a December 2024 concert in Taipei,[5] which led to the song going viral in South Korea and further covers by K-pop artists, including Moonbyul of Mamamoo, Taesan of BoyNextDoor, Lee Mu-jin,[18] Sung Han-bin,[19] and Karina of Aespa, who performed the song at her 26th birthday celebration in 2026.[20][21] In April 2026, "Hard to Say" debuted at number 15 on the Billboard Taiwan Songs chart, and peaked at number 6 in May 2026.[22]

Karencici released her third album Made For You in late 2024.[5][18] Her fourth album, Loser was announced in May 2026 with the release of its lead single "If I Had".[23][24] The album, which combines rock and R&B elements with English and Mandarin lyrics, was released on June 19, 2026, and will be followed by a supporting concert held in Taipei in July 2026.[25]

Personal life

Karencici is in a relationship with Kvn, who is also her frequent musical collaborator as a songwriter, producer and music video director.[5][17][26] The pair met at a Starbucks restaurant in Taipei and bonded over their shared interest in music.[5]

Discography

Extended plays

  • Blow Up (2018)
  • Everybody Loves Me (2023)

Studio albums

  • SHA YAN (2018)
  • 99% Angel (2021)
  • Made For You (2024)
  • Loser (2026)

Awards and nominations

Filmography

References

  1. Jocelle (2019-04-27). "Interview with Karencici - Taking Names & Turning Heads". Asian Pop Weekly. Archived from the original on 2025-08-05. Retrieved 2025-05-29.
  2. "Karencici on staying true to herself: "Do you like your music? That's the only thing that matters"". Bandwagon. 2023-11-07. Archived from the original on 2025-08-05. Retrieved 2025-05-29.
  3. "林愷倫". HIMS (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 2024-02-24.
  4. Lee, Nicole (2022-02-07). Karencici林愷倫，華語樂壇無庸置疑最強創作女伶 [Karencici, undoubtedly the strongest female singer-songwriter in the Chinese-language music scene]. Vogue Taiwan (in Chinese). Retrieved 2026-06-21.
  5. Chow, Aaron (2025-02-19). "Tuning In: Karencici". Lifestyle Asia. Archived from the original on 2025-02-19. Retrieved 2026-06-18.
  6. "《中国新歌声》进汪峰战队五强 Karencici学会抗压". Lianhe Zaobao (in Simplified Chinese). Retrieved 2026-06-18.
  7. Chu, Li-Wei (2018-08-24). "Review: Karencici - Blow-Up EP". From the Intercom. Retrieved 2025-05-29.
  8. "封面人物｜Karencici，叛逆公主的童話故事：「保持快樂，要做讓自己開心的事！」". ELLE (in Chinese (Taiwan)). 2025-10-04. Retrieved 2026-06-21.
  9. "華裔奇嗓少女Karencici連韓國樂壇也驚艷". Vogue Taiwan (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Archived from the original on 2020-06-18. Retrieved 2026-06-20.
  10. Angan, Kara (2022-09-18). "Meet Karencici: On Coming Into Her Own And Sharing Asian Music With The World—The Regionals: Taipei Exclusive". HipHopDX. Archived from the original on 2023-09-23. Retrieved 2025-05-29.
  11. "THE 30th Golden Melody Awards - Nomination & Winners". Golden Melody Awards. Archived from the original on 2025-12-06. Retrieved 2026-06-20.
  12. "7 highlights from this year's 10th Golden Indie Music Awards". Bandwagon. 2019-11-20. Retrieved 2025-05-29.
  13. Ziwei, Puah (2021-08-27). "PANTHEPACK release new single 'Buzz': "We just thought it would be interesting to throw songs out"". NME. Retrieved 2026-06-21.
  14. Chung, Elaine (21 September 2021). "HIP HOP SUPERGROUP PANTHEPACK UNVEILS DEBUT ALBUM THE PACK". LiFTED. Archived from the original on 25 October 2021. Retrieved 25 October 2021.
  15. "Best Asian Hip Hop And R&B Of 2022 (So Far) – April | HipHopDX". HipHopDX. April 10, 2022. Archived from the original on 2023-09-25. Retrieved 2026-06-20.
  16. "THE 33rd Golden Melody Awards - Nomination". Golden Melody Awards. Archived from the original on 2025-12-07. Retrieved 2026-06-20.
  17. 潮流女聲Karencici 全新EP《Everybody Loves Me》 5/24 HifFM首播 5/26數位發行 [Female pop singer Karencici's new EP "Everybody Loves Me" will premiere on HitFM on May 24th and be digitally released on May 26th]. Hit FM. 2023-05-24. Retrieved 2026-06-20.
  18. "Karencici床上私密照外流！竟是「第一次」心聲曝光│TVBS新聞網". TVBS (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Retrieved 2026-06-20.
  19. 문완식 (2026-06-18). 성한빈·최예나·QWER, 'ACON 2026' 맞춤 역대급 스페셜 무대..설렘~UP [ACON2026 스페셜 스테이지②]. Star News. Retrieved 2026-06-21.
  20. Lai, John (25 March 2026). Karencici〈愛你但說不出口〉成「韓星神曲」！aespa Karina、太陽、BOYNEXTDOOR漢東旼搶翻唱 [Karencici's "Hard to Say" becomes a "K-Star God Song"! aespa Karina, Taeyang, BOYNEXTDOOR Taesan fighting to cover the song]. Bella.tw儂儂 (in Traditional Chinese). Retrieved 2026-06-18.
  21. Iris (2025-02-21). Karencici〈愛你但說不出口〉在韓國爆紅，BOYNEXTDOOR TAESAN 來台清唱！ [Karencici's "Hard to Say" goes viral in South Korea, BOYNEXTDOOR TAESAN arrives in Taiwan to sing!]. JUKSY 街星 (in Chinese). Retrieved 2026-06-21.
  22. Cusson, Michael (2026-05-16). "Taiwan Songs". Billboard. Retrieved 2026-06-21.
  23. Mohan, Sharvamaya (2026-05-11). "Karencici unveils heartfelt single 'If I Had' alongside innovative MV, from upcoming album 'Loser' — watch". Bandwagon. Retrieved 2026-06-20.
  24. "Karencici enters new era with upcoming album Loser". The Sun. 2026-05-13. Retrieved 2026-06-20.
  25. "Karencici新專輯演唱會！真誠自剖「一直覺得自己是Loser」盼保持初心活出最真實樣貌". ELLE (in Chinese (Taiwan)). 2026-06-13. Retrieved 2026-06-20.
  26. Ong, Celia (2019-11-25). ""I think it's the best time for R&B right now": An interview with Karencici". Bandwagon. Retrieved 2026-06-20.