Jolin Tsai reflects on ‘blind date’-esque work experience with SB19
While Taiwanese pop sensation Jolin Tsai admitted that working with SB19 initially felt like a “blind date,” she is happy that their collaboration went well while praising them for their “energetic” personality.
Tsai and SB19 worked together on the song “Emoji,” which is part of the latter’s album “Wakas at Simula,” as well as its accompanying music video. According to the quintet, the music video shows the contrast between the “glamorous and polished” and “messy and chaotic” worlds brought by how people present themselves online and their true selves.
In an Instagram post on Friday, March 28, Tsai reflected on her working relationship with the P-pop powerhouse, noting their language barrier. “Working with SB19 felt like a blind date. My first thoughts were, ‘What should we even talk about?’ I don’t know if you tried this, but have you replaced your words with emojis?”
“You would use a few symbols to express these complex emotions to survive them,” she continued. “I realized that I often hide unspoken and even complex emotions behind an emoji, so it appears I look fine.”
View this post on Instagram
The singer-songwriter recalled typing “emoji, social, and fake” during her first online meeting with SB19, and they understood exactly what she meant.
“In our first online meeting, I typed a few words: emoji, social, and fake. They almost instantly nodded. It turned out that we all sometimes hide behind such symbols, and it feels tiring and embarrassing to control our emotions,” she said.
Tsai then thanked the quintet for “bringing so much energy” throughout the process. She also gave a “special thank you to Ken,” since he’s one of the producers, composers, and lyricists of the track.
“Thank you, boys, for always bringing so much energy even when we met in person. Your passion infected me deeply,” she said.
“I would also like to say a special thank you to Ken, who, during the production process, would always throw a [heart] symbol. He would give warm support and feedback. I hope those expressions behind the screen meant sincere joy. I’m wishing SB19’s new album and tour a great success,” she continued.
Based on the album’s tracklist, Ken contributed to the production, composition, and lyrics of “Emoji.” Also credited were Pablo, Tsai, Luke April, Joshua Daniel Nase, and Chendy.
“I thought this was a fresh and exciting sound for us, so I created a Brazilian phonk-inspired track with the help of my friend Luke. Pablo, Jolin, and I wrote the lyrics together,” Ken said of the track.
“The song explores social media and how people often mask their true emotions behind emojis. It reflects on the contrast between online personas and genuine feelings, highlighting the subtle ways technology shapes human expression,” he further explained.
Born in New Taipei City, Taiwan, Tsai is known as the “Queen of C-Pop” and is one of the region’s leading pop culture icons. She is noted for having creative control over her work, and her home country often praises her for “reinventing” herself with every release.
SB19 released their sophomore album “Wakas at Simula” on March 27. They’re set to hold their “Wakas at Simula” concert at the SMDC Festival Grounds on April 18, and were confirmed as one of the performers in Lollapalooza 2026 and the 2026 Summer Sonic Festival in Tokyo, Japan. /cb
