Singer-songwriter and actress Emily Mei delivers fierce, girl boss energy in her latest single “MANIA (Where Them Girls At.)” Released on July 27, the song embraces Mei’s cultural roots through a merge of traditional Chinese instruments (Guzheng and Erhu) and electronic-hip-hop beats. Distinctively blending Western and Eastern sounds, the track helps highlight Mei's fine artistry, with the beat and her effortless vocals cementing her status as the next rising star in music. 

Being a track of such intensity and bravado, it is hard to believe that “MANIA (Where Them Girls At)” is only Mei's second-ever song release. This track follows Mei's explosive debut with “My Domain" in 2021 which featured the vocals of Mei’s close friends SORN (of CLC) and Amber Liu (of f(x)). As "My Domain" embodied self-confidence and self-empowerment, "MANIA (Where Them Girls At)" continues in the same vein becoming a girl boss anthem through which women around the world can find strength and representation.

Boldly taking influence from old gangster and thriller films, anime, and martial arts, the music video for "MANIA (Where Them Girls At)" captures visually striking and alluring cinematography with Mei taking center stage as the video's fearless protagonist. Taking on several personas to portray the video's dominating female leads, Mei's character shares a strong likeness to other badass women in films who are known for taking down their bigger and scarier opponents. For example, one that instantly comes to mind when watching one scene is Uma Thurman's character—The Bride—in Kill Bill (2003).

In a scene towards the opening of the music video, Mei is seen with a pile of bodies defeated underneath her as she stands above, claiming victory and power from those below her. It's a sign warning others not to mess with her because she will always remain on top and undefeated. Perhaps this is a glimpse into what we can expect to see from Mei both in her musical career and future music releases—refusing to let anyone walk all over her. With its action-packed sequences, the music video feels like a short film that we wish could be longer. 

The entire production surrounding "MANIA (Where Them Girls At)" further proves that Mei is an extremely talented all-rounder within the music and entertainment industry. The exceptionally cinematic music video was filmed across a span of two days with Mei taking on the roles of both singer and actress as well as co-director and producer.

Her talents stretch further beyond these roles as she is also the executive producer and host of a series called Global Spin Live for the GRAMMY Museum and the Recording Academy. Here, she interviews and shines a spotlight on some of the biggest names in Asian music such as ATEEZ, ENHYPEN, and KANGDANIEL, amongst many others. Although the artist has only released two official singles so far, Mei is well on her way to joining her growing list of famous interviewees by becoming a power player in the Asian music industry herself. 

If you haven’t yet, we invite you to check out her music, available on all platforms, and watch the incredibly exciting music video on YouTube. In the meantime, we'll have "MANIA (Where Them Girls At)" on repeat as we eagerly wait to see what Mei will do next!

Have you listened to “MANIA (Where Them Girls At)” yet? Let us know what you think of the song in the comments below or by messaging us on Instagram or Twitter. 

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Edited By Tayra Curumilla