CaliStar Shares New Single ‘Don’t Give Up’
CaliStar, the moniker of American singer and songwriter Calista Wu, has just shared her brand new single Don’t Give Up, an upbeat electro-pop cut in honour of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month (APAHM).
What I like the most about this song is its upbeat and uplifting energy with CaliStar's lovely, passionate vocals soaring effortlessly over the infectious melodies. In the wake of the pandemic era, violence and hate crimes against Asians have tragically increased, and CaliStar is creating music to not only share her unique experience, but also as a call to action.
Speaking about the song, CaliStar said,
I wanted to write a song that would capture the essence of my heart and life message. The rise in anti-Asian violence highlighted to me the importance of sharing who we are as Asian Americans through our art and culture so that people can see us as humans and understand us as people. Unity is so important, especially authentic, non-performative unity, which isn’t easy to attain and will take a lot of effort to fight for. That’s the driving force behind this song and video. Everyone deserves to feel seen and valued for who they genuinely are. If we can look outside of ourselves and our own needs to see how we can support others, we will all come out stronger. Don’t give up the fight!
This empowering message is wrapped around an upbeat electro-pop production that creates the perfect atmosphere for CaliStar's expressive and passionate vocals to soar.
Accompanying the release, CaliStar has shared its official music video directed by Mulan Star Ron Juan and features actress Teresa Ting (star of Blade of the 47 Ronin). Ron decided to film a real life moment where CaliStar and actress Teresa Ting speak passionately at a “Stop Asian Hate” rally hosted by Main Street Patrol in Queens, NY. CaliStar called upon her network of notable Asian-American creatives to come together and share their unique talents for this video, while spreading the powerful message of love along the way. Check it out below!