W Records Debuts in China with FiFi Rong’s Exclusive Track “Farewell to Cambridge” Benefitting Amazonas Sustainable Foundation
Hong Kong – W Hotels Worldwide today announced the latest release from the iconic hotel brand’s newest music initiative, W Records. The W brand has named Fifi Rong, the Beijing born, London-based vocalist, songwriter and electronic music producer, to their growing roster of emerging talent highlighted as part of this global music program. Today Rong dropped the first all-Mandarin single with W Records, “Farewell to Cambridge,” . Rong, known for fusing Chinese elements into popular Western pop music, across an eclectic range of contemporary genres will be releasing her second exclusive track with W Records “Way Out” on November 11. Rong is the fifth W Records artist to debut with the program, joining Amber Mark, Perfume Genius, Roosevelt and Japanese Breakfast who each released exclusive tracks within the past year.
The first of the two singles, “Farewell to Cambridge” was inspired by Xu Zhimo, one of China’s foremost poets of the twentieth century who attended Cambridge. Pulling from her own experiences, her nostalgia for studying abroad and connecting with local cultures, Rong expresses herself through a haunting vocal delivery. Her unique combination of East meets West sound helps her music resonate with Chinese and English-speaking audiences alike.
“Working with W Records has been absolutely amazing,” expressed Fifi Rong. “Recording at W Hollywood in the hotel’s W Sound Suite was wonderful. W made me feel right at home in the studio. It was fantastic to be able to write, record, and continue to create, all in one space.”
“W Records is a truly global way for us to support artists across genres. It’s exciting to work with Fifi so we can continue to introduce guests around the world to their next music obsession,” said Bruce Ryde, Vice President, Luxury Brands and Brand Marketing Asia Pacific, Marriott International. “It’s a privilege to support artists like Fifi Rong that showcase the limitless ability of music to encourage connection. All of our artists with W Records are passionate about their work and the causes they support, including Fifi. It’s an honor to help make them heard.”
Working with Fifi Rong further illustrates the goal of the W brand’s music program – to connect a world of travelers through music. From finding exciting new talent to giving each artist the space to both create and perform their work, W Records supports musicians through every step of their creative process. W Records was conceived to inspire musicians to do what they do best, get creative. W Hotels hosted Fifi Rong at W Hollywood where she recorded and produced her two singles in the W Sound Suite.
As part of this release, W Records is once again reaching beyond the music to support a cause. All W proceeds from the streaming releases of W Records tracks will be donated to Amazonas Sustainable Foundation, a charity that Fifi Rong’s related with and choose. The Amazonas Sustainable Foundation (FAS) helps to benefit 40,000 people in sixteen protected areas in the Amazon. FAS conducts education, health, and income generation actions for the Juma Reserve families (an area with more than 1.4 million acres) that help protect the forest and improve the livelihoods of the guardians of the forest.
Fifi Rong will be launching her new song with a live performance at the W Xi’an in China on November 25, 2019. Her second track, “Way Out”, will also be released soon after. It’s an exciting time for W Records’ growing list of talents, with Fifi Rong joining as the fifth W Records Artist.
Listen to these W Records Releases:
Amber Mark – “High On Your Love”
Amber Mark – “Can You Hear Me (Rework)”
Perfume Genius – “Alan (Rework)”
Perfume Genius – “Not For Me”
Roosevelt – “Falling Back”
Roosevelt – “Everywhere”
Japanese Breakfast – “Essentially”
Japanese Breakfast – “Head Over Heels”
About W Records
W Records is a record label and resource for artists selected by W Hotels and their music industry partners. From recording to release, W Records supports artists through every step of development, providing recording space, mixing and mastering and finally, distribution of the new sound via live performances, streaming and vinyl production. Tracks for W Records are recorded, naturally, in W Sound Suites (the brand’s signature, on-site recording studios) with four rising artists stepping up to the mic within the first year and now a fifth in China. Tracks from each artist are released through W Records both digitally and via limited edition runs of vinyl which are gifted to tastemakers, DJs and W fans as a throwback way to enjoy new/next music.
Production Notes
W Records is supporting emerging artists, and artists on the tipping point of worldwide fame with production, distribution, and live performances. Each artist lays down their tracks in a W Sound Suite (either W Hollywood, W Barcelona, W Bali or W Seattle) and records a cover of a song as well as an original track.
The Liner Notes
The W brand’s long-standing relationships with music industry partners, promoters, media and influencers helps W Records artists cut through an overcrowded market. Artists get direct exposure to more than 120 million members of Marriott International’s loyalty program, Marriott Bonvoy, providing a huge audience from the start. W Records is in part overseen by Giant Step, the marketing agency that has created award-winning campaigns for brands like Intel, Samsung and ABSOLUT. Like W, Giant Step has a true passion for music and is a recognized brand within the industry having worked with many notable artists over the years including Amy Winehouse, Janelle Monae, Lady Gaga and Daft Punk. The W Records team and capabilities are similar to a small but powerful independent label. W Records is supported by both in-house and music-centric PR teams between THINK PR (W brand) and Grandstand Media, non-commercial radio promotion from co-sign, plus Giant Step’s marketing team adding DJ, tastemaker and influencer marketing to the program’s scope. Global distribution is provided by AWAL (Tom Misch, 3LAU) which connects W Records with audiences through top streaming services including Spotify, Apple Music, iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, and Deezer. This combination of a nimble label team with the marketing power of W Hotels and Marriott International creates a unique and exciting prospect for the artists working with W Records to amplify their sound on a global scale.
Stay tuned for the next artist announcement from W Records. In the meantime, please visit W Hotels online to learn more about W and music, and follow along on social @WHotels. To book your own recording session at a W Sound Suite, visit: W Bali, W Barcelona, W Hollywood, W Seattle.
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About W Hotels Worldwide
Born from the bold attitude and 24/7 culture of New York City, W Hotels, part of Marriott International, Inc., has disrupted and redefined the hospitality scene for over two decades. Trailblazing its way around the globe, with more than 55 hotels, W is defying expectations and breaking the norms of traditional luxury wherever the iconic W sign lands. With a mission to fuel guests’ lust for life, W ignites an obsessive desire to soak it in, live it up and hit repeat. The brand’s provocative design, iconic Whatever/Whenever service and buzzing Living Rooms create an experience that is often copied but never matched. Innovative, inspiring and infectious, the brand’s super-charged energy celebrates guests’ endless appetite to discover what’s new/next in each destination, to see more, feel more, go longer, stay later. For more information on W Hotels, visit whotels.com/theangle or follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. W Hotels Worldwide is proud to participate in Marriott Bonvoy, the new name of Marriott’s travel program replacing Marriott Rewards®, The Ritz- Carlton Rewards®, and Starwood Preferred Guest® (SPG). The program offers members an extraordinary portfolio of global brands, experiences on Marriott Bonvoy Moments and unparalleled benefits including earning points toward free hotel stays and nights toward Elite status recognition. To enroll for free or for more information about the program, visit MarriottBonvoy.marriott.com.
