Q&A: Katherine Li’s Latest Single “I Just Wanna Know” Perfectly Encapsulates the “What Are We?” Conversation
THERE IS A LOT TO SEE OF — Katherine Li, the Chinese Canadian pop artist who has over 400K TikTok followers, over one million Spotify listeners, and is on the heels of her first tour supporting Hayley Kiyoko across North America. She is, by every definition, a viral sensation, and it’s not hard to see why. Exuding kindness and vulnerability, Li feels like a best friend coaching you through life and crushes without a lick of condescendence. She speaks to you through her music and unbelievably relatable TikToks, all acting as a reminder that she gets you. Songs such as “Never Had a Chance” and “Happening Again” are written like stories and set the stage to share Li’s melancholic feelings on relationships. They are wrapped up perfectly by Li’s gentle and effortless voice.
While her first EP, Crush(ed), and previous singles were slower and sadder, Li’s latest single, “I Just Wanna Know,” brings a new energy to her music. With a vibey edge, the track feels a little more alternative than pop. With an intoxicating quality, the single encapsulates what it’s like to feel the overthinking mind of someone dealing with the “What are we?” part of a relationship.
Like her singles before, “I Just Wanna Know” is relatable, honest, catchy, and pairs perfectly with the single’s music video, which features Li singing the feelings of the song to a partner whose face is never fully seen.
Read on below to learn more about Li’s latest single and what’s coming next for her this year.
LUNA: I’ve been loving the sound of “I Just Wanna Know” — it’s so fun and catchy while remaining incredibly honest and relatable. What inspired you to write this song?
LI: Thank you! Diving into this new era of music, I wanted to explore new topics and sounds. I think the space that “I Just Wanna Know” lives in is the perfect amount of new ideas while still keeping elements from the songs I have out so far. The inspiration behind this song is still from my own experiences, like the rest of my songs, although I will admit some of it might be different from what actually happened because I love being dramatic haha.
LUNA: Your new single is tied to the release of its official music video, which felt so perfect for the song. I noticed that the love interest’s face wasn’t entirely visible for a lot of the video — with their back to you or with sunglasses on — leaving the focus on you as you sing “I Just Wanna Know.” Can you tell me a little bit about the thought process behind this artistic choice?
LI: I’m super excited for everyone to see the music video! The thought process behind hiding the love interest’s face was interpreting the song as me stuck in my own head. In other words, talking to myself and self-debating, so the role of the love interest and what they’d have to say is almost irrelevant.
LUNA: Some of your songs, such as “Never Had A Chance,” tend to have more of a solemn melancholy tone, while “I Just Wanna Know” is vibey and a little snappier. It very much feels like an exhilarating song — was this something you intentionally wanted to do with the single, or did it just fall into place that way?
LI: I knew for sure that I wanted to release a more upbeat and vibey song with this new set of releases — change it up a bit! With that being said, I didn’t know that “I Just Wanna Know” was going to be the track that dives into this new sonic space. When DCF, Herag, and I were in the studio putting the song together we felt like [it] would be perfect with a more uptempo beat, and it all fell into place!
LUNA: Can you tell me what your process was like creating “I Just Wanna Know”?
LI: I first started writing “I Just Wanna Know” in my bedroom last summer after a boy I liked at the time stretched his arm out behind me when we were sitting beside each other, and I overanalyzed it — typical me (laughs). I went home that day and immediately sat at my piano and started writing. The first part I wrote was the first verse and pre-chorus. After that, I took it to the studio where Herag, DCF, and I finished up the song and BOOM, a track was born!
LUNA: What was one of your favorite memories while recording “I Just Wanna Know”?
LI: The entire session for “I Just Wanna Know” was super fun. Not only are DCF and Herag some of the most talented people I know, but they are also so funny and I just remember having the best time that day.
LUNA: I also wanted to say congrats on starting your first tour supporting Hayley Kiyoko across North America! How are you feeling about it?
LI: Thank you so much — I had an amazing time opening for Hayley! Her entire team was so welcoming and everyone at the shows was extremely sweet and kind. Although I’m glad to take a little break from the road, touring is definitely something I’m looking forward to doing again in the future.
LUNA: With over 400K+ TikTok followers and 1.2M monthly Spotify listeners on the edge of their seats to hear your new music, how are you feeling about the upcoming single release?
LI: I am nervous, but mostly super excited for everyone to hear this upcoming release. It explores new topics, new sounds, and I’m interested to see how this different sonic direction sits in the Katherine Li world.
LUNA: What is your favorite part of being a musician?
LI: The part I love most is seeing messages and comments about how people relate to the lyrics I’m writing. It’s super cool seeing my songs create a space where people are able to come together, connect, and bond over the topics that I can feel insecure about sometimes.
LUNA: Can you share some of the musicians and people who inspire you and why?
LI: Some musicians that inspire me are Julia Michaels and Taylor Swift. I adore their songwriting styles and how they’re able to convey such strong stories through their lyrics. Both Julia and Taylor also have very cool artist stories — Taylor moved from country to pop, and Julia went from strictly a songwriter to an artist, as well.
LUNA: With your freshly released single and a tour in the cards for 2023, can I ask what your plans are for the rest of the year?
LI: I’m going to be writing tons and tons of songs this year, exploring more new ideas and pushing myself out of my comfort zone. I’ve been working on my sophomore EP, which I’m super excited to share later this year. I’ll also be continuing my studies in school, so my head will also be in the books! All I’ll say now is that 2023 is just getting started…
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