After a quite fruitful journey as a producer for others, Vietnamese-German artist qu is finally ready to show the world his own personal story, offering listeners a glimpse into his unique musical universe through his creations. With tender as the chosen debut track, sensible and relatable experiences are translated into beats and harmonies that feel cosy and warm to listen to, hinting at what his upcoming debut album might sound like.
Not many 25-year-olds can brag about having worked with names such as Kendrick Lamar, 6Lack, or Isaiah Rashad, but qu can proudly showcase them in his portfolio. Producing and songwriting nonstop, it seems like the time was right for him to step into the frontline and shape the sound of his own future. 'tender' is a mix of melodies and ideas that succeed in transferring and evoking what was going on in his head at the moment of creation right onto us in a very transparent and genuine way.
Made in the summer of 2022, right after COVID was somehow over, all the experiences and emotions lived during this time were ready to come out, and the desire to create was as high as it could be, qu turned every moment of the day into an opportunity to try to find the sounds that would identify him. After sampling one of the beats of fellow producer IAMNOBODI and mixing it with this sense of freedom and optimism after a hard time plus new-found realisations about lifelong relationships looked through a more tender lens, the song was born. The cover picture is a good reflection of how this song feels; it’s nostalgic, comfortable, and heartwarming.