A true C-pop trailblazer, multi-hyphenate creative LAY infused the genre with trap grit, but in 2024 he explored an even greater vision. His first English-language album STEP is designed to catapult C-pop to the global stage, proving that traditional Chinese sounds can blend in comfortably alongside funk and R&B swagger, injecting fresh energy and ambition to the scene. Listen out for the peers building a new C-pop dynasty.