“I’ve always loved hip-hop music,” DJ Gin tells us of her appreciation for the genre’s lyrical prowess and beat-bumping genius. So how did she, well, become a DJ? “A friend of mine happened to throw a party but didn’t have much of a budget, so I thought, ‘Why not let me try?’” The rest, as they say, is history. Gin, who hails from Taiwan, now calls Shanghai and its bustling music scene home. “It’s definitely booming here,” she explains. “You can find all kinds of music venues and performances from international recording artists and DJs to local talents…the independent scene has also grown very fast in recent years as youngsters are beginning to embrace an individualized cool.” But despite the underground scene’s advances, pop and love songs, like those of breakout star Jay Chou, still dominate. “Maybe it’s that we’re all happy and emotional,” she jests, “or that is just the kind of music that’s catchy and easiest to relate to.” What’s one banger that never fails to please the crowd? “Hits from Michael Jackson or Missy Elliot,” she replies. Touché. Here, wearing Tory’s Beauvoir dress, DJ Gin shares her playlist from Tuesday night’s Gemini Link launch event in Shanghai — happy listening!
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- Gifted — NASA [ft. Santigold, Lykke Li & Kanye West]
- Temple — Baauer [ft. MIA & G-Dragon]
- Highlights — Kanye West [ft. Young Thug]
- What I Mean — A. G. Cook
- Reckless With Your Love — Azari & III (Tensnake remix)
- Welcome to New York — Taylor Swift
- They Just Haven’t Seen It — San Holo [ft. The Nicholas]
- I Get Lonely — Janet Jackson (DJ Hoodboi remix)
- Everyday — A$AP Rocky [ft. Rod Stewart, Miguel & Mark Ronson]
- Life is Sweet — Alexander Lewis [ft. Brasstracks]
- Good Love — Brasstracks [ft. Jay Prince]
- 24K Magic — Bruno Mars
- Pneumonia — Danny Brown
- Panda — Desiigner (Apollo & DJ Bigz remix)
- Dapper — Domo Genesis [ft. Anderson .Paak]
- Drop It Like It’s Hot — Tall Boys Twerk Remix
- La La Land — DVBBS & Shaun Frank [ft. Delaney Jane]
- Make You Feel Good — Fetty Wap
- Hecka Tight — Getter
- Bad 4 U — Imad Royal
- The Recipe — Kendrick Lamar [ft. Dr. Dre]
- A.M.P. (All My People) — MIA
- Dang! — Mac Miller [ft. Anderson .Paak]
- Sexual Healing – Marvin Gaye (Mr. Saccardo re-edit)
- False Alarm — Matoma (Steve Void remix)
- H.G.T.V. — Pusha T
- Kingpin — RL Grime [ft. Big Sean]
- Chill Bill — Rob $tone [ft. J. Davis & Spooks]
- Sorry — Beyoncé (Apollo remix)
- Say It — Tory Lanez x Shlohmo ($JAYY & Vices remix)
- Why You Always Hatin? — YG [ft. Drake & Kamaiyah]
- Closer — The Chainsmokers [ft. Halsey (Dropwizz Flip)]
- The Next Episode — Dr. Dre [ft. Snoop Dogg (San Holo remix)]