Toronto-based songwriter Tennyson King blends indie folk with traditional Chinese instrumentation on his deeply personal new album, 100 Cities 百城.
Hong Kong-born, Toronto-based singer-songwriter Tennyson King has unveiled his new album, 100 Cities 百城, a deeply personal exploration of cultural identity, self-discovery, love, loss, and belonging.
Blending Western indie-folk influences with traditional Chinese instruments, including the zhongruan, guzheng, erhu, dizi, xiao, and pipa, the album represents an important chapter in King’s musical journey. Through its songs, he reconnects with a heritage he once felt pressured to hide, creating music that reflects both his cultural roots and his experiences travelling the world.
Canadian Beats previously featured King when he shared his single “Safe Travels”, offering readers another look at his evolving musical journey.
The album’s title is a literal English translation of King’s Chinese name, 百城 (Baak Sing), meaning “100 Cities.” For an artist whose travels have taken him around the globe, the title reflects a journey that has ultimately brought him closer to his origins.
“The most important thing to me about 100 Cities 百城 is sharing more of myself and my Chinese culture,” King shares. “I feel like I’ve been hiding a lot of it for so much of my life, even holding onto it with a degree of shame. But I feel 100% proud of who I am now, and I think the joy of that shows up in this new music.”
Tennyson King Explores Cultural Identity on 100 Cities 百城
For King, reconnecting with his Chinese heritage has been a deeply personal experience.
Growing up, he faced bullying for speaking Cantonese with his family and bringing Chinese food to school. Those experiences led him to believe that assimilation was the easiest way to fit in, causing him to distance himself from parts of his cultural identity.
Years later, King began deliberately rediscovering the traditions he had once pushed aside.
His journey started with learning the zhongruan, a traditional Chinese stringed instrument, before expanding into collaborations with Chinese musicians throughout Toronto.
Rather than simply adding traditional instrumentation to Western folk arrangements, King explored the musical connections between the two traditions. He discovered common ground in their shared use of pentatonic melodies and emphasis on storytelling, allowing him to create a sound that brings both sides of his identity together.
100 Cities 百城 Brings Together Musical Traditions
The making of 100 Cities 百城 became a collaborative experience that connected King more closely with Toronto’s Chinese Canadian musical community.
Working alongside longtime collaborator and co-producer Dan Hosh, King recorded traditional Chinese instruments live, often bringing portable recording equipment directly into musicians’ homes.
These sessions allowed him to collaborate closely with each musician on arrangements while exploring new approaches to his songwriting.
The result is an album that blends indie-folk storytelling with the textures and melodies of traditional Chinese music, creating a sound rooted in both cultural discovery and personal expression.
Tennyson King Shares Stories of Love, Adventure, and Belonging
Throughout 100 Cities 百城, King draws inspiration from his travels, relationships, and life experiences.
“Big Mountain High 大山高” explores his ancestry through a famous Chinese musical story, while “The Great Unknown” transforms a near-drowning experience in Australia into a reflection on surrender and uncertainty.
The album’s gentle focus track, “Tiny Home,” offers a more intimate perspective, capturing the excitement and sweetness of beginning a life together.
Together, these songs reflect the album’s larger themes of adventure, loneliness, love, and the search for belonging.
“The main theme, I believe, is self-discovery,” King explains. “I want people to know that no matter where each of us are from, we all go through similar journeys of love, loss, adventure, uncertainty. How we come to terms with those things is what makes us unique and how we can inspire each other to co-exist in this world.”
With 100 Cities 百城, Tennyson King celebrates the experiences and cultural connections that have shaped him, inviting listeners to embrace their own identities and the journeys that make them unique.
Watch the official music video for “Tiny Home”:
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