Rising musician Chris Wong has released a stunningly earnest, end-of-summer single to mark his first solo outing.

After selling out his debut headline show in Dublin’s Workman’s venue in December 2021, there's been anticipation surrounding Chris Wong's first solo project. The Papa Romeo and Frank Zing member's new single 'Talents' is the result of months of hard work, launching a solo career with Cracked Skull Records.

Having taken to the stages of revered Irish festivals Forbidden Fruit and All Together Now, Wong was also selected from thousands of applicants to perform at Ireland Music Week 2022 from October 4 - 7.

‘Talents’, recorded in The Clinic Recording Studios with David Curley, comes from productive session featuring contributions from his Papa Romeo brethren Rob de Boer, Dan Coyne (aka LUGE) - plus Louis Younge - across material due later this year.

A soothing and soulful soundscape, ‘Talents’ was written in 2018, during a period of reflection anchored by loss. It captures a formative period when Chris was confronted with the cyclical nature of life, which ultimately gave him new perspective.

Chris Wong by fnati.c.

Speaking about the inspiration behind the song, Chris says, “It’s an ode to precious missed moments when you almost told someone important how you felt but ultimately shied away. It’s about learning from those missed opportunities and realising how transient our time with loved ones is.

"I wrote the lyrics to reflect these feelings in a beautifully direct manner: ‘If you came back I would say, you meant the world to me, talents exulting beauty.’ The song is important to me in this way. Every time I sing those words they remind me to always follow through with those intentions,” he adds.

Wong's trademark alluring soundscapes are richly textured with soul, R&B and jazz flavours that compliment his smooth and sultry cadence. 'Talents' encapsulates his striking emotional resonance, inspired by the likes of Jordan Rakei to Nick Mulvey.

Singing at various events throughout school initially influenced the Dublin-based artist to pursue music,

"I definitely grew a love for performing here," Chris tells Hot Press. "I've never studied music so I guess I found it quite naturally, and my writing and production processes have always been pretty experimental. I've found my relationship with music to be therapeutic and relaxing, I'm reliant on it for my own mental health.

"I'm looking forward to releasing a couple of more singles before the year is out," Wong continues, when asked about his future goals. "The plan is to get into the studio to record more songs and have a stream of releases ready to go. If I can marry this with a string of live shows throughout the year I'd be very excited to see where it takes me"

'Talents' will feature on Chris' upcoming 2023 EP. His other projects are proving equally fruitful, with FRANK ZING teaming up with rising Irish rapper KhakiKid for ‘Sports & Tattoos’ from his Elevator Music EP.

Listen to Wong's debut single below.