Mad Tsai is Throwing “STRAYS” and Preparing for a World Takeover
In 2026, singer-songwriter Mad Tsai is putting the hate to rest and focusing on hitting his full potential. His new single, “STRAYS,” released on February 27, acts as a final response to those who have been leaving him ill comments since his debut in 2020. Now, with “STRAYS,” as well as his upcoming project, Mad Tsai isn’t planning on holding back and instead is going to speak his mind – and look his best doing it.
In the midst of his daily workout, Mad Tsai joined EnVi over Zoom to talk about all things “STRAYS,” his sonic and visual artistic process, and what’s next for the Chinese-Vietnamese-Peruvian artist.
Someone’s Going to be Catching These “STRAYS”
Surrounded by bubbles, wading in steaming water, and trying to put his mind at ease, Mad Tsai closed his eyes, and a sudden melody was floating through the air. However, it was the antithesis of relaxation. Over and over, he heard in his head, “Someone catch these strays.” He laughed at his subconscious for the fun yet random line, yet decided to go with it. While sitting in the bathtub, the entire demo of “STRAYS” was written, and Mad Tsai was ready to run with it.
Soon after, he took the demo to his producer and co-writer with no beat, but an idea of what he wanted for the song. It was a completely different direction sonically than his other music, but it was fun, and that’s what he loved about it. “At first, I thought I was writing it as an exercise, but then I ended up really liking it, so I was scared how people were going to react to it,” he said with a smile lingering in his voice, thinking about the memory. “In the OG version, I’m talking about how I love Megan Thee Stallion and all these different things.”
The final version of “STRAYS” is nothing like the original, since the artist ended up rewriting every line, but it retains the over-the-top momentum Mad Tsai originally liked. The singer describes the song as “hip hop, a little bit of trap, and some punk rock,” which are a lot of genres that he hasn’t had the opportunity to experiment with yet.
This accumulates to create a song that’s easy to headbang to and yell out the window while driving, but the lyrics allow the artist to break free from something much darker. In 2022 and 2023, after the release of the “stacy’s brother” music video, Mad Tsai started to receive hate on his music, his body, and his personality. Going through this, while also being in school and at a pivotal point in his life, led him to consider leaving music once and for all.
This ended up being a period in his career that severely damaged his mental health and changed his perspective on the world and on himself. While sitting with his thoughts, he often contemplated whether music was worth this much damage to his self-security.
Now, he wants his exterior and his music to express three words: “I don’t care.” With “STRAYS,” he isn’t trying to prove anything to anyone. He is in the music industry for his own expression. He is here to watch the people who love him get excited when they hear one of his new songs. He is here to enjoy the art of music with those who support him endlessly. And for those who don’t like it? He simply doesn’t care.
Reflecting on his fun-natured “clap back” to those who voice their hate toward him, he said, “If people don’t like it, then they don’t like it, but if they love it, then they love it, and that makes me happy.” Expressing his admiration for this track, he continued, “I’ve had a lot on my chest for a long time, and I feel like this project has given me the chance to vocalize a lot of things that I never have before.”
Taking the Track to the Public
As Mad Tsai spoke about “STRAYS,” his joy for finding freedom within the lyrics was evident. As a reserved person in his personal life, entering the character of Mad Tsai allows him to step into a fun cockiness that he doesn’t typically hold. That’s why his favorite moment lies at the end of the song, where he refers to himself as a triple threat and proclaims a world takeover – a mantra to the artist.
“In a way, it’s manifesting. I feel like there’s power in words. Once you write them down and say them, they will come to you,” he said. “It’s very in your face and very unapologetic.”
Since the release, it has been all love from fans, who have even started using the song for edits of their favorite groups and celebrities. While Mad Tsai songs are often featured in video edits, “STRAYS” took off even before its release, with people using the sample Mad Tsai uploaded as a track teaser.
The song has been used for edits of BTS, Stray Kids, and more, but if Mad Tsai could have the track featured in a soundtrack for a show or movie, he thinks it would be crazy to have it in two different shows’ upcoming seasons.
“Maybe Euphoria. I feel like that would kind of go hard in some of their scenes. My natural instinct was to say Heated Rivalry, but I don’t know where that would fit in the next season. There are some songs that would definitely fit on the next season, so fingers crossed.” The idea was then tossed around about “STRAYS” over a few heated hockey scenes, if a punch or two gets thrown, so, truly, fingers crossed.
Experimental Evolution
Since Mad Tsai fell in love with music, he has always been a lover of pop. “That is what I grew up on, and that is what my north star will always be,” he said. “I just love pop music, and I have a lot of love for all the pop icons that have pushed the envelope and made it easier for me to do what I want to do.”
So when creating, he puts pop first and lets his intuition lead the song from there. From project to project, he may dip into punk, rap, or indie at times. “I think it’s exciting because I’ve gotten to experiment and try out new things.” Continuing his thought, he added, “I don’t think I’ll ever stay in one place. I think I will refine my sound as I go.”
In the music he is currently working on, he has even found himself leaning toward electronic sounds, but his road always leads him back to pop. Since genres don’t inhibit his process, he is more focused on how he can further immerse himself and fans into the world his music creates.
Moving forward, Mad Tsai wants to use his art as a form of escape for those listening. While he doesn’t have a project out yet that he feels defines his creativity and persona, they’re all currently acting as building blocks, slowly adding up to a fortress for listeners to step into over time. Only, what listeners find inside may come as a surprise.
The universe that Mad Tsai lives in is fully curated by himself, and first and foremost, for himself. The singer believes lyrics and auditory feelings shape his visuals and, ultimately, his music videos. For some, like “stacy’s brother,” he can easily imagine the video because of the strong narrative and straightforward characters presented in the track. Now, he is pushing himself to create the world first and write a soundtrack to it.
Using Pinterest 24/7, he constantly finds new ideas he likes and adds them to his visual archive. “Even if a song doesn’t get a music video, they have a music video treatment, just because I like writing everything down and having all of my ideas in one place,” he said. “God bless Google Slides because they are my day one. I love creating a PowerPoint.”
For “STRAYS,” Mad Tsai created a whole treatment and had a crystal clear idea of what he wanted: “I want me sitting in my mouth.” From the shiny teeth necklace to the stunning jacket made by his stylist, Lisa N. Hoang, the single’s cover is a work of art, carefully curated from beginning to end. Owning every part of his killer aesthetic, Mad Tsai has used his transformation to fully emphasize that he is no longer afraid or hesitant to bite back.
The Man Behind the Madness
All of Mad Tsai’s experiences from his childhood, college years, and adulthood contribute to what he writes and how he writes. Growing up in a majority-Asian household, he has connected with many communities through his musical expression, having toured with Hannah Bahng and hosting his backyard concert “Mooncake” semi-annually, featuring Asian artists.
Excitingly enough, since Mad Tsai is also Peruvian, listeners get a look at that part of his life in “STRAYS,” as he raps in Spanish and refers to himself as a Chinese-Peruvian idol. But it isn’t only in music that he uses to amplify his background. From food to clothes, he tries to connect with this culture as much as possible. His love for traditional Peruvian cuisine and fashion has led to a connection with fans in Peru that he never expected.
“Down the road, I want to incorporate more Spanish in a lot of my other songs because I think it’s important to really represent that part of me.” As he spoke about this part of his life, his voice excitedly quickened. He continued, “Which, I’ve been thankfully welcomed by so many Peruvian fans, and I think that is so lovely that they’ve accepted someone who is Chinese, Taiwanese, and part Peruvian as one of their own. I think that is so beautiful, and I feel so loved and accepted by that community, so it makes me want to represent them more!”
After growing up learning about his heritage, he left home to attend university and found himself at UCLA as an English major. Though he was happy writing essays, his ears perked up when he heard that the school had made the Music Industry minor a major. Mad Tsai immediately sprinted across campus, auditioned for the program, and got in. For the next two years, he studied under both majors until he ultimately decided to drop his English major due to the intense workload and to avoid staying an extra year.
But his time as an English major wasn’t for nothing. Taking both programs led him to think more critically about production, design, and musicology. The two have shaped how he looks at album writing: instead of writing it song by song, it feels like he is writing one larger essay with a basic structure, and he has to weave them together.
After graduating from UCLA, he went on his first headline tour, which he also sold out. Since he started his music career during COVID, he had never seen his fans in person or anyone singing his songs back to him. So when the time came to perform in front of an audience specifically there to see him, it changed everything. Looking out at a crowd of people singing his songs back to him, dressed in his signature black and red, sparked a joy that reminded him this is real – and something he has built himself.
“I think performing live has helped me get into the mood for this upcoming project,” he proudly stated. “It has helped me explore fancier music and more middle lane pop music because once again, I am such a pop bitch, but now I want to write these songs that get people moving and get people to have a reaction.”
A Lot to Look Forward To
Mad Tsai is moving on from reflective music and heading into an era when he isn’t looking back. Previously, he focused a lot on coping with his childhood and developmental periods. Now, he wants to write music about the here-and-now, the next wave of his life, and who he is becoming, not who he was.
“Well, I am so excited for this upcoming project, it’s like my baby. I say that about all my projects, but this is my baby baby,” Mad Tsai exclaimed with joy radiating off his voice. “I’ve been holding onto a lot of these concepts for a long time, and I love the direction and the creativity that I’ve created for this, and it makes me really, really excited. It’s darker, it’s more moody, it’s dancy, it’s all the ways I want to operate. I just want to have fun.”
After a couple more laughs and a quick picture, I asked Mad Tsai if there was anything he would like to say before we pressed the inevitable “Leave Meeting” button. Naturally, he brought it back to his raison d’être: personal growth and his fans.
“I’m excited to step into this new era of me. I feel like I am growing all the time, and I am becoming more me as I go. I can’t wait for the fans to see what that looks like.”
And we can’t wait either! To be the first to hear about upcoming Mad Tsai announcements, keep up with him on Instagram, X, and TikTok. “STRAYS” is now available to stream on Spotify and Apple Music.
Looking for stories from more Vietnamese artists? Read our interview with MINH all about his debut EP here!
