On the art of letting go: Greentea Peng at the Union

When I sat front row at Greentea Peng’s performance at King’s Affair last year, I never imagined that the next year I would spend an evening getting to know her. Historically, the Cambridge Union is associated with politicians, tech gurus and academics, but Social Events Officer Joshua Lim wanted to attract a new audience. Admittedly, I chose Greentea Peng as a fan mainly out of self-interest, although her popularity at Cambridge is undeniable. Last April, we interviewed her at the Union about her life, spirituality and motherhood.

“I was lucky to be surrounded by countless sounds as a child”

The discussion began with her early memories of music: “I was lucky to have a mother who loved Finley Quaye and Lauryn Hill, my father with The Jam and my stepfather with Iron Maiden and The Clash. I was lucky to be surrounded by a myriad of sounds as a child.” Regarding performances, she said: “My father loved musical theater, so I grew up singing Oliver Twist songs (…) He would take me to the park, stand me on tree stumps and say something like ‘Sing!'”

Her relationship with music began with her passion for writing. “I used to love writing stories (…) I never thought, ‘Oh yes, I’m going to be a singer’, even though it was what I loved (…), it was something that was always somehow out of reach.”

She told me about her move to Mexico, a turning point in her life. “I was stuck in a bit of a rut (in London) and I developed some pretty unhealthy habits and patterns, both mentally, physically and spiritually (…). Mexico gave me the space and time to break free without feeling like I was being judged.” Her trip offered her “a safe place” to start singing again and reignite her passion for music. During her travels through Peru, she was drawn to a box of “Green Tea Seng” and carried it with her for the rest of her trip. “I soon kind of embodied it and realized that it actually embodied me quite well, like the contrast (between) the “Green Tea” and the “Peng”. And the slang, the urban, the spiritual.” This is where her stage name was born.

“I’m something of an omnist. I believe in everything.”

When Joshua asked her about her spirituality, she replied, “I take things from everywhere. I’m a bit of an omniscient; I believe in everything.” The sound frequencies of her music are very important to her. Her 2021 album MADE BY MAN is tuned to 432 Hz, which allows “more room for the heart.” This decision was guided by the fact that “it was Covid, our stepfather had just died. It was a very emotional time.” Her latest album, GREEN ZONE 108However, her music is set to 440 Hz. She explained that this is the frequency that is related to “brain waves and headspace activation.” For her, this is not a negative thing as long as she “activates the headspace with the right thoughts.” She talked about how important the lyrics of the songs we listen to are, as they affect us more than we realize.

I was keen to ask her what it’s like being a mother in the music industry and being heavily pregnant during her Glastonbury 2022 performance. She shared that it was never her intention to make a statement with her work while pregnant. “As long as I feel like I lack the energy, I’m going to do what I love because that’s surely the best thing for this growing life in my belly – to keep the mother swinging at full speed.” She described her home birth, which was “raw, unmedicated, very tribal,” as helping her to be brave and have physical sovereignty. In relation to her art, she said, “I’m much braver now when I make music. I’m not trying to be pretty; I’m not trying to be palatable.” She noted that despite her “free and rebellious disposition,” there are parts of her that are quite conservative; giving birth forced her to let go completely, which affected all aspects of her life, especially writing music, and she became “wilder and braver in the process of making art.”

Greentea Peng’s experience as a woman in the music industry has been largely positive, which she attributes to self-confidence and clear vision. She noted with a laugh that there are always “annoying people” who “think they can tell you something about your art,” but crucially, these are not always men. “I’m not saying that’s the experience of all women, but I can only speak from my experience.” For me, and I’m sure for many aspiring creative women in the audience, this was incredibly reassuring to hear. Greentea Peng argues that the mentality that we will always face resistance in our careers because of our gender is actually quite damaging – it can become a self-fulfilling energy.

At the end of her talk, her core message was, “Be yourself and make sure your intention is pure. Don’t let it be tied to materialism, gaining and accumulation. Let it flow.” She doesn’t want to be limited by labels – be it a style of music, a religious belief, or prescribed experiences as a woman. For Greentea Peng, her most genuine art and authentic self emerges when she sheds societal expectations. In her words, “art is sacred,” and that feeling must be at the heart of everything we do.