Having never written a song before 2022 to writing 70 pieces over two years, multilingual singer-songwriter Miist’s journey has been anything but conventional. Abandoned at age five by her father, and surviving a terminal diagnosis at age 28, her professional journey began at age 34 after inadvertently discovering her gift for songwriting. Her mission ever since has been to inspire and uplift others, encouraging them to believe in themselves.
Born and raised in China, Miist taught herself the ukulele while navigating her cancer journey. During COVID, she began watching YouTube videos to learn simple chords on the piano. Her husband became frustrated, feeling she had a natural talent that might be altered by following others. To prove him wrong, she sat down to play. The result was her first three songs. “All the emotions I used to keep inside feel safe enough to express finally,” says Miist. “The emotions turned into melodies and I started writing like crazy. Everything that’s creative has always been in me, but the first 34 years of my life I somehow convinced myself I’m not creative. Both of my parents studied math, so I thought I’m just a left-brained person [and] became an accountant.” Adds Miist, “It felt threatening to challenge everything I’ve known.”
Miist admits there was a little magic involved. At a house showing, the realtor was a musician who, after exchanging music, forwarded Miist’s work to a friend—who just happened to work for songwriter-producer Narada Michael Walden (Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin, Mariah Carey). Walden went on to produce Miist’s first album, The Songs From The Living Room, hitting No. 21 (with “It’s Too Late To Love You,” a duet with Walden) and No. 26 on Billboard’s Pop/Adult Contemporary Chart, earning No. 1 Indie Adult Contemporary song for 2024 (“Move Your Body Slowly”), and reaching No. 11 on the Indie Top 40. Miist is the first Chinese artist to land a Top 25 Billboard Pop/Adult Contemporary hit in America. Her fan base has grown to 181 countries. “I didn’t have the experience to understand,” admits Miist, ”but every once in a while I realize I’m still learning from Narada. We still talk very regularly.”
Hearing of a young Tokyo man dying alone in his apartment, Miist wanted to encourage people to smile at strangers, releasing “Could You Lend Me a Smile” in 2025. The Smile Project followed, including GRAMMY winners and nominees, 15 music videos, 14 artists, award-winning producers, and spanning five continents in 15 languages. Launching her podcast (Make Me Smile With Miist) in the spring of 2025, Miist encourages 15-second steps towards healing. It hit No. 13 in the Mental Health category.
For 2025’s GRAMMY Awards, Miist invited fans to share stories of what music means to them for a chance to join her. 2026 brought “The Love Project,” with Miist including her fans again. “Being able to share this experience with them and give back a little and help other people’s dream is amazing. It touched me so much. To me, that’s a better experience than going to the GRAMMY Awards itself.”
Self-conscious about her writing (usually starting alone in her closet or bathroom with a phone to record), her songs begin around her own journey. “I write down the stories I have to tell of my own,” says Miist. “When I’ve processed most of my heavy and dark emotions, the lighter stuff starts to come out. I explore new things.” Sometimes it’s a story, sometimes a musical element, but she needs complete isolation before sharing ideas with her ‘accidental manager’ husband (who usually adds the lyrics).
“I use my own experiences along with science,” says Miist. “I’m not an expert in any way. I’m just a person who struggles as much as everyone else, and it’s okay. It’s just the way humans are, and life is. If we can learn something from it, then we can better live with it, and still have a peaceful life and be happy.” Miist’s first book, Make Me Smile is out now, as is “Love Will Show Us Our Way” (co-written/produced by Mauro Malavasi, Andrea Bocelli’s Romanza).
Contact Jon Bleicher, Prospect PR - jon@prospectpr.com
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