As the clock struck midnight, a young girl was having trouble falling asleep in an unfamiliar Hong Kong hotel bed. To find comfort, she asked her parents to write songs with her. 

This young girl was sophomore Snow Zhou. Since she first began songwriting eight years in that hotel room, Zhou has amassed more than a thousand followers across music platforms like Spotify and Apple Music. Zhou is also signed to the Taihe Music Group, one of the most prominent record labels in China. 

Zhou’s passion for singing began when she had her first vocal lesson at 8 years old. More recently, Zhou has practiced her guitar skills, written original lyrics in her free time and joined two bands. The first band, named Sparks after the Taylor Swift song “Spark’s Fly,” is composed of five members who each play a different instrument. The second band that Zhou is involved in is 20-01, and it is made up of Zhou and guitarist Adam Sheng.

“I sing, write lyrics and create the melody,” Zhou said. “My guitarist then figures out the chords.”

Zhou said the biggest influence on her music career has been her dad. Both of her parents sing recreationally and, in addition to providing her with musical advice, they have been her biggest supporters. 

“[My dad] encouraged me to do vocal lessons and to start a band,” Zhou said. “He reminds me often to create and sing different songs and to practice guitar.” 

In 2023, Zhou moved to the United States from China and enrolled at Archer. Because of this, many of her lyrics and four of her five released songs are written in Chinese.

“I would say I write better lyrics in Chinese,” Zhou said. “I just wanted to try to write in different languages, to jump out of my comfort zone.”

Although Zhou said she enjoys songwriting and creating music, she also said making music is not a fast or simple process. Zhou’s debut song “無盡夏,” which loosely translates to “Endless Summer,” was written in January 2022 and took six months to release. Zhou said the most time-consuming aspect of the production process is communicating with her producer, specifically when determining the melody and texture of each song.

As Zhou has grown and developed over the past few years, her music style has also evolved. In the past, Zhou said she would describe her music as Chinese pop, yet she currently identifies more with R&B and city pop. Zhou said she takes inspiration from a range of genres and artists, including Bossa Nova singer and songwriter Astrud Gilberto.

“I love [Astrud Gilberto’s] music — the chords and everything are really special,” Zhou said “They’re not pop music. Personally, I’m a pop person, but I listen to a lot of songs that aren’t pop because I want to learn their music styles and their way of producing music.” 

In addition to engaging with various genres, Zhou said she enjoys experimenting with different vocal styles. Sophomore Olivia Broock, one of Zhou’s closest friends, said she is impressed by Zhou’s diverse abilities.

“She has such a beautiful voice, and she’s really good at being really flexible,” Broock said. “She can be really belting and a really strong singer, but then she can also be a little bit more quiet and angelic.”

Choir and a cappella director Bri Holland has taught Zhou in a cappella, music composition and choir classes. Holland said she enjoys listening to Zhou’s music and is always looking forward to seeing what Zhou will do next.

“She is decisive about how she wants to communicate her artistic ideas,” Holland said. “[She] has built up both a private practice with music and this public community practice with music that intersect in a really cool way.” 

Zhou said musical opportunities offered at Archer, including the winter and spring concerts, have also allowed her to find community and cultivate new relationships that she otherwise may not have discovered. She and Broock collaborated as duet partners during last year’s Song Share.

“I appreciate that she’s serious and passionate about music because when you’re friends with someone that also wants to pursue music or is also serious about what you’re serious about … it brings out a different side of yourself,” Broock said. “Those friendships are always incredible.”

When songwriting, Zhou said she often draws from her personal experiences and emotions. Holland recognizes that Zhou often pens expressive and genuine lyrics.

“The content of the lyrics itself is all really vulnerable,” Holland said. “And I think that her personality really comes through in her vocals.”

Although Zhou said her future career path is unclear, she hopes to continue to perform on Archer’s concert stages and expand her fanbase by continuing to release new music. 

“I feel I have the responsibility to keep writing songs and to release them,” Zhou said. “I just have to keep doing it for both myself and for the people that love listening to my songs.”

This story was originally published on The Oracle on January 22, 2025.