Yan Ting interview: In a 21st century world where color dominates, the beauty of black and white has become a focused, almost rare aesthetic.
When visual tastes broaden and screens in every home show full color, black and white has not disappeared. Instead, its purity and intensity stand out like stars against a night sky, and the artist known simply as YT breaks through the noise with a signature all black look: black clothes, long black hair, a black hat, and dark sunglasses.
Black to such an extreme, some might still call him “YT big brother.” Now he is opening a crack in that black and white world, and inviting us to explore his personal black and white philosophy.
Fate and unexpected turns
“When I chose to follow this path in music, I asked myself many times, because the end point was not clear,” YT said.
The line comes from the rebellious, stylish YT, and it carries a gentle surprise.
Nearly ten years into his career, he has quietly built his own musical world. His recent songs have earned strong reviews, and a music video reached the top of YouTubes trending music videos chart with millions of views. Whether on stage or off, he presents a calm, composed presence that suggests nothing can stop him. Yet that quote hints at earlier doubts and hesitation.
“I loved singing as a child, but enjoying singing does not have to mean becoming a singer,” YT said. “You could be a music teacher or a performer in opera. By exploring what you love, you slowly find a clearer direction.”
He chased that direction with persistence and passion. He carried homemade demos from door to door at record companies, knocking and offering his songs directly to A and R staff. He was turned away and dismissed, and his first single, Gonna Be Alright, brought modest results and a pause in his front stage career.
Between black and white there are many gray layers.
When he recalls that difficult early period, the story is inspiring, but he is modest about it. “I just chose what felt hardest and most challenging, to see if I could do it,” he said. Persistence and hard work do not always equal success, and success can take many forms. He kept trying until he reached his limits. Then, suddenly, a breakthrough came. His song Chi Le Huei Gai, which translates to Late to Repent, caught on with the public and raised his profile. Fans even joked online that “YT not famous, that would be wrong of the universe,” and he emerged as an unexpected star.
He was finally noticed. The surprise resolved into radiance. At his first solo concert, WHO IS YAN TING LIVE 2024, he could loudly claim the name YT and present his defining work. “People may point to different songs as my signature, but the one that represents what I want to say is Morning Star,” he said. “It was written for my past self, whether at 15, 25, or now.”
Between the stage and the studio
“I think creativity is something everyone needs or wants to pursue,” YT said, framing his view with Maslow’s hierarchy of needs to explain why people create.
His creativity is not confined to music. He works across front stage and behind the scenes, writing songs, producing, directing, and handling marketing. He has directed several notable projects, including pieces for Joey Yung, Gin Lee, and the group MIRROR. One scene that featured a car explosion left a strong impression on viewers.
If white symbolizes stage light, black represents the work done where audiences cannot see. Asked how he would divide his creative output with a pie chart, he said, “I think it is a whole circle with no dividing lines. When I write a song I might imagine a scene. When I direct I might think musically. There is no strict separation.”
What fuels his inspiration? “Beyond basic skills, you must feel your life,” YT said. “Small things have their own shine. Through observation, memory, and imagination, you gather different likes and ideas until you find what you really want to say.”
“The creative process is repetitive and requires patience, and it tests whether you truly love the work and want to tell the story,” he added, describing his first directed film, Rainy Night Walkers, which he refined over nearly seven years. “You keep rewriting and cutting things until you feel there is nothing left to write. It is painful.”
He favors the One Take technique in filmmaking. “As a child I wanted to chase perfection, and that challenge matters. If you never challenge perfection, you do not know how far you can push your craft or ideas. But once you accept that perfection is not real, you learn to accept mistakes. That is wholeness, not perfection. Deciding when to stop and let go is something you must find for yourself.”
His calm confidence comes from learning to accept loss before achieving gains, from doing all he can and leaving the rest to fate.
There is a line in Morning Star that reads, “If I could meet my 15 year old self, I would not tell him anything because he would not listen.” If he could return, would he speak to that younger self? “I would not change his fate. Failures were meant to be experienced, and successes were deserved. I should not change anything.”
His answers sometimes turn into mini lectures, perhaps because he has so much to say.
Beyond creation, he interacts with audiences in many ways: posting under his real name on local forums, engaging fans on social media, forming the boy group JFYT, giving free shows for DSE exam takers, and serving as a guest lecturer at an education center. YT is everywhere. “People have many sides, and you cannot explain everything from one angle. You need different channels to form a complete language. Writing, images, sound, painting, comedy, they are all ways to send my message through the most efficient channels,” he said.
Does he prefer being on stage or working behind the scenes? “I enjoy doing both at the same time,” YT said. “Many people think they cannot coexist, but imagine standing behind yourself and seeing your own back and the path ahead. That is how it feels to be a director and a performer. The balance between being in and out of control is what I enjoy most.”
The resolve of black and white
“People ask how I can keep working without end. It is because I fold work into play, and I rarely call it work. It is a blessing,” YT said. “Some call it work life balance, but for me it is work life integration.”
In painting, white can mix with every color while black cannot be mixed in. YT is like both black and white. He absorbs a spectrum of ideas and blends them into his own style, without trying to please the world. He persists in being himself and in daring to try different things, making his life choices open and deliberate.
When many people hesitate to promise the future, he speaks plainly. He remains true to his black and white love for creation, and his conviction does not waver with time.
“When you look up at the stars and dust in this universe, how should you live?” he asked. “Find something you love, and have your own fulfillment. Strive for your best self while enjoying each passing moment. The lack of answers is the essence of life. In this moment I am content and satisfied, but that does not mean I will stop.”
Whether you like his music or his lectures, each side is part of Yan Ting (周殷廷).
The question WHO IS YAN TING is answered now: nine years on stage, he is the answer.
Photographer: Olivia Tsang
Art direction: Olivia Tsang and Mimi Kong
Styling: Mimi Kong assisted by Yoanah Chan
Interview and text: Louyi Wong
Videographers: Alvin Kong and Matt
Video edit: Alvin Kong
Makeup: Carmen Chung
Hair: Milk Chan
Watches and jewelry: Cartier
Cosmetics: M.A.C Cosmetics
Wardrobe: Burberry, Dolce & Gabbana, Fendi, Versace
