Press release –
Alt-R&B/pop artist Ami Cheon today announces her debut EP, aries baby, due out July 31, 2026 (ADA). Alongside the announcement, the Japanese/Korean Canadian singer-songwriter and producer, originally from Regina, SK, now based in Winnipeg, MB, shares her sultry new single, “taste.”
Her debut EP, aries baby, is a five-song exploration about love, self-discovery, and the messy work of becoming. It’s a record about wanting and being wanted, about the version of yourself you find on the other side of a transformative season, and about claiming an identity loudly enough that the room has no choice but to listen.
After a few false starts and initially wading into the music industry half-heartedly, Cheon eventually found her footing, crafting a distinctive sound that layers haunting vocals over stripped-back, syncopated soul grooves. As she embraced her artistry and identity, her growing online presence began attracting attention, culminating in an unexpected message from R&B superstar SZA, who reposted an Instagram story of Cheon covering one of her unreleased demos. The recognition from her idol became the validation Cheon needed, affirming that she was on the right path.
“taste” is a floor-filling nu-disco gem, pairing Cheon’s breathy, seductive vocals with a relentless rhythmic groove. It’s a polished retro-modern fusion designed for peak-hour dance floors and instant infatuation.
“taste is a song i created as i discovered my queerness. it feels sexy and fun and fervorous to me,” shares Cheon. “like when you’re in the club dancing and life feels hot and perfect and slow and sweaty. the way having a crush feels like being on a drug. it’s the age-old idea of thinking you can satiate a craving with a bite, but it just leaves you wanting more and more.”
The EP also features the lead single “driving” (released May 15, 2026), a sun-drenched indie-pop anthem that captures the pure euphoria of the open road through shimmering synths and a high-energy pulse. It’s the ultimate feel-good soundtrack for shared adventures and carefree exploration with a lover.
With aries baby arriving July 31, Cheon introduces a bold new voice in Canadian alt-R&B, one that is equal parts vulnerable, seductive, and unapologetically herself.
What’s The Story about Ami Cheon?
(pronounced Aw-me Chun)
Ami Cheon is a Japanese/Korean Canadian singer, songwriter, and producer from Regina, now based in Winnipeg. Music found her early — self-taught on a donated church piano and whatever she could learn from YouTube, she developed her ear in a way that was completely instinctual. That instinct carried her to Selkirk College of Music in Nelson, BC (a Berklee School of Music affiliate), where she spent three years studying performance and composition, giving language to something she already understood intuitively.
Her move to Winnipeg is where things began to take shape. Immersing herself in the local scene, she carved out a sound that feels both restrained and expansive — lush, layered vocals set against stripped-back, syncopated grooves. There’s a quiet confidence in how her music unfolds, pulling inspo from artists like Yebba, Frank Ocean, and SZA, but never leaning too heavily on reference. It’s less about influence and more about feeling — mood, texture, and emotional clarity over excess.
Her online presence holds that same restraint and intention. Covers, visualizers, fragments of unreleased work — all of it deliberate, cohesive, and slightly elusive. There’s a sense of control in what she reveals and what she holds back, which only deepens the pull. You’re not given everything, and that’s precisely the point.
That presence is beginning to ripple outward in a way that’s hard to ignore. Ami has caught the attention of several American labels, and even R&B superstar SZA, who (after seeing Ami cover an unreleased demo of hers) has loyally followed, reached out, and continues to repost Ami to her stories. It’s momentum that reflects what’s already there.
Ami Cheon doesn’t ask to be seen — she makes work that quietly demands it.
WRITTEN & PRODUCED BY: Ami Cheon
MIXED BY: Elijah Marrett-Hitch
MASTERED BY: Kristian Montano
MUSICIANS:
Ami Cheon – Lead vocals, background vocals, and additional production
Keiran Semple – Guitar
Dallas Nedotiafko – Keys
Kevin Waters – Drums
Julian Bradford – Bass
