Exclusive Premiere: Meiwei’s latest song embodies the sweet release of acceptance
In “Hummingbird Pt. 1, Pt.2,” indie-folk artist Meiwei’s flawless fingerpicking style sends gentle acoustic waves to mingle with her intimate vocal line. Effortless as air, there’s then the addition of a set of understated piano chords, smoothly mixing with her lofty harmonies. Her fragile lyrics seem coated in honey, comforting and sweet, surrounded by hummingbirds, and the everflowing river of sweet musical notes. It’s a naturally moving track, building gradually in its innate passion.
With the addition of the guitar, the layers build, with Meiwei’s vocals transitioning to sweet ethereal ahhs. Then, in a great crescendo, the sound disperses into nothing but a soft, solo guitar, gently picked over the sound of calling birds. Meiwei uses the silence as a pillow to contemplate on, thinking back to when she was a kid, wondering aloud why “the waves won’t flatten out” and the world is so unfair. By the end of the song, she has covered the entirety of a young life. From being born and not knowing the world, to learning to let go of its painful realities as you grow older, “Hummingbird Pt. 1, Pt.2,” becomes the perfect sonic surrender.

Meiwei is the solo project of the Beijing-born and raised artist Michelle Mouw. She moved to the US at the age of 18 where she founded Meiwei, a project she dubs as “an evolving attempt at piecing the fragments of Michelle’s life together – past with the present, American with Chinese, the city with the wilderness.” She is currently based out of Boston.
With her signature finger-picking guitar and honest, poetic lyricism, Mouw cites influences from the likes of Adrienne Lenker, Laura Marling, and Haley Heynderickx. Keep up with the indie-folk artist on social media for future releases and listen to her latest song “Hummingbird Pt. 1, Pt.2,” below!