Cheerful Music: The Indie Label Building Pop’s Most Unexpected Bridge

Pop doesn’t have to sound the same everywhere — and Cheerful Music is proof. The Shenzhen-born, London-based label is turning heads for its bold blend of Chinese innovation and European indie pop flair, creating something that feels both familiar and entirely new.

Since launching in 2019, Cheerful has been quietly building a cross-continental ecosystem where artists from different worlds collide — and create magic. Think shimmering hooks, emotional storytelling, and fearless production. Their catalogue — from “TA SHAN HE” to “XIANG SI YAO” — has amassed millions of streams and built a cult following for its genre-fluid, borderless pop.

But Cheerful isn’t just a label; it’s a movement. Behind the scenes, its team handles production, distribution, and artist development, nurturing emerging voices who might otherwise go unheard. They’re also one of the few labels actively helping Western artists enter the Chinese market — a notoriously complex space — while championing Chinese creators abroad.

“Our vision is to make collaboration feel natural,” says founder Snow.J. “When East and West meet in music, something truly beautiful happens.”

That vision has taken Cheerful all the way to Harvard Business School, where it was studied as a case in innovation and global business. For a label that started out in Shenzhen’s underground scene, that’s a pretty impressive encore.

Learn more about Cheerful Music on their website, TikTok, and Instagram.