Chinese singer-songwriter Chen Chusheng has enlisted contemporary artist Li Erpeng to create 14 original paintings for the vinyl edition of his album “Wasteland of Wonders.” The collaboration brings a visual dimension to the Chen Chusheng vinyl release, which opened for pre-orders on June 9 and immediately earned a Double Diamond sales certification from QQ Music.
Chen, who won Hunan TV’s “Singer 2025,” described the project as an attempt to expand how listeners experience the album. He said he has long believed that music goes beyond what an audience hears, and with this LP he wants people to encounter the feelings, ruptures and development embedded in “Wasteland of Wonders” through sight as well as sound.
A Meeting of Music and Contemporary Art
The commission marks a direct partnership between a pop musician and a visual artist. Li Erpeng produced 14 separate works for the vinyl package, giving the release a gallery-like quality rather than a standard set of album illustrations. Each painting is an original piece, and together they form a body of work tied specifically to the album’s themes.
Chen’s statement frames the paintings as part of the album’s emotional architecture. Rather than treating the artwork as decoration, he positions the visuals as another way to engage with the record’s fractures and growth. The vinyl edition thus becomes a dual-medium object: a musical release accompanied by a series of paintings that respond to the same creative territory.
QQ Music Recognizes Early Demand
The commercial response was swift. On the day pre-orders began, QQ Music awarded the vinyl edition its Double Diamond certification. The recognition reflects early sales activity for the release and places the project among the platform’s certified titles.
The certification arrived alongside the opening of pre-orders, underscoring the anticipation surrounding the vinyl. While the source does not detail the specific sales thresholds for Double Diamond status, the award signals that the release generated significant interest from buyers on its first day of availability.
Chen Chusheng’s Post-‘Singer 2025’ Project
Chen’s profile includes his victory on Hunan TV’s “Singer 2025,” a competition that brought him renewed attention. The vinyl project follows that win and pairs his music with Li Erpeng’s visual practice. By commissioning a substantial set of paintings, Chen moves beyond conventional album packaging and toward a collectible that combines sound and contemporary art.
The 14 paintings are central to the vinyl’s identity. They are not described as reproductions of existing images but as works made for this release, which distinguishes the edition from standard pressings. For collectors, the inclusion of original art by Li Erpeng adds a layer that is separate from the recording itself.
What the Release Represents
At its core, the project is about making an album visible. Chen’s comments suggest that the paintings are intended to carry the same emotional weight as the songs, offering listeners a way to see the record’s themes of fracture and growth. The vinyl edition therefore functions as both a musical document and a curated art object.
The Double Diamond certification from QQ Music indicates that this approach found an audience quickly. With pre-orders open and the paintings integrated into the package, “Wasteland of Wonders” on vinyl stands as a collaborative statement between a pop artist and a contemporary painter, each contributing a distinct language to a shared body of work.
