New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Abandoned at five years old and surviving a terminal cancer diagnosis by 28, singer-songwriter Miist defied the odds when she discovered her musical gift at 34 and last year, became the 1st native Chinese artist to break into Billboard's Top 25 AC chart.
Today, she shares a new global anthem and music video, "Could You Lend Me a Smile," featuring artists with 60 Grammy awards and nominations in 15 languages across five continents - including a moving spoken word and ASL version ahead of Global Accessibility Awareness Day on May 15 and NationalSmile Day on May 31, during AAPI Heritage and Mental Health Awareness Month.
Part of her non-profit World Smile Initiative, the song is included in her upcoming concept album releasing later this year. It was inspired by the story of a young man in Tokyo who passed away alone in his apartment and was not found for weeks, a heartbreaking case of what's become known as "Lonely Death." Miist wondered if a simple smile from a passerby could have changed his fate, a step towards combating the loneliness epidemic facing so many (The Atlantic & Inc). That moment birthed the song, with strings by Grammy-winning cellist Eru Matsumoto and violinist Nathalie Bonin, and the spark for a global movement.
"Could You Lend Me a Smile":
Miist shares: "I want to remind people even though we are as a human family inundated with massive challenges and problems, we are NOT powerless. We can actually hugely affect our world by doing some basic simple things everyday and by doing so we feel empowered, hopeful and happier."
Miist's global nonprofit World Smile Initiative champions the healing power of music, storytelling, and community-driven action to combat loneliness and social disconnection. She also launched a new podcast, Make Me Smile with Miist, produced by the world's largest music podcast network, Pantheon Media.
A former accountant, she was discovered by Billboard Music Top 10 All-time Producer Narada Michael Walden and released her debut album, The Songs from the Living Room, in 2024. She has since collaborated with legends such as Santana, Tony Succar, Kitt Wakeley, and Curtis Williams (Kool & The Gang), becoming a 2024 Grammy Academy voting member.
Miist is a multilingual recording artist who began her professional music career at 34, gaining recognition after being discovered by acclaimed producer Narada Michael Walden in 2023. Since her commercial debut in March 2024, she quickly achieved historic success, charting twice on Billboard's Pop/AC chart, earning the #1 Indie AC song in the U.S., and becoming the first Chinese artist to land a Top 25 Billboard Pop/AC hit "It's Too Late To Love You." A prolific songwriter with over 80 original songs in English, Mandarin, and Spanish, Miist became a Recording Academy voting member within months of her debut. Her powerful personal journey, surviving abandonment at age 5 and terminal cancer at 28, informs her work as a Teen Cancer America ambassador. She's the creative force behind the global Smile Project musical collaboration featuring Grammy winners across five continents, and hosts the podcast Make Me Smile with Miist, which explores resilience, creativity, and transformation.
