Mad Tsai

Last updated
Mad Tsai
Born
Jonathan Tsai

2001or2002(age 23–24)
Fountain Valley, California, United States
Occupation
  • Singer-songwriter
Years active2020–present
Musical career
Origin California, United States
Genres
InstrumentVocals
YouTube information
Channel
Years active2016–present
Subscribers558 thousand
Views64 million
Last updated: 13 March 2025
Website www.madtsai.com

Mad Tsai (born Jonathan Tsai) is an American singer-songwriter and social media personality. As Taiwanese and Peruvian descent, Tsai gained recognition through the short-video platform TikTok under the handle @madsteaparty. His music explores themes of queerness, adolescence, and self-identity, often blending elements of pop, bedroom pop, and alternative music.

Contents

Early life and education

Tsai was born in Fountain Valley, California, to a Taiwanese father and Peruvian mother. [1] He began writing songs at the age of thirteen, inspired by themes of identity, mental health, and self-expression. While in high school, Tsai participated in choir and marching band, and learned to play several instruments.

He later attended the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where he studied Music History & Industry and English. [2]

Career

Beginnings and TikTok popularity

Tsai began posting original music on TikTok in 2020 under the username @madsteaparty. His early work included acoustic clips and songs such as "Young Nights," which explored post-graduation uncertainty and emotional growth. [3]

Breakthrough and "Boy Bi"

Tsai rose to prominence with the single "Boy Bi" (2020), a song chronicling his experiences coming out as bisexual. The song went viral on TikTok before being re-released as a studio single with full production. Tsai has described the track as an important moment of self-acceptance and a way to connect with others exploring their identity. [2]

Continued releases and style

Following the success of "Boy Bi," Tsai released several singles, including "Stacy’s Brother" (2022), a queer reinterpretation of Fountains of Wayne’s "Stacy’s Mom". [1] His music is characterized by its pop sensibility, introspective lyricism, and incorporation of queer and Asian-Latinx perspectives in coming-of-age storytelling.

Discography

Selected singles
EPs

Personal life

Tsai is queer and has described his music as both therapeutic and representative of queer Asian and Latinx youth. [1] He publicly came out to his mother through the viral TikTok post accompanying "Boy Bi" in 2020. [2]

Reception

Critics have praised Tsai for his contribution to queer representation in pop music. Outlets such as Teen Vogue and Gold House have highlighted his work as an example of new queer and Asian-Latinx artistry emerging from social media. [1] [4]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Mad Tsai Is Writing Queer Pop Anthems and Rewriting the American Coming-of-Age Story". Teen Vogue. 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 "Student releases studio single following success of musical content on TikTok". Daily Bruin. December 10, 2020.
  3. ↑ "Mad Tsai". Rice & Spice Magazine. 2021.
  4. ↑ "Mad Tsai". Gold House.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.