Paulina Chow

Boston-based Paulina Chow knows a thing or two about displacement, the central theme of her piercing lyrics. Born in Tampico, Tamaulipas, Chow's family emigrated to Houston when she was just five-years-old. With a Chinese-Mexican father and Mexican mother, Chow describes her upbringing as overwhelmingly alienating. It was around this time that Chow had her first encounters with music, as she began studying the violin at age six.
When Chow's family returned to Mexico, she hoped to find more acceptance back home. But having lived in the US during her formative years, Chow was now "too American," she says, which only isolated her further. Songwriting quickly became a safe space for Chow to express the many elements of her complex identity.
Relocating to Los Mochis also influenced the content of Chow's songs in terms of her sexuality. Against the landscape of an incredibly conservative town, Chow came out as bisexual and found solace in songwriting as she faced conflict in school. Music was a way for her to work out elements of herself that at times felt unspoken.
Now at age 20, Chow is a third year student at the Berklee College of Music with a major in Contemporary Writing and Production. She has found joy and inspiration in her community, frequently collaborating with fellow Berklee students and mentors. She has also found a musical confidant in Nashville-based producer Tyler Skye, who produced her debut single “Blue”.