On July 12, the highly anticipated new film by Jackie Chan, “The Legend,” was released in theaters. In the finale of the film, the soundtrack “This Love,” performed by Dimash Qudaibergen, is played. The track was released on music platforms on July 5.

The story of the new film, starring Jackie Chan himself, follows archaeologist Jack and his students as they discover an artifact that serves as a bridge between the world of dreams and reality. The archaeologist notices that the texture of the relics found during the glacier excavation resembles a jade pendant he saw in one of his dreams.

The composer of the song “This Love” was maestro Nathan Wang, an Oscar music judge who has worked with Jackie Chan for many years. The new song is the third collaboration between Mr. Wang and Dimash.

In 2020, Dimash performed the soundtrack “Happy” for the film “Vanguard”.

Three years later, the Kazakh musician performed at the “Golden Panda” award in China, where he, along with famous Chinese singer Wei Wei, performed the award’s main musical theme “Join Hands,” also written by maestro Nathan Wang.

Nathan Wang shared with DimashNews the story of his acquaintance with Dimash and some interesting moments of their collaboration.

You first met Dimash in person in Los Angeles last year. Was the work on the new OST done there? What were your impressions of the first meeting with the Kazakh musician?

My first impression of Dimash, when we first met at Hunt Studio in Los Angeles, was complete amazement at his musicality. It was incredibly fun to jam with him as I played the piano, and he intuitively understood where I was going with my chords, creating a beautiful melody over my accompaniment. I also tried to predict where his melody would go, and it felt like we were both walking on clouds. It was such a wonderful time that I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face!

The OST “This Love” was written specifically for the film. What did you pay attention to when preparing the song?

As much fun as I had describing our first meeting in the studio, it was also a conscious exploration of Dimash’s voice for me. And that led to my complete astonishment. The secret to Dimash’s vocal range is that it’s like the Universe — endless. He can go very low, and he can go so high… There is no limit to his range.

So, while I was having fun improvising, I was also exploring his musicality. And here’s what I discovered: he is a complete package, a musician without weak points. Usually, no matter how good you are, you have strengths and weaknesses in your skill set. That evening in the studio, I found a singer with no weak points.

He might not have known it, but at that moment, I was already thinking about how to write the melody for the song “This Love” for the film “The Legend.” I realized that I didn’t need to worry about Dimash’s range. While we were having fun making music, I was already composing a song in my head with a melody that couldn’t be too high or too low for him.

Dimash always produces the songs he performs. How does this affect your collaboration?

By the second time we got together in the studio, I practically had the song written. Dimash fully embraced my melody, hopefully because he liked it. But all the vocal parts you hear in the intro, the a cappella beginning, between the chorus and verse, and in the finale— these were all his ideas. I feel that with these additions, he elevated the song to a new level. This is what an insightful musician can do, and I am very grateful to him for making the song special. Thanks to Dimash, the collaboration was great!

Did Dimash write the additional vocal parts in advance, or were they the result of improvisation in the studio?

This is one of Dimash’s many genius sides. All the vocal parts were not written in advance but improvised on the spot, with practically no preparation. It was spontaneous combustion. The fire just ignited as soon as he said, “Let’s go.”

The new song has interesting and extensive lyrics. Did you participate in recording the track or help Dimash with Chinese pronunciation?

Absolutely not. All the credit goes to Zhuang Yan, his manager. She helped Dimash with Chinese pronunciation and worked with him. My Chinese is not very good; I speak Cantonese and am very proud of my Chinese heritage, but unfortunately, I haven’t mastered Mandarin yet.

You attended Dimash’s anniversary concert in Istanbul on May 24 and performed “Happy” with him. You’ve probably seen many shows in your life. What stood out to you at this concert?

Being on stage with such a dynamic and charismatic person as Dimash is an unforgettable experience. Thanks to all the Dears I befriended on Instagram who posted videos of the performance, I can relive that moment over and over again.

I was amazed at how well we performed on stage. Even more thrilling was that we hardly rehearsed the song, playing it only twice the night before. But again, it was an instant flame. At the snap of a finger, we started, and I no longer thought about how my fingers played — I just looked around, smiled, and enjoyed the moment.

The musicians, backing vocals, and Dimash himself were all fantastic. It was like being 7 years old again, on a DisneyLand ride. It was such a joy to “let loose” without worrying about anything in the world.

I’ve performed as a musical director for famous artists, big Chinese and American singers many times, but for me, it was always “work” on stage. But that night, I truly enjoyed performing with Dimash.

Dimash and his colleagues are masters of their craft, and you are a virtuoso pianist and composer. Are there any plans for further collaboration?

Nothing specific at the moment, but they are such talents that I won’t miss the opportunity to work with them, that’s for sure. I had the chance to talk to them, and they are not only excellent musicians but also wonderful people. This also speaks to Dimash’s character: he surrounds himself with good people.

For me, it’s more important to have good friends and musicians on my team, to grow and share my creativity with everyone, than just being filled to the brim with talent. This is a mandatory condition for me.

You have worked with Jackie Chan as a composer and producer for many years. Have you ever wanted to star in his films? What role do you think would suit Dimash as an actor?

This is a funny question for me! I’ve never wanted to star in films — I’m more of a behind-the-scenes person and very happy doing what I do. But as for Dimash, I could definitely see him in front of the camera as a magnetic personality. Look at his music videos — he’s very well-suited to being an actor.

What role do I think would suit him?!.. I’m just a humble musician, not a casting director (laughs). But I imagine he could be a beautiful leading role in a film. As far as I understand, Dimash can do anything he wants and succeed in it! I believe in him, and I know that many, including the Dears, also believe in him.

Whatever Dimash wants to do, he will succeed. One thing I know for sure: God has given him a priceless gift — his voice. And he shares it with all of us. And I am happy that he allowed me to share this joy with him, performing on the same stage in Istanbul. I will never forget it.

Listen to the track on music platforms:

QQ Music：https://c6.y.qq.com/base/fcgi-bin/u?__=tzLDeYmOPxjc
NetEase Music：http://163cn.tv/vsFNdHz
Kugou Music：https://t1.kugou.com/song.html?id=uGyIc8CPV3
KUWO Music：https://m.kuwo.cn/yinyue/389837022?f=ip&t=usercopy
Migu Music: http://c.migu.cn/00l37V?ifrom=be05633799ef23b243e6f7386f9d74ae