The Tragic and Triumphant Story of the First Asian-American Movie Star, Anna May Wong, Comes to Life in Solemn Pledge’s Brilliant New Rock Opera Concept Album, “Anna May Wong: A Screen Icon’s Story”
Solemn Pledge, the powerful rock music duo of Maria Genevieve Elia and Michael Justin Lee, are the most prominent new creators in the Rock Opera genre. In their latest release, they employ a variety of rock music styles to tell the powerful and true story of Anna May Wong, the first Chinese-American star of the silver screen.
Her career began in the silent film era but tragically was cut short by the unwillingness of studios to cast Asians. But she forged ahead, setting the stage for Asian-American artists to come, including Bruce Lee, Michelle Yeoh, and so many others. Especially with the success of Asian-Americans at the 2023 Academy Awards, Solemn Pledge feels this is a particularly fine time to release their latest Concept EP, “Anna May Wong: A Screen Icon’s Story” to honor her.
Solemn Pledge retains deep roots in hard rock / heavy metal and powerfully demonstrates this with the album’s first two songs, “American Girl” and “Hollywood Dreams,” which together convey Anna May Wong’s yearning ambition to become a successful actress. Vocalist Maria Genevieve Elia absolutely electrifies these songs about Anna’s exhilarating dreams with her impossibly high vocal range, dynamically performed.
The album then takes on a soft rock tone with the next song, “Never Welcome,” to reflect Anna’s eventual disillusionment with Hollywood. Her subsequent and successful career in the European film industry is portrayed next with the raucous blues/rock song, “New Home.” The album concludes on a melancholy note with the pop/rock song, “Wasn’t My Time” to depict Anna toward the end of her life, sad about unfulfilled dreams but optimistic about the prospects for future Asian-American performers.
All songs were brilliantly performed by Maria Genevieve Elia and masterfully composed and produced by Michael Justin Lee. The duo’s previous seven Rock opera albums have been very gratifyingly embraced by the public. They, along with “Anna May Wong,” are streaming on Spotify, iTunes/Apple Music, Pandora, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, and over 150 other platforms worldwide.
Discover these inspiring artists’ music on Spotify, YouTube, and their website at the following link https://solemnpledge.com/. Follow the artists’ official social media page on Instagram for updates on newer music. For interviews, reviews, and/or collaborations reach out through this email: [email protected].
ABOUT
Solemn Pledge is a rock music duo that combines the artistries of Maria Genevieve Elia and Michael Justin Lee. Their combined talent is revolutionizing the Rock Opera genre.
Maria, a heavy metal vocalist with a very distinctive timbre and a vocal range of three and a half octaves, has performed on rock and symphonic rock projects with artists around the world. Michael, a member of the Songwriters Guild of America, the Producers Guild of America, and the Society of Composers and Lyricists, has composed and produced nine previous albums that are streaming on all the major platforms worldwide.
LINKS
YouTube Music: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_kAz3W_E568BnHd2VO8hLBYXci8keK1YnE
Official Website: https://solemnpledge.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-justin-lee-cfa-16763517/
Media Contact
Company Name: Solemn Pledge
Contact Person: Michael Lee
Email: Send Email
Phone: 800-983-1362
City: New York
State: New York
Country: United States
Website: https://solemnpledge.com/
