ABOUT
JustinZ is a Chinese-American singer, songwriter, and producer whose music blends modern pop, R&B, and 80s-inspired retro influences into an emotionally driven sound. His breakout single “moonlight” became his biggest release to date, surpassing 150,000 Spotify streams as of May 2026 while building a growing audience across TikTok and streaming platforms through performance-driven storytelling and audience engagement.
His artistry first gained international recognition when his debut single “Dreams” earned six awards, including the Gold Remi Award for Best New Artist at the WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival.
Alongside his solo artistry, JustinZ runs MTRNM Music (pronounced “metronome”), his independent record label built to release his own work and support close collaborators. Through MTRNM Media, his broader creative platform spanning music and film, he has worked with artists including Sam Tsui, AJ Rafael, and asumuh while continuing to grow independently.
His industry experience includes digital marketing and creative strategy work with Mercury Records under Republic Records/Universal Music Group, Alamo Records/Sony Music Entertainment, and Artist Partner Group (APG). Recently graduating from the Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University with a Bachelor of Music in Computer Music and a minor in Business & Marketing, JustinZ combines artistic creativity with technical and entrepreneurial experience.
EARLY CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT & BREAKTHROUGH
Before officially debuting, JustinZ explored a range of self-produced singles and collaborative releases that helped shape his artistic identity during his formative years. Those releases have since been retired from streaming as he refined his sound and direction.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, he also used music to support charitable causes. His early release “tell me we’re ok” was a self-written charity single created with artists from his creative circle, while “Blossom” later supported the Super Joey Foundation, a nonprofit helping children battling cancer.
On May 20, 2022, JustinZ released “Dreams,” marking his official debut. The accompanying music video, starring Bailey “Bailrok” Muñoz from So You Think You Can Dance and Emmy-nominated actress Rain Valdez, earned the Gold Remi Award for Best New Artist at the WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival and introduced his cinematic pop-R&B sound to a wider audience.
He later followed up with “Runaway” (2023), “Why Can’t You Stay,” and “moonlight” (2025). Both later singles gained traction on TikTok, with “moonlight” becoming his biggest release to date, surpassing 150,000 Spotify streams as of May 2026. These releases continue building momentum toward his debut album arriving in 2026.
RECENT WORKS & INDUSTRY CONTRIBUTIONS
Alongside his artistic career, JustinZ has built experience across digital marketing, artist development, and music innovation. He currently works as a Creative & Marketing Intern at Mercury Records under Republic Records/Universal Music Group while also consulting with Alamo Records/Sony Music on digital marketing and short-form content strategy.
Previously at Artist Partner Group (APG), he contributed to campaigns generating millions of weekly views across TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube Shorts, including a 270K-view TikTok activation and audience growth work for emerging artists.
Beyond marketing, he served as Music & Media Project Lead for NASA’s Message in a Bottle initiative, composing the official theme song and documentary score, while also working as a producer and engineer at Flying Media helping artists develop release-ready records.
JustinZ also co-developed MelodyFi, an AI-assisted production tool (Patent: US 63/261,348) with research published by AIRCC Publishing Corporation.
Earlier in his career, he co-founded iStage Entertainment, producing nationally recognized events alongside McDonald's, Warner Bros., SkyLinkTV, and East West Players, including the Forbes-featured Crazy Talented Asians 2021 showcase.
