Malaysian artists Chen Huijian (Orange) and Xie Chengwei (Rickman), who have been in the industry for nearly 20 years, have collaborated as long-time partners on various stages and programs, yet have never released a Chinese New Year song as a duo. For the upcoming Year of the Horse in 2026, their dream has finally come true with the release of a brand new Lunar New Year song, “Mamamia Ma Shang Huat Ah!” (Mamamia Instantly Prosper!), in which they were personally involved in every aspect of production. They admitted the process was more difficult than they imagined, and even revealed that at the last minute, they discovered an error in the MV files, forcing them to make urgent changes—even ‘kneeling’ to the director for help.
Speaking about the opportunity for this collaboration, Xie Chengwei revealed that the idea of releasing a New Year song was conceived 5–6 years ago, but the timing was never right. “This time, we finally met a sponsor, and with everything lined up perfectly, our wish could be realized.” He laughed, saying this is just the beginning and hopes to continue releasing more New Year songs and even produce festive short dramas in the future. “We want everyone to have fun and act together, and we also hope to provide more work opportunities for our fellow artist friends.”
The creation of “Mamamia Ma Shang Huat Ah!” was full of interesting twists, originating from Xie Chengwei's chance encounter while sharing a table. He shared that the boss he met admired their programs, which led to the collaboration. The boss’s wife turned out to be a big fan of DJ Zhang Xinyi (Hana), hoping she could join the project as well. Ultimately, the song was written by Xinyi (lyrics), composed by Chen Xinhua, while producer Chen Yanhui added a lively and down-to-earth festive atmosphere to the song.
Taking on the role of bosses for the first time, the two had clear divisions of labor—Chen Huijian handled the song’s concept and copywriting, while Xie Chengwei managed the budget and overall coordination. They confessed that after getting hands-on, they realized how challenging behind-the-scenes production really is. “We used to have companies and teams to help us—it was truly a blessing.” In order to complete the project, they jokingly said they went all out calling in favors, inviting many friends to make cameo appearances.
Talking about the significance of releasing a New Year song, Chen Huijian said she grew up watching singers like Xiao Nini perform New Year songs and never thought she’d one day sing one herself. “I think it’s a very fortunate thing.” She admitted that despite stiff competition in the festive market, she still wants to bring tons of blessings and good fortune to everyone through the song. She also said her husband watched the MV and thought the quality was pretty good—even helping her proofread it.
Xie Chengwei joked that releasing this New Year project even included hosting a press conference, to which many friends questioned, “Why go to such lengths?” But he believes this is the tradition for artists like himself: “I am a more traditional artist, and I want to stick to the classic ways—doing a formal launch to let more people know about the work.” With web-based artists and internet CNY songs gaining huge popularity in recent years, when asked if he was confident about standing out, he admitted he wasn’t overthinking it; he just hopes the song will be loved and promoted far and wide.