THE BRIDAL LAMENT

The Bridal Lament is Rainbow Chan’s third album, due for release in 2026, featuring songs from her critically acclaimed solo theatre production of the same name.

Developed over six years of research, The Bridal Lament centres on the endangered 圍頭 Waitau/Weitou bridal laments—mourning songs traditionally sung in the days leading up to arranged marriages. Chan worked closely with her mother and a small group of elderly women in Hong Kong, among the last brides who still remember these ceremonies. Performed over three nights, the lament ritual was one of the few socially sanctioned spaces for Waitau/Weitou women to voice grief, anger and sorrow as they prepared to leave their families and former identities behind.

Both personal and political, The Bridal Lament weaves grief, memory and resistance into incisive songwriting. In reanimating these forgotten songs, Chan carves out space for untold matrilineal stories, using sound as a vessel for memory and collective defiance.

Cover of the album "Seven Sisters" by Rainbow Chan featuring a woman in a black dress surrounded by women in red robes with hoods, inside a dimly lit room with Asian-inspired decor and red lanterns, with the album title in yellow and Chinese characters.

“A welcome return and uncompromising slice of art-pop”

The Guardian

SEVEN SISTERS

“Seven Sisters” single from The Bridal Lament (2026)

Director
Anne Berry

Director of Photography
Ian Wong

Producer
Capsule48

Editor & Colourist
Anne Berry

Costume Design
Rachel Song

Hair & Make up
Karen Yiu
Carmen Lau
Bonnie Cheung

Dancers
Jasmine Lam
Heidi Yau

“A striking and unique homage to heritage and sisterhood that could only be led by an artist such as Rainbow Chan”

rage  

Listen/Buy
A young woman with braided hair and freckles is sitting amidst multiple people wearing red clothing. The people surrounding her are reaching out towards her with their hands, forming a frame around her face.
Group of women in red costumes and masks, one in the foreground reaching out.
Four women with red hooded scarves, topless from the waist up, standing in profile in a dimly lit room, with a single light source casting shadows on their faces and a wall with a door and laundry in the background.
A woman sitting on the floor surrounded by six other women dressed in red, with red lanterns and green lighting in the background.
A woman with dark hair and earrings is surrounded by several women in red clothing who are touching her hair.
A woman with dark hair and jewelry, looking upward with a serious expression, surrounded by women in red hoods in a dark setting.
A woman wearing an elaborate headdress and red veil stands among women wrapped in red cloth. The scene is set against a dark, brick background.
Five women sitting against a brick wall, wearing traditional Asian attire and large black hats, with one woman standing behind them dressed in all black and covered with a black veil.
A woman wearing rhinestone-studded clothing and head covering, speaking into a microphone on stage, with red and orange lighting creating a vibrant atmosphere.
A person with colorful hair and a hat, standing on a busy neon-lit street at night with streaks of light from passing cars, surrounded by illuminated signs with Chinese characters.

POMELO WATER

“Pomelo Water” single from The Bridal Lament (2026)

Listen/Buy

Music video made by
Joshua Tate
Rae Choi
Rainbow Chan

Pomelo Animation
Rel Pham

Related Projects

The Bridal Lament (Theatre)

Songs From A Walled Village

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