Why Lay Zhang Was 'Very Nervous' About His US Debut 'Namanana'

Lay Zhang predicted some hurdles when he plotted his agenda to work on his U.S. debut album, NAMANANA, but the pop star ended up striking gold when the set became the highest-ranked album from a Chinese pop artist to ever appear on the Billboard 200.

"[I was] very nervous about this album, but I want to share my music in the U.S. and use English to [get] close to each other because in the American market, I have to use just English," the Exo star told iHeartRadio's own Ellie Lee. While NAMANANA is his fourth overall release, the 22-track collection remains a special one as it features 11 tracks recorded in Mandarin Chinese with English counterparts for each. Zhang went on to admit that he tried his best to brush up on the English language, but he only has so much of an environment to pick it up. "I just tried my best every day to remember the words and try to talk to [people] who can speak English, but give me more time. I can get better."

NAMANANA also features a collaboration with rising star Bazzi on the track "Give Me A Chance." While the international phenomenon didn't sing with him on the cut, they are both credited for the music on the track. Calling him "a young talented guy," Lay said that he offered him a lot of inspiration. "His melodies are very dope," Zhang added. 

Scroll on below for more on our time with Lay Zhang, including talk about his love for Justin Timberlake and advice for any aspiring singers that look up to him! 

Photo: Rachel Kaplan for iHeartRadio