The C-pop/M-pop Discussion 3rd Thread

[Linoa62]

Originally Posted by maddy1111

I miss at least one song that immediately grabs my attention. There are many songs I like (Love Detention, Thunder of Love, Remember to Smile) but any song I really LOVE. I think there's also a problem with track order on this album. It just doesn't make sense to put most of ballads on the first part of album.
I still listen this album quite often so maybe it will grow on me later...

My feelings exactly o_O I couldn't put my finger on it... I already barely listen to it to be honest.

Originally Posted by maddy1111

Concerning Jolin, I don't care about this Pepsi song at all. It gets attention of her international fans just because music video has been shot. But for me, it's still just one huge commercial campaign and you, orbitalaspect, shouldn't compare it with MUSE or Myself songs wait for her new album and original songs not this mandarin version of Pepsi song

None of the songs released after MUSE (Journey, Kaleidoscope, Now Is The Time, Ke Wang Jiu Yi Kuai, Shake Your Body) will be in the upcoming album.
Actually the ones I like the best among these are Journey and Kaleidoscope.
Now Is The Time and its Chinese version are nice, but not album-worthy at all IMO.

Originally Posted by maddy1111

To tell the truth, it's more up-beat than most of her albums. I wouldn't compare it with Sandy Lam's GAIA (simply because I consider this album one of the best albums from recent years!) but it's dinifitely a great album

Maybe that's why I like it so much o_O
I listened to Sandy Lam's Gaia because reviews were great and she got lots of nominations (and later awards) at the GMA... And when I did all the way through I was thinking "Jolin will never get that Best Album award" lol
But even so, I didn't like it, it's not my cup of tea I guess.

Originally Posted by maddy1111

The 5th Sense was a masterpiece with very strong emotional ballads but then she is just mediocre for me (piano ballads which sound exactly the same and boring up-beat songs). I don't think I like any song from her latest album. She will definitely need a huge hit next time in Taiwan othewise no one will care about her anymore.

Really? I'll listen to this one.
And I think you're right about the "hit" part.

Originally Posted by maddy1111

I also expected more of Jane Zhang's new album The Seventh Sense.

I read some bad reviews about it from fans reported as well by the media... Basically Chinese fans don't like this album, to them it's not her anymore and she became a "Jolin Tsai-wannabe" (looks, dance, even the voice), especially in BAZAAR they feel like they're hearing Jolin. Some articles even said that it was an "easy" (lazy?) album, but Jane Zhang replied that on the contrary she actually never worked so hard on an album.
Maybe that's why I enjoyed this album, and BAZAAR is also one of my favorites lol

Originally Posted by maddy1111

Ann Bai's What's Next? album released a few days ago is a masterpiece!, Chris Lee's 1987 (yeah, her album really has this „80s feeling“)

You seem to know quite a lot of artists ♥
Is Ann Bai's album full of ballads? I'm hesitating whether to listen to it or not...

Originally Posted by maddy1111

And a lot of artists will release album later this year (Jay Chou, Jolin, Genie Zhuo, Joey Yung, Mag Lam, Kay Tse, Sherman Chung, Fiona Sit, Jeannie Hsieh ...and Wang Leehom or Karen Mok maybe)

Jay Chou -> October at the moment
Jolin -> Mid-November
Genie Chuo -> September 26th, title song released
Jeannie Hsieh -> End of the year, just released a promo song for an insurance
Wang Leehom -> Don't know, he just released a single (Lose Myself feat. Avicii), didn't like it
Karen Mok -> Just released a new song that will be in her upcoming album, she's still working on it... End of the year - early 2015 I think
Fiona Sit -> Nothing confirmed, but she already released 2 songs this year, and she held 2 concerts in HK a couple of days ago
Rainie Yang -> Said in an award ceremony this summer that she will release a new album this year, but nothing about a recording or anything yet
Cindy Yen -> End of the year

[maddy1111]

Originally Posted by Linoa62

Maybe that's why I like it so much o_O
I listened to Sandy Lam's Gaia because reviews were great and she got lots of nominations (and later awards) at the GMA... And when I did all the way through I was thinking "Jolin will never get that Best Album award" lol
But even so, I didn't like it, it's not my cup of tea I guess.

Actually, I understand. Even if I really love this album I must agree that it is not album for masses. It is very intimate and experimental album, you really need to like this type of dark, electronic pop/rock/R&B (I can't even describe what style of music it is)

Originally Posted by Linoa62

Really? I'll listen to this one.
And I think you're right about the "hit" part.

Give it a try definitely! This album made me a fan back in 2009. There are plenty of gems (The 5th Season, White, I Want Yours, I Started a Joke), one of the best Angela's ballads she has ever recorded.
Unfortunately, next two albums made me... I don't know, I just don't care about her anymore ...at all

Originally Posted by Linoa62

I read some bad reviews about it from fans reported as well by the media... Basically Chinese fans don't like this album, to them it's not her anymore and she became a "Jolin Tsai-wannabe" (looks, dance, even the voice), especially in BAZAAR they feel like they're hearing Jolin. Some articles even said that it was an "easy" (lazy?) album, but Jane Zhang replied that on the contrary she actually never worked so hard on an album.
Maybe that's why I enjoyed this album, and BAZAAR is also one of my favorites lol

really? I didn't expect critics to love it, but I thought fans like it. BAZAAR and Forever are good tracks, but I agree that she wants to be "Jolin-like superstar of Mainland China".
I read somewhere that she has been working on album really hard for almost 2 years, but I just don't hear this hard work there. It's okay pop/R&B album, but nothing really special. It sounds too "americanish".

Originally Posted by Linoa62

You seem to know quite a lot of artists ♥
Is Ann Bai's album full of ballads? I'm hesitating whether to listen to it or not...

Do not hesitate! You must listen this album if you are a fan of C-pop.
Her first album was fine, but this time she really surprised me. It's one of the best mandarin albums of 2014.
It's not full of ballads, but don't expect it to be dance/up-beat album. Most of the songs are mid-tempo, exactly like the first single What's Next?

Originally Posted by Linoa62

Genie Chuo -> September 26th, title song released
Wang Leehom -> Don't know, he just released a single (Lose Myself feat. Avicii), didn't like it
Cindy Yen -> End of the year

Genie Chuo's newest song really disappointed me. But it's because I usually don't like these cute-pop songs. err... I expected to be more "Villian-like"

Wang Leehom's brother metioned at the beginning of the year that he (Leehom) is preparing new album but no info there so far ...if he doesn't release album this year, I think we can really expect it to be released in the first half of 2015.

Cindy Yen's new album this year? I had no idea. Great news! I really like her first album. Don't you know if she is working on album with Jay Chou again?

[Linoa62]

Originally Posted by maddy1111

Give it a try definitely! This album made me a fan back in 2009. There are plenty of gems (The 5th Season, White, I Want Yours, I Started a Joke), one of the best Angela's ballads she has ever recorded.
Unfortunately, next two albums made me... I don't know, I just don't care about her anymore ...at all

Visible Wings was... blah. It was really boring. I liked Angela Zhang (the album) a lot better but only When You Live For Love really stands out IMO. It was nice though that she provided English translations for every song.

Originally Posted by maddy1111

really? I didn't expect critics to love it, but I thought fans like it. BAZAAR and Forever are good tracks, but I agree that she wants to be "Jolin-like superstar of Mainland China".
I read somewhere that she has been working on album really hard for almost 2 years, but I just don't hear this hard work there. It's okay pop/R&B album, but nothing really special. It sounds too "americanish".

The thing that bothered me the most is that half of the songs were already available when the album got released... I'm not used to that in C-Pop lol

Originally Posted by maddy1111

Do not hesitate! You must listen this album if you are a fan of C-pop.
Her first album was fine, but this time she really surprised me. It's one of the best mandarin albums of 2014.
It's not full of ballads, but don't expect it to be dance/up-beat album. Most of the songs are mid-tempo, exactly like the first single What's Next?

Listening to it on QQ right now I like mid-tempo and ballads too, but when ballads are too slow or too boring or both, I just can't o_O
EDIT: I really like it o_O She has a really nice voice. Thanks

Originally Posted by maddy1111

Genie Chuo's newest song really disappointed me. But it's because I usually don't like these cute-pop songs. err... I expected to be more "Villian-like"

I don't like it, but this "Jiu Mi Jiu Mi" thing is annoying, it gets stuck in your mind lol

Originally Posted by maddy1111

Wang Leehom's brother mentioned at the beginning of the year that he (Leehom) is preparing new album but no info there so far ...if he doesn't release album this year, I think we can really expect it to be released in the first half of 2015.

Nothing on Leehom's Facebook... He just said that he filmed an MV for Lose Myself.

Originally Posted by maddy1111

Cindy Yen's new album this year? I had no idea. Great news! I really like her first album. Don't you know if she is working on album with Jay Chou again?

It was supposed to be released in June and it got postponed to the end of the year lol She's giving updates from time to time on the new album on her FB.
I don't know about that :/
She revealed 2 songs from the upcoming album last July during an event:
愛是黑白 Love Is Black And White

刺蝟的擁抱 Hedgehog Hug

Originally Posted by maddy1111

Karen Mok's new album/EP is here sooner than I expected.

http://www.yesasia.com/global/regardez-ep-limited-edition/1036733424-0-0-0-en/info.html

Wow thanks for the tip! Last week when the song aired in Taiwan they just said that she was still working on her album, there was no release date lol

[maddy1111]

Originally Posted by Linoa62

Karen Mok -> Just released a new song that will be in her upcoming album, she's still working on it... End of the year - early 2015 I think

Karen Mok's new album/EP is here sooner than I expected.

http://www.yesasia.com/global/regardez-ep-limited-edition/1036733424-0-0-0-en/info.html