J-Tainment of the Week

God Motha's Elite ROL's Sunshine
Showing posts with label Taiwan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Taiwan. Show all posts

Monday, March 8, 2010

Potential Alert #2: Jeremy Liu

This is why I'm fickle. How does anyone expect me to stick with one or a few artists when they keep churning out outrageously talented newbies like...Jeremy Liu.
J-D Squared

Jeremy comes from a distinguished background, having both parents being reputed musical and thespian artists in Taiwan. As a child, influence in the liberal arts was strong, and his parents nurtured his interest and natural talent in music. Schooled in the United States, Jeremy has much western influence in his musical creations, especially that of Funk and Jazz. The most intriguing aspect of Jeremy's music is the diversity and uniqueness of his melodies. It's not your usual mainstream fare, of R&B or pop, but rather un-catchy themes in a surprisingly acceptable style.

J-D Squared
Released 12.31.2009
Track List

1. 佔據 (Occupy)
2. Mr. Why
3. 呼叫機器人 (Calling, Robot)
4. 玫瑰 (Rose)
5. 想 (Ponder)
6. 狐狸是誰 (Who is Fox)
7. 住在動物園 (Living at the Zoo)
8. 空傷 (Empty Injury)
9. 連結 (Link)
10. 延長線 (Extension)

Jeremy Liu - Mr. Why

Jeremy Liu's voice, unfortunately, reminds me of many ABC (American-Born Chinese) singers, such as Wang Lee Hom, in that particular way of pronouncing Mandarin Chinese. Therefore, it does not strike me as being ultimately unique. However, that does not reflect his singing ability, which showcases great range and expressive technique, nor his amazing composition talent, which I find completely enthralling and diverse.

Jeremy Liu - Ponder
Song: Jeremy Liu

Credit: supernicemusic

Jeremy Liu - Mr. Why
Song: Jeremy Liu

Credit: blump3music

Of my favorite picks for Best New Artist at this year's Golden Melody Awards in Taiwan, Jeremy, so far poses the most threat to my other favorite, Million Dollar Star 3rd season winner, songstress Lala Xu. As I'm a huge fan of talented, self-composing female singing artists, and because of the dominance of male winners in this category, I would prefer Lala win this year. Unfortunately, Lala has some stiff competition.

Jeremy Liu - Rose (Movie Barbed Hills Theme Song)
Song: Jeremy Liu

Credit: warnertaiwan

As I don't speak any of the other 55 Chinese ethnic dialects, I can not confirm the meanings of the ethnic singing in the background of Rose. However, I really do admire and appreciate the creative fusion of "folk" or "minority" music integrated into contemporary styles. With the rising popularity of minority ethnic stars, or those of mixed Chinese ethnicities, it is no wonder that more and more entertainment arenas are exploring the cultural wonders of these ethnic nationalities.

The GM

Monday, March 1, 2010

Potential Alert: Jia Hui Wu

It's sad, really...to think how high I get off of discovering new, talented potentials, but the truth is... I love it and am addicted to it - that kind of excitement, thrill, delirium that comes with finding the sparkle in new artists. Of course, this also results in my overwhelming desire to share my discoveries. So, here's my first "Potential Alert" for 2010.

J-D Squared

JiaHui Wu - I Crazy You
Released: 12.25.2009

1. 虽然我愿意 (Even Though I'm Willing)
2. 无家可归 (No Home to Return)
3. 听听 (Listen)
4. 我疯你 (I Crazy You)
5. 一个人白头 (One Person Till Old)
6. 肚子饿了(Hungry)
7. 空缺 (Vancancy)
8. 要你说爱我 (Want You to Say Love Me)
9. 童话傻瓜 (Fairy Tale Fool)
10. 远距离 (Distance)
11. 一人一半 (A Half Per Person)

Download

Jia Hui Wu is not new to the music industry. In fact he's one of the most acclaimed song and lyric writers of his generation. From Malaysia and at the age of 28 (he barely looks like he's 20), Jia Hui Wu has released 150+ songs, obtained plethora of songwriter/music awards, and has written songs for Stephanie Sun, Jacky Cheung, Karen Mok, Leon Lai, Tanya Cai, Joey Yung, Tao Jin Ying (MC Hostess of Million Dollar Star), Vic Zhou, Jerry Yan, among others. Though more people recognize his songs than his face, he's highly sought-after and respected within the industry, and I think finally releasing his own album in Taiwan will inspire more great works from Jia Hui Wu.

Jerry Yan - One Meter (一公尺)
Song: Wu Jia Hui

Credit: crystaljerry

What I like about Jia Hui is his modesty yet inspiring individuality. His shy demeanor and slight appearance may strike you as a common bystander, but when he sings, plays his guitar, you're instantly grabbed by his soul-soothing, clairvoyant voice and musical talent.
It's as if his musical creations balance and contrast his singing so there is a lot of defining unity to his compositions. Perhaps that's why I lean toward singing artists who write and sing their own songs - it has this unique wholesomeness to it. I absolutely adore this album, particularly its Theme singles - I Crazy You, Even Though I'm Willing, A Half Per Person, Listen, Want You to Say Love Me, Fairy Tale Fool...Ok, you get the point.

Jia Hui Wu - I Crazy You (Live)
Song/Lyrics: Jia Hui Wu


Credit: orangeshadow0514
*Note the screeching reaction of the female sub-host after his performance - that was mine as well - minus the high lilting voice.*

Jia Hui Wu - I Crazy You
Song/Lyrics: Jia Hui Wu

Credit: blump3music

Jia Hui Wu - Even Though I'm Willing
Song/Lyrics: Jia Hui Wu

Credit: hotstudio1979

Jia Hui Wu - A Half Per Person

Credit: JuliaKgrl

The GM

Sunday, January 31, 2010

Anson Hu Returns with “Music Life”

If you don’t know who Anson Hu is – get to know him. Not known for looks (who cares?) nor smooth-talking charm (can turn me off if not done “right”), Anson is recognized for his diverse musical talents and amazing voice. To provide some reasoning as to why I’m unusually passionate about this guy, I’ve posted the following clips – view in order posted for best comprehension. Also suggest loading videos first before watching.

Show Luo – One Man Show

Credit: roland149

Anson Hu – One Man Show Rendition

Credit: faloveshow2

Yes, it was a spontaneous, on-the-spot rendition. No, Anson is not extremely familiar with the song. Yes, Show Luo, the original singer and host of 100% Entertainment was so impressed he was stuttering and speechless, as was his co-host Alien Huang (minus the stuttering), another singer-actor.

Anson Hu – Waiting For You
Song: Anson Hu
MV Appearances: Ariel Lin & Mike He

Credit: Juliakgrl

Anson Hu is a rarity in Chinese mando-pop industry. Back before all the singing competitions brought many young idols to fame, China’s music industry was heavily doused with older, schooled, and critically acclaimed singers – “pop-y” songs and ‘idol” artists mostly imported from Hong Kong, Taiwan, Korea, Japan, or Malay/Singapore. In fact, the trend of “imported idols” is still strong in China’s music sphere today (though China is successfully breeding its own generation of pop idols). To release a self-written c-pop album at the tender age of 18 back in 2002 was consider unusual, daring, and against mainland China’s industry norm – after all, Anson would have been competing with the likes of Leehom Wang, F4, the then red-hot newbie Jay Chow, etc. and the stigma of China’s traditionalism in music. To many, he is considered one of the pioneers in the current wave of young, popular, Chinese idol singers who can compete with popular non-mainland Chinese artists.

*Anson Hu – Emperor*
Song/Lyrics:
Anson Hu

Credit: Tamahoma

Touting over a billion people, China is a "super" market for many countries, music or otherwise. So, it’s not unusual to see Chinese fans learning about and eventually going crazy over a Kpop, TWpop, HKpop, Jpop singer or group – but how often do you see other regions going wild over a young C-pop idol? Most likely never. After winning multiple awards and producing hit song after hit song, other mandarin-speaking regions finally started to recognize his name and face. In 2007, Anson Hu hit the first great height of his career, releasing Men’s Songs and nabbing almost all major music awards in China with his hit single, A Man’s KTV, a song incorporating 4 lines from classic KTV songs sang by lengendary Jacky Cheung and “King of Songs” Eason Chan. His huge popularity in the mainland finally triggered Anson’s expansion to regions such as Taiwan, often considered as the most innovative and refreshing cultivator of mando-pop music. His talent, as shown in the clips above, voice, hit songs, and somewhat 4-D personality attracted many non-mainland China fans. It was the first time I felt a Chinese C-pop singing artist so favored by another region’s fans.

Anson Hu - A Man’s KTV
Song:
Anson Hu

Credit: binkyo

Of the many things I love about Anson, his musical talent, voice, singing range, 4-D personality, stunted speech (sometimes he’s rather inept in vocalizing his thoughts), I admire the dedication and pride he has in his music the most. Anson Hu’s music has many cultural and “oldies” influences (before “retro” became the new “in” for mainland artists), but he’s able to integrate modern styles, such as R&B, rap, funk, rock, etc. into his compositions. A great example combining traditional and modern music is the following song.

Anson Hu – Departing Poem
Song:
Anson Hu

Credit: usao10



Track List:
01. 你买单还我买单 (You Take the Tab or do I)
02. 失业情歌 (Laid-Off Love Song)
03. 笔墨登场 (Entrance of Calligraphy)
04. 不曾后悔 (Never Regretted)
05. 罗马假日 (Roman Holiday)
06. 空位 (Empty Space)
07. 林妹妹 (Sister Lin)
08. FUNRUN
09. 勇敢去爱吧 (Love Like No Other)
10. 父亲 (Father)
11. 闪亮的日子(Glorious Days)

Anson Hu - Music Life

After his hit and award-winning album 2 years ago, Anson releases Music Life on 12.08.09. The album includes songs that have been released in commercials, singles, and ceremonies in the last 2 years, but also new never-before-released compositions like Laid Off Love Song aka the more ambiguous title Music Life. I have yet to be disappointed with Anson’s albums, as he’s constantly incorporating current themes to retain my attention. In his last mini-album, he renditioned old 1930s-1950s songs to celebrate China’s 60th anniversary. This time, Anson’s newest album touches on the global recession and economic impact on people’s lives. Looks like I’m going to be rolling into my 8th year as a fan. ^_^

Anson Hu – Laid Off Love Song aka Music Life
Song:
Anson Hu

Credit: Fountainpark723

So have I converted you yet? If not, go to my Youtube page for more Anson Hu songs and live performances – that should do the trick.

The God Motha

The Talented Release Albums, Part II



Track List :
01. Oh Yeah!!!
02. 七天 (7 Day)
03. Tomato
04. 爱情,习作 (Love, Practice)
05. I No
06. 开心餐厅 (Happy Restaurant)
07. 吉米宝贝 (Jimmy Baby)
08. 风雨 (Windy Rain)
09. A
10. 最寂寞的時候 (When Most Alone)
11. 听见了吗? (Do You Hear?)
12. 再见勾勾 (Goodbye Pinky Swear)

Crown Lu - 7 Day

After grabbing the 2009 Golden Melody Award’s (Taiwanese Grammy) Best New Artist amid tough competition, Crowd Lu released his 2nd album on 10.31.2009. Crowd Lu is one of those unique people you cannot avoid noticing. Perhaps it’s his “geeky-homebody” getup or his weird, yet endearing train of thought that has much of Taiwan’s HS/college students in an uproar and urge to mimick his iconic style/music. Crowd, or Vitas, as he’s often referred to because of his ability to sing in high-pitched “dolphin” ranges (so termed because the pitches are so high only dolphins can hear it), was once in a devastating car accident that almost crippled his leg.

Yet, the guy is amazingly go-lucky, happy, and innocent in the way he views music, the world, and people around him. There is a boundless, free, and real quality to his self-written, self-accompanied, and self-sang music. And perhaps that is his greatest appeal; that his music speaks to practical, everyday life while maintaining a sliver of humor, innocence, and brightness to it.

Crowd Lu – Oh Yeah!!!
Song/Lyrics:
Crowd Lu

Credit: supernicemusic

Crowd Lu – I No
Song/Lyrics:
Crowd Lu

Credit: supernicemusic




Track List :
01. 看月亮爬上来 (Watching the Moon Climb Up)
02. 穿越人海 (Passing Through the Crowd)
03. 何必在一起 (Why Bother Being Together)
04. 微笑 (Smile)
05. 量身订做 (Specifically Tailored)
06. 勿忘心安 (Memorable Peace)
07. 龙鳞 (Scales of the Dragon)

Jason Zhang - Through Trilogy

Jason Zhang released 3rd album, Through Trilogy, on 11.02.09. He was most broadly recognized as being a talented contestant of Hunan Broadcasting Station’s SuperBoy, a spinoff from the sensational SuperGirl singing competitions, in 2007. Talent, heart, passion for music, and filial duty describes Jason Zhang. Coming from a destitute family, Jason matured young, knowing the value of family and hard work. Perhaps it was his reticence and seriousness that contributed to his lower likeability/popularity in the competition, but that didn't stop Jason from showing the country his amazing talents as a singer and artist.

After placing 4th in SuperBoys (a complete travesty in my opinion b/c I judge singing competitions by talent and artist-range potential, not physical appearance and popularity), Jason’s fans rallied behind the multi-talented singer. He obtained much support from the MC’s of the singing competition, and even gained a touchingly-sweet romance with Nana Xie - a comedic, tomboyish, highly popular MC-host of the Hunan Station (their friendship-turned-romance was highly controversial at the time of the competition).
Now, Jason is considered one of the most popular and sought-after young male singers in China, as well as one of the most happy and fulfilled. It only shows that heart, hard-work, and talent can surpass the adversities of poverty, physical appearance, social aptitude, and any societal measure.

Jason Zhang – Watching the Moon Climb Up

Credit: fountainpark723

Jason Zhang – After Tomorrow

Credit: coolxuemin

Having already been somewhat jaded from previous SuperGirl competitions, the 2007 SuperBoy was the last straw for me. It proved to prevent all future viewings of Hunan Station’s singing competitions. My favorite contestants at the time of the SuperGirl and SuperBoy competitions, who I thought should have won…did not win. But if I were to be shameless and direct, almost all of them have succeeded in greater bounds than the ones who did win, at least in the way I view "success."

Of my favorites included Jane Zhang, Bibi Zhou, Jason Zhang, Wang Zhen Liang, and a few other extremely musically talented singers. So even though I was miffed at the popularity contests of these competitions, I am rectified by the fact that the industry and public at large gave them their due opportunities, successes, and awards. I am infinitely happy that China’s music industry has not receded to pure superficiality as it came dangerously close to between the years of 2004 – 2008. I think there is more of a balance now between the commercially superficial and the illuminative deep in China's music industry, but it can definitely learn from Taiwan and spur more popular, yet innovative and creative musical talents. I would love if a majority of C-pop idols start creating new sounds, and writing their own music. With a country of more than a billion brains, you gotta think there are more innovative ideas out there.

The God Motha

The Talented Release Albums, Part I

As I was away on vacay, a slew of talented artists and newbies came out with new albums. Here they are in chronological release date order…



Track List:
01. 她扔了根火柴(国) (She Threw Away A Match)
02. 月亮说 (Moon Says)
03. 大笨钟 (Bulky Clock)
04. 低科技之歌 (Low Tech Song)
05. I’m Sorry
06. 我不打算流眼泪(国) (I Don’t Plan on Crying – Mandarin)
07. 小团圆 (Little Reunion)
08. 记住 记住 (合唱: 王菀之&常石磊) (Remember Remember – Duet)
09. 粒糖有毒 (Candy Has Poison)
10. 迷失艺术 (Art of Confusion)
11. 月亮事(国) (Moon Business – Mandarin)
12. Mary Had A Little Clock

Ivana Wong - On The Wings of Time

Ivana Wong, one of the first and most notable female song-writing and singing artist of the Cantonese music industry, as many of their female singers did (do) not compose and are heavily packaged by record companies, released On Wings of Time on 10.29.09. She was, to me, a breakthrough from the dance-y, pop-y, and flashy young generation of Canto singers in the early 2000s. Her music is not usually mainstream and has more of a soul-searching aspect to it, but I love the originality and creativity of her works – very melancholy indie.

Ivana Wong – Moon Says, Bulky Clock
Songs/Lyrics:
Ivana Wong

Credit: minishopm12




Track List:
01. 雨后天空 (The Sky After Rain)
02. 画沙 (Painting Sand)
03. 唱首歌因为思念 (Sing A Song For Missing You)
04. 热气球 (Hot Air Balloon)
05. 笨鱼曲 (Stupid Fish Song)
06. I’m Sorry
07. 你不爱我了 (You Don’t Love Me)
08. 舞带威胁 (Dance of Coercion)
09. 很旅行的爱情 (A Love That Is Journey)
10. 那年我们一起许愿 (The Year We Made A Wish)

Cindy Yen

New artist Cindy Yen debuts with prominent support from legendary Jay Chow, lyricist Fang Wen Shan, and magnate record company Sony Music on 10.30.2009. Cindy’s album has Jazz/R&B influences and instrumental emphasis due to her background. The girl is skilled in both piano and violin, and writes her own music – following the growing trend of musically inclined female artists in Taiwan. And to show off these attributes, Sony released the following theme track MV, featuring a duet with Jay Chow and Cindy’s instrumental talents.

Cindy Yen & Jay Chow – Painting Sand
Song:
Cindy Yen
Lyrics: Fang Wen Shan

Credit: mleXiHuanNi




Track List :
01. 关于我 (About Me)
02. 解high人 (Solve For “High” Person)
03. 看见什么吃什么 (Eat What You See)
04. 耳朵 (Ear)
05. 飘 (Drift)
06. 说谎 (Lying)
07. 心酸 (Heartache)
08. 唐人街 (Tang Ren Road)
09. 歇斯底里 (Hysteria)
10. 另一个自己 (Another Me)
11. 感同身受 (Similar Feelings)

Yoga Lin

Yoga Lin, one of my favorite contestants and the winner of Taiwan’s Million Dollar Star singing competition, the legendary Season 1, released his 2nd album on 10.30.2009. Of this 1st season, a record number of now-famous talented singer discoveries were made, including Yoga Lin, Jam Hsiao, and Aska Yang Zhong Wei. Yoga Lin, as the youngest “Prince” of the “Four Princes” of Season 1, is often compared to his idol, "King of Songs" and "Singing Genius," Eason Chan, who also arose out of a singing competition and has a very laid-back, mesmerizing, unique interpretation of song vocalization. Like Eason, Yoga has an uncanny ability to express & make “unpopular” or “cold” songs, likeable. His record company is not averse to spending big bucks on this now 22 year old “singing genius” – spending record budgets on a newbie, hoping to nurture another "King of Songs."

For Yoga’s debut album, Mysterious Guest, Click Here!

Yoga Lin – Lying

Credit: mengsion

The God Motha

2009 Male Newcomer, Singer: Abin



Normally, I would briefly introduce an artist and give a sampling of the songs that characterizes the artist’s style and/or songs I like, but I’ve been moody due to a serious bout of the common cold, so I’m going to babble a bit.

As most have come to realize, I have a “thing” for artists who are creatively unique, whether it’s singing, acting, personality, or whatever characteristics/talents the person possesses. I discovered Abin (pronounced Ah Bing) in early 2009 - Febuary to be exact - several months after he had released his album in Taiwan, and only in association with Penny Dai, another talented, creative song-writer/singer/director that I love. Well, I was knocked over by this guy’s ability to touch me with such sensitive and spell-binding singing and song-writing, and don’t get me started with the soulful guitar playing – I fell so hard you could literally peel me off the sidewalk.

So was I a little miffed that Abin didn’t make the nomination for the Taiwanese Grammy’s? You bet. But considering the stiff competition - 3 of the 5 nominees were Million Dollar Star contestants, and many other newcomers who were also skipped out of a nomination - I was pacified in knowing that Abin’s singing career in Taiwan had at least got off to a great start. Also, I liked all of the nominees so it wasn’t like I wanted them to not get their nominations.

Abin is not new to the music industry, having released albums in Malaysia, but 2009 was really the year he expanded from Malay to Taiwan and the broader Chinese/Mandarin music market. Part of his reason for not giving up on being a singer/song-writer was to realize his father’s dream, who passed away without making it as a singer. I also love that he’s nice and soft-spoken, but sticks to his philosophies and is – you all know I’m a sucker for this – an independent thinker – which makes guys easily irresistible to me. I won’t expound any further in case your expectations get too high, so here’s Abin with his 2 Taiwan-released albums.

Abin Fang – Good Person Abin [Debut Released 11.10.2008]



Track List:
01. 坏人 (Bad Person)
02. 回去吧 (Go On Back) *In memory of his father*
03. 深爱的老朋友 (Beloved Old Friend)
04. 风 (Wind)
05. 哼哼爱 (Humming Love)
06. 你不必爱我 (You Don’t Need to Love Me)
07. 心痛 (Wounded Heart)
08. 闯 (Charge)
09. 回纹针 (Clip)
10. 胭脂雪 Ft. 江淑娜 (Rouge Snow Ft. Nana Chiang}

Abin Fang - Good Person Abin

The album, Good Person, really gained momentum for the upstart Malaysian artist in the first half of 2009, with his hit song Bad Person capturing the #1 position on KTV (Karoake) charts for 10+ weeks, and remains in the Top 5 as of the date of this post.

Abin – Bad Person
Song/Lyrics:
Abin

Credit: dirPeter

Abin – Wind
Song/Lyrics:
Abin
Director: Penny Dai (Love the concept & cinematography of this MV)

Credit: enjoymusicrec

Abin Fang - Regrets [Released 10.16.2009]



Track List:
01. 棋子 (Chess Piece)
02. 天黑黑 (Dark Dark Sky)
03. 暗示 Ft. 弦子 (All I Wanted to Say Ft. Xuan Zi)
04. 遗憾 (Regrets)
05. 不必在乎我是谁 (Don’t Need to Care Who I am)
06. 曖昧 (Ambiguous)
07. 胆小鬼 (Scared-y Cat)
08. 剪爱 (Severing Love)
09. 猜心 (Suspicious Heart)
10. 泪海 (Sea of Tears)

Abin Fang - Regrets

Regrets is a rearranged, compilation album of songs from famous female singers, including Faye Wong, Coco Lee, Amei, Stephanie Sun, and many other divas. Too anxious to spread the love that I haven’t picked out my favorite renditions in this album yet.

Abin – Regrets

Credit: c8527706jm

Abin – All I Wanted to Say

Credit: mengsion

The God Motha

Evan Yo Releases 3rd Album: ‘Be Lonely, Then’



Track List:
01. 发光的简讯 (Luminescent Message)
02. 小乖乖 (Little Darling)
03. 寂寞,好了 (Be Lonely, Then)
04. 爱是对的 (Love Is Right)
05. 日蚀 (Solar Eclipse)
06. 你看不到的天空 (The Sky You Can Not See)
07. Hey !
08. 我的宝贝 (My Baby)
09. 打不倒男孩 (Incorrigible Boy)
10. 走 (Go)

Evan Yo-Be Lonely, Then

Evan Yo released his 3rd album, Be Lonely, Then on 10.09.2009. He debuted in 2006 at 18 yrs old (they kept using his Asian age, 19), under great “sponsorship” from famous Taiwanese MC-host, Jacky Wu, who also endorsed Jay Chow and Jolin Tsai to fame. Having been top of his class entering Taiwan University’s music school, and having tall, good looks, Evan was heavily touted as the next Jay Chow/Leehom Wang.

His music has many western rock, funk, and jazz influences, and he is extremely talented in violin, piano, and singing (as they are his University majors). Unfortunately, Sony Records hasn’t been able to really differentiate and time his releases properly – Evan has met stiff competition from Million Dollar Star participants entering the music industry – who’ve taken T-music scene by storm.

That said, I’ve never been a believer that ratings/popularity = quality, so I’ve listened to all his albums, saw some of his variety appearances showcasing his talent, and my conclusion? He’s a talented potential and a cutie.

Evan Yo–The Sky You Can Not See

Credit: gilliansham

Evan Yo-Be Lonely, Then

Credit: XxLydiaxX09

Evan Yo – Nunchucks (On-the-spot Soft Rendition)

Credit: emerl1233456

Evan Yo – Variety Appearance

Credit: hkevanyo

(Jacky Wu endorsed him on all his MC-ed shows and Rainie Yang as well, being his “older sister senior” at Sony Records)

The God Motha

Friday, January 29, 2010

Coco Lee Returns with ‘East To West’

Though I’ve always been bothered with Coco’s image, I love many of her songs and give her credit for being one of the first and highly popular female singers who heavily incorporated western influences/singing styles into Asian music – she was also one of the first to introduce “Chinese-style,” or as I like to call it, “Jay-style” (for Jay Chow, who wrote the hit song for Coco prior to his legendary debut), hybrids of contemporary music with traditional Chinese culture. I’m once again ambivalent with her MVs, but I really like the songs. She is, afterall, an open-minded, daring, and talented singer.

Coco Lee-Mei Li De Zhu Ti Qu


Credit: mengsion


Coco Lee-Liu Zhuan


Credit: susannychow

The God Motha

Thursday, January 28, 2010

A Chord-Nothing But A Chord


Track List:

01. 牧羊少年的奇幻之旅 (Fantastic Journey of the Young Shephard)
02. 谢和弦 (A Chord)
03. 虽然很芭乐 (Nothing but A Chord)
04. 关于 (Pertaining)
05. 依赖 (Reliance)
06. 过来人 (People Who’ve Been There)
07. 不过是想 (Only Wanted)
08. 我们都成了大人 (We’ve All Become Adults)
09. 无法定义 (Can Not Define)
10. 大时代的偶像剧 (This Era’s Idol Drama)
11. 请你不通嫌弃我 (Please Don’t Snub Me)
12. 杂草精神 (Spirit of A Weed)
13. 对你爱不完 (Never-Ending Love for You)

Nothing But A Chord

Alright, my first male post (gotta diversify here – lol). Newcomer, A Chord, released his album 4.15.2009. His dream at 16 was to become a ‘composer-singer-comedian,’ and was first discovered on a small-scale singing competition sponsored by Taiwanese variety program “Guess, Guess, Guess.” The young new potential also writes his own songs/lyrics, plays multiple instruments, got his own attitude/style…seeing a trend here? ^_^ Anyways, here’s a sample of his work. A Chord is also the playful cutie who rapped for “Wipe Your Tears” charity song posted yesterday.

A Chord - People Who's Been There


Credit: bouncebill

The God Motha

Various Artists sing for Victims of Typhoon Morakot

Typhoon Morakot, or ‘88 water disaster’ as referred to by the Taiwanese public, bands people and artists together as relief work, donations, and support messages continue. Posted below is one of my favorites, from ‘Give Me A Pair of Wings to Fly’ album, produced in charity of Typhoon Morakot victims.

Shadya Lan-Wipe Your Tears


Credit: levitesfamily

The God Motha

Discovering ‘Secret’ and Shadya Lan


Track List

01. 秘密 (Secret)
02. 沉默剧 (Silent Film)
03. 那天 (That Day)
04. 全世界分手 (World’s Breakup)
05. 忘 (Forget)
06. 瞬间 (Instance)
07. I Pray
08. Singing
09. 这麽长一段 (Such a Long stretch)
10. 诗篇91 (Scripture 91)

Abandoned by divorced parents to be reared by relatives, Shadya was a secluded and quiet child, accompanied by loneliness and uncertainty as she was growing up. Music was her outlet and source of comfort. In her late teens, Shadya was introduced into a Christian ministry, and thereby began her journey into the world. At age 17, Shadya’s talent in composing and writing lyrics allowed her to be the youngest major-label-selling song-writer in Taiwan at the time, beating out Taiwan music icon Jay Chow, who sold his 1st song at age 18. Shadya’s 1st album, ‘Secret,’ debuted on 3.13.2009 and is available at the J-Box below.

Shadya Lan-Secret


Credit: e2jiayou

The God Motha

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Lala Xu debuts Her First Album



Track Listing:

01. 喔伊细 (O Yi Xi)
02. 圆舞曲 (Waltz)
03. VIP
04. 失落沙洲 (Mourning Desert)
05. 白旗 (White Flag)
06. 身骑白马 (Riding on a White Horse) *Brought Lala to fame for creatively incorporating Taiwanese Opera within comtemporary themes, and the fastest contestant to receive full marks in competition*
07. 一样的月光 (The Same Moonlight)
08. 明知故犯 (Knowingly Commit)
09. 出口 (Outlet)
10. 哼情歌 (Humming a Love Song)
11. 没锁门 (Door Unclosed) *Bonus Track*

Released 5.29.2009, Lala Xu’s debut, entirely self-composed, album continues the recent trend of young, multi-talented female singers heavily participating in song and lyric writing, with less emphasis on “image” and “idolability.” As the 3rd season winner of Million Dollar Star, the Taiwan version of American Idol, Lala garnered much attention from industry critics and netizens on her lyric writing and song compositioning talent. In addition to the 23 year old’s well-rounded musical creativity, she also has a lyrical voice that reaches out to listeners. But don’t take my word for it, listen for yourself. *For additional Lala goodies, go to her playlist on my Youtube (YT) page.*

Lala Xu-The Same Moonlight

Golden Melody Awards (New Artist Award) - "Mourning Desert"


Credit: autonomygirl

The God Motha