By Charming Yan, Salisbury School
Wikipedia..
The K-pop industry has been on the rise for the past few years. Many K-pop groups are getting more well-known now than ever on the international stage. But what many people haven’t discovered yet is M-pop, Mandarin pop. One of the most prominent artists in M-pop is Jay Chou, often known as the “King of Mandopop.”
In 2000, Jay Chou released his debut album. Since then, he’s sold over 30 million records over the course of two decades. What helped his music career most was perhaps his unique lyrical style.
Chou would often incorporate ancient Chinese themes into his music, along with futuristic concepts. His songs tend to include vivid descriptions, successfully evoking images in the listeners’ minds. Indeed, Chou’s songs were so unique at his time, that a new genre of music was made just for him. Because his works could be considered as pop, contemporary R&B, rock, and rap all at once, the term “Chou Style” was created. And because of his one-of-a-kind use of traditional Chinese instruments in his music, his works have become widely accepted not only by the younger generations but also the older generations of China.
Throughout his career, Chou won many awards. In 2004, he won the World Music Award for World's Best Selling Chinese Artist; the following year, he won the MTV Asia Award for Favorite Artist Taiwan. On top of that, Chou has won five awards both nationally and globally. He remains ranked as the best-selling artist in China ever, after earning over $45 million over the span of just two decades.
Chou’s career is still on the rise, as he recently released another album this year—at the age of 43. It’s unlikely that another Chinese artist would reach his level of success anytime soon. And it’s time that his music reaches the international stage.
Comments