jay chou's new album omg!!11!1!!1!!
written: 5:40 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 08, 2006

Overall I think the new CD is way better than his previous effort, November's Chopin (typing this title gives me a sour taste in my mouth). Of course, it's arguable that ANYTHING can be better than November's Chopin, but after that massive disappointment I'm happy with whatever improvement he can throw my way.

And you know what? With the exception of the two ballads, Still Fantasy is damn good. Like, seriously.

But let's get the bad out of the way first: The Ballads.

When I think of the two ballads (ok can't remember the titles...�˺� and ����) I feel very sad because they are a far cry from the excellent love songs he wrote in the past. Comparing these two to songs like ���, ��ɫ��Ĭ, ������, ����, ����...basically every single love ballads he's written before, including even �� which I kind of hated, is a major travesty. There's just no comparison because they're not even in the same league. �˺� bloody reminded me of a bloody JOLIN TSAI crappy-ass song, for crying out loud. And ���� is just bland beyond reasonable description. Between the two I think �˺� is only slightly better. But they both suck and are definitely the weakest link in the whole CD.

Apart from that, the rest of the CD is pure genius.

Yes, including that weird-as-hell Track #4 about Chinese medicine. I love that song because of the funky, rock-ish music. And because it's so weird. And because, once again, you can't bloody understand what he's mumbling about if you don't refer to his lyrics - which is damn awesome because he really, really doesn't give a damn what people say about his singing (like how he doesn't pronounce words properly blah blah which is his signature style lah) and I love that about him.

The song that really put a smile on my face is Track #9. Um, I don't know how to read the second word so I won't even bother. It's nothing he's ever done before - and I mean, ever. It's amazing. I'd never guessed that he'd ever do something like that. It's anachronistic; it reminded me of the kind of music you'd hear in a movies set in British-ruled Hong Kong, circa 1950, 1960...you know, movies like In the Mood for Love. It's that fantastic, and it's so un-Jielun, and I heard it when I went to pick up my CD and I was thinking, Oh my god, this cannot be Jielun! But it was because they were playing the new CD and I just stood there and listened to it and I just knew that this CD would be good, just because he FINALLY came up with something that completely deviates from the style he's obviously used to.

It's gems like that that make up for the crappy, generic ballads he probably threw in because he had to. I can't imagine his record label ever allowing him to release an album without the requisite ballad, just because the majority of his fans are...well, stupid. Hahahaha.

Another song I love is Track #1, ҹ�ĵ�����. Like I've said before, it's very atmospheric. And you know, that's his strongest point, the ability to create music that's able to create a very strong, tangible mood. He does this too in the second song, ������Ļ�. It's a completely different song; it's basically a song expressing his love for his mother (yeah I know how sweet!), told as a story to a small child. And the song totally reminded me of the traditional Chinese children songs that my mother used to sing to me, that I used to hear/listen to as a kid, and that's why it's so brilliant. His music fits his lyrics like a glove; it's super, super genius.

The duet with Fei Yu-ching is also amazing. I think it's a very good that they only sang one line together; for the rest of the song they sang separate verses individually. Needless to say Fei Yu-ching's vocals far overshadows Jielun's but that's so not the point. The point is that the song is bloody beautifully-written and in my honest, objective opinion, it's nothing like Fa Ru Xue.

But my favourite Chinese-flavoured track is definitely the last song. I don't know how else to express this, except to say, It's AMAZINGGGGG!!!!

Because it is. It's so Chinese, and I'm not even referring to the Chinese instruments playing in the background. The melody itself is distinctively Chinese. And I love it. I love his Chinese-influenced songs because they bring out the Chinese chauvinist in me and I'm all, Rah Rah we are the best Rah! You know?

Okay not really; I'm just typing rubbish. But yeah, I'm very happy with this album and I'm ready to forgive him for the travesty that was November's Chopin. It's fantastic, this album, and it's nothing like Fantasy for which I'm very very happy. I think it's better than Fantasy.

Okay, so I don't like Fantasy as much as I should, but whatever.

There are basically three musicians in the Chinese pop market worth listening to: Jay Chou, David Tao and Wang Leehom. I finally listened to one full Daivd Tao album, I own one Leehom album and have listened to another, but at the end of it all I still think they're not quite comparable to Jielun. There's something quite unique about Jielun's music that I can't really put my finger on. Some of his songs may be rehashes of his old ones (this point is debatable and I don't entirely agree but that's another story), his ballads seem to be getting worse, but his music still gets me in a strange, inexplicable manner. And it helps that from time to time, he decides to come up with something like Track #9 of Still Fantasty and make me so happy.

To conclude, the ballads suck but the rest of the album is music-making gold. This is creativity at its finest, the way he mixes the old (his usual R&B rap thingy) with the new (all that you'd never imagine he could ever do). Absolutely fantastic, and that's why I think the album is slightly mis-named because it's not Fantasy at all and that's awesome!

In other news, my cough is getting better which is good; I was very sleepy during Property tutorial and I suspect that the cough medicine I took last night gave me a hangover (in the words of the doctor I saw); I love Mag!; I love Ruishan!; I love Mel!; I love Jean!; I love Peixuan!; and...that's about it.

Back to spinning the CD again. Fourth time already! And it just keeps getting better.

(PS. For those that wanna know, there's nothing much in the DVD, just the movie editions of his MVs for Qian Li Zhi Wai and Ye De Di Qi Zhang and some behind-the-scenes thing. I um, can't really read the words but I could make out the Chinese for behind-the-scenes. Haha.)

before sunrise // before sunset

Previously:
- - Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017
I'm moving. - Sunday, Jul. 11, 2010
In all honesty - Tuesday, Jul. 06, 2010
What I want for my birthday... - Sunday, Jul. 04, 2010
On Roger's behalf. - Friday, Jul. 02, 2010