After a two-year wait, singer-songwriter R-Chord Hsieh finally returns with the new album Be Water! During the past two years, the singer headed to Finland for a music camp and worked on collaborations with the international producers he met there. The theme of his entire new album, especially the title track, revolves around Bruce Lee’s well-known philosophy and art of resilience. The 12-track release includes R-Chord’s cover of JPM’s Na Bu Shi Xue Zhong Hong, which he wrote for the boy group. Other than new tracks, Be Water also collects the first song he posted online when he was 14 – Yi Lai.
Since her Cantonese debut in 1993, Karen Mok 莫文蔚 has not only remained on the top tier of Chinese language musicians, but pushed the boundaries of what is expected of female performers. From her early covers and photo shoots where she is mid-way through eating a hot dog, wrapped in see-through cling film, shaving her head and appearing fully nude, Karen Mok has spent her career challenging standards of beauty and women’s status and capabilities in the entertainment industry, all whilst delivering songs which have become mandopop canon, such as He Doesn’t Love Me 他不愛我 (1997) If I Don’t Have You 如果沒有你(2006), and Baby 寶貝 (2010), in turn making her an icon for an independent modern day woman, and putting her in a bracket of icon that few can only dream of reaching.
On her seventeenth album Halftime 我們在中場相遇 Karen maintains the consistent high quality that she is renowned for. For this seminal release, Karen brought in an army of over twenty of the biggest names in Mandopop today, including Li Ronghao 李荣浩, Khalil Fong 方大同, JJ Lin林俊傑 and 2018 singer entrant Hua Chen-yu 華晨宇, with long-term collaborator Arai Soichiro 荒井十一 present as executive producer. She mentioned in an interview that she felt honoured that so many producers and writers wanted to work on the project, and that inviting so many artists and musicians that she has worked with over the years to collaborate with her on a record which has deep significance to her acts as an expression of her gratitude.
The album is split into two halves. The first half is compiled of songs that are meant to feel classic and are composed by her long time collaborators, whilst the second half is meant to evidence Karen’s versatility and innovative capabilities as a performer via production and lyrics being provided by new collaborators.
Tracklist:
1. Let There Be Light 如初之光
2. I Do
3. Fly 飛
4. Half in Heaven, Half on Earth 天一半, 地一半
5. No Intermission 中場沒有休息
6. Ultimate 絕
7. Dancing in the Rain
8. Not to be Continued不待續
9. Growing Fond of You 慢慢喜歡你
10. half a Lifelong Romance (Here is Where We Meet)半生緣 （我們在這裡相遇）
11. Heartfelt 心領神會
Cantopop queen Sammi Cheng brings new songs and classic side tracks in the new album Believe In Mi! Two brand new songs are added into the compilation album, including the pre-released single “Thousand Years As One Day” and Creo En Mi featuring Jackson Wang of K-pop boy band GOT7. The hit tracks are selected from over 20 albums, spanning from her debut release SAMMI to her latest Cantopop album Fabulous.
After a three-year wait, Singaporean songstress Tanya Chua returns to the Mandarin music scene with an all-new album ‘Tanya’s Kisses For You 我要給世界最悠長的濕吻” releasing on the 21st of December.
Accompanying the album is the sultry siren’s first single ‘遺書 Will’. The idea behind this song was the thought: If tonight is my last night, will I have any regrets?
This is a question Tanya has continuously asked herself, and through this song, she hopes for listeners to think carefully about this too.
Tracklist:
1 舞步
2 離線地圖
3 我要給世界最悠長的濕吻
4 半途
5 遺書
6 喘一口氣
7 A La Folie
8 Deja Vu
9 看不見的城市
10 原諒
“The new year stands before us, like a chapter in a book, waiting to be written. We can help write that story by setting goals.”
“A new year brings not only happiness, it makes us happy with a hope to fulfill our dreamz or a new beginning of our life. So, a new year is very special to everyone.”
Despite only just releasing her debut album, Malaysian-born Evangeline王艷薇 has already built herself a formidable reputation on the mandopop scene both at home and across Asia. After being discovered by none other than masterful producer Skot Suyama陶山 after uploading self-recorded performances to Youtube, he brought her to Taiwan to study under his wing, where she has not only flexed her song-writing talents (writing for Claire Kuo 郭靜 and the title song for the Transformers 4 OST), or proven her ability to hold her own ground with artists such as R-chord 謝和弦 and Kimberly Chen 陳芳語 by featuring on their records (搖滾沒有死掉 and 分手說愛你 respectively), but has also stood on her own two feet, singing the title track (Touch the Sky 碰到藍天) for hit Hong Kong film ‘Special Female Force’ 辣警霸王花.
The title of the album, Wilder 框不住的愛, in many ways feels like a mission statement. In Evangeline’s words herself, the things which people long for – freedom, liberation and happiness – are often crushed under the pressure of the reality. However, Evangeline chooses to continue to explore herself, the world around her, and the emotional experiences that these all bring, choosing to be the owner of a curious and imaginative spirit that is always ready for new experiences in life – no matter good or bad – because curiosity is the key for growth and the pursuit of a love of live – an unlimited love of life to be exact.
The vibrant and eye catching album art attempts to visually manifest a celebration of difference alongside Evangeline’s free spirit, with bright colours, flowers and Evangeline with her trademark purple hair, inviting the listener in for what is seemingly promising a unique experience.
Tracklist:
1. Unlimited Love 框不住的愛
2. Beautiful Sadness 無色憂傷
3. Goodnight 晚安
4. Expiration Date 保存期限
5. WHO
6. Bye Bye 掰掰
7. Breathing 深呼吸
8. Angel’s Voice 天使親吻過聲音
9. Dreams 夢見
10. Unlimited Love (Unplugged) 框不住的愛 不插電版
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