Jay Chou
On the Run (Wo Hen Mang)
你很忙就不用写好歌啊？Does being busy excuse you from writing good songs?
I couldn’t expect much actually, as some moderator on the forums reminded me. Jay’s been involved with directing, starring in, and writing the story for Secret, his movie; he’s also been filming in Kung Fu Dunk, primed for release before the New Year. But for his fans (at least most of them), his music comes first. And it hasn’t.
This album is not bad – compared to the average album. But do we compare Jay Chou to the average songwriter, the average singer? I’m sure Jay Chou himself wouldn’t allow someone to. But with this album, who can we compare him to? Leehom? JJ? Then he would probably lose. Jay Chou’s hero, Jet Li, said in his role as Huo Yuan Jia, “Your biggest enemy is yourself.” So we’ll compare Jay to Jay.
The biggest thing I noticed was that Jay has changed his music, like his most unforgiving critics have wanted him to. Why do you listen to the naysayers – and who tells a singer-songwriter to change the overall style of his music? But Jay, with typical carefree confidence, went ahead with it. The result is a pretty incoherent album, without a theme that ties the whole album together. Jay always amazed me in the past with the way the songs in an album acted like chapters in the book – they were bound together with a similar spirit. This album, on the other hand, gives me an opposite feeling.
The songs feel disconnected from each other, as they were without a common purpose or direction. Even the names of the songs have lost the elegance of past. I felt dizzy after I finished listening to the album the first time, as if I had just taken a ride on a roller coaster, instead of the vacation Jay usually brings me on. The individual songs are a little better, admittedly. But there’s only ten songs, not enough for Jay to flaunt his complete repertoire, when five out of ten of them are ballads. He’s included two pop-rock songs (阳光宅男 – yang guang zhai nan, and 甜甜的 – tian tian de), and they’re both acceptable, your average theme song for the rebel sixth-graders in a movie. There are the typical ballads (five of them), including a Zhong Guo Feng one. He has also included two of the beat-driven hip-hop/rock mixes he excels in. And of course, there’s the cowboy song he modeled his album cover over. To me, this song might actually be the best song in the album.
Two things about these songs bug me – the melody and the production. The melodies are so common, so overused, so instinctive that it doesn’t take much compose them. They just fly out of one’s mouth. Half of the songs in this album have this kind of repititous melody, and I was expecting more invigorating melodies from a composer of Jay’s skill. The production (or rather lack of production) takes a lot away from these songs also. Some of the songs sound like the songs in an unpromising singer’s debut. I can barely hear Jay’s voice in parts of some songs.
周董阿, 周董… I propose that we petition Jay to keep up with his music instead of focusing on bigger profits and opportunities. He needs to spend more time on his music – he hasn’t lost his talent, but talent alone isn’t enough. I would rate this album a 7 out of 10, and I wouldn’t buy it if I were you. There are better albums, with better songs for you to buy. And if I had to compare Jay with Jay, I would have to rate this album a 2 out of 10. Jay can do better. The songs are enjoyable, some of them even excellent, but isn’t that less than the public has expected from the current king of Chinese pop?
Jay does have his biggest excuse - he is very busy. He’s just opened his own record company, with the help of Vincent Fan and Yang Jun Rong. But still, to let the fans wait another year, in the name of hope, for another great production? That’s too much. I hope Jay will realize where his true identity as a superstar stemmed from, and entertain it accordingly.
1. 牛仔很忙 (Niu Zai Hen Mang – The Cowboy is Very Busy)
2. 彩虹 (Cai Hong – Rainbow)
3. 青花瓷 (Qing Hua Ci – Green Flower China)
4. 阳光宅男 (Yang Guang Zhai Nan – A Guy in a Sunny House)
5. 蒲公英的约定 (Pu Gon Ying De Yue Ding – The Appointment of Dandelion’s)
6. 无双 (Wu Shuang – No Other)
7. 我不配 (Wo Bu Pei – I’m not Worthy)
8. 扯 (Che – Pull)
9. 甜甜的 (Tian Tian De – Sweet)
10. 最长的电影 (Zui Chang de Dian Ying – The Longest Movie)
Click here to buy the album.
Written by Jed on Nov 2, 2007
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91 Comments, Join the discussion
Philip Jägenstedt
Wow, you just convinced me to not buy this album as planned but wait for 光良 instead…
BTW, if you want to review a less mainstream album I can give you one for free (see http://foolip.org/blog/2007/10/27/get-carsick-cars-debut-album-for-free/)
Nov 2nd, 2007
Christine
Thanks Jay, for finally proving to me that you no longer care about your music. Even after Still Fantasy I still had hope. I feel like all the bland n00bs in the Taiwanese music industry banded together to make the world’s most generic cpop record (minus the cowboy song, which was a just a shabby attempt for attention anyway).
Nov 2nd, 2007
Theballs26
I think the ballads are still very good songs (like 2,5,7,10)
but the album is definitely not as good as his early ones (or even his last one)
Nov 2nd, 2007
Steve
Good (as in deadly honest) review, Jed ;) Guess our music genius does get his gas run out some time.
Nov 2nd, 2007
Eric
Sorry , but I’ve to disagree . Without jay chow , my music life will be dull and empty . Without jay’s 2007 new album , I will not satisfy with any other music that 2007 gave . This new album has many refreshing songs , they feel different , but still trademarked jay chow on it .
The very first song that struck me is 我不配 . Sure , jay had done this kind of song in his previous album . The previous similar songs are better or not , I can’t convince anyone , but the latter , 我不配 , is certainly better if not equal . I’ve been looping this song for 2 days , just like how I used to loop “qing tian” . Definitely my type of song , tune and lyrics wise .
The other songs , 无双 , brings rock and emotion . Can’t elaborate much on it , but the feels is right and strong .
Others ballad that I like are 蒲公英的约定 and 最长的电影 . They are certainly better than those ballads on November Chopin and Still Fantasy . In fact , 最长的电影 serves the ending of Jay’s album beautifully sitting as the last track .
Conclusion , I love this album and its a must buy .
Nov 2nd, 2007
Twitchy
Looking at the clearly Brokeback inspired cover, I was expecting country, not something out of “Mary had a little lamb.”
Nov 2nd, 2007
Simplefreak
Yea, u might say that its not his best album, but there are songs in this album that is a MUST hear…So, I cant completely agree with ur review. The nicest are, wo bu pei and pu gong yu de yue ding. Cai Hong and Zui Chang De Dian Ying are also nice. Listening to his songs, i still prefer the slow songs and I think he had a few superb falsetto’s tunes..
Nov 2nd, 2007
cpop4u
wow what a trash album… who will really buy this piece of s*** except if you like slow moody Jay songs
Nov 2nd, 2007
Najjems
wow, you’re right about the song titles..
they are soo unlike what he usually writes. If I had picked up this album and read the track list, I might have done a double take if it really was a Jay Chou album.
Still would love to listen to this though, because compared to other TW singers, he’s still one of the best. I just hope he returns to his standards next time.
Nov 2nd, 2007
Lucas
I don’t really like people who criticize Jay’s way of music. Its his music …. his music, his way. Not yours.
Although this album wasn’t as great as his previous album, you gotta give him credit, being so busy and yet KEEPTPING TO HIS PROMISE of releasing one album every year.
Jay, i support you. Go on! Even though your music style may be the same, it hasn’t bore me for 4 years since i started listening to you!
Nov 2nd, 2007
AT
Wow, that’s a pretty lousy review. First of all, since when DID Jay have albums with a consistent theme? I don’t think anyone found linkage or common spirit between 威廉古堡, 雙截棍, & 安靜 in 范特西… His albums were ALWAYS a mix of distinct songs with drastically different styles. And yeah, he’s also never had 12 songs in an album (Max 11 songs in 葉惠美). And complaining over the trivial matter of song titles… you’re coming off as a Jay-hater (even though I think you’re not)
The quality of a melody is obviously a subjective measure. But I just don’t see how u could bash the songs for being ‘repetitive’. Um, his songs have always followed an “Verse-Chorus-Verse-Chorus-Chorus” pattern…. He’s done that for A LOT for his so-called classic songs: 星晴, 開不了口, 東風坡, 黑色幽默, etc etc. That’s not a real reason for dismissing the songs on this particular album.
Lack of production!? Were you expecting beats from Kanye West and Timbaland or something? Or perhaps u prefer gimmicky production like the C****ed out stuffby Lee Hom? If anything, his songs are OVERproduced compared with other Chinese artists (eg. David Tao).
—-
I’ve never posted on this forum before, and 95% of the time I’m too damned lazy to do so. But after reading your ridiculously weak attack against this album, I just couldn’t help but write this. I’m also of the view that it doesn’t come close to matching the genius of his first 2 albums, but it is MUCH better than u set it out to be. You may be disappointed in the album, but if you’re going to criticize it, at least try to use some valid points ok?
Nov 3rd, 2007
Jed
AT, I must disagree. Usually I’m too lazy to reply to everyone bashing a Jay Chou review (what can I expect?), but since you’ve given me the honor of honest criticism, especially with your temporary shunning of laziness, I will reply.
Drastically different styles, but connected together in spirit… It’s a subjective thing, yes, but I think you can’t really measure the coherence of an album objectively. Here as a reviewer, I can only try to express what I feel and think of this album. I try to do it objectively, but it’s not always possible. So what I think is that the songs just don’t have a common tie between them.
Have you ever felt that an album was like a book or a movie? There are high points, there are low points, but they’re always connected in one way or another. When your album doesn’t do that, it’s just different. Even mixing up the order of the songs in an album will produce a totally different effect in the reader.
The coherence/theme of an album is important - a subtle change could bring a sublime effect.
The quality of a melody? Not so subjective. Who has not heard the melodies, at least a part of them, before? Listen to tracks 4, 6, 7, 10. Those melodies are…. Let’s just say they’ve been used before… More than once. That’s an objective measure. Plagarism of sorts.
Song titles are important, admittedly trivial when compared to the actual music itself, but an easy way to bring the overall elegance or emotion of a song to a higher level.
Lack of production? Ummmm… Your comment on Leehom is ridiculous. Where are my Leehom fans? They can teach you a lesson, or rather a full-year lecture on the merits of Leehom… But yeah. Production is important - it’s one of the main differences between amatuers and professionals. I don’t think I need to explain the benefits of good production, because I see your intelligent enough to understand.
I’m not a Jay hater. In fact, Jay was my favorite artist. He might still be. But I expect brilliance from the artist/singer/songwriter who sits in the throne titled favorite. If Jay can’t bring that, I don’t think he’s worthy of the crown. Brilliance - there’s other singers out there, working hard to gain that foremost seat in the hearts of the audience. And Jay has fell far from that seat with this album.
Enjoyable, relatively speaking. But from King Jay?
Nov 3rd, 2007
Christine
ooh spam is a great way to get your point across.
about commending Jay for keeping up with his one album a year promise…that’s stupid. how about promising quality over quantity and not taking into account the time it takes?
Nov 3rd, 2007
Anna
I’m a Jay Chou fan but I do have to agree with Jed on some points. I don’t think you guys should say this is a lousy review. A review is supposed to point out both good and bad points, not just praise an album.
I am really disappointed with this album. There wasn’t much songs that really caught my attention. I agree truly that this album DOES lose to Leehom and JJ’s.
Nov 3rd, 2007
kinokunya
Like the others, I feel that my year is not complete without Jay’s addition to my collection of albums. But I’m sure he did his best lar.
On personal preference, there were only 2 tracks which I don’t quite like. Linked tunes from Secret OST were used, something new and sound pleasant to me, though I liked [Cai Hong] better.
KTV’able bah most of his songs. I’m quite pleased with this release. The zhong guo feng genre for [Qing hua ci] still impresses me, but I feel somehow its still far from [Fa ru xue], my fave zhong guo feng track so far.
Just my 2 cents.
Nov 3rd, 2007
Jed
I might agree with you that he did do his best. He didn’t really start on this album until a little more than a month ago.
Plus, even Leehom or JJ wouldn’t have done better if they directed a movie and starred in two AND started his own record company.
BUT…. Jay has to set his priorities straight. He can’t try to do too much at once. But when he took on so many responsibilities with so little time, it showed that he just doesn’t put as much weight or concern on his music as he used to. Sigh.
Nov 3rd, 2007
xoshelleyyxo
Generally, I agree with everyone else that, this is definately not one of Jay’s better albums. Considering the time frame and all the other tasks on hand for him, I think the songs on this album were decent, but not the best. I find it very sad too that Jay is not concentrating solely on composing and music as much as he did before. But as a Jay fan, even if this album is not as good as his past ones, I will definately continue to support him, not only for his music, but for his other movies and projects.
Nov 3rd, 2007
alice
i had no idea this was made in one month… i think thats pretty impressive all things considered. maybe he had to get his priorities straight but i love them album. esp. qing hua ci, the chinese style one.
Nov 3rd, 2007
loongsiu77
haha, it sure is hard for him to surpass “fantasy”…but i rate this his 3rd best album… Really like track 4,6,8, which none of it are ballads because they are catchy and he made it interesting. Lol….anyway no point arguing since if you really like his music you wouldn’t care what others say. Anyone has his/her own opinion anyway.
GG
Nov 4th, 2007
Rukawa
Jed has some valid points. This album does seem to have no particular structure like JJ lin’s westside.
However its good Jay tried to venture into different genres with his western style. Even though I’m not too fond of it
无双 sounds like linkin park :D
我不配 is a good R&B song
Although he did use some tunes from the Secret 不能说的秘密 OST. You could say he is too lazy to create new tunes, personally I feel that the tunes bring back some of familiarity for those who watched the film.
Whether thats a good thing or not is a question that will remain unanswered for now.
Look forward to his Kung Fu dunk cauz I love the slam dunk anime!! :) Jay chou still rulz!
Nov 4th, 2007
J_addicts
hey, i read all the comments, esp all the so called insulting comments for jay…i know that this album is not the best album of the year or something like that, but i think u guys are too much in criticizing him. it is in a way that jay has done a great job in this album and it’s a lot of ballads songs but so what? it’s his hard work and own style.
I think i have to say that qing hua chi is the best chinese style musinc that jay’s made. firstly i loved fa ru xue much but this qing hua chi is damn good, makes me have to listen to it at least once a day.
Nov 4th, 2007
TYYB
This review actually inspired me to download the album to hear how “disappointing” (sry not directly quoting Jed). I have to agree with many of the Jed’s points. This album was not as great as Jay’s earlier work. Even though I’m a huge Jay fan, I found that Jay has found a “niche” and kind of stuck with it. I guess what I mean is I’m losing intrest in his music. The music is becoming “repetitive” or sounding very similar. I haven’t heard anything fresh for awhile. It’s always soft ballads overwhelmiing with the same emotions and fast-paced signature songs. ( just a tangent: i think he employs the phrase “huh huh ha heee” way too much, even though not in this album)
I was actually compelled leave a comment because of the comment saying that Leehom’s music is too “gimmicky.” I absolutely disagree because if Leehom wanted to sell albums he would’ve stuck with his “chinked-out” music because he would’ve had so much more sucess, financially as well, with that. This is definately meant to be a debate who is better, but I cannot help but say that I think Leehom is more of a musician because he writes and sings from his heart, but Jay has, like I said earlier, found a “niche” or something that sells, and stuck with that. However Jay is still very incredible. This album still kicks butt compared to most of the music out there now, but on Jay standards it was not very great.
About production, again, it is very similar to his previous albums, so you’re left thinking, “err this is boring?” Seriously, the comment on Leehom’s lack of production is just really ridiculous. Listen to his music. Enough said.
*I may sound like a huge Leehom fan, but Leehom and Jay are my two favorite artists. I just said said a lot about Leehom because what was said about his music was pretty mindless.
Nov 4th, 2007
Lee Hom
I still win this dude.
Homboy Forever!
Nov 4th, 2007
TYYB
^^the real Homeboy would never say something like that.
Nov 5th, 2007
abc
saying this album is a TRASH is really too much.. do everyone have to be perfect all the time? when he change people critisize.. when he doesn’t change ppl say it’s boring… one more thing.. why have to compare with JJ and Lee Hom? They are great…
Nov 5th, 2007
sshhush
yarh,i agree that saying its trash is lyk way too much,regardless of whatever,u still can see jay chou’s efforts…(at least for me.) soooo i tink u shldn’t go ard discouragin ppl from buying dis cd…yupps. well,for me i tot this cd was great w tracks 2,5,7,10…(= i tink its just that jay chou had way too many hits from prev albums that become an “expectation” kinda thing on him…(qing tian, qi li xiang, bu neng shuo de mi mi, etc!)
Nov 5th, 2007
natalie
i have to agree with jed. thanks for a very accurate , balanced review.
i’ve always been ( and am still) a jay fan. he has more talent than half the jokers ( like rainie yang. can someone pls tell her to stop singing?)(i know, i digress but she is bloody annoying) out there in the c-pop world. but neither am i tone deaf and this album really sucks. really not worth my money at all. songs are dull and forgettable. his singing voice is not the best in the industry and it shows in this album.
i think he’s spread himself too thin this time. so what if he made the album in 1 month. it’s the quality when you buy an album that counts. and jay is capable of amazing quality music. i hope the next album is back to his usual form. he is after all a music genius in my eyes.
i thought lee hom’s album this year was disappointing but it is still far better than what jay has churned out. utter disappointment!
Nov 6th, 2007
xshininstarzx
This album was kind of a disappointment to me in a way, I do like some of the songs, but i expected better. But again, he’s been working on filming and everything, including a concert coming up in December. I’m just really disappointed in the albums that came out this year, like how natalie said that Wang Lee Hom’s album was a disappointment, i agree. I think Jay should have spent more time on the music and maybe released it later on so maybe it would have turned out in a better and different way. I’ll still be looking forward to his future cds though.
Nov 6th, 2007
Kanye West
natalie,
What music genius?
F.Y.I: Genius is something like Albert Einstein.
Nov 6th, 2007
kahtunz
because of jay i have started listening to chinese music.. mayb this album isnt his best but atleast he tried.. and lets not compare him with other artists.. they are different people with different talents..
Nov 7th, 2007
babyglyniss
i don’t give a damn about jay zhou! i’ve never liked his song because i cannot understand what he’s singing. also his acting skill sucks. he does not know how to act. all the while he only pretended to be ‘cool’ in the movie that’s why he looked expression-less;dead and dull!
Nov 7th, 2007
Jed
Not compare him with other artists? You have to compare his music with the music of others…. Or else how would you form a starting point to criticize someone’s music? You have to. Plus, Jay is the king (supposedly) - and he has as much talent as any other artists out there.
Nov 7th, 2007
Ron
Wow, don’t know what to say. I guess people’s opinions about this album is ultimately subjective so we are not going to get too far in critiquing or praising the album. About the only point I agree with Jed is that there seems to lack “coherence” - whatever that may mean and however that can be ascertained. The only reason why I feel it may lack coherence as compared to previous albums is because this album contains songs with so many various styles - we have love ballads, pop songs, western song, rock song, hip hop song, r&b songs.
Some may see that as a negative but I actually see it as a positive. I never expected it to have some kind of unifying structure anyways. This just shows the strength of Jay who can create so many different styles of music. I can see however that some may not like this for they want some kind of “coherence”.
As for the melodies, I don’t think they are repetitive. I don’t think the ballads sound similar to ones in the past. And that’s saying a lot because he has so many and I, to this day, still listen to them.
All in all, I think it’s a great album! I just don’t like his rock song in this album (#6), that’s it.
Nov 8th, 2007
Ivana
Wow! I dunno what to say. I thought this album is very different. When I first listened to Niu Zai Hen Mang and Cai Hong, I didn’t like it that much, but I grew to love them as I listened to them over and over again. This album is very weird in the sense that the more you listen to the songs, the more you like them. I can listen to this album all day and still find something new to like about it. I also agree with Ron in his point the album’s lack of uniformity is something to be commended, as it gets boring and repetitive if they are all of the same genre.
I also want to say that I’m surprised that I would actually like country music. If anyone can make country music sound good, it’s Jay. Just that alone, I think, is a great achievement.
My favorite song right now is Qing Hua Ci, but that was a very difficult decision as all of the songs are so good.
Nov 8th, 2007
Khanh
Yeah I seemed to have that exact same feeling Ivana however 牛仔很忙 was like woah. Maybe because i don’t like the sort of country music theme.
Nov 8th, 2007
Apple
comee give the poor fella a break…. he has released 7 albums and im sure every artist has his/her own low points… im not saying that this album is completely crap, but it’s decent. it’s not like every track is crap.
fair enough, some of the melody is being repeated.. but what else can he do? its his genre, its his kind of music… besides, other musicians are doing it much worse than he is…
i guess what had happened is.. because we expect him too much. he’s the KING, so we expect every songs MUST be good, must be awesome… i’m sure next songs of jay’s will be awesome… i can guarantee that.
me personally, i quite like the album, though i have to admit..when i first listened i though “meeeh?? how come its like this?” but teh songs kinda grew on me later on :)
i do understand jed’s point of view. as a reviewer, i think its fair enough to point out the good and bad thing about a particuar album. conclusion: I still rate this album 8.5/10.
Nov 9th, 2007
Flora
Amen to your review, Jed. I haven’t bought the album yet, but judging from the few singles so far, I agree that Jay has lost his touch. I would MUCH rather wait a few years for Jay to put together a spectacular album than to expect a watered-down album every year. Yeah, the new songs are still all right… he sounds like all the other artists. I used to be proud to tell people I listen to Jay Chou… he was so original and unique. Now it’s kind of like a guilty pleasure. I don’t know how much longer I can support him.
Nov 10th, 2007
Tess
After reading all these comments I got the album just to see if it’s as bad as people say… and it is. I really didn’t like Sweet (so mainstream pop), or the cowboy song (plain weird!). I was liking No Other until the end when he kinda begins to scream(?) The other songs were ok but not fantastic.
Jay has been way too busy and obviously wasnt totally focussed on his music. But his previous albums show how talented he really is so I still lyk him. Hopefully he’ll hear wat his fans are saying and realise we care more about quality, not quantity.
Nov 10th, 2007
Qianxun
To those who said this album is trash: you obviously haven’t heard real trash music yet.
Okay, about Jay’s album…
I agree that this album isn’t one of his best works. The music video to “Niu Zai Hen Mang” made me laugh my butt off and I am thinking how clever Jay is. True, the song itself isn’t what you would call “Jay quality”, but the creativity really counts. At least to me it does.
For me, I bought the album without second thoughts. Once it was released, I just clicked on the purchase button and that was it. I didn’t even bother to read any of the reviews. You may call me stupid, but I believe in Jay’s music no matter what kind he produces. I think we’ve all been exposed to his best songs and believe that he’s capable of making you fall in love with his music. This new album may not be as good as the previous ones, but even the legendary Jacky Cheung had ups and downs in his music career. But he’s gotten back on his feet and is now considered one of the best Canto singers. So now Jay is going through his music “down” phase. Just pray that he’ll get through it and produce another album as amazing as his classics.
As for repetitive sounds in this album…I realize that. But I’m just glad it’s only in this album of Jay’s whereas repetitive sounds is like a plague in many Cantonese albums.
Nov 11th, 2007
gENE
haven’t read the comments but felt i had to put in my 2sen’s worth :D i completely agree with jed, was uh-huhing in my head as i read your review, it was what i was thinking when i listened to the album. what i think is, he’s not really into making music at the moment, but has no choice cause of the contract with his company. maybe he thought if he made a crap album then they’d release him cos it was so bad? lol well there’s always the next album..
Nov 11th, 2007
gENE
ohh ANDD, don’t bash me for saying this cos i didn’t come up with it, but if you know the kid’s song Muffin Man, someone said the first single sounds like it, i found that absolutely hilarious and somewhat accurate :D
i still love jay :)
Nov 11th, 2007
yaya
i really respect you for your critique. im glad that you were being honest and not always soooo bias. i can see that this isnt jay’s best album. but ‘wo bu pei’ was really well done. track 3 brings me lotts of memories of ‘fa ru xue’ too. i personally do think that jay was too busy too. if he had focused 110% on this album and then go direct or whatnot, i think it woulda been a little bit better. so far, this album isnt the best best best best on my list yet. but yet, he does not stop impressing me with his ballads and using the ballads to describe his life. he’s too lonely. heheehe. thanks. take care.
Nov 11th, 2007
Lucy
haha, i like the title of his album, it suits him! maybe also serves as an explaination for this poorly made album? =)
Nov 11th, 2007
Ah Ning
I wouldn’t say his new album is bad, but it is sort of different. I still love him though. I’m gonna go this his LA concert on Christmas eve. Yay!
Nov 12th, 2007
Cynthia
I love Jay’s new album! Nice songs^^
Nov 13th, 2007
shez
well… at least you gave an honest review and if other people don’t agree they shouldn’t go and bash YOU for it.
psh
i’m still yet to decide whether i like this review or not but as for your review, it’s honest and it’s good.
Nov 13th, 2007
chinkchink
I don’t like this album =(. Chinese lyrics and country music do NOT go together! Think Jay lost his spark after November’s Chopin. Still Fantasy was OK but this is… so disappointing!
Nov 14th, 2007
eRIc
Come on u all out there…
When Jay stick to his own ways…eyerybody said boring.
Now he has change his style… you all said like s***!
What actually do you want from a undisputed King of Songs~Jay himself har??
For me, Jay now like a new singer cause of his changes..
So, just give him time!
I believe…his 9th album will make all his critics become silence!
Btw, Leehom and Jolin’s albums sucks too!
Nov 15th, 2007
pris
hey i would say that i totally disagree with what you have said abt jay’s album. he’s still the jay we used to know. his songs are still as great. pls dont judge him like that. he is busy but he still put in his utmost effort in this newest album, as he always did in all his albums. those who think that this album is not good, i would say u ppl are DEAF or simply just without music sense
Nov 15th, 2007
Lucy
eric wat are you saying??!?!! leehom’s album does not suck! i’m completely in love with it!~
jolin’s album is another story =P there are some good songs in it, but…that’s about it~ altho, i wish i could dance like her
Nov 16th, 2007
XinHui
Well, I chanced upon this site when I’m actually searching for lyrics on Jay Chou’s 我很忙 (Wo Hen Mang).
Anyway, I realise that reviews are usually very subjective and personal thus I wouldn’t comment much on it. However, I must say that, yes, I do think that this album is not as good as his previous albums too. He did try to have a change of style but I think we should somehow applauded him for his courage - to even try to have a little breakthrough. (Though it’s not as successful)
I must also say that though this album is not as good as his previous albums but it did give me a refreshing feel. It’s not as boring as before where everyone had probably be expecting ballads from him again. At least, to me I feel that he’s really talented because he can try to write different styles of songs where not everybody can do that. Yes, he did not excel in it, but if this is only the start, I’m sure he can do better in future (that is, if he work on it). :)
Humans usually get very tired with similar style of songs from (let’s say) a particular singer. People hope to see changes from Jay, so he tries to give us changes yet I think though he does not excel in it, well, (the thing is) at least he tried.
Also, talking about his theme of his album, I do think that his theme suits the album very well. The songs in his albums are “disorganised” in a sense that there are different styles of songs so personally I think 我很忙 (Wo Hen Mang) did really bring out the message that he wants to bring across.
So, overall, his album is not that bad (as what Jed rated: 7/10) compared to other albums out there but it’s just not as good as his previous albums. That’s all.
I feel that everyone should keep an open mind (or even heart?) to view reviews. By leaving comments saying any artiste sucks doesn’t really help a lot. I’m sure each and every one artiste has definitely worked very hard for their albums thus even though some albums from some singers do not meet your expectations, at the least, we should applaud for their efforts.
:)
Nov 16th, 2007
babyglyniss
poor jay….i just saw his music video….it was disappointed….
Nov 17th, 2007
shirleen
im sorry but i have to disagree with the overall review, even though im just a mere passerby that came across this through a random google-ing of jay chou’s song lyrics.
i do agree a little with the part on the song titles, because indeed, they dont really have something that connects them together, but isn’t a “rollercoaster ride” yet another different type of experience?
i believe there’s nothing wrong in changing his style after like 7 albums…?! after all, im sure there will be some others on the other side of earth saying that jay is boring if he keeps going on with the same style again and again, so it’s all very subjective, isn’t it?
i do admit my comment is subjective and all, but we should seriously give him alot more credit than the review is giving him, because after all, HE IS REALLY VERY BUSY. -.-
:D
Nov 17th, 2007
netster
Seriously, i really like to read all the comments here but … it will spoil my mood. so, let’s enjoy the album and get done with it :) i love 彩虹.
Jay did not forgot to slot in song that we can play with guitar! oh i so love you :)
this site getting so much hit by Jay fans! must thanks Jay for making you a star in return :)
Nov 17th, 2007
arsenal6
this album wasn’t as bad as u guys say really i enjoyed it much it was a different feel compared to his older albums. his old albums has the same tone and feel to it. yes that is his style but still new feeling.
Nov 18th, 2007
mitsuevo7
i agree on some aspects that this is not his greatest album… y? because people love comparing with the original sound.. like movies.. who really expects much from sequels?? People have set such high bars for the next… and when it doesnt reach that level of expectation.. instead of appreciating.. they whine… music connects the soul… isnt that all that matters? if a song is good.. listen to it then… why do u want to debate on it?
i wasnt a real chinese music listener.. but after hearing Jay, Lee Hom , n JJ i sorta gave it a chance.. if anyone were a first time listener, give them 3 albums, from the 3 singers mentioned.. you;ll see.. i tried it on my cousin who was from England.. at first he found it amusing.. but he said Jay’s music had ’something’.. if anyones thinking i’m a J fan siding his star.. think again.. i’m rather neutral..
for those who wouldnt think so far… and is looking for good music to sit back relax n chill, whats wrong with On the Run?? Judge one song at a time.. i’m sure it wouldnt be as bad as it sounds.. the past is the past.. shelve the past… live in the present.. and look forward to the future.. or we’ll forever be judging him in the shadows of his previous greats…imagine wat it would do to him if he read all this…
Nov 18th, 2007
tt
not his style.. this album does not suit his style.. some songs seemed to b ‘plagarized’ well not all.. as in like parts of it.. it doesnt sound like jay.. except wen he raps.. then its like oh yeh thats so jay..
didnt like this album.. actually i’ve nvr liked jay.. he’s always mumbering.. except for this album.. which it the only good thing.. but thats just my point of view.. so yeh..
Nov 18th, 2007
Upinz
Well Jed. at some point i’m agree with you that this album not so Jay Zhou, but there are some songs that still shows it’s Jay Style such as “Qing Hua Ci”, and “Wo Bu Pei”(perhaps there are other songs i may not notice), both are my favourite, but you know “taste is relative” thats mean although i like it, that doesnt mean you’ll also like it. perhaps you dont like this song, thats doesnt guarantee i also dislike the song either.
take another example, in this album i’m not so into “Wu Shuang”, perhaps you like it, or you also dislike it either, you and me dislike it, perhaps there are some people like this song..
about “Niu Zai Hen Mang”, you said this song is the best song of the album, well i dont think so, there are possibility you have watched the MV first, then you think jay using this for the 1st MV, and you automatically consider it as the best song of the album (that happen to lots of people, when they watched MV[especially over and over again],they will also like the song). In My opinion, this song isn’t the best song of the album,but you know “Taste is Relative”…
usually i dont care about commenting, but i’m so DISAGREE if you encourage people not to buy his album (and others singers album if you dont like them), thats only show you are low-level reviewer, A GOOD REVIEWER will show what’s good and what’s bad, but DO NOT encourage people to do something they want
that’s all folks…
so i suggest you to fixed your review
Nov 18th, 2007
Jed
Are you kidding? That’s what all reviewers do - recommend if people should buy the album or not - if it’s worth the money.
Nov 19th, 2007
Gossip Girl
hey if u peeps think u r so great to be criticising jay’s music then why don you go ahead and be a singer and then let’s see how good u will be!
Nov 19th, 2007
Alison
i was totally thinking the same thing about his album title-is he so busy he can’t take the time to produce an album? not to say that it wasn’t good-i like it much more after listening to it alot. however, at first listen the only song that really stands out is the cowboy one. but some of your points are dead on-the songs by themselves sound pretty good. however, i also agree with some other commenters that jay has never had a common theme to his albums. the r&b songs are really catchy and make me want to dance, but they’re not the outstanding creativity and i’m used to hearing. and i really did not like “rainbow” and “i don’t deserve” at first but i actually enjoy them alot now. in my opinion, this album is definitely worth buying, but if you’re a new listener to jay chou, i would start with his older albums first, so that you wouldn’t think this was the best he could do.
Nov 20th, 2007
Jass
Jay’s songs will feel nice when you hear more.. Trust me..=)
Even Fantasy….the best of his album(many agreed I think) only feel nice when we keep on listen and listen…
so, I totaly disagreed many said this is his worst’s production.. Till now,2weeks after this album released, I rates this album 7.5/10….not as I firstly rated…only 6/10
Nov 20th, 2007
Xaverian
I’m a Chinese.I like Jay’s song very much.
If you want to know more about him,plese >>email
Nov 23rd, 2007
tangtang
Hmm….ya i know that it’s not his usual style….to try on something sooo different….but after going through all his songs in the album….i still think that i will still put them on the top list to play everyday…
Nov 25th, 2007
Andrew
Sry, but i disagree with u. U do have some good points, but don’t say that this album isn’t worth buying. There are some good songs on here that i’m sure u’ll say is better then others from even his best albums. Also, if he wants to change his style and try new ways, let him. it’s just how he’s expressing himself. Anyway, i still think that this album is still great and that he’s doing amazing and i’d support him all the way.
Nov 28th, 2007
serene
what you said might have made sense but i still think it is a good album. i dont think he would use “busy” as an excuse to compensate the standard of his album. i believe each album was made not for the sake for having one each year, but more of the sincerity in every song that he produces. well, abt the whether its “worth the money part..” personally, this is the first album that i bought of Jay. and im glad i did (: i think each of this songs, though different styles, is still up to standard.
overall, i think he deserves recognition for being able to handle so many aspects of his career and excel in each of them.
yep, just my pov (:
Nov 29th, 2007
Kais3N
Well, it is very difficult for every one to judge this album… I mean not only for us(fans) but also for Jay … He is supposed to be the King( so to be the best) i agree, as other artists work very hard !!! But evolution is inevitable and Jay chose his way … Comparing his music to other artist’ s music is normal, but comparing these album’s songs to his past hits like “Black humor” or “Silence” is not the best solution. Yesterday’s Jay is different to today’s Jay and will be different to tomorrow’s Jay! As regards the releasing of 1 album per year, i think that he is afraid of not staying the King …
Dec 4th, 2007
Kais3N
I admit also that he is not very good at singing in live compared to singers like Lee Hom or JJ Lin so he should focalise his efforts in music production. But sometimes, people need to try other things to get new inspiration, new ideas …(Jay is not God, he is human^^) and i don’t think he would make better albums if he feels obliged to make only music… A last thing, i still support him because i began liking listening to music thanks to Jay ! Thank u …
Dec 4th, 2007
jay chou for life
Jay chou’s ‘on-the-run’ is like the best!
WHAT DO YOU MEAN??????
Dec 5th, 2007
teewewr
To #50 eRIc on 11.15.07 at 1:41 pm
stop comparing albums AND BLABHAL when pple r just saying abt JAY chou n thats all…….. i hate it when pple kp comparing and drag innocent singers, esp jolin tsai (which ltierally happens all the time, for some stupid comparision with little evidence to back up.
Dec 7th, 2007
rei
i thought this album was horrendous. i felt like the whole cowboy theme was blatant publicity stunt because he sure as hell didn’t have much to say that was of value on the album. the only track i liked was qing hua ci. everything else was either too saccharine, mellow, contrived, or overdone.
Dec 8th, 2007
John
I agree, on my first listen I thought this album was very weak, and it didn’t get better with subsequent listens. It is way too soft and lack the upbeat rap songs he was known for. And when he does have some of those rap songs, they sound the same as his latest two singles…
Dec 10th, 2007
Jass
teewewr on 12.07.07 at 8:32 pm
Ermm…I same like you….doesnt like to compare…
But eRIc said is correct…. And its others who started to the make the comparison. And really, Jolin’s this Agent J not really up to standard! Niway, Jay’s album still best than others….^^ Sory..but Im not against you, teewewr….=)
Dec 12th, 2007
kyoto
Jay always sucks and he’s ugly as hell
Jan 17th, 2008
eRIc
Then…pls dont come to here to comment..! Here not a place for anti Jay to F**k him!!
Jan 18th, 2008
jay chou
i am jay here. any comment about me, i’m not that ugly as what u think but i’m more handsome than u as well. i can sing very well but u can’t. maybe is u sucks or whatever reasons that i don’t want to know ( because u are as noob as bitch ). as i am so famous now, but u are only a ” f***ker ” that nobody knows u. come fight with me if u wan, i will ” shit ” u like hell cauz i got a lot of body guards with me.
Jan 18th, 2008
Lex Tan
Actually, I enjoyed the album. I thought it was brilliant. I disagree with many points of the writer of this article. Check out my blog for another opinion.
Jan 21st, 2008
mei
I have to agree that i was rather disappointed when listening to this album. It’s not really that bad but in comparison to his previous albums it is rather shocking. His past albums made me want to listen to the entire thing again and again and again. This one, i had to listen to it closely again to even enjoy any of it.
Jan 24th, 2008
tt
i have to disagree.. i am NOT a fan of jay chou.. in fact i dont like him before and i never will.. anyways
i got to listen to this album cos its free.. (i have my source)
anw.. the first time i listen to it was.. lets just say i had to force myself to finish it..
but THEN!!! after a few more listens, they were addictive!!! i liked them after.. its nice!!!
Jan 27th, 2008
zenny
For me, his currrent album is pretty good. Just like any of his other album, after listening to the song at first it wasn’t something i would like from jay. But however, after listening to it for a while almost most of the track tune start to catch up to me and it is just like typical jay’s song, the more u listen to it the more u like it. =]
Feb 3rd, 2008
Christine
i think the best song is “wo bu pei”…i really can sense the emotion and heart behind it. hands down, best song from the last 4 albums.
Feb 7th, 2008
uyenuyen
I raise my strong disapproval of this review. The fact that it is easy to listen to, to sing, to remember doesn’t mean that it’s bad. This album is brriliant. Not many singers take guts to change their style but jay does. This album is the one I can’t help listening to every morning, after getting up. they give me energy,especially track 1,2,4,6,8,9
Feb 8th, 2008
uyenuyen
The one “jaychou” who post that above comment is JAY CHOU indeed? U are Jay, aren’t u? if u are, i want to tell you:” your new album is really brilliant and ‘diao’ ” . Don’t take any notice of those “rubbish” comment, I’m always supporting u because u ‘re worthy !
Feb 23rd, 2008
Audrey Cynthia
Jay Chou !!!!!!
he is so cool
he’s adorable
he’s amazing
he’s briliiant
he’s good
he’s handsome
he’s THE BEST 4EVER
u’re worThy !!
Mar 14th, 2008
ErIc
Well bout Jay….he’s ok….but I’ve always not been a fan of Jay…but some of his songs r quite ok u noe…E.G. wo bu pei…rocks~~!!
Mar 18th, 2008
ErIc
& I’m sooooo not the ERIC….I’m different…(person)….his other songs do miss out a lot …. I still dun get his other songs….some of them quite suck for me….he’s quite ok though….& Lee Hom doesn’t suck ~~ he’s OK u noe!!
Mar 18th, 2008
Lee
I more like Jay new album
Mar 25th, 2008
uranus19
oh, i definitely disagree. i actually enjoyed this album more than all the others. I actually dislike Jay Chou, but this album has me addicted to it. Perhaps its cos i actually prefer songs that are ballads. And the weird thing is, i actually like all the songs except for the first one, which you say is the best in the album. haha… looks like our taste in music cant be any more different. If this is the future of Jay’s music, i definitely welcome it.please, no more music like the previous album… dont even sound like songs to me, more like noises… except for a few select songs..
Apr 9th, 2008
adahjay
not the bes from jay! i rili wan 2 trash out this album!
but after heard he will b retired soon!
i tink i shud cherish watever left from jay 2 me!
6 years won’t b so long!
jay, since u b leaving us so soon y dun u do sumting memorable 4 us! so that we can drooling 4 it all the time!
i dun rili like ppl comparing artist coz diff artist diff style!
jay plez do sumting b4 u retired!!!!!
May 20th, 2008
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