林俊傑-學不會 review

Where he lacks in looks he makes up with amazing composition that vibrate his ability to convey pure emotion. This is the sole reason why I am a strong supporter of his talent and songs. After two years, with changes in contracts and throat injury what not, JJ Lin is back with an all new album. His hit track "學不會 [Never Learn]" shocked me as I unwarily opened the link posted on his Facebook fanpage. The song was so beautifully written, well sung and overall hauntingly beautiful - nothing I have ever heard before in C-pop. His voice has somewhat matured and strengthened over the years,  as a result one can truly appreciate the high notes he reaches towards the climatic ending. The addition of sighing as part of the song is fantastic also, such a playful twist to conventional rhythm that took my breath away the first time I heard it. How has someone not done this before?? It seems only true talented musicians with singing and composing ability can execute these. This is true mastery of composition, in an asian era dominated by synthesised pop considered as the only popular and "cool" music, this form of ballad production done properly with piano, violin and drum is an art form in itself.

There seems to be nothing out there at present which competes against this level of composition, and I admire the full radio track over the official MV. Once again, I truly recommend people to listen to the song without watching the official Music Video first, it is the only way where one can truly appreciated the melody, harmony and rhythm without being distracted by moving pictures. If you haven't already seen it though, please view the provided link below, because the scenes in which the MV is shot is within Europe, most notably Prague, Switzerland and many other countries where the scenery is spectacular.

INFINITE for Christmas really? Really though?

So here is Kpop trying to capture the Christmas spirit. The song "White Confessions" released by INFINITE (which in my mind seems like another manufactured Kpop group) has been an 'all kill' in the charts this week, knocking off the much loved IU's comeback, new debut group Troublemaker and my favourite Wonder Girl ladies. But what is seriously special about this track and the MV apart from the usual materialistic, fake and totally unreal storyline that represents nothing in real life and is all a fantasy? Surely the ladies from Wonder Girls should have won something rather than this cheesy Christmas track.


The usual chimes of bells in the introduction is accompanied with a shot of different stereotypical Christmas feel items. If you ever try listening to the song without being mesmerized by the eye candy that is the MV, you begin to feel a hint of Japanese pop style music in this song. Look again at the music video again and oh wait! The scenes they have chosen are all in Japan! Why exactly are Koreans bouncing over to Japan for this video shoot, is Korea not even good enough for their Korean Christmas song? 


Sigh, I just don't understand.
But just to give the song a bit of credit it does sound good, the vocal range of the boys may not be spectacular but the timbre of some of the members is rich. It's just enough to make it mainstream, but besides that I can pick nothing special out of it. Once again the Kpop formula works once more, with members having limited singing opportunities throughout, then a couple of raps here and there to make the song "cool" and bang, there you have it, a song which everyone will hopefully catch on to - which, in this case, obviously has.

IU and her comeback!

I became a fan of IU ever since the time she sung a mixture of Lies, Sorry Sorry and Gee with her angelic voice combined with her excellent guitar playing - pure talent. The last time I was properly obsessed with her was with the "Real IU" EP, her song "Good Day" was a track quite different to the songs produced by other musicians at the time. It gave a hint of going back to classical instruments rather than relying on the heavy synthetic sounds Kpop was creating. An addictive riff throughout made it catchy, and it was highly praised by critics for her 3 super high notes somewhere during the latter part of the song. 

Now she is back, with a new title song called "You & I" - which in my opinion, is quite cute.

But if you haven't seen it already, the music video is centred around the Victorian era, where everything was a mass array of cogs and spinning things. It really gives the music a sense of Baroque, yet again referring back to the inspirations of "Good Day". The song itself certainly feels at first quite similar to last time, nothing special here, until you hear the little special vocal additions which make the song extra cute. It's a nice song no doubt, but one feels slightly let down by the lack of development ever since her last promotions. The song is great and IU is able to execute her excellent vocal range, but perhaps she should consider stepping out of her comfort zone, ditch the cute, minimalistic, child-like look and develop something that makes her more matured, something adult-like. I think she has been stuck in the same time period for too long. As much as it feels like me telling her to become like any other Kpop artist out there, I still feel it's only necessary she should experiment with different styles. 

But Oh Well, we will just have to wait till next time to see if there is any change to her style...

Comparing the past to present

In honesty I'm not really excited by the direction in which Jay Chou's music is going. If anyone is fortunate enough to even decipher the words he sings without keeping an eyes on the lyrics I salute you, but for all the sane and normal people out there I just want to tell you that you are not alone.

A few weeks ago I did manage to review his latest album: "Exclamation Mark" and gave it a good thumbs up with particular songs on the CD. But Jay has recently shot a couple for music videos for "超跑女神" and "迷魂曲", both songs which I am not particularly proud of. But let us look at 超跑女神 first:

The introduction melody is delightful, cheerful and weirdly happy. Not sure why. It shows a shy and childish Jay Chou character who likes to play with his car collectibles. Overall at this point I find it cute and adorable, until the whole set transforms into a swimming pool scene loaded with random Asian chicks - and everyone is dressed in white. Whereas this serves as immensely popular eye candy to the thousands who wish to see something like this, it simply does not go with the song. I don't understand the plot to be honest, nor the lyrics but right now I just want to write more about why the music and the story of the music video do not go together. 
Firstly, everyone there (who seems to be attractive) is wearing white it is normally because it is some PIMP's party, therefore it would have made more sense if there was a heavy beat, hip-hop/RnB or whatever kind of track - just not Jay's. 

The second song is based on an inception theme, yet again, we don't see any more innovative strategies by Jay Chou towards his new style - and that is really all I wanted to say about the second video.

Truth

Some true words.

Jay Chou 'Exclamation Mark' album review

Jay Chou resumes his string of annual album releases with a set of 11 exciting songs, all of which I have listened to repeatedly over the past few days. The first thing that struck me about the content was how easy it was to listen through the entire CD.The music was fresh, no doubt about that, but was also fresh in terms of his style which, for viewers who have not heard the tracks yet, is a development into up-beat songs. Within the album the one song which struck me most was 你好嗎, the only slow song on the CD. I believe Jay reaches even higher pitches than ever before, and the meaningful lyrics accompanied by a sorrowful melody proves once again of Jay's singing/composing abilities. 

I particularly favoured 世界末末日 after listening to it a couple of times. I assume the style is similar to that of 一路向北, where there is a set-up of electric guitars and drums to give a rock genre feel. Other songs, such as 公主病 has obviously drawn reference both in terms of rhythm and lyrics from 陽光宅男, proving Jay is capable of developing his previous styles. One thing I do find strange is the lack of '中國風 (Zhuong Guo Feng). The loss of such a unique style is a shame but perhaps his decision to do so was right, as the continuous use of his trademark composition was beginning to tamper with the perfection of 髮如雪.

Overall the album has been an instrumental success, despite me being oblivious to the number of copies he has sold. The album has revitalised the style of Jay's music, moving away from the stereotypical karaoke styled ballads which the Cpop industry have focused on for too long. The various MV (music videos) such as 'Mine Mine' have displayed Jay's new ability to dance, something to add onto his outstanding resume. After 11 years of remaining in the limelight, Jay's new content is still pushing the boundaries of his composition skills, something worthy to admire.

Jay's Classic '中國風' styled "髮如雪"

From his 11th Album: "你好嗎"

Touchscreen Gloves

I never really understood the concept of Muji, but it seems to have caught on recently because I'm seeing more of their stores dotted around everywhere and people carrying large bags out of there. Nevertheless, I decided to take a visit and was immediately attracted by the fact they don't sell one unique product, but a range of random things which we want but don't necessary need. Let us take, for example, touchscreen gloves. It solves the problem of taking off my gloves during winter to access my iPhone. You see, such a simple idea yet such an effective product!
It is amazing how many gems and gift ideas can be found in Muji. So, if I were to give a tip, pop round to your nearest Muji store for Christmas gift ideas for family and friends!

Jay Chou "水手怕水" Review

With his 11th album coming out tomorrow (11/11/11) Jay Chou has decided to unleash his third MV to his fans. The song, titled "水手怕水" (loosely translated as "Sailor scared of water"), is a fun and playful track. Watching it for the first time I was immediately captured by the colourful background effects, the theme and was in awe at how young Jay looks again. Many people, I am sure, will undoubtedly criticise this song on it's simplistic nature, but I see no wrong in that at all! Such playfulness of melody and ideas is what Taiwan was really known for, especially in the dramas, and Jay has successfully transferred that into his music. The track is light and playful, which gives it a fresh and fun feeling. 


I love it.

Jason Chen "Best Friend" **UPDATED**

After mentioning in the last post about his upcoming song "Best Friend" Jason Chen has released a new video teaser, which features Cathy Nguyen. Oh god she is pretty. But the funny thing is, they have managed to find two little asian kids who represent the two grown up lovers/best friends. Unbelievably the small girl resembles Cathy somehow, which is really sweet.

Jason Chen "Best Friend"

It seems this winter season there are several big stars about to release their latest music. Aside from the mainstream artists, I would like to talk and introduce the talented Youtube star Jason Chen. With 315,000 subscribers he might not be one of the biggest online stars out there, but the content he produces is absolutely stunning to the ear. As the title of this post and the content so far suggests, he will be releasing a new song called 'Best Friend' which, even from the short minute teaser, has captured my heart with the sweet melody and warm lyrics. This song, upon it's release, will be sure to grab a lot of attention.

Jay Park 'Girlfriend' Review

This is probably one of the few songs I've ever fallen in love with at first listen. Maybe it's the catchy chorus or the smooth flowing rap, but something has definitely caught my attention. The hip-hop style gives it an instant similarity to many Western songs, so despite having a language barrier (Korean) as a listener I feel immediately attached to the song, even if the only words I know are 'Be my Girlfriend, my girlfriend, my girlfriend, my girl'. The repetitive chords in the background give the whole song a lovely connection, making it whole. If you don't know what I mean, perhaps you should look up 'The Boys' by Girls Generation, where their song was very fragmented. In honesty, despite the huge hype over Girls Generation I believe Jay Park has probably won over them this time (in my opinion). However this opinion is deviating from the point of this post.

Just to reiterate it is a song which can be enjoyed even without knowing what the lyrics mean. The melody and smooth-flowing rap is a prime example how language does not really play a big part in a good song. There will always be something we can enjoy. Another reason why I instantly fell in love with this track was the music video. Although the storyline at first seemed a bit stalker-ish all was forgotten when Jay started busting out his dance moves. Immediately after that his initial "cute" image was transformed into a bad boy, every-girl-wants kind of boyfriend. The girl is cute, an added bonus for all us male viewers. 

But in case you haven't listened to the song yet, here it is below!

Jay Chou "Mine Mine"

One of Jay Chou's upcoming new tracks have been released with a 720p music video on Youtube - and I am melting. Firstly it is his first ever song with an English title, and this is the kind of thing I was expecting in his upcoming 11th album; a somewhat copy of the spreading Hallyu wave with the high budget music video and electronic voice. I read a comment somewhere he was copying Lollipop F with his style, and in honesty he kind of is. But nevertheless, my bias opinion still sees Jay Chou as a hero, still keeping the title King of Pop. The track is so new and fresh and I love it so much, you have to just listen to the track and disregard the music video just to get the feel he wanted across - the music video doesn't do this track justice!

iPhone 4S

An upgrade from my shoddy Blackberry Curve and what an upgrade it has been! Anyone who criticises Apple saying their phones are rubbish obviously haven't owned one before and are clearly jealous. There are so many new features including an improved camera compared to the iPhone 4 that make the 4S truly worth the buy. Not to mention the beta version of Siri has been integrated and it offers hours of random fun. Overall, it has been a great addition to my gadget arsenal, bringing all the things I love into one, convenient gadget. Now I just don't know what to do with my beloved iPod Nano... 

Sunflower

Look at this beauty growing in my garden!

Trip to East London

I had to attend some selection event for the Olympic games today so I had to get my butt off a chair and kick myself out of the house. I live in High Barnet, which if no-one knows, is a little bit of London which had to be on the longest hill ever. Apparently it's the highest point between London and York but meh, I don't even know if that is still correct. But anyways, here are some pictures...

Anywaysss, after the long trip to Bank station it was time to ride the DLR, which, after today's journey I realised does not cost me anything on my 16+ Oyster, which is good news, but then I realised my oyster's free travel expires at the end of this month, which is the bad news. So the DLR, it's run by computer systems so there's no need for a driver, but there's a staff on board who still takes care of the doors, kinda stupid right? Might as well have a driver so the guy doesn't have to stand there doing nothing. I chose to sit in the front, looking out of the windscreen and whipping out my camera every time something good came up. I wasn't the only one though, some guy had a better SLR than me and was filming some wicked stuff. Jealous.... 

Here are pictures once again...

I'm gonna skip to East London, which is one of the new areas of town. Everything seems to be new, fascinating and architectually exciting, had a few wonderful snaps...

Then the olympics interview, which is 40 minutes of wasting time watching films then a 20 minute interview which didn't really challenge me or engage my brain very much. Meh, it really was a waste of time. Let's hope the Games will be good though, cos swear down if they bring out double decker red buses and David Beckham I will write many complaint letters.

That was my rather eventful day well documented with photographs. :)

My Uggs...lol

'Once you try on a pair of Uggs and feel in the inner softness no other shoe will feel the same'

I never used to believe that but now I so do, luckily by working for UGG AUSTRALIA I get a free pair of shoes to wear, so I tried them. They are extremelyyyyyy comfy and because I opted for a more casual style I can wear them to most places. I feel so happy they were free as well, because they would have cost me £205....which I don't have the money for lol.

Working

This week I have been eagerly going to my internship at Barbara Weiss Architects. My boss is such an amazing woman and she is the nicest person in the world. She takes me on little whizzes around central London in her little red, shiny italian Fiat. Sick times =]

The only thing I don't really like out of all this are the times after work. To be honest I just bail out the office when the clock ticks onto 6pm, a bit like Neil in the Inbetweeners film, and rush home (no snogging with a blonde chick at the door). So it takes around an hour to get home and I swear, once you do all your mind thinks of is to eat, shower and sleep. Seriously, like that's the only thing you wanna do after you come back from a long day at work, and it sucks.

Honestly I feel like staying at school for a longer period, because it is so chilled and relaxed compared to the working world, hands down.

Breaking the ice!

I thought I might start off this blog with a little introduction about myself.

So hi.

This isn't the first time I've started a blog like this, in the past I have tried several times and in the end it all seemed to stop. Maybe because I gave up, or I ran out of things to say which were specific to those blogs. Well, whatever the reason I don't care anymore and this is an attempt to start afresh. This new (and hopefully interesting) blog will be about me me me, as annoying as that sounds it will be a culmination of my activities, random thoughts and anything that might stimulate your minds when reading/looking at my posts. This is all I'm going to say, oh, and just to add my favourite artist is Jay Chou, if you don't know already...