Zhou Jie Lun, or Jay Chou, is a Taiwanese singer, composer, and producer who is recognized as the “King of Mandopop.” I remember hearing of this name but didn’t know who Jay Chou was. I looked him up one day and now, he not only has become one of my favorite artists, but is also what got me interested in other Mando artists. He may not look as pretty as most celebrities dominating Asian media, actually kind of ugly as per Asian beauty standards, but he has unmatched charisma. He is so cool that he pretty much gets his own slang word for being that level of “cool.” He is a down-to-earth kind of person and is still “normal” after becoming famous.
Like many creatives, Jay Chou is a collector-- of art. He buys pieces that speak to him and makes him happy. Since the price tag doesn’t matter, he is often ridiculed by his friends for being like a tourist collecting souvenirs. This mindset is representative of Jung’s Intuitive and Feeling types personality. His career is not motivated by fame and fortune but by what he feels like creating in the moment. Jay Chou is open to experience and advocates for looking at art as “a sensual experience that has much universal appeal.” He believes art is everywhere, and his feelings, as well as his audiences’ feelings about it, should be shared.
The first Jay Chou song that I listened to is called “Blue and White Porcelain,” one of his most popular songs. It is a beautiful poetic song about someone longing for their lover. The speaker compares the beauty of their lover to the beauty of blue and white porcelain, which is a highly valuable artifact. The mv is set in ancient China where a woman is captured, and to get her back, her lover brings the bandit king a blue and white porcelain vase. She is killed despite the transaction being completed. In another life, the couple do not know each other and compete in an auction for the same vase. The guy lets the girl have it, and the two rekindle their love from hundreds of years ago. The reincarnated bandit kills the guy to steal back the vase.
Jay Chou’s style is a fusion of traditional Chinese music and aesthetics with Western R&B, pop, rock, rap, and contemporary music. This combination isn’t technically something totally unique, but his reinvention of existing elements led to a whole new term being coined: “Chou Style.” This creative touch on music generates what critics call an “in-between” or “third space” and may even be considered convergent thinking as it invents a new product based on the exploration and interpretation of something already there. He is known for his insane variation in music, but recently, because of his consistency, he has faced some backlash.
Jay Chou has worked with some huge names, both in and out of his generation, in the Chinese music industry, including Andy Lau and Jolin Tsai. The Creative Spark by Augustin Fuentes highlights the evolutionary human predisposition to collaborate. Like many animals, we are meant to be in contact with each other. Evidence in fossil excavations and observation of our close primate relatives shows that our ancestors worked together in groups and reinforced social bonds through leisurely activities. Jay Chou works together with some of the most popular artists, actors, writers, and brands to create art that has greatly impacted social perspectives. As collaborators, each person might be responsible for one aspect of the final product. Together, they create something that touches the hearts of their fans and sparks creativity in them.
https://www.sothebys.com/en/articles/jay-chou-is-on-mission
https://whywendywrites.com/jaychou/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jay_Chou
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.