Jay Chou

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Jay Chou 周杰倫/周杰伦
at MTV Asia Aid, Bangkok, Thailand
Background information
Birth name	周杰倫/周杰伦
Born	January 18, 1979
Origin	Republic of China
Genre(s)	Pop, R&B, hip hop
Occupation(s)	Singer, musician, songwriter, record producer, rapper, director, and actor
Instrument(s)	Piano, Cello, Acoustic Guitar
Years active	2000 - Present
Label(s)	Sony BMG Asia, Alfa Music
Website	alfamusic.com.tw/jay Jay-Chou.net

Jay Chou (Traditional Chinese: 周杰倫; Simplified Chinese: 周杰伦; Hanyu Pinyin: Zhōu Jiélún; Wade-Giles: Chou Chieh-lun, POJ: Chiu Kia̍t-lûn), born 18 January 1979, is a World Music Award-winning Taiwanese musician, singer, and producer. With his classical music background, he combines Chinese and Western music styles to produce songs that fuse R&B, rock, and pop genres. His lyrics touch on various controversial issues; for instance, domestic violence in "Dad I am Back" 爸我回來了; eco-awareness in "Rice Fields" 梯田, the devastation of war in "Wounds that end the War" 止戰之殤, and reminds listeners to honor their mothers in "Listen to Your Mother" 聽媽媽的話. His music has gained recognition throughout Asia, most notably in China, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Vietnam, and in overseas Chinese communities.

Contents 1 Biography 2 Music Career 2.1 Musical Style 2.2 Lyrics 2.3 Collaborations 3 Other works 3.1 Movie Career 3.1.1 Acting 3.2 Book: Grandeur de D Major 3.3 Endorsements 4 Media and Public Relations 4.1 Public Image 4.2 Accolades 4.3 Response to the News Media and Paparazzi 4.4 Fanbase 5 Discography 6 Filmography 7 External links 8 References 9 Notes

[edit] Biography

Jay Chou was born on January 18, 1979 and raised in Linkou, Taiwan. Apparently showing sensitivity to music even as a baby, his mother took him to piano lessons at the age of 4. During his childhood, he became fascinated with capturing sounds and songs with his tape recorder which he carried everywhere with him. In the third grade, he became interested in music theory and also started cello lessons. As an only child, he enjoyed being the family's center of attention; he loved to play piano, impersonate TV actors, and perform magic tricks. His parents divorced when he was 14; as a result, he became reclusive and introverted. Although he had friends, he often preferred to be alone listening to music, contemplating and daydreaming. At Dan Jiang Senior High School, he majored in piano and minored in cello. He showed talent for improvisation, became fond of pop music and began to write songs.^[1]

He graduated from high school with inadequate grades for university, so he prepared for military service, which was compulsory for all Taiwanese men at the age of 18. However, a sports injury triggered by unexplainable and severe back pain eventually led to the diagnosis of ankylosing spondylitis, a hereditary spine inflammation disease; as a result, he was exempted from conscription.^[2][3] Meanwhile, he found himself a job as a waiter. Without his knowing, his friend had entered both their names in a talent show called "Super New Talent King". Chou played the piano accompaniment for his friend, whose singing was described as "lousy". Although they did not win, the show's host Jacky Wu - an influential character in Taiwan's entertainment business - happened to glance at Chou's music score and was impressed with the complexity. Wu hired him as a contract composer, paired him with the novice lyricist Vincent Fang.^[4]

Over the next two years he wrote songs for Chinese pop artists, learned recording and sound mixing; his dedication was apparent as he even slept in the music studio. There were no plans to make him a singer because his mentor Wu thought he was too shy and not good-looking. Wu's music studio was later sold to Alfa Music, and the new manager Yang Jun Rong asked Chou to release his own album. Chou already had an arsenal of songs he wrote for others but had been rejected, so among those he chose 10 for his debut CD Jay which was released in 2000. The album established his reputation as a musically gifted singer-songwriter whose style is a fusion of R&B, hip-hop, classical music, and yet distinctly Chinese. His fame spread quickly not only in Chinese-speaking regions as well as non-Chinese countries in Southeast Asia.^[5][6][7] Since 2000, Chou has released one album per year, each selling several million copies (see Discography) and recognized with hundreds of awards (detailed award list^[8]). In 2003, he was the cover story of Time Magazine (Asia version), acknowledging his influence on popular culture. He has held two world tours, "The One" (2002) and "Incomparable" (2004), performing in cities such as Taipei, Hong Kong, Beijing, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Las Vegas, and Vancouver. Few singers have the creative control that Chou is given^[4], who is not only the songwriter but also the producer in all of his albums; since 2005 he is also the music director and also directs his own music videos.

While continuing to release an album yearly, he also entered the movie business with his debut role as the lead actor in "Initial D", for which he won Best Newcomer.^[9] In the following year 2006, he was a supporting actor in the internationally released "Curse of the Golden Flower", giving Chou his first formal introduction to North American audiences. In February 2007, he finally fulfilled his childhood dream of being a director in "The Secret That Cannot Be Told", for which he is also the main character.^[10] In March 2007, his 8-year contract with Alfa Music has ended. Chou, his manager Yang Jun Rong, and lyricist Vincent Fang will be the co-founders of a new record company "JVR Music"^[11] through which Chou will continue his music career and fulfill his goal of fostering new singing talent.^[12]

[edit] Music Career

For album information, see Discography.

See also: List of songs written and performed by Jay Chou.

[edit] Musical Style

Jay Chou's compositions are loosely categorized as pop music. While many of his works fall into comtemporary R&B, rap, and rock genres, the term "Chou Style" (周氏風格)^[13][14] has been popularized to describe his trademark cross-cultural music and his insistence on singing with relaxed enunication. Taipei Times once described the meaning of "Chou Style": "In what has become the archetypal Chou style, Taiwan's favorite son blends pop, rap, blues and a smorgasbord of esthetic elements of world music to create his dream-like never-never land...".^[15] He regularly fuses traditional Chinese instruments and styles with R&B or rock to form a new genre literally meaning "China Wind" (中國風),^[16] some of which are written in the Pentatonic Scale as opposed to the normal seven-note scale (Diatonic Scale) to accentuate an oriental style. Besides his own culture, he also incorporated Spanish guitar in "Red Imitation" (紅模仿), American techno/electronica in "Compendium of Materia Medica" (本草綱目), first-generation Japanese arcade synthesizer music in "Ninja" (忍者), rap with subtle classical music undertones in "Reverse Scales" (逆鱗), and bossanova style in "Rosemary" (迷迭香), to name a few. Sound effects from everyday life are frequently weaved into his music, such as bouncing ping pong balls, touch tone phone dialing, helicopter blades, dripping rain, and radio static noise.^[17]

Chou's albums have been criticized for the lack of change compared to his earlier works, yet he insists that he will not alter his style: "They say I've been standing still... but this is the music I want, and I don't see what I want by moving ahead."^[18] To demonstrate his point, he named his 2006 album Still Fantasy after his 2001 album Fantasy. Chou has also been criticized for his poor enunciation of lyrics,^[19] which he also insists will not change,^[20] but recently has adapted clearer pronounciation for certain songs, such as "Faraway" (千里之外) and "Chrysanthemum Terrace" (菊花台).^[21]

[edit] Lyrics

Strictly speaking, Chou is more often a singer-composer than a lyricist. Several "regulars" write the lyrics for most of his music, but the content and style is unified with Chou's personality and image, covering a diverse range of topics and ideas. Vincent Fang (方文山) accounts for more than half of the lyrics in his albums, helping to establish an important element in Chou's music: the use of meaningful, imagery- and emotionally-rich lyrics, sometimes written in the form of ancient Chinese poetry with reference to Chinese history or folklore (examples^[22]). In addition to writing romantic hits (examples^[23]), he also broaches on war, the Bible, sports, and martial arts.^[24] Vivian Hsu (徐若瑄) is a singer herself and has helped with Chou's earlier hits,^[25] while Huang Jun Lang (黄俊郎) is noted for his work surrounding unusual themes (such as a detective story and chess game^[26]). Jay Chou himself has written lyrics for many love ballads (examples^[27]), but has also discussed societal ills such as drug addiction in "Coward" 懦夫 and loss of the rural countryside to urbanization in "Terrace fields" 梯田. Domestic violence discussed in "Dad, I am back" 爸，我回來了 received a great deal of commotion since Chou was the first to bring up this taboo subject in Chinese music^[28], which helped solidify his status as a pioneer and a unique pop singer capable of approaching serious issues. In the songs "Maternal grandmother" 外婆 and "Listen to your mother" 聽媽媽的話, he voiced his high regard for family values. He addressed personal issues about his failure to enter university in "Split" 分裂, his resentment towards the paparazzi in "Besieged From All Sides" 四面楚歌, and preached the importance of individuality in "Red Imitation" 紅模仿.

[edit] Collaborations

Jay Chou has been collaborating with Nan Quan Ma Ma, a group that is a hybrid of pop, R&B, and rap. As a result, Jay has helped to improve this group tremendously, making it very popular in Hong Kong. In the music video for Twilight's Chapter Seven, a song from the album, Still Fantasy, Chou worked with two members from Nan Quan Ma Ma, Devon and Yuhao, to produce an English-style detective murder case.

Chou has also worked with artists such as Landy Wen, Lara Veronin (from Nan Quan Ma Ma), Jolin Tsai, Vivian Hsu, DOMiNiQUE, and Patty Hou (for a charity show); he has also bridged international cultures in his music, featuring Thai and producer Michael Lin's Korean rap in the album, November's Chopin. In his latest album, Still Fantasy, Chou recorded the duet "Faraway" 千里之外 with a famous Taiwanese ballad singer, Fei Yuqing (費玉清), the tenor with a golden voice.

[edit] Other works

[edit] Movie Career

Chou formally entered the film industry in 2005 with the release of the movie Initial D. He has since acted in three other movies, directed one film and more than a dozen music videos. Chou, who once said “I live because of music”,^[29] ventured into movies because he felt the need for a new challenge. As fans have grown concerned that movies will compromise his music career, Chou has repeatedly reassured that movies are a source of inspiration and not a distraction; at the same time, he realizes the need to balance both careers and maintain his place in the music field to garner the continued support of fans.^{[30][31][32][33]}

[edit] Acting

Entry into acting was an unexpected move for Chou.^[31] His high school English teacher thought his was capable of very few facial expressions,^[29] and the director of Hidden Track (2003, a movie in which Chou had a cameo role) said that his strong individualistic personality will not make him a good actor ^[34]. In 2005, Chou’s first role as the lead actor in Initial D served two purposes: to launch Chou’s acting debut, and to increase his exposure to Japanese audiences.^[35]. This film is based on the Japanese manga Initial D, where Chou played Takumi Fujiwara, a gifted togue racer who is quiet and rarely shows expression. Some reviewers criticized his bland acting^[36] while others felt he performed naturally, but only because the character’s personality closely mirrored his own.^[37][38] His performance in Initial D won him Best Newcomer Actor in Golden Horse Awards and Hong Kong Film Awards.^{[39] [40]} Chou’s second film was “Curse of the Golden Flower”. As a supporting character, he drew much of the attention from the Chinese reporters; Chou’s involvement in this movie was announced in its own press conference,^[41] separate from the meeting held for Chow Yun-Fat, Gong Li, and the other actors. Chou portrayed Prince Jai, the ambitious second oldest prince and general of the Imperial army whose personality epitomizes “Xiao”, the Chinese virtue of filial piety. In this internationally-released film, North American audiences see Chou for the first time. According to Chinese movie critics, his acting ranged from “lacks complexity”^[42] to acceptable,^[43][44] but was critically praised by Western reviewers.^{[45][46][47][48][49]} Chou’s effort in “Curse of the Golden Flower has been nominated Best Supporting Actor in the Hong Kong Film Awards.^[50]

[edit] Book: Grandeur de D Major

Chou published his first book titled "Grandeur de D Major" D調的華麗 on November 25, 2004. This 200-page book features a prologue written by the family, friends, and co-workers of Jay; the main section is a compilation of Jay's attitudes, philosophies, and recollections of childhood experiences along with numerous pictures from his music videos, many of which have never been released; and lastly, a list of the artist's major awards, musical and lyrical compositions, and discography. For the usually low-profile singer, this work revealed his personality and convictions that has served as a basis for his musical and public image. He demonstrates a strong appreciation of family values with an especially deep connection with his mother and maternal grandmother. His confidence in music and passion for creating novel genres of cross-cultural melodies is sharply contrasted against his curious blend of modesty and self-assessed naivety about many aspects in life, particularly regarding relationships and marriage. The meaning behind the book title is not clear and indeed interesting, since Jay generally avoids the use of English phrases.

A similar book was published in Japanese, titled "Grandeur de D major - Jay Chou Photo Essay" (ISBN: 4901873504).

[edit] Endorsements

In contrast to the United States where a negative connotation is placed on celebrities who endorse commercial products (“selling out”), in Asia, acquiring endorsement contracts with major brands are positive testaments of star-status.^[51][52] Chou has been a spokesperson for popular brands such as Pepsi (since 2002), Panasonic (2001-2005), Motorola (since 2006), M-Zone/China Mobile (since 2003), Levi's (2004-2005), Deerhui (sporting goods, since 2003), and Meterbonwe (casual wear, since 2003). To maximize the celebrity branding effect, advertisements are nearly always linked to his music and TV commercials are occasionally directed by him. He was also the spokesperson for Colgate (2004-2005), popular computer game Warcraft (2002), science and nature magazine National Geographic (2005),^[53][54] and acted as the tourism ambassador for Malaysia (2003).^[55][29]

[edit] Media and Public Relations

[edit] Public Image

Despite living under continual media scrutiny, Chou's public image has changed little over the years as he emphasizes individuality as his "personal philosophy".^[56][4] In his music, this is also evident as he fuses Chinese and Western styles and explores topics unconventional for a pop singer, which have been described as authentic^[6][4] or even revolutionary.^[7] The media describes a hard-working^[57] perfectionist^[4] with clear self-direction^[58] who is occasionally regarded as competitive^[59] and a "control freak".^[4] His nickname "President Chou" (周董) is used by both the press and fans to underscore his domineering personality and impact on Asian music^[60], but also points at his musical talent^[57][28] since the Chinese word for "president" is a homonym of "knowledge". Outside of music, Chou is reported as shy, quiet,^[58][61] modest, and views filial piety as "the most important thing".^[62] In-line with his aim to present a positive image,^[63] he is a non-smoker, non-drinker, and does not go to nightclubs.^[64] Government officials and educators in Asia have awarded him for his exemplary behaviour,^[65] designated him a spokesperson in the youth-empowerment project "Young Voice",^[66] and incorporated his lyrics^[67] into the school syllabus to inspire motivational^[68][69] and filial^[70][71] attitudes.

[edit] Accolades

From the launch of his music career in 2000, Chou has frequently won singer, singer-songwriter, and producer awards in Asia (detailed award list^[72]). The highly coveted Golden Melody Awards in Taiwan ^[73] awarded "Best Album" for his debut CD "Jay" (2000) in 2001, and five awards (including "Best Album", "Best Composer", and "Best Producer") in the following year for the album "Fantasy" (2001). However, failure to win "Best Album" for three consecutive years has left him disheartened with award ceremonies.^[74] Although he continues to win more than 20 awards per year from various organizations in Asia, Chou has stated he will rely more on album sales as an indicator of his music's quality and popularity: "For every album I hope to improve from my last, sell more than my last,..., better sales means more people like the music...".^[75]

[edit] Response to the News Media and Paparazzi

As with other stars, Chou has expressed a strong dislike of the paparazzi. In the early years of his career, unwanted attention by the media was usually dealt with by avoidance. In-line with his quiet nature, he frequently wore baseball caps and hoods while lowering his head and evading eye contact during interviews. In the recent years however, he has been less passive about the invasion of his privacy, such as by taking pictures of the paparazzi if he notices them taking unsolicited pictures of him.^[76] He openly calls the paparazzi "dogs" and tabloids "dog magazines", as shown in his lyrics for "Besieged From All Sides" 四面楚歌.

Chou has been reported to be romantically linked to an array of female celebrities, such as Jolin Tsai, Vivian Hsu, Ock Ju-Hyun, and Hebe Tian from S.H.E. Although each relationship (with the exception of Patty Hou^[77]) has been denied by Chou, these reports have given him a "player" image. The media and Taiwanese government has also accused Chou of evading compulsory military service^[78] by feigning to suffer from ankylosing spondylitis. Later that year he was acquitted after providing the relevant medical records and letters from the Republic of China Army confirming a lawful exemption from draft dated before the start of his music career.^[79]

Despite constant harassment and stalking by the media, he does acknowledge that "[one] cannot take a clear-cut stance against them (the paparazzi)... because they help you promote your name... and [the paparazzi] will write about what the populace is most interested in."^[80] Not all media coverage is unwelcomed as Chou is typically described by the press as a hardworking perfectionist^[81] and a highly filial son.^[62] Coverage by international journals and news agencies such as Time,^[4] The Guardian (UK) ^[82] and Reuters^[56] help ascertain his influence on mainstream culture.

[edit] Fanbase

It is difficult to estimate the size and global spread of Jay Chou's fanbase. Chinese from Taiwan, Hong Kong, and China make up the majority of his fans. Despite rampant piracy issues in this area, China in particular, every album Chou has released so far has surpassed 2 million in sales in this country. According to the most popular internet search engine in China, Baidu,^[83] Chou is the number one searched male artist in 2003,^[84] 05,^[85] 06.^[86] In Hong Kong, Chou has been the number one best-selling Mandarin artist for the past 4 years.^[87] Outside of the major Chinese-speaking regions, Chou also has a solid fanbase in Asia. He is popular throughout Southeast Asia, including Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Vietnam. In Singapore, Jay Chou was the second most searched celebrity behind Britney Spears in the "Music" category.^[88]

Currently, Chou remains largely unknown outside of Asia, except in cities with large Chinese immigrant populations such as Vancouver, Toronto, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. Concerts held in major venues such as the MGM Grand (Las Vegas)^[89] and Shrine Auditorium (Los Angeles)^[90] have been sold-out shows. Chou's intent to increase his prominence in the Western world beyond Chinese audiences is clear. In 2006, Chou composed and sang the theme song for "Fearless", a movie released in most major theatres in most English-speaking countries,^[91] though the impact to his fame has been minimal. Chou's role in "Curse of the Golden Flower" (limited release) marks his acting debut in North America. Despite having a supporting but important role in the story's plot, the North American version of the official posters only featured a view of his back, greatly contrasting the Asian versions where his face and name were clear and placed next to the male and female leads. Although Chou is still far from being widely known in the English world, this movie has brought him international exposure.

[edit] Discography

Albums

Date Released	Album Name	Sales in Asia (millions)	References
2000-11-07	Jay 周杰倫同名專輯	No data
2001-09-01	Fantasy 范特西	No data
2002-07-19	Eight Dimensions 八度空間	No data
2003-07-31	Ye Hui Mei 葉惠美	2-3	[92]
2004-08-03	Common Jasmine Orange 七里香	3-4	[5] [93]
2005-11-01	November's Chopin 十一月的蕭邦	>2.5	[94] [95]
2006-09-05	Still Fantasy 依然范特西	>3	[96] [97]

EPs 范特西+ Fantasy Plus (Includes Fantasy MV VCD) (2001-12-21) 雙截棍 Nun-Chucks (2002-04-09) 尋找周杰倫 Hidden Track (Includes Ye Hui Mei MV VCD) (2003-11-12) 霍元甲 Huo Yuan Jia (Includes November's Chopin MV DVD) (2006-01-20) 黄金甲 Golden Armor (Includes Still Fantasy MV DVD) (2006-12-08) Live albums The One Concert Live (Includes Eight Dimensions MV VCD) (2002-10-28) 無與倫比演唱會 2004 Incomparable to Jay Concert Live (Includes Common Jasmine Orange MV VCD) (2005-01-21)

Compilation albums Partners — Music by Jay Chou and lyricist Vincent Fang (2002-04-26) Initial J: Jay Chou's Greatest Hits — Japan release only (2005-08-31) Other works 大頭貼 Neoprint — Single, no official release JIII MP3 Player — MP3 player endorsed by Jay Chou featuring songs from Initial D movie, three old demos and a personal message from Jay (2005-06-26)

[edit] Filmography

• 尋找周杰倫 Hidden Track (2003) Cameo
• 頭文字D Initial D (23rd June 2005) Lead actor
• 滿城盡帶黃金甲 Curse of the Golden Flower (2006) Supporting actor
• 不能說的秘密 The Secret That Cannot Be Told (2007) Director, lead actor - Post-production
• 灌籃 Anime series Slam Dunk (2008) Lead actor - Filming to begin March 2007

[edit] External links

Official

• (Chinese) Jay Chou @ ALFAmusic 阿爾發音樂
• (Chinese) Jay Chou @ Sony BMG Hong Kong
• (Chinese) Jay Chou's Fan Club @ Jay杰倫組織
• (Chinese) Jay Chou Official Website 周杰倫官方網站
• (Chinese) Jay Chou Chinese Web 周杰伦中文网-全球最大的周杰伦网站!

Jay Chou Lyrics

• Karazen: Jay Chou Album Reviews & Lyrics in Pinyin and Han Characters
• Chinese Music Blog - Jay Chou Album Reviews and Lyrics
• AMW168 - Jay Chou's Lyrics, Pics, and Translation

Jay Fan Site

• Jay-Chou.net (English-International Forum)
• Jay Chou Studio

Jay movie web

• Curse of the Golden Flower official website
• (Chinese) Curse of the Golden Flower Chinese web 满城尽带黄金甲 中文网

[edit] References

• Chou, Jay (2004-11-01). Grandeur de D Major (Book) (in Chinese), China: Hua Ren Ban Tu. ISBN 9572937146. 

• Chung, Oscar (2005-01-10). The Stars of East Asia Rising (Web article). Government Information Office, Republic of China (Taiwan). Retrieved on March 5, 2007.

• Drake, Kate (2003-03-03). Cool Jay (Web article). Time (Asia). Retrieved on March 5, 2007.

• Taiwan's performing artists feed Asia's appetite for pop (Web article). Taipei City Government (2004-11-15). Retrieved on March 5, 2007.

• Jay - A Revolutionary Musician (Web article). China.org.cn (2005-11-04). Retrieved on March 5, 2007.

[edit] Notes