About Jay
“New King of Asian Pop”Time Magazine Asia(2003)
“One of the most influential figures in Asia”CNN (2009)
Jay Chou (Zhou Jielun) , born 18 January 1979, is an iconic Taiwanese artiste who debuted in 2000. Having sold over 30 million albums, he sealed his position as one of the best-selling and well-known artistes in the Mandopop scene.
In the early 21st century, when Asian pop radio stations were inundated with pop ballads and sentimental love songs, Jay Chou's unique music style where he fuses Western music, hip-hop, R&B, classical music and rap into Mandopop paved his way for international stardom. He is well-recognised in Taiwan, Hong Kong, China, Singapore and Malaysia as well as the global Asian communities, and till now, his music is one of the most prominent and influential in Mandopop.
Versatility
In 2005, Jay Chou debuted as an actor in "Initial D", and directed his first film "Secret" in 2007. He expanded his international reach when he made his Hollywood debut in "The Green Hornet" in 2011.
Jay Chou also owns and manages his own record and management company, JVR. In addition, Jay Chou has owned restaurants such as "Mr. J", "Secret Restaurant", and clothing store "PHANTACi".
Read more about the
King of Mandopop
Music
Jay's music journey started young when he attended piano lessons at the age of four. He would go on to learn playing the cello in the third grade. He majored in piano in high school and his favourite composer is Chopin.
Jay was incidentally brought into the music industry by Jacky Wu, an influential host and singer in Taiwan's entertainment industry. Before his debut, Jay spent most of his time in Wu's studio learning music producing, sound mixing, recording, and writing and selling songs.
With Jay's strong foundation in classical music and love for R&B and hip-hop, Jay was able to carve out a niche of "Chou Style" (周氏風格; zhōu shì fēnggé)- a term popularized to describe his iconic cross-cultural music and slurred singing, a style uncommon in Mandopop at that time.
He was one of the more outstanding singer-songwriters who composed all his songs as well as for other singers. He forms a "dream team" with Vincent Fang, who is his collaborating lyricist for many of his hit songs.
Sample Jay's music according to your mood!
Chill and Have Fun
Fancy some country or jazzy songs? Look over here to chill or have fun.
- Mojito
- Sunshine Nerd - 陽光宅男 (Yang Guang Zhai Nan)
- Cowboy On - 牛仔很忙 (Niu Zai Hen Mang)
Sweet Love Vibes
Puppy love, love confessions - these are catchy tunes to bop along to and to serenade your better half!
- Love Confession - 告白气球 (Gao Bai Qi Qiu)
- Simple Love - 簡單愛 (Simple Love)
- Adorable Lady - 可愛女人 (Ke Ai Nv Ren)
Surprise Me - Jay Style R&B Ballads
Unique Jay Style R&B mid-tempo songs which are catchy and interesting. Catch sound samples of ping-pong ball, basketball or wolf howls! Too many Jay classics from this list.
- Love before BC - 愛在西元前 (Ai Zai Xi Yuan Qian)
- Class 3-2 - 三年二班 (San Nian Er Ban)
-
Give Me the Time of a Song -
給我一首歌的時間 (Gei Wo Yi Shou Ge De Shi Jian)
Jay Style Rap - Classical/Cinematic and Metal/Rock
On one end, Jay Chou has produced some exquisite and distinctive rap songs which include elements of classical music and cinematic lyrics, hence adding a melodious touch to it. On the other end, he has some rap songs that are a fusion of metal and rock music.
- In The Name of The Father - 以父之名 (Yi Fu Zhi Ming)
- Nocturne - 夜曲 (Ye Qu)
- Ninja - 忍者 (Ren Zhe)
Jay Style Rap - with an Oriental Twist
Enjoy the clash of cultures where hip-hop and rap is fused with elements of Chinese culture in the lyrics (themes of eunuchs, Chinese herbs, martial arts etc) and the use of Chinese traditional music instruments such as ethnic drums, er hu, pipa and guzheng!
- Nunchucks - 雙截棍 (Shuang Jie Gun)
- Fearless - 霍元甲 (Huo Yuan Jia)
- Chinese Herbal Manual - 本草綱目 (Ben Cao Gang Mu)
Traditional Chinese Style - Zhong Guo Feng Ballads
Jay has popularised the beautiful and smooth fusion of Mandopop with Chinese classical music together with his long-time lyricist, Vincent Fang. The melody is often in the pentatonic scale, and the lyrics contain elements of Chinese culture (e.g. blue white porcelain, chrysanthemum) and literature, similar to Chinese poetry, with a tinge of R and B or pop style. The music arrangement often includes Traditional Chinese music instruments such as erhu, pipa and guzheng.
- Blue and White Porcelain - 青花瓷 (Qing Hua Ci)
- Chrysanthemum Terrace - 菊花台 (Ju Hua Tai)
- East Wind Breaks - 東風破 (Dong-Feng-Po)
Hip Hop / Dance
High energy numbers with Jay showcasing his rapping and dance skills with bling.
- Now You See Me
- Exclamation Point - 驚嘆號 (Jing Tan Hao)
Love / Rock Ballads
Love ballads are a staple in Mandopop, and Jay’s emotional love ballads definitely stay in the hearts of many Asians who may be nursing a heartbreak, or who just want to croon at the karaoke.
- Silence - 安靜 (An Jing)
- The Longest Movie - 最長的電影 (Zui Chang de Dian Ying)
- Maple Leaf - 楓 (Feng)
- Sunny Day - 晴天 (Qing Tian)
- Rhythm of the Rain - 聽見下雨的聲音 (Ting Jian Xia Yu De Sheng Yin)
- Secret - 不能說的祕密 (Bu Neng Shuo De Mi Mi)
Songs with a Message
Jay does not only sing about romance, but he also shares about issues such as environmental destruction, domestic violence, paparazzi and substance abuse. His repertoire of songs include songs about mothers, his grandmother and home. Encouraging songs are aplenty with themes of chasing your dreams and staying grounded as we live life, as well as reminiscing about the simple days when we were young.
- Listen to Mom - 聽媽媽的話 (Ting Ma Ma De Hua)
- Rice Field - 稻香 (Da0 Xiang)
- Dad, I'm Home - 爸 我回來了 (Ba Wo Hui Lai Le)
Films
Before starring in movies, Jay Chou has ventured into acting and directing when working on music videos for his record albums.
He has starred in various movies, including two of which he directed, "Secret" and "The Rooftop", as well as two Hollywood movies, "The Green Hornet" and "Now You See Me 2".
Initial D
2005
as Takumi Fujiwara
Curse of the Golden Flower
2006
as Prince Jai (Yuan Jie)
Secret
2007
as Jay Ye Xiang Lun
Kung Fu Dunk
2008
as Fang Shi Jie
The Treasure Hunter
2009
as Qiao Fei
True Legend
2010
as God of Wushu
The Green Hornet
2011
as Kato
The Viral Factor
2012
as Jon Man
The Rooftop
2013
as Wax (Lang Zi Hao)
Now You See Me 2
2016
as Li
Special Mention - Secret
Jay Chou co-wrote and starred in the leading role of his first directorial debut movie, Secret, and even composed the soundtrack. The romance film is centred around music and showcases his piano-playing skills, including a piano duel with his fellow musician.
Snippet of the piano duel in the movie, Secret
Find out more about Jay's
Films
Latest News
Jay Chou the only Mandopop singer to make IFPI’s Global Artist Chart 2022
The Straits Times
Updated 28 Feb 2023
LONDON – Taiwanese singer Jay Chou is the only Mandopop artiste to make the Global Artist Chart 2022 by IFPI, a non-profit organisation that represents the interests of the recording industry worldwide.
Jay Chou, King of Mandopop, Brings Art and Music Together in His Latest Album
Spotify
Updated 23 Feb 2023
There’s no denying that Jay Chou is the King of Mandopop. He has reigned as Taiwan’s top artist on Spotify for the past four years and was crowned Top Mandopop Artist in Spotify’s 2022 Wrapped.
The meteoric growth of Mandopop: Jay Chou on the inspiration for his evolving music and connecting with his audience
Bandwagon
Updated 1 Feb 2023
In the face of ever-changing music consumption and taste, Mandarin popular music, more commonly known as Mnadopop, has remained steadfast in its position on the global stage.
Contact
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