Mandopop: Top 20 of 2014

Time to try to sum up the best pop from the "chinese cultural sphere", which in reality is impossible as it consists of roughly 1,5 billions of people in China, Taiwan and the rest of the world. Instead this is of course a very subjective list of what I liked the most. ;-)
As usual good songs triumphs over good looking videos, and uptempo beats ballads.

20. Jolin Tsai - Play. Her best uptempo song this year, with of course another great and fun video.

19. Miu Miu - I'm outta control. Yes, this *is* a trashy video where Miu Miu really sells it with her imagined sexiness. But that's the point, this phenomena is rather new in China (on the big arena) and so it is worth mentioning.

18. Wang Rong - Chick Chick. This oddball didn't quite take off like Little Apple did, probably because it being way more over the top to be played everywhere. But everyone with their inner child left, this was pure gold. Kudos to Wang Rong for daring to partake in this.

17. Show Luo - Fantasy. An artistic and professionally sexy video that with kpop diva Gain's added star quality really is one of the most "pro" videos of the year.

16. Hebe Tien - Forever Love. The last two years, everything from her has been really gold - the voice, the production, the songs. One of the few mandarin singers that can make me interested in soft ballads.

15. Kris Kuan - After Smoke. The theme is interesting, but most of all it's one of the most suggestive (borderline rock) songs I've heard in Mandopop.

14. Jolin Tsai - We're all different, Yet all the same. The kiss. The gay marriage. The passionate song.

13. Wang Rong - Bad Sister. Just a normal pop song, performed without complicating things and with Rong's charming professionality.

12. Fiona Sit - Pheromone. Cantonese usually confuses me but with this song Fiona Sit really uses the Chinese dialect to it's best musically. It is both catchy and endearing.

11. Aaron Yan - No Cut. Now, this is how Aaron should make songs and videos, updated and cool.

10. Sun Shengxi - Girls. I don't think she will ever be famous, and this piece sounds like something that would come out of an American setting, but I don't care. Sleek and sensual.

9. Huo Zun - Song of Birds. In some sense this harmonic ethnic song is one of the top 3 songs for me this year, but just because there are so many similar "new age"-sounding songs coming out, I have a hard time comparing it. But it is a must for anyone into eastern Asian traditional music.

8. Khalil Fong - Black White & Grey. A slick performance in black and white. His voice is made for this music and vice versa.

7. Alan - Mo Lan. The contrast between the ethereal singing and the seven deadly sins' depiction in the video is extremely beautiful.

6. Yáng Hǎibiāo and Lóng Méizi - Lonely people's sad song. A really odd song which many will miss, but the beat and refrain is ... perfect. This is a song made for playing on repeat.

5. Khalil Fong - Dangerous World. Yet another great song from Khalil, and this time the video is rather epic too.

4. AM444 - Détache Toi / Shen Jing Mo Shao. This is maybe the most cool Chinese song in 2014 in an international perspective, being bilingually sung by a chinese/french underground group, and with a sound that contrast french electronic sounds with a modern chinese voice.

3. Li Yunchun - In 1987, I didn't know I would meet you. The eternal boyish girl finally makes a hit that is one of the best electronica I've heard in years.

2. Khalil Fong - Little Fong. ..and add some personal and emotional components and Khalil Fong got his third and best song on the top 20 list. Only the impossible Xiao Pingo beats this in 2014 for me.

1. Chopstick Brothers - Little Apple/Xiao Pingo. When I was in China over Christmas, six months after its release, I still heard it being played in every other store and lots of people having it as their cel phone jingle. It is really the meme of the year in China.