Mandopop: Yen-j (Yan Jue / 嚴爵)

The Taiwanese singer Yen-j has mostly done softer pop songs so far, nice for sure, but ultimately slightly to boring for my taste. The new "Contemporary Art" is therefore (hopefully) a much appreciated re-boot of his msuical vocabulary, as it is both visually and musically more lively. He doesn't come close to what for example A Mei, but it is still a refreshing.

• Yen-j - Contemporary Art (現代藝術)
• Yen-j - As Usual (照樣)
• Yen-j - π
• Yen-j - Something

Mandopop: A-Mei/Amit - 2nd Album "Amit 2/阿密特 2"

I have this general principle that, even though this is quite much a visual blog about music videos from eastern Europe and eastern Asia, I don't do videos that have music that I don't like. Taiwanese A-Mei/Amit has done lots of interesting videos and I have liked the music in several  (the recent Dog is such an example) but the new album from this spring is a little to experimental and I simply doesn't dig the music.  But as each video has been released, all very graphical and morbid in different degrees, I find myself in the end having to bend my principle as this just has to be shared. And to be honest, as a visual/sound entertainment, it is pretty nice.

• Amit - Freak Show (怪胎秀)
• Amit - Matriarchy (母系社會)
• Amit - A Blody Love Story (血腥愛情故事)
• Amit - What D'ya Want? (你想幹什麼)

Mandopop: A Mei - Dog (狗)

The new video from taiwanese A Mei is a song about infidelity. This is illustrated with a rather funny and graphic "shadow play" theme, where the girlfriend and the mistress go all out in a wild way that is comic-like.

• A Mei - Dog (狗)

Chinese pop: Top 10 of the third quarter of 2014

Summing up the best Chinese pop (Mandarin & Cantonese) of July, August and September, I first want to mention the five just outside the top:

15. Alex To - Shake
14. Popu Lady - More
13. Jeannie Hsieh - To Be Mature
12. Elva Hsaio - Romance Strikes
11. Amber An - Welcome to the party!

The final 10 are then:

10. Chopstick Brothers - Xiao Pingo. In some sense this one should be at the top as it is THE viral hit of this year in the Chinese-speaking communities. One couldn't watch a TV-show this summer without seeing the dance of "Little Apple" being done at some point...

9. Han Geng - Wild Cursive. Basically a cool ex-Super Junior dude doing cool war cosplay video.

8. A Mei - Faces of Paranoia and March. Beautiful singing and interesting video (with "Faces...").

7. Show Luo - Fantasy. I have been lazy about Mr Luo but with his double co-op with Ga-In from Korea, I had to write about him in this fascinating video about working in the office. Which is lika a jungle. A sexy jungle.

6. Keeva Mak - Terminally Ill. Somber video which matches the song's theme well.

5. Huangqi Wen - Rain & Happiness. Two quite different sounds but both videos complements each other quite well and makes Ms Wen someone to look out for in the future.

4. Kerin - Good As You. Cheap video from an unnoticable artist, but that doesn't matter as the music is a perfectly good dance track.

3. Jane Zhang - Bazaar. If Show Luo's video is like a sexy fashion shoot, Jane Zhang's Bazaar is a less explicit image of fasionability, but more interesting as her singing tops Luo's.

2. Alan - Mo Lan. Eerily beutiful "ethnic" singing combined with quite the unexpectedly bizarre video that I wouldn't let my younger children watch makes this a must see (and listen).

1. Li Yuchun (Chris Lee) - In 1987, I didn't know I would meet you. Ah, the electronica of this video is just so delicious, and this new direction of Li Yuchun is just perfect.

Mandopop: A Mei ft Soft Lipa - Faces of Paranoia (偏執面)

A Mei have had a streak of ambitious and/or stylish videos which shouldn't be missed. The new Faces of Paranoia continues this, with a rather morbid but interesting theme, and with gueast rapping by Soft Lipa (蛋堡).

• A Mei ft Soft Lipa - Faces of Paranoia (偏執面)