Mandopop: Top 20 of 2016

I have said it before and I will say it again - I do think the Chinese musicsphere hasn't yet found it's own sound as a whole, and how can it - with so many people being part of it?
My favorites of 2016 shows this, being an eclectic mix of corny KTV songs, beautiful but almost overstyled videos, and very good and funky tracks of world class quality.

20. Yuki - Oh My! Is this the end of Yuki's troubles and a start of a more normal artistic life? Who knows, but one can hope.

19. Ma Ning - Anyway, it's all me. Quite gay and very watchable, Ma Ning does a fascinating musical diorama with this video.

18. Jane Zhang - Dust My Shoulders Off. Enlisting Timbaland and making a gorgeous video refrencing so much modern pop history/art, Jane Zhang really made something not to be missed.

17. Jeannie Hsieh - Boom Boom Par. She does another one of her crazy but so intensively styled videos. Slightly irritating and very addictive.

16. Leah Dou - Brother. She is such a cool young artist, and no surprise as she is Faye Wong's daughter.

15. Sophia Wang - Versailles Tears. A kind of odd historical time piece that actually works quite well, the melody and song is clear and well tuned.

14. Michiyo Ho. Part of the collective Red People from Malaysia, she has really started showing off her qualities this year, with lots of funny and ironic themes.

13. Astro12 - Waiting For You. This idol group had yet to show off all its members, so it was just a trio that performed this song. The song shows good promise so we will see what 2017 holds.

12. One Two Free - Kiang. The ironic and iconic duo again creates a great theme for funny and crazy video.

11. Xue Zhiqian - Beginner. A white haired vampire and some gothic themes in general suited this song perfect.

10. Mao Ze Shao. Both her videos have great rhythm and feel, if she gets a little better styling and quality of her production, she could ge really far.

9. Li Yunchun - Sense of Presence. The electronic sound is what Chris Lee has been about the last few years. I do hope she keeps at it.

8. Vanness Wu - Boom. The singer and movie star is really channeling a lot of Michael jackson in this video, but you know what, he does it in a great way.

7. No Party For Cao Dong - Mountain and Sea. The dark passion is the strength of this indie song, so strong that it almost pulls it down, but then comes the airy strings and it lifts again.

6. Hebe Tien / Zhang Xiaoqi - Useless. After watching the video of Zhang Xiaoqi performing the song I still think it is such a great performance, quite perfect.

5. Qi Qi Ge - People of the Prairie. Like an anthem, Qi Qi Ge sings with such feeling that all thoughts of this being nutty folk music disco is put away.

4. Zhengyue Shiwu - Little Grape. Yes, it is one of those cheesy song made to be sung at KTV (karaoke), but oh I love it none the less. The warmth and happiness can't be stopped.

3. Milk@Coffee - We're missing just a little. Such a trivial song, it doesn't make much noise for itself, but the mood and lyrics are in such melancholic harmony.

2. S.H.E. - Irreplacable. Just as the year was ending the famous trio from Taiwan returned with a bang, this song is really irreplacable in a discography of their songs.

1. Dizzy Dizzo ft E.So - Who loves who. This song again proves that the chinese really can do funky/retro really well, and even the rap (not something I warm up to usually) is just perfect. The amvience and sound is just right.

Mandopop: Hebe Tien / Zhang Xiaoqi - Useless (無用)

The first image above and below is of Zhang Xiaoqi, the other two of Hebe Tien.

Earlier this year, Taiwanese singer Hebe Tien (from S.H.E) released the song "Useless", which was kind of nice. This autumn she went on to participate in the TV-show "Sound of my Dream"(梦想的声音) as one of the judges/teachers. The show is novel for a music show in the sense that it isn't quite a competition as more of an "open" arena where singers are invited. The high point of the first months came last week when Zhang Xiaoqi (张小七) sang "Useless" in a fantastic interpretation that surpassed the original. Not much is known about her, but it is rumored that she works with accounting in her family business, and sings on her free time at the local bar. Anyway, I do hope this is one voice I expect to hear much more of.

• Hebe Tien - Useless (無用)
• Zhang Xiaoqi - Useless (無用)

Chinese pop: Top 20 of first half of 2014

Seeing as I review more and more mandarin/cantopop songs, I found it is time to a top list for the music too, so I get some kind of feeling for relative quality. There is no arguing who is my clear favorite this year so far, but there a also a great number of good songs competing for the other spots.

20. Angela Zhang - Live for Love. This one was simply interesting as a video, with a song that is not as good as her "OK".

19. Ben Xi - Gun Love. Fun song if not for anything else, so because its a song written for a computer game.

18. Hebe Tien - Fickle. She returns to Iceland in the video, in a song that is like a musical (in a good way), with grand gestures and deep passion.

17. Miu Miu - I'm outta control. She is the first Chinese singer that I have seen that openly goes for sleazy, but she combines it with quite good pop songs, adding some credibility instead.

16. Momo Wu - Camazing. For the colors, for the french, for the Gaga-esque style, I must of course add this cool lady.

15. Cheer Chen - Peace & Revolution. A suggestive video well suited to Chen's style of performance and sound, again evolving in her musical expression.

14. Fiona Sit - Pheromone. Heralded to be one important part of a new generation of Cantopop singers, I find the new "Pheromones" the best example of her style.

13. Wang Rong - Bad Sister. A happy and energic video where Wang Rong takes the scene and holds the center of attention as a real show biz pro.

12. Fabel & Candy Lo - Narcissitic and free. A little indie feel to this piece of electronic music.

11. Tanya Chua - One-sided Love. Still and precious this video is, with passion blooming with passages of sweet song between.

10. Sun Shengxi - Girls. A rather simple but elegant piece of R&B that makes me want to dance and clap my hands.

9. Hebe Tian - Forever Love. This is an excellent example how to take a traditional chinese ballad, which almost always bores me out (sorry!), and sing it in a way that keeps the listener interested all the way. It is called presence, quality of voice and focus.

8. Kris Kuan - After Smoke. Her sound is quite different from most mandopop I hear, and it feels somehow like something that has a sound not bound to a certain time but is a kind of indie rock/pop sound that has been here for maybe 20 twenty years at least.

7. Aaron Yan - No Cut. The first song with Aaron Yan that really attracted me. More dynamic and fresh uptempo than before.

6. Huo Zun - Song of Birds. This is the essence of beautiful chinese/ethnic music, so hauntingly dreamy sung by Huo Zun.

5. Yáng Hǎibiāo and Lóng Méizi - Lonely People's Sad Song. There is something inherently fascinating and dance-friendly about this odd number.

4. Khalil Fong - Black White & Grey. Elegant, tight performance and so rhythmic. Love it!

3. Khalil Fong - Dangerous World. The scope of this video and song never becomes too pompous, but instead keeps moving forward, creating a 8 minute drama that works better than most of this kind of music video cum short movie usually does.

2. AM444 - Détache Toi / Shen Jing Mo Shao. The sheer uniqueness of the sound is in itself a reason to  rate this high, but it is also such a fascinating meeting of musicians and cultures and the combination of french and mandarin is so great. Where, to be honest, Khalil Fong imports American quality style to an industry already copying much from America, acts like AM444 walks the paths unknown. More of this please!

1. Khalil Fong - Little Fong. Elegant as Black White and Grey, and grand in its feeling as Dangerous World, something in its feeling makes this the best chinese song/video of the first half of 2014.

Mandopop: Hebe Tien - Fickle (無常)

There is nothing like the sweet voice of Hebe Tien to listen to when you are recuparating from an illness. I love her voice and "Fickle" is no disappointment. The video contains more footage from Iceland, that they used for her "Insignificance" with such success, but this time they have another angle using more warm colors.

• Hebe Tien - Fickle (無常)