Mandopop: Wang Rong - Mr High Heels

Wang Rong has done several fun and crazy videos, so it is no surprise that she gets to do a song for the upcoming chinese movie "Mr High Heels" about a cross-dressing man. The song is quite catchy and has the typical sounds and quirkiness of a Wang Rong track.

• Wang Rong - Mr High Heels

Mandopop: Top 10 of the fourth quarter of 2015

My selection of Chinese language songs may still be smaller than the corresponding korean or japanese ones, but what there is, is still very interesting and it is obvious that the Chinese market is still very much evolving and trying to find its own general style. Being bigger as a country than  its neighbors, it will probably not become as uniform as kpop as an example, but it also still obviously is examining influences from America and other countries for inspiration. This reminds me of Sweden's process in many ways.

10. Wang Rong - Shark Shark. I should have chosen a better song for number 10, but this is just so crazy-fun so it had to be this in the end. Wang Rong does it again.

9. K Na - Sensitive Principle. For the chemistry between the dancers.

8. Han Geng - Heart Shot. Dramatic video with a sound track to match this.

7. Celeste Syn - Control Freak. She matches her song theme and video very well, and shows of a quirky (european? french) style that's not to usual in mandopop, but still feels very natural for her.

6. Xiao Ai & The Flowers band - Return of the King. A mixture of goth and cosplay, this video has its place just for lifting up the growing gamer/fantasy sub-culture in China.

5. Tianyo - Three Second Countdown. Very stylish dancing and production from a man that himself is the owner of a HK branding company.

4. Popu Lady - Gossip Girls. This video would feel at home as a music video for a Hollywood drama production. Soo stylish.

3. Jike Junyi - Lotion Song. Her best song so far takes a step off the/her beaten path and enter a dreamy universe beyond the usual R&B.

2. Li Yuchun - Only You. Is she the synth queen of mandopop now? These two songs does well to place her firmly as a eastern pop/electronica icon in my eyes anyways.

1. Momo Wu - I wanna be your lover. I have always felt that she has brought a bit too much of her theatrical diva into the singing, but here it finally is turned down to just the right level, instead changing it into a great asset as an emotional bottom for a great pop song.

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.

Mandopop: Top 10 of the fourth quarter of 2014

Not quite so many really good songs this last quarter. Jolin Tsai almost got three songs on the list. And she kissed a girl.

10. Jay Chou - Extra Large Shoes. A fun video from Mr Famous.

9. Bonnie - Yolo. Surpsiingly enough her teen age attitude didn't irritate me as I thought they would. probably due to the humoristic edge.

8. Yise Loo - Addicted. Nice rock sound and a good voice.

7. Yang Rong - I do, my emperor. Catchy pop sounds and a nerdy video. That's enough.

6. Shiny - Da Bomb. A rather different approach for a mandopop video. I like it.

5. A-Lin - All in. A beautiful and almost grandiose melody.

4. Wang Rong - Chick Chick. Like the mega hit Little Apple earlier this year, this had the chance of becoming an internet meme, but it was just a little to much for many people I think. Instead it beame a kind of laugh-and-forget thing.

3. Jolin Tsai - Play. Most of her videos are pure eye candy and this is no exception, and the song is catchy.

2. Wang Qiao - Hello, Mulan. More of a children's song, but it is so catchy that it must be included.

1. Jolin Tsai - We're all different, yet all the same. The kiss between her and Ruby Lin while they marry is her crowning achievement so far in regards to her pro-homo support. And the song is really a touching one.

Mandopop: Wang Rong - Chick Chick (小雞小雞)

For me, Wang Rong is known for doing some sexy videos with quite good songs, but this new "Chick Chick" is very much not sexy. On the other hand, it has a good chance of giving her the kind of success a viral hit can give, as it has all the right ingredients for it. It is odd, the refrain is perfectly poised on the borderline between crazy and super irritating, and of course this will become super popular with kids and everyone with some sense of humor. I can't stop playing it at least... ;-)
Interview with her about it here.

• Wang Rong - Chick Chick (小雞小雞)