Mandopop: Michiyo Ho (何念玆)

I have been folowing with interest the Malaysian collective ("supergroup") called Red People ever since I back in 2014 saw their cover of famous "Xiao Pingo". One of the artists that seems to have been gaining most momentum is Michiyo Ho. Her videos has humor and she really has that extra charisma that is the mark of a good artist; a video paroding North Korea's dictator, a video supporting preventing breast cancer (called 'tits' of course...) and now "Hands up handsome!" which is a reall catchy track about all the beautiful men out in the countryside... ;-)

• Michiyo Ho ft Jack & Danny Koo - Hands up handsome! (男神請舉手 !)
• Michiyo Ho - Mimi (咪咪 = Tits)
• Michiyo Ho - Love You No More
• Michiyo Ho - Abandoned (你不要我)

Mandopop: Xiao Quan (蕭全)

This DJ/Songwriter is really just one in row of Chinese male singers trying hard to deliver the next "Xiao Pingo", the song by the Chopstick Brothers that was really THE social phenomena in China last year. And of course history never repeats itself in the same way, so this is doomed to fail, but this video is at least mildly fun to watch while cranking up the volume. It seems reasonable that the "back-up" plan for Quan if this doesn't conquer China, is at least to be popular for all the people doing square dancing in every Chinese city every morning and evening. He surely delivers some moves meant for that, am I not right? ;-P

• Xiao Quan - Social Shake (社會搖)

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.

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.