Mandopop: Nine Chen (陳零九)

The Tawainese has something going with retro funk videos, I have seen a number of them (Da Mouth, Cosmos People, Dizzy Dizzo) which I really like, and Nine Chen gives another great video together with Puff Kuo from Dream Girls, where they square off in various sports (with Miss Kuo mostly winning by cheating it seems...).

• Nine Chen ft Puff Kuo - So Now What (阿不然現在是怎樣)

Mangopop: Khalil Fong - Journey To The West

Image 1 and 4 are from "HBDD", the other three from "All Night"

Everything Khalil Fong touches gets that eternal kind off quality classy feel, so very smooth and soft. These five videos are from his last year's album "Journey to the West", and you can pick and choose whichever you like the most, they all have their own personal and superb sound.

• Khalil Fong - Very Not Low Key (HBDD/很不低調)
• Khalil Fong ft Wang Leehom - Flow
• Khalil Fong ft Diana Wang - All Night
• Khalil Fong ft Zion T & Crush - Flavor (味道)
• Khalil Fong - Monkey King (悟空)

Mandopop: 831 - Roll Your Eyes (翻白眼)

Rockers 831 from Taiwan gives another super fun video where we get to see all the bad stuff that can happen when people just walk around without caring about people around them. A great laugh.

• 831 - Roll Your Eyes (翻白眼)

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)

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)