JJ Lin, DOMiNiQUE, Geng Hong, Gary, Shawn Yue, Kaira Gong, Nicholas Tse

Hao Hao

Here's another x-post update from my mp3 rotation SOYASound, all Chinese once again, this time the update features the latest from Lin Jun Jie (which I'm sure most of you have already like good boys and girls) as well as another track from Dominique Tsai. Also features songs from Will Liu Geng Hong, Gary Cao Ge, Kaira Gong, Nicholas Tse, and Shawn Yue.

Please comment if you download :)

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Lin Jun Jie - Cao Cao
Rating: 5/5
Album/Single: Cao Cao
Language: Mandarin
    Singaporean artist 'JJ' Lin Jun Jie is best known for his strong and effeminate vocals and touching ballads and recently released his fourth album 'Cao Cao.' The title track is undoubtedly my favourite track off the album, in 'Cao Cao' JJ takes a stab at alternative rock-influence and the result is very pleasing. JJ's always been branching out into different styles and genres but his beautiful ballads always overshadowed everything else, but I think this started to change since he released 'Bian Hao 89757'- I think he's done a great job with this track. As usual, JJ's voice sounds powerful and gorgeous, and I think a little experimenting with rock music really shows off his voice the way his heart-wrenching ballads can't- it's a dramatic track that's an absolute pleasure to listen to, highly reccomended!

Lin Jun Jie - Shu Neng Sheng Qiao
Rating: 4.5/5
Album/Single: Cao Cao
Language: Mandarin
   The other JJ track I've decided to upload from his latest album is 'Shu Neng Sheng Qiao' which is a beautiful R&B influenced, Asian-inspired ballad- there is also a 'watered down' English version of the song, the last track on the album, 'Down.' The song starts off fairly mellow but it gradually breaks out into a pretty but fairly emotional ballad. As expected, JJ pulls through again vocally, giving us the quality and sincerity we've come to expect from him. For me, JJ has the most gorgeous voice in the Chinese music industry, I'd say he's more swoon-worthy than the boys and prettier sounding than the girls, I can't help but adore him.


DOMiNiQUE - Wo Bu Xiang Zhi Dao Ta Shi Shei
Rating: 5/5
Album/Single: Ultra Violet
Language: Mandarin
    Australian-born artist DOMiNiQUE, or Dominique Tsai, debuted last fall with her album 'Ultraviolet.' Only 19 years old, DOMiNiQUE has a strong and powerful voice and has come under the guidance of fellow ALFA Music artist, the Taiwanese King of R&B, Jay Chou. Many seem to be comparing her to fellow female labelmate Landy Wen, but their music styles and voices are quite different. I uploaded a song from DOMiNiQUE last time, and some people wanted more, so here's another. The featured track, 'Wo Bu Xiang Zhi Dao Ta Shi Shei' is an alternative rock track that was also her first single when she debuted as an artist on ALFA. It kind of reminds me of something that Tommy heavenly6 would do, anyway it's an enjoyable track and probably my favourite from DOMiNiQUE's debut album.


Liu Geng Hong - Xin Ling Jiao Zhan
Rating: 5/5
Album/Single: Rainbow Heaven
Language: Mandarin
    Will Liu Geng Hong released his debut album 'Rainbow Heaven' late last year and also so happens to be Taiwanese superstar Jay Chou's best friend. Observant fans of the Taiwanese king of R&B may recognize Geng Hong from several of Jay's MVs including 'Zui Hou De Zhan Yi' and notably 'Feng,' which connected with Geng Hong's first solo MV 'Cai Hong Tian Tang' (the title track of his debut album). He also had a small part in Initial D and has wrote the lyrics for several of Jay's songs in the past. A lot of people have been giving Geng Hong strife for relying too much on Jay as an artist, but I think that's an unfair assessment, it takes more than having songs composed by Jay Chou to be a talented and well-received artist, people need to give Geng Hong more credit. Anyway, the featured track is a song that was indeed composed by Jay but Geng Hong's performance and execution of the song is excellent, the chorus is just gorgeous to listen to and is the highlight of the song for me. I am not kidding when I say I am absolutely in love with this song, I hope you like it too, so just give it a listen :)


Cao Ge - Bu Lang Man De Jia Huo
Rating: 4/5
Album/Single: Naughty Gentlemen
Language: Mandarin
    Malaysian artist Gary Cao Ge released his debut album 'Naughty Gentlemen' earlier this year, some people may recognize Gary from his collaboration with fellow Malaysian artist Michael Wang Guang Liang, 'Shao Nian' on Guang Liang's 'Fairytale' album. The overall style of Gary's album is predominantly R&B but it's more Americanized than what I usually care for, my philosophy has always been 'If I wanted to listen to American music I would..." so it's a little uninspired for me, but the featured track 'Bu Lang Man De Jia Huo' is a sweet and catchy song.


Shawn Yue - Shi Xiao Shi Zou
Rating: 4/5
Album/Single: Whether or Not
Language: Cantonese
    Former model turned HK actor/singer Shawn Yue Man Lok is probably best known to wider audiences as Nakazato Takeshi in the Inital D Live Action film alongside his fellow HK actor/singers Edison Chen and Jordan Chan. I was never a big fan of Yue Man Lok, still can't say I am, but enjoyed a few tracks off his latest album 'Whether or Not.' As made evident by my rotations, I don't listen to a lot of HK artists or Cantonese music, but once in a while I'll come across a few songs that I like, and such was the case with 'Shi Xiao Shi Zou.' It's just a bloody shame he went and ruined it halfway with the cheesy bridge, but overall, I find it to be a fairly pleasant song.


Kaira Gong - Zai Yi Ci Yong You
Rating: 4/5
Album/Single: Hao, Shi Jia
Language: Mandarin
    Singaporean newcomer Kaira Gong released her debut album 'Hao, Shi Jia' late last year. She's been running up comparisions to the most popular and famous female Singaporean solo artist, Stefanie Sun Yan Zi (whom she also shares a striking resemblance to from certain angles). Kaira is best known for her song from the drama that starred Taiwanese supergroup S.H.E. 'Zai Yi Ci Yong You' which is also the track that I've uploaded. It starts off as a pretty track but the drama quickly builds up and with one listen you can definitely understand why people are comparing her to Yan Zi.


Nicholas Tse - Ai Hui Lai
Rating: 4.5/5
Album/Single: Released
Language: Mandarin
    Notorious Hong Kong badass Nicholas Tse Ting Fung was born into stardom as the son of actors Patrick Tse and Deborah Li, as a result he's experienced many of the ups and downs of HK celebrity life. Known for dating high-profile older women such as Faye Wong and Cecilia Cheung, crashing expensive cars and several run-ins with the law- he understandably gets a lot of flack and bad press. Regardless, he's managed enjoy popularity as both an accomplished actor and as a music artist. When I first got into Chinese music I listened to a lot of Nic, so I admit I have a sort of a soft-spot for him, but I grew out of him after getting into Mandarin music (read: Jay Chou). His latest Mandarin album was released last year and I discovered an enjoyable little track called 'Ai Hui Lai' which is pretty standard Nic material for the most part, but as the song progresses it turns out it's a really sweet song, I especially enjoy the English parts, specifically the "Come back to me..." which makes me melt and die. It's fairly catchy and refreshing to listen to, I think there's a really endearing quality to it.
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I also have a little request, does anyone have Whence He Came's 'The Shorter Story'? I've been desperately searching for this album.

x-posted at my journal, shuimei
Shorty; ShuiMei