From West To East And Back To Us....CoCo Lee!!!!!!

According to my knowledge, she is one the legends of Chinese-pop world, among the big names of Jay Chow, Lee Hom and David Tao. She also the first to shine in international market with her English-debut. Success? Depends how you view, my opinion is she is a bit old when she step into the US market and the marketing is not good, even she signed to the big labels, SONY.

After her departure from SONY Music to MUSICNATION, I was hoping she can come out an album which goes back to her roots, and carefree album. Her previous albums always give me some tense feeling that she is trying to satisfied everyone and benting herself way too over. Here the new album I am going to introduce is CoCo Lee's lastest release, COCO'S THING;FROM EAST TO WEST.

This album is a production of 2 years time and its a surprise and long a-waited. Most of all it satisfied my expectation what a Coco Lee's music should sound like now. One except new elements, which you rarely found in chinese-pop. Her warm up singles had start promoting since last year's Olmypic Games, I HAD A DREAM. (Oops its not included in this album.) "我愛看電影"(I WANNA SEE MOVIE), a song dedicated to the 100 years of chinese film industry celebration earlier of the year, and BYOB-Bring Your Own Bag, is written for the recycle campaign in Taiwan. Both songs had made the impact on the airwaves, and too it was released as digital single months ago.

In conjunction of the album release, PARTYTIME, an up-tempo pop song which perfectly suited as lead single of the album, beautiful sparks up the Coco's wave. It can stand close to her previous hits like "NO DOUBT". To satisfied a ballad fans like me, she also had "BEAUTIFUL THEME SONG 美麗的主題曲", which undeniable its going to be a single to the airwaves.

To my surprise, she able to pull off any type of music genre freely than she used to be. Maybe its her freedom of creative had took place, without major label's pressure. Special recommendinig "流傳Legends", a beautiful oriental-arranging style which very much feels like another approach to MOONLOVER(月光愛人), with a smash-up with Jay Chou's and her very own modern R&B sound. Brilliant yet.

As her favourite and strength, R&B of couse won't be miss out. Tracks like "LOVE NOW 愛要現在" & "TRIANGLE HEART三角心" shows her performance more carefree and beautifully written and sung. It's a early 90's mid tempo stuffs, which I felt sometime familiar and warm. Wouldn't talk too much, as concluding, I love the whole thing and its commercial-friendly enough for me to digest in just 1st few listen. Go CoCo!!!! With this she still our no 1 Asia Diva.

Celebration Tracklisting

Here's the tracklisting for her upcoming greatest hit Celebration in September, the last one from Warner Music.

CD1
01 - Vogue
02 - Express Yourself
03 - Into the Groove
04 - Papa Don't Preach
05 - La Isla Bonita
06 - Everybody
07 - Lucky Star
08 - Holiday
09 - Like a Virgin
10 - Borderline
11 - Material Girl
12 - Crazy For You
13 - Open Your Heart
14 - Cherish
15 - Like a Prayer
16 - Justify My Love
17 - Deeper and Deeper
18 - Erotica
19 - Rain
CD2
01 - Celebration (new)
02 - Music
03 - Get Together
04 - Frozen
05 - Hung Up
06 - Ray of Light
07 - Beautiful Stranger
08 - Don't Tell Me
09 - Hollywood
10 - Human Nature
11 - Secret
12 - Take a Bow
13 - American Life
14 - Die Another Day
15 - Sorry
16 - 4 Minutes
17 - Give It 2 Me
18 - Revolver(new)

Celebrate Madonna's 30 Anniversary

To get celebrate she gave us this new single out August, "Celebration". It had not grow on me, and yet a very expected something she would do, a continuer of the "Hard Candy" dance/pop type. This single is taken from her coming up greatest hit complilations and its her third official. It makes almost one for every decade of her celebrating music career. No other artist had gone so far with such "celebration" and yet gaining huge commercial success all the time. I am more looking forward to what she would do in the next decade. Least to expect she had signed a 5-album contract with Live-Nation, after her departure from Warner, that's why we will be seeing her in the next 10 years if nothing goes wrong. I had a digital single of my own here.

Celebration (Remix Single)

1. (Low quality)
2. Okenfold 12 Dub mix
3. Benny Benassi Club Mix
4. Benny Benassi Radio mix

Jam Hsiao's Conquering The Charts

Seeing through some news of his new album, QUEEN, it caught my attention to do a post on his album. Conquering the sales chart in Taiwan, from G-Music, 5-music, Jia Jia and even topped the digital sales download of KK Box sites. Released almost a month, but still I am indulged in his lead single, Queen王妃. A damn hard rock song which Jam is doing very well and stretch his vocal to the limits, in a very relaxing manner.

He had turn into a star since his participation in the famous reality-talent show, SUPERSTARS Taiwan(equivalent to American's Idol), and since then he had been invited to duet with AMei in award-winning song "The Moment", released a debut album which gone to gain the top 5 sales of 2009. His gossip column are much more pretty positive, comparing to his "rival" ASKA YANG. After a couple months of professional training, Jam Hsiao are being reborn as an idol this time with a more appealing image.

Early of the year, he released a valentine's day charity single "給愛人" (To Lovers), which already proven Jam is not a one-hit wonder. Listen to this album its not hard to predict that he will be around for many years to come. After the lead single, the 2nd wave and third wave of promotional singles are a gentle rock/pop commercial ballads which shows his gentle side. Penny Dai also directed his 2nd single, 善男信女, which also received well form the fans and critics. It's another witty song about boy-girl relationships. The third single, 我不會愛(I Donno How To Love) a perfect third heartbreaking single for those needed some emotional healing. Yes, its might be another sad love song, but I am sure it will be in the charts for the months to come.

After numbers of listens, I found that this time the album productions are more relaxed than his debut's. Seems that he had not much of means of conquer or pressure from sales. Elements and genre of songs are not made to suits the commercial standard, but to produce a listen pleasure to his fans. Glad that record company understands that. If you are familiar to Jam, sure you will be surprise that he also can carries a very good RnB stuff. "Say A Lil Something" is a light R&B piece which reminds me of Boyz2Men in the 90s. Not as good as them, but a unmissable gem.

Other standout tracks includes 阿飛的小蝴蝶(Peter Pan's Fairy), 小男人 大男孩(Little Men, Big Boy), touches the topic of men's issues other than just love relationships.