In light of a year of amazing releases by dozens of female artists, I found myself wanting to promote another Asian-language medium seeing how everyone in the West is really coming out of their shell with music variety these days. Mandopop or C-pop as it sounds is pop music in Mandarin, predominantly produced by Chinese, Taiwanese, and Singaporean musicians. (This is specified because there is also Cantopop)
Some of you might be familiar with music from the likes of Jolin Tsai, Hebe Tien, A-Lin, Rainie Yang, Tanya Chua, Waa Wei, etc. already but consider this as a casual segue for those unfamiliar. I've thrown a few even native speakers may not even know yet anyway. Enjoy these recommendations for future playlist curation!
Jolin Tsai - Ugly Beauty
One agonizing 4-year hiatus later and the queen of C-pop returned with a full-length album worth the wait. The album takes on modern R&B and hip-hop influences while keeping a consistent theme of self-love and self-discovery. The title track, Sweet Guilty Pleasure, and Necessary Evil all tote feminist ideas fighting the demonization of women, sexual exploration, ageism, and societal pressures for unrealistic beauty standards. Tsai also included an ode of comfort to her long-beloved LGBTQ+ community on Womxnly after a referendum denied same-sex marriage legality late last year.
Tanya Chua - Testament (遺書)
Tanya has to be one of the greatest vocalists and songwriters I've had the privilege to discover. The style and tone of her voice easily fills the mold of whatever genre-mixing she concocts. At 44, she only builds more on the timelessness and innovation of her discography, aging like the finest of merlots.
Eve Ai - (一整夜)
Eve won Taiwan's Super Idol 5 (a televised singing competition) nearly a decade ago and she continues to prove herself with every release. Her ballads evoke a gorgeous, somber tone that resonates with you even while you sleep but there's something that mesmerized me about this song in particular since the first time I heard it. The escalated coffee lounge sound paired with her amber honey, slightly raspy voice is like a slice of heaven.
Boon Hui Lu - The Scientists
Starting out as a child actress and entering songwriting competitions at an early age, she knew she was destined for the music industry. 親愛的你＿＿怎樣的我 is only her debut album but you can already sense the diverse sounds she's got up her sleeve. It shouldn't be a surprise considering she even wrote songs for Hebe Tien in the past.
Tia Ray - I Will Always Love You
First off, the music video is a visual paradise. Tia often puts out soulful R&B tracks, but this ballad really shows off her vocal ability like no other. The dreaminess and lulling plush color of her voice swells against the simple piano instrumental, drawing you in like a siren's call. It's the kind of dessert you can only indulge in once every blue moon so you can better appreciate how sweet it is.
aMEI - Withdrawal Symptoms
Another Mandopop legend, A-Mei Chang is one of the only prominent indigenous singers in her industry. Two decades of pop excellence led to her 18th album Story Thief which garnered 6 award nominations including a win for Best Music Video Left Behind. I chose this song honestly because it's one of the better takes on modern music styles and younger performers should take notes.
All of these are available for streaming on Spotify and Apple Music!
Follow on Instagram
Posts
