If not now, when?

[Review] 周杰倫 - 十二新作.

Finally, I have listened to this album enough times to do a review on it. Jay's songs tend to sound better the more you listen to them, so reviewing the album after just one or two listens wouldn't give a fair evaluation of it. (But then again, someone who is not a fan wouldn't bother.) This review should be taken with a pinch of salt, because in case I do not make it obvious enough, I am a die-hard Jay fan, so no matter how hard I try to be objective, to a certain extent I am biased towards his music. Well, I must be biased towards Jay's music to be a fan of his, right? *laughs*

I'm not gonna talk about the MVs individually as it would take too long, but it is noteworthy that Jay is directing all the MVs in this album himself. And I really do like the MVs he directed! He said that there are gonna be 11 MVs in total, and 6 of them are already released at the moment. I should also mention that he looks really good in the MVs. Initially I didn't like his blonde and ginger hair in some of them, but they have grown on me somehow lol. I still maintain my stance that he looks the best with black hair though!

Listening to Jay's albums always reminds me of my love towards the sound of a piano, because it is heard in almost every song. Recently I may have been gushing over how awesome electric guitar solos sound, but really, I will never forget that my first love is the piano. It is still the prettiest-sounding instrument, in my opinion.

Overall, I think this is a great album! There are quite a few songs that me go, "WTF", but it's always in a good way 'cos they make me laugh. The light-hearted songs are nice and they make me smile. The ballads are especially good. I kinda wished these songs weren't all mixed around though; I feel bipolar, feeling depressed or almost tearing in one second and laughing or smiling in the next. Or maybe that's the point. Anyway, it's definitely a better album than the last!

1. 四季列車

Except for the first two, Jay's albums always start with a more upbeat song with rap as its verse (like 龍戰騎士, 跨時代 and 驚嘆號), and this song is no exception. I don't especially like it, but the arrangement of the song is interesting as somehow it just brings up the image of a car racing track in my head. And the "嘟嘟" and "噗噗" in the chorus always make me laugh, because they sound like the sound of car honking.

2. 手語

A very sweet-sounding song! I like how it starts with a lone piano, and even though it is joined by beats and other sounds shortly after, the piano is still prominent throughout the song. The whole song just sounds really happy :D. I like how relaxed Jay sounds in the verses. However, the autotune in the chorus is a big discount. He did this before in the previous album with Mine Mine, using autotune in an R&B song, and just as I did not approve of it then, I do not approve of it now. Still, it's a nice song.

3. 公公偏頭痛 [MV]

This song is just so LOL. But it's really catchy, especially with the repetition of the word "公公" throughout the song. The Chinese-sounding arrangement is good, and Jay's rapping is so fast here! The choreography of the song is cute XD.

4. 明明就 [MV]

I LOVE THIS SONG. It was the second song released as a single before the release of the album, and even though I already had the physical album pre-ordered, I couldn't wait and just had to buy this song off iTunes. It doesn't sound like much after the first listen, but after like the third listen I just fell in love with it. Jay's singing is really good here, especially in switching between his real voice (lol I don't know what "真音" is in English; modal voice?) and falsetto. The lyrics are simple, about letting someone go 'cos she'll be better off with someone else. They are sad, yes, but I think it's Jay's singing, the prominent piano and orchestra that make this song sound so deliciously heartbreaking. I also like how the orchestra starts off soft a few lines into the song, and builds up near the bridge. 

5. 傻笑 (feat. 袁詠琳)

Such a sweet song! At least that's what I thought, until I read the lyrics, which are about two people who like each other but can't be together because of a wrong timing. That's rather strange, considering how happy this song sounds from the very first second till the end, whether it's the singing or the arrangement o__o. That aside, it's a really pleasant song. Cindy's voice is very nice and blends well with Jay's.

6. 比較大的大提琴 (周杰倫+梁心頤+楊瑞代 ) [MV]

This is another of Jay's "weird" songs, but I really like it. I think it's jazz? (Not that I know a thing about jazz.) I like the lone double bass in the beginning of the song and the wind instruments that come in in the chorus. Jay varies his singing quite a bit in this song, which is good. The lyrics are so cheeky lol! Don't tell me the "哇咧喵" before the chorus didn't make you laugh XD. And the goat sound! And Jay's "還有一遍啦" and chuckle before the last chorus are so adorable HAHA. Lara sounds really good in the second verse!

7. 愛你沒差 [MV]

The second ballad of the album. I like how the song starts with just piano, then joined by a soft orchestra, the sound of a ticking clock, and then shortly after drums and guitar come in. Jay's singing sounds good and I think the layering of the voices in this song was done really well. The background voice in the first two lines of the chorus still makes me do a double take though 'cos even though I'm convinced it's Jay's, it sounds so smooth that I really thought it was a girl's LOL. But I think my favourite thing in this song is really the sound of the ticking clock. When you listen to the song at night with earpiece in your ears and silence all around, that sound really sets the atmosphere of the song.

8. 紅塵客棧 [MV]

The 中国风 song of the album, and also the first single to be released. It's not very special, but it's nice. Jay performed this song on piano with an apple, which is kinda cool.

9. 夢想啟動

This song sounds very uplifting! The piano sounds nice.

10. 大笨鐘 [MV]

I really like this song; it's very cute and sweet! Definitely one of my favourites in the album. The lyrics are rather childish, but together with the melody, they sound almost endearingly so. The wind instruments in the chorus add a nice touch to the song.

11. 哪裡都是你

This song is the third ballad of the album. It is so sad :(. And I love it so, sigh. The arrangement is simple, with the usual piano, guitar and drums. But Jay's singing here is so heartfelt and almost desperate, like that in 最長的電影. And the lyrics ;_______;. 

12. 烏克麗麗

Jay's singing at 1:27-1:35 always makes me grin like an idiot; he's just TOO ADORABLE hahahaha. He sounds more nasal here, but I think it was intended and it sounds okay. I also like how there's that tune that you usually hear in scenes related to Hawaii in the background; it brings into mind the image of the beach.

Random post #2.

[pinned] Guys I'm (not-so-)secretly in love with. (28/04/2014)

I can have a bimbz moment every now and then right XD.

These are celebrities that I'm not a fan of and don't usually follow, like if they're artists I may not listen to their songs, or if they're actors I don't have to watch all of their dramas, and my knowledge of them is limited to (but not necessary encompass all of) what's listed on their Wikipedia page. But I like them, for one reason or another.

This list doesn't include other people I am obviously in love with, like *ahem* Jay Chou, etc etc etc. (There should be a lot more, but in the split second I can only think of Jay, lol.)

(Okay, "in love" is maybe too strong a phrase, but if you should know, when it comes to celebrities I throw that phrase around like it's nothing. And in this context, it is nothing, actually.)

1. 王力宏

He's REALLY talented, and I like quite a few of his songs. But who am I kidding, really? He's just. so. good-looking. Anyone that has walked past a Seiko advertisement with me probably has heard me exclaiming, "王力宏好帅" or the like, because somehow I just need to say it every time I see him. (And if I don't say it out loud, in all seriousness, I really am saying it in my head.) In my opinion, he's the (read with an -ee) best-looking Asian guy. And the best part is, he's not really photogenic, so in videos where he's moving, he looks even better. GO FIGURE.

2. 羅志祥

小猪 is filial, hardworking and sincerely nice towards his fans. It doesn't hurt that he's easy on the eyes either. But the biggest reason why I like him is because he's SO hilarious. I don't watch 娛樂百分百 (in which he's one of the MCs) that often, but being able to watch it without subtitles is one of the things that make me feel thankful for knowing Chinese. I can't count just how many times he's caused me to laugh so hard I thought I'd die laughing, and there are a few clips of him that I saved in my Favourites for whenever I might need a good laugh because even though I've watched them many times they still manage to make me laugh every time. Even the sight of him literally rolling on the floor laughing uncontrollably is funny lol!


3. Lee Seung Gi

There's something about Lee Seung Gi that makes him likeable, but I still can't figure out what it is. Maybe he just has a nice personality and it shows? I don't think he's particularly good-looking, but he has a nice smile. And have you read how accomplished he is? Not only is he a singer, actor and MC (and I can objectively say that he does all three well), he is also currently attending a graduate school and has a good family background to boot. Seriously, no wonder people in Korea call him umchinah (mother′s friend′s perfect son).

4. Robert Downey Jr.

Robert Downey Jr is charismatic, funny and just drop-dead gorgeous. I swear he can charm the pants off anyone, male or female, gay or straight. And he's NOT old! Ohwells, who cares. I love those wrinkles around his eyes when he smiles anyway. Did I mention that he's the sexiest man alive? I didn't? There.

5. 仕凌 (MC40) from 大嘴巴

He's CUTE. I was watching the drama 愛上巧克力 (started months ago, right now at episode 30+, but it has like 80 episodes and I'm still contemplating whether to continue) and his comical facial expressions and boyish smile just totally stole the show. And from the few 完全娛樂 episodes that I've watched (he's one of the MCs), he seems down to earth, eloquent and likeable :).

6. 小傑 from JPM

Even though I know a bit about JPM's counterpart, Lollipop F, because of 京犬煜 (XD), I know nothing about JPM, lol. I remember seeing 小傑 on 周湯豪's 好友音樂會 one day when I was bored and had nothing else to watch, and he comes across as a really genuine, nice person. I am always a sucker for nice people! (As you can see, I "fall in love" very quickly, HAHA.) And I like the way he talks; very natural, 很爽快!

7. Tom Hiddleston

 

Tom Hiddleston! I first saw him in The Avengers, where he played Loki. At that time I was still often on Tumblr, and it baffled me how there were like, so many posts dedicated to him, how good-looking/sexy he was and everything. 'Cos I really didn't like Loki's hair (and I was also highly distracted by a Mr Stark in the same film, you see.) But then I got around to watching some interviews by the cast, and somehow I just grew to like him. It has something to do with how humble he comes across as, how genuinely he seems to ponder over each question asked by reporters and how nice he is towards just about everyone. He carries himself really well. I also really like his speaking voice; I can watch/listen to him speak all day *sigh*.


8. Lee Jong Suk

Lee Jong Suk is just ADORABLE. I first saw him in Secret Garden, where his and Oska's side story was my favourite, but I didn't like him until I watched School 2013, where he played a brooding high-schooler who was always either getting into fights or sleeping in class (lol). I don't really know what it is that attracted me to him; maybe it's his wide toothy smile, or how affectionate all his friends/colleagues describe him to be. I haven't watched many of his works, but I hope to, for he is a good actor :).

Happy 34th Jay :).

It's almost 3am, the cold wind is blowing along with the heavy rain and I am listening to 蒲公英的約定 on repeat with my eyes half closed as I am typing this. I am one day late (3 hours, to be exact) because I really wasn't planning on doing this, and I don't have much to say, really, but I just have so much feels right now (it's all the song's fault!) that I need to make this post.

Happy birthday, Jay :). I wish you happiness in all the years to come, as much as you have brought to millions of people through your music. There are a lot of things I wish I could tell you, like how much I love your music, how much I love your music, and well, how much I love your music. But I can't put into words exactly how much it is, so I shall not attempt to do it lest sounding like a complete 花痴. So just thank you, really, for being born, for making music, for being the proud and stubborn person that you are to continue composing songs however you want regardless of whatever others may say. I love you, I love your music. Did I say I love you?

Random post #1.

Even to feel sad,

I have no right.

I did not lose anything,

for it was not mine to lose.

Nothing is missing,

just that it's you I miss.

I need my hearing.

Today a lecturer asked, "What's the sense you don't wanna lose the most?" and said that most people would say sight. I'd say hearing, though. I know that losing sight would probably pose the greatest hindrance to my daily life, but other than that, I'm not someone who places a lot of importance on appearances. But I can't imagine living not being able to listen to music. I'd be miserable, really.

Today, I...

1. Had insomnia and fell asleep at around 5am
2. Woke up at 11am and took Clarinase
3. Put dirty clothes in the washing machine
4. Cooked instant noodles (kimchi-flavoured! with egg!), ate while watching drama and washed the dishes while the washing machine works
5. Hung the clothes to dry
6. Cleaned and organised my huge dumpster of a table in the living room (I am a master at throwing away stuff!)
7. Swept the floor with Adam Lambert blasting in the background
8. Finished at 3pm.

I AM SO TIRED.

[pinned] Facts about myself. (27/01/2013)

Here are some things about me that you may or may not know about.

1. I don't like animals.

I may think that a puppy is adorable, but I'd still keep a distance from it and not want to touch it. I used to say that it's because I think animals are dirty, but then again, it's not really the reason. I guess I'm rather fearful of them?

2. I hate cigarettes.

I hate, loathe cigarettes with a passion. I think smoking is the most selfish addiction ever because in the process of killing themselves slowly, smokers are also killing other people with their second-hand smoke that is more harmful that first-hand one. I get pissed off whenever I smell cigarette smoke, and usually I make my disdain pretty obvious, on purpose. I have nothing against the smokers themselves, as long as they don't smoke within like 10 meter radius of me. I told my dad that I'd stop calling him Dad if he starts smoking, and I was not kidding.

3. I have a very bad memory.

I can't remember things well, so don't be surprised if, say, I say that I can't remember what I had for lunch the day before. (Now that I think about it, I really can't remember what I had o_o.)

4. I love fruits.

I don't think there's any fruit that I dislike. I love fruits!

5. I don't have just one favourite.

I like things, I dislike things. But I don't have favourites. Ask me what my favourite song is and I would never be able to give you an answer, even after you narrow it down to one particular artist. What's wrong with just having a top 3/5/10 for everything?

6. I really don't like to be sick.

When I was young, I really wanted to be a doctor. It wasn't really because of any noble reason like I want to help people, but simply because I dislike being sick. Usually I pride myself on being strong, but when I'm sick, I tend to whine a whole lot.

7. I love music.

I think listening to music is a big part of my daily life. I love music. You can always find the perfect music to go with any weather, mood, and what have you. You can like a song without liking or knowing the language it's sung in, or even its genre. It's rather amazing that I can remember so many songs' lyrics, given my terrible memory.

8. I don't regret.

I tend to do things that I want to, regardless of what others think. Conversely, I don't do things that others may expect me to, if I don't want to do them. Since my actions are a result of my personality and the situation, even if I were to be given a chance to do it over, given the same circumstances, I'd have done the same thing I did at any particular time. Therefore, there's no reason to regret. From time to time I may groan at some stupid thing that I did in the past, but I don't regret that I did it. I take a mental note of my mistakes and tell myself to not do the same things in the future, and that's it.

9. I love singing.
I may not sing well, I don't have a nice or unique voice and I am half tone deaf (because I can't match notes to their names, like A/B/C/etc), but I really like singing. I can sing for hours straight and still feel like singing afterwards. I usually can't stand awkward situations, but in a karaoke place, as long as everyone likes singing (important caveat here), it should never be awkward!

10. I am a direction idiot.
I can never remember directions to places and I have trouble reading the map. I need a GPS installed in my brain. Like, seriously.

11. I love looking at stars.
Stars are always there at night, but most of the time we can't see them, either because of the lights or fog. That's why I feel lucky when I look up and happen to see a starry night, not the mention the fact that it's just really pretty :).

12. I love Jay Chou.
I love Jay Chou....'s music (laugh). I still remember how years ago when my brother borrowed his 七里香 album from a friend I took one look at the cover and wondered out loud how such an ugly person could become so famous, but then he started playing the album and I was totally blown away. I love his music, whether it's the 中国风, the ballads, the rock/rap songs, the happy-go-lucky pop songs or the quirky I-don't-even-know-what-they-are songs. A lot people say that he never changes, and that his songs sound the same, but I beg to differ. Yes, his music has a certain "Jay" feeling to it, like even before you know it's his song you'd get an inkling that it was, but there isn't one single thing that defines Jay's music, for it's really quite diverse. Uhm, okay, I didn't mean to rant. But anyway, yeah, I love Jay Chou's music, and so, I love him. He can do whatever he wants, as long as he keeps making good music. I can go on and on, but yeah, the bottom line is, I love Jay :).

13. I really don't like the cold wind blowing at night.
It always makes me go all emo.

14. I hardly ever remember my dreams.
Moments before being fully awake I may think, "I had a good/bad dream," but minutes after I'd completely forget what the dream was about. Wonder if that's a good or a bad thing.

15. I like drinking.
THERE, I said it.