Youth With You 2 group THE9 released their first MV and I have so many thoughts. First up: props to iQiyi for following up (ish) with their international fans for actually getting a YouTubbe channel. Downvotes for blocking external sites for playing it, though.
Singer-actor Zheng Yunlong lends his voice as the Tang dynasty poet and lyricist Li Bai in this collaboration with the popular Zi De Guqin Studio. If you haven’t seen them yet, you need to.
The first round-up of songs, made when it was called coronavirus, here.
Please stay safe wherever you are! Remember to wash your hands and don’t use them to touch your eyes, nose, and mouth.
I Know 我知道 – Andy Lau
These heartfelt lyrics by Andy Lau are inspired by that of “For whom“, a song about efforts to contain the 1998 Wuhan floods –
“I don’t know who you are, but I know for whom you fight for.”
Li Yuchun pens this beautiful song sung by her and Xiao Zhan for the Lantern Festival.
Namewee is so under-appreciated in everything he does (except his Beijing song ft Wang Leehom).
Zhang Jie sings Jiang Ziya, the theme song for the animated feature Jiang Ziya/ Legend of Deification. The film is from Coloroom Pictures, the producers of Ne Zha. I love the art style of this film so much and really hope its script matches that of Ne Zha.
In the collab of the decade so far (aka one week), Angela Zhang (she changed her last name to pinyin!) works with dancer-choreographer Yang Liping, director Outerspace-Leo , and singer-songwriter Steelo Zhao Yongxin of M.I.C. for her latest MV – All From Me.
The music video uses choreography and costumes and props from Yang Liping’s dance drama Pingtan Impression, which tells of a battle in the seas with inspirations from the maritime silk road and prehistoric and traditional Pingtan elements.
Abominable , a collaboration between Dreamworks and Shanghai-based Pearl Studio, is the first animated film available with Chinese dubs across all 4000+ U.S. theater locations through the app Theater Ears. The film is also the first animated film with wide releases worldwide featuring a modern Chinese setting as well as the first major animated film directed, produced, and written by women.
The dubbing for the film in Chinese is done by Zhang Zifeng, Arthur Chen Feiyu, Wan Qian and Cai Ming. The film includes music by Angela Chang (below) and Wang Sulong. Coldplay’s Fix U is the only song that plays in both languages. If you are fairly well-versed in Chinese pop culture, I highly recommend the Chinese dubs as I think it has more jokes and a stronger emotional message. The only main thing you might be missing out is that the English dubs by Chloe Bennet and Tenzing Norgay Trainor had ridiculous romantic chemistry, while the Chinese dubs felt more like brother-sister.
Ni Ni and Chang Chen’s Love and Destiny 宸汐缘 has finally set a release date for July 15th (this means there’s a 50% chance of it actually being released). The drama released a MV today for its theme song by Zhang Bichen and Zheng Yunlong. From the producers and director of Eternal Love, the drama tells of the love story between the God of War and a maiden destined to bring chaos to the world. [Extended Synopsis]
Jolin Tsai’s latest album is catchy and woke as ever and probably one of her best ones lately based purely on production quality. Plus, her MV’s are always so much fun.
Ugly Beauty, a commentary on social norms of beauty: