I must say I’ve been a great fan of you since I was 12 and you’ve changed my life tremendously in every way I could imagine, and I’ll continue supporting you and loving your beautiful, strong voice for as long as I can. Having said that, I must say I’m also quite an unbiased fan. I’d love to say this new album was great and I love it – but I can’t. Truthfully – brace yourself – I dislike it pretty much and I really wish this weren’t your album.
In fact, I think the quality of the albums have started to go downhill since Cao Cao. Of course, there have been a lot of really really awesome songs in the last few albums, but I can’t help but sense a tinge of…something in them. It’s either tiredness or that you’re trying too hard to be someone you’re not and aren’t comfortable with. Or both.
When I listen to your music on my iPod, I usually go only to the first three albums. My favourite album’s the second one, Jiang Nan; there’s no song I don’t like in that. The first three albums were fresh – you were young and so ready to show yourself to the world in the first album; the second brought us closer to you with your love ballads and the occasional lively, fun song; in the third you were trying something new for the first time. That was it. From Cao Cao onwards, I think you tried a little too hard to market yourself and lost that magical innocence that made you unique, that somehow made you stand out even amongst the other Chinese ballad crooners.
The songs in this album shocked me – in a negative way. Sixology gave me a little hope that you were going to stop trying so hard and go back to being who you were comfortable with.
Then again, who am I to judge “who you are”? I just think you sounded much more relaxed and comfortable with the style of yours that made you famous – your emo vanilla ballads. Your songs make me cry even though I don’t really understand the lyrics thanks to my atrocious Chinese. There’s always at least one beautiful slow song in each album. 翅膀, 冻结, 会有那么一天 in the first. 害怕, 距离 in the second. 无尽的思念，一千年以后 in the third. Sarang Heyo, 熟能生巧 in the fourth. 不流泪的机场 in the fifth. 我还想她 in the sixth. Just in case you haven’t realised yet, all of those songs (except无尽的思念) are of the same style. That’s what you do best. Through these few songs your slow but sure evolution in style is also obvious. In your newest album, the only song I see a hint of that style in is 地几个100天. My favourite song – and, possibly, the only one I really like – is 背对背拥抱.
That song with the saxophone and high notes, 无法控制, made me cringe hard. The rest of the songs are okay. But JJ, what happened to the innocent vanilla ballads that swept the world away in tears? I know, it’s been seven years and you’ve changed incredibly much, but you sounded comfortable in your songs back then. Right now, the only thing that I sense is that you’re trying so hard to venture into other areas that you’ve lost your pure signature style. Bring it back, JJ, bring it back. Maybe you don’t really have to worry about not being able to market yourself because the harder you try, the more you lose that touch that made you famous in the first place.
Forever loving and supporting you,
Karen (on behalf of J4M, 'cos I know we all feel the same way.)
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