#c-pop

It’s been too long since I last shared some music recommendations/updates on what I’m listening to! Admittedly, I haven’t been discovering as many new artists because I’m busy listening to 薛之谦 on repeat. But we'll focus on the new.

You can check out my Spotify playlist featuring these songs (plus bonus ones). In addition, I’ve included YouTube links below.

五月天 / Mayday 五月天 is a legendary band, so of course I knew of them and had heard a few of their songs over the years. But I never proactively sought out their music until recently. I still haven’t had time to dive into their back catalog, but I’ve already found some songs I really love.

《我又初恋了》 I actually really didn’t like this song the first time I heard it, but it wormed its way into my brain. It’s just a lot of fun! Non-serious songs can be good too.

《转眼》 My favorite 五月天 song <3. I’m probably too young to fully appreciate the lyrics, but they make me feel so nostalgic and bittersweet, like transitioning to a new chapter of life and leaving the old behind.

《因为你 所以我》 This song didn’t stand out to me at first, but it grew on me! I caught myself humming it a lot. It‘s kind of corny, but it sounds so full of hope.

Tracklist:

寒武紀 [The Cambrian Age] • 新房客 [New Tenant] • 香奈兒 [Chanel] • 阿修羅 [Asura] • 彼岸花 [Flowers of Paradise] • 如果你是假的 [If You Were False] • 不愛我的我不愛 [I Won't Love Anyone Who Doesn't Love Me] • 你喜歡不如我喜歡 [Your Likes Are Not as Important as Mine] • 再見螢火蟲 [Farewell Firefly] ["Firefly" Mandarin Version] • 笑忘書 [Book of Exhilaration] ["Love Letter to Myself" Mandarin Version] • 螢火蟲 [Firefly] [Cantonese Version] • 給自己的情書 [Love Letter to Myself]

Melody Journey (Music TV Show, 2024)

Zhou Shen, Xue Zhiqian, Ayunga, Liu Yuning, Liu DuanDuan, and more

I blame Liu Yuning for my falling into the c-pop wormhole, which led to a whole new world filled with cheesy ballads, romantic love songs, old-school rock hits, and cdrama OSTs. Chinese music industry really knows how to celebrate its talents—and have fun while it's at it!

Melody Journey has a fairly original concept. They invited a bunch of upcoming and established composers to present their new (!) songs to equally established and upcoming singers. That creates a very powerful mix - the singers get exposure and can sing some pretty amazing new hits (or less amazing, but it's still all in good fun), and the composers get their songs being broadcasted nationwide for the first time.

The modern stage is visually striking, the filming of the whole show is top-notch high-quality, but what makes it so damn good and delicious on all levels is the cast. The show features a lot of familiar faces from Singing with Legends season 3, which was pure awesomeness (if you haven't watched it - just go and do it now, you'll fall in love with all the singers and probably the Chinese music industry as well).

This means we get to enjoy the frantic humor of Xue Zhiqian, as well as his passionate performances. Next, there's Zhou Shen with his incredibly high, androgynous voice and a diva-like presence on stage (that, and his humor barely passing the show's censorship XD). There's also the incredibly lovely Shan Yichun and some cool guests appearing all the time, so the cast is pretty fluid.

At some point, Ayunga joins the stage - and if you know him, you know that this Mongolian musical singer is a real gem both in terms of looks and his gorgeous voice. Then Liu Yuning joins the show, bringing his magical voice and powerful performances, which can't really be compared to anyone else. That, and his personality also shines bright.

I was also very surprised to find Liu DuanDuan (2nd Prince from Joy of Life) to be a pretty good singer. Like really good! I didn't connect to him much at first, but he has a quirky sense of humor and a very hard-working personality. He's very passionate about singing, and it shows!

The show is hilarious right from the first episodes, there's so much humor, you can watch it just for that alone. Xue Zhiqian is a walking stand-up comedian, but he treats music very seriously. He also shifts between the roles of a singer and composer, giving some of his songs to the performers.

Because all the songs are new, it's very exciting to see the whole process of reacting/choosing what to sing. Everyone has their own personalities and preferences, which makes for a very entertaining process. I haven't laughed so much in a long while. All the guys and girls know each other, so it's not really a competition, but rather a fun music camp they do altogether.

At the end of each episdoe, some cutting-edge AI decides what song has the best chance of becoming a hit. That's pretty much it! No rewards or fancy titles. The show itself with new music and interesting performances is the reward, so they're doing it just for the fun of it.

I enjoyed the concept just as much as I enjoyed everyone's performances - there were lots of really cool new songs! So I recommend watching it fully, but if you're interested in our boy Liu Yuning, he appears in episode 7.

I've watched 9 episodes out of 11, and it's been nothing but fun paired with excitement :3 The humor is literally never-ending. No one is safe from friendly pranks.

You can't have Liu Yuning on the show without some height jokes, okay? They're obligatory)))

All the boys are incredibly touchy-feely and they hug a lot, which made my heart all warm and fuzzy. They're so cute. Also, the support seniors have to younger stars is very heart-warming.

Apart from all the fun, the show is just very pleasing to the eye. The stages have cool visual effects and some performances are very artsy.

The beginning of the show is already striking and you know it's going to be pretty!