"Roni" is a single released by R&B singer Bobby Brown, written by Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, in 1988 on the MCA label. It was released as the third single from Brown's second album Don't Be Cruel. It reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and peaked at number two on the Hot Black Singles chart in January 1989.

This 1980s R&B/soul music song-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e

Robert Barisford "Bobby" Brown (born February 5, 1969) is an American R&B singer-songwriter, occasional rapper, and dancer.

Brown started his career as one of the frontmen of the pop group New Edition, from its inception as The Bricks in 1978 until his forced exit from the group in 1986 following a period of misbehavior on his part. Starting a solo career, he became a hit success with his second album, Don't Be Cruel, which spawned a number of hit singles including the co-self penned "My Prerogative", which became his signature hit. Brown had a string of top ten hits on various Billboard charts between 1986 and 1992, and is a recipient of a Grammy Award. Brown is noted as a pioneer of New Jack Swing music, a fusion of hip-hop and R&B.

Brown was most noted in recent years as the ex-husband of pop singer Whitney Houston. Brown and Houston later gained notoriety co-starring in the reality show, Being Bobby Brown.

Life and career[link]

Early life[link]

Brown was born in Boston as one of eight children to Herbert "Pops" and Carole Brown. Herbert was a construction worker and Carole was a schoolteacher. Brown and his family grew up in Roxbury's Orchard Park Projects. As a child, Brown got involved in petty theft including robbery later saying "I didn't wanna ask my mother or my father because they didn't have a lot of money", stating that whenever he saw something he wanted, "I'd just go to the store and take it." Brown also grew up around gangs. At ten, he was shot in the knee during a fight with a rival gang while attending a block party. Brown said his life reached a turning point at eleven after seeing one of his friends dead from multiple stab wounds at another party. Brown's brother Tommy would later say after that moment, Brown took "his career, schooling, his whole life more seriously." Brown's first taste of being onstage occurred at the age of three when one of his childhood idols, James Brown, performed in Boston.

Music career[link]

New Edition[link]

New Edition originally started as a trio formed by nine-year-old Brown and best friend Michael Bivins. Under the name, The Bricks, the group included another close friend, Ricky Bell. In 1981, the group grew to include a fourth member, Ralph Tresvant. The quartet became a quintet when their manager Brooke Payne insisted on bringing in his nephew Ronnie DeVoe, to complete the group. After performing in several talent shows in the Boston areas in 1982, they won a deal with Maurice Starr's label and released their debut album, Candy Girl. The title track became an instant million-seller in which Brown sung co-lead alongside Bell and Tresvant. Brown's first full lead vocal performance was on the New Edition ballad, "Jealous Girl", which was a minor hit when it charted in 1983. The group became pop sensations with their self-titled sophomore release. The album included the crossover hits "Cool It Now" and "Mr. Telephone Man", which Brown also co-led.

Despite the group's success, however, Brown felt the group was never rightfully paid the money they felt they had earned from their success, later saying "the most I saw from all the tours and all of the records we sold was $500 and a VCR." Brown also allegedly grew jealous of the attention given to fellow New Edition member Ralph Tresvant and during some of their tour performances, would often step out of his position and perform out of turn, performing seductively and singing, which caused hiccups from the group's management team. Brown was featured on two more New Edition albums before leaving the group in early 1986.^[1] Brown later said he felt that the group's management treated them "like little slaves by people who were only interested in money and power, and not in the welfare of New Edition." A little controversy arose over how Brown got kicked out. Some say Brown asked to be let out of New Edition but a VH-1 Behind the Music documentary on the group claimed Brown was voted out by the group via their management team, with some of the members, most prominently Michael Bivins, against the decision.

Solo career[link]

Following his exit, Brown signed a contract with his former group's label, MCA, which had earlier promised Brown a solo deal if he had decided to leave New Edition and also signed with manager Steven Machat, who also worked with New Edition. The label released his debut album, King of Stage, in 1986. Brown had a number-one R&B hit with the ballad, "Girlfriend" but the album didn't do well.

Brown laid low for more than a year working on his follow-up album. With the help of Machat and an MCA representative, Louil Silas, Brown began working with some of the top R&B producers and songwriters including Babyface, Antonio "L.A." Reid and Teddy Riley. The producers helped to compose what became Brown's most successful solo album to date, Don't Be Cruel. Released in 1988, the album launched five top ten hits on the Billboard Hot 100 including the number-one single, the self-penned "My Prerogative", which became, along with "Every Little Step" and the title track, signature hits for the performer. After topping both the pop and R&B charts, album sales eventually would reach eight million alone in the United States making it the best-selling album of 1989.

In 1989, Brown contributed two songs to the soundtrack of Ghostbusters II, in which he also appeared in a cameo role in the film. The leading track from the soundtrack, "On Our Own", became another top ten single for the singer, peaking at number two. The same year, a remix compilation, Dance! Ya Know It, was released and found fans in the United Kingdom, where Brown had a fan base and had major success. Brown ventured on a 120-day world tour to promote the Don't Be Cruel project in 1988. The tour became a success with Brown's former group New Edition sometimes opening for him. The tour lasted into 1990 but not without Brown gaining notoriety for simulating sexual acts onstage, which got him in trouble with the law.

Brown's next album, the Bobby album wouldn't come until 1992. While released during the final days of the new jack swing era, an era that Brown had dominated, the album did become a success, selling more than a million copies and spawning several hits including "Humpin' Around", "Get Away" and "Good Enough". However the sales of Bobby didn't match its predecessor. Some of that may have to do with Brown deciding not to continue his career as he was now married to his famous wife, Whitney Houston, who with Brown, contributed a UK hit with their duet, "Something in Common", from the Bobby album. Brown would release his fourth solo album, Forever, in 1997. Due to lack of promotion and Brown's desire to write and produce most of the tracks, the album tanked and the album's only single, "Feeling Inside", was not successful.

Prior to its release, Brown had been in negotiations with rapper Tupac Shakur to get signed to Shakur's new label Makaveli Records. However, Shakur died before that would take place. Leaving MCA following the release of Forever, Brown laid low for several years, re-emerging in 2002 where he was featured in a duet with rapper Ja Rule on the song "Thug Lovin'". Brown had been signed to Murder Inc. Records. However much like the situation with 2Pac, Murder Inc. began dissolving, leading to Brown's tenure with them brief. In 2006, Brown appeared adding vocals to Damian Marley's song "Beautiful" on Marley's album, Welcome to Jamrock. In 2010, Brown was featured in a duet with singer Macy Gray on the song "Real Love" off Gray's The Sellout. Gray explained to Essence^[2] about the project, saying "actually he came to the studio, since he doesn't live far, and knocked out his recording in two hours. We're friends and his one-year-old son is my godson. His fiancée is one of my best friends in the whole world. I met Bobby a long time ago, but we really got to know each other through her."^[3]

In 2012, after years of recording delays, Brown announced the release date for his fifth album, The Masterpiece, which is set for a release on June 5. Brown had previously previewed the album's contents by issuing two singles online including "Damaged" and "Get Out the Way" in 2010 and 2011 respectively. The first official single from The Masterpiece is a song called "Don't Let Me Die".

New Edition reunions[link]

Brown made his first reunited appearance with New Edition at the 1990 MTV Video Music Awards. Their performance later sparked the recording of Bell Biv DeVoe's "Word to the Mutha!" in which Brown, Ralph Tresvant and later NE member Johnny Gill was included. A full-fledged reunion occurred with the 1996 release of the album, Home Again. Brown contributed lead vocals on two hit singles, "Hit Me Off" and "You Don't Have to Worry". However a subsequent 1997 tour to support the album led to problems between Brown and the other New Edition members. Brown later admitted that he was struggling with drug addiction and alcoholism during the tour.

In 2005, at the BET 25th anniversary special, Brown again reunited with New Edition to a receptive audience. In 2008, Brown, Ralph Tresvant and Johnny Gill then formed a splinter group, Heads of State, to compete with Bell Biv DeVoe. At the 2009 BET Awards, following the death of the group's idol Michael Jackson, the six New Edition members again reunited to perform a medley of Jackson 5 hits in honor of Jackson. This sparked rumors of another full-fledged New Edition reunion, which was confirmed the following year. As of 2012, Brown and New Edition continue to perform together.

Film and television career[link]

Brown made his first acting debut making a guest appearance in the 1989 film, Ghostbusters II, playing the Mayor's Doorman. The following year, he appeared in the HBO kids show, Mother Goose Rock 'n' Rhyme playing all three characters of Three Blind Mice. In 1995, he made another guest appearance in the film, Panther, and had a major role the following year on the Martin Lawrence film, A Thin Line Between Love and Hate. Brown made other guest appearances in the films, Two Can Play That Game, Gang of Roses, Nora's Hair Salon and Go for Broke.

In 2005, Brown signed a deal with Bravo to overlook the direction of the reality series, Being Bobby Brown, but it was said that he had to convince producers that his then-wife Whitney Houston would appear on the show. Houston later told Oprah Winfrey that she agreed to do it because she "loved him" and "did whatever he asked because I was his wife." The show lasted one season but received bad reviews in the duration of its run, leading to a fallout in both singers' careers. The show ended in 2006 after Houston refused to appear in a second season of the show. The couple divorced soon after.

In June 2007, Brown took part in the ITV television series "24 hours with...", a chat show format as celebrity and interviewer spend an intense 24 hours locked in a room together. The show's host, Jamie Campbell, asked Brown questions about his career and private life, and infamously joked about making "sexual moves" towards the singer. Brown was furious and threatened to beat Campbell up live on air.^[4] Brown's later tenures in reality shows included appearances on Celebrity Fit Club and Gone Country.

Personal life[link]

Family and relationships[link]

In 1986, Brown became a father at 17 when one of his girlfriends gave birth to his first son, Landon. In 1989, he started an affair with Kim Ward, who would become a mother to two of his children. Brown wrote in his alleged memoirs that he had been pursued by several female entertainers including Madonna. In 1989, Brown and singer Janet Jackson allegedly had a brief affair during Jackson's brief separation from Rene Elizondo. Brown later said he felt that Jackson's family wouldn't approve of her dating Brown due to Brown's reputation in the media and that Jackson's manager kept the news of their affair hidden from the public. Brown said Jackson broke up with him and noted it was the first time he had been dumped by someone else, stating the separation caused Brown's addiction to alcohol to grow.

After romancing Ward, they had two children, LaPrincia (b. 1990) and Robert Barisford Brown, Jr. (b. 1992). Brown and Ward's relationship ended in late 1991. Brown first met future wife Whitney Houston while both attended the Soul Train Music Awards in 1989. Brown and Houston's friendship grew after Brown attended Houston's birthday party later that same year. By late 1991, their friendship had developed into a romance that began shortly after Houston ended her alleged affair with comic Eddie Murphy and after Brown's affair with Ward, who later discovered she was pregnant with Bobby's second child following their breakup, ended. Brown later proposed marriage in April 1992 and the couple officially married on July 28 of the year outside Houston's New Jersey residence. On July 4, Houston and Brown's first child together was conceived, nine months later on March 4, their only child together, daughter Bobbi Kristina Houston-Brown, nicknamed "Krissy", was born. Despite more attempts to produce more children, Houston had several miscarriages.

Brown and Houston's marriage was tempered by rumors of Brown's infidelity and the couple's frequent drug use, which was often the subject of jokes at their expense especially on sketch shows, Saturday Night Live and, much frequently, MadTV, in which they were spoofed by actors Debra Wilson and Aries Spears. Spears' depiction of Brown was that of a jealous, verbally abusive, philandering cocaine-addicted drunk who bristled at his wife's more iconic popularity. Following fourteen years of marriage, Brown and Houston filed for legal separation in September 2006. Their divorce was finalized on April 24, 2007, with Houston receiving custody of their then-14-year-old daughter.^[5][6] On May 30, 2009, Brown had son Cassius with his partner of two years, manager Alicia Etheridge.^[7] Brown and Etheridge became engaged in May 2010, when Brown proposed during a performance at the Funk Fest in Jacksonville, Florida.^[8] The couple are due to marry in June 2012 in Hawaii.^[9] Brown's eldest son Landon is currently pursuing a career in music while daughter LaPrincia and son Bobby Jr. are attending college, Krissy is currently pursuing a career in acting.

In 1996, Brown found himself involved in a drive-by shooting in Boston while with his brother-in-law. His brother-in-law died from gunshot wounds from intruders, Brown narrowly escaped being shot. When police found Brown, he appeared to have been uninjured but was shaken and distraught. Brown's parents Carole and Herbert Brown died within a year of each other, Carole Brown dying in 2011 and Herbert "Pops" Brown dying in January 2012. Following the death of his ex-wife Houston the following February, Brown struggled to perform at a New Edition show the night of Houston's death, shouting, "I love you, Whitney", while in tears.^[10] Brown then excused himself from the stage and New Edition canceled their remaining show. Brown was invited to appear at Houston's memorial service at New Jersey but left before the service began. In an interview given to The Today Show in May of 2012, Brown said security was the reason why he and his family left Houston's service with Brown stating he loved Houston's family and told Matt Lauer that he had spent "14 beautiful years" with Houston as his wife. He also denied rumors that he introduced his wife to narcotics.^[11] Brown lives in the Atlanta city of Johns Creek.

Mental illness, substance abuse and legal problems[link]

As a child, Brown was diagnosed with ADD and was later diagnosed with bipolar disorder in his early thirties.^[12] Brown said that his drug of choice was marijuana and that he had developed alcoholism at an early age. Following his marriage to Houston, Brown began dabbling heavily into drug use. By the mid-1990s, he was not only addicted to cocaine and crack, but also heroin, which he often smoked along with marijuana. He and Houston would often smoke cocaine-laced weed in blunts.^[13] Following his separation and later divorce from Houston, Brown stopped using cocaine, crack and heroin though he admitted he still drinks but not as much as he did in his younger years.

During his tours, Brown would often be arrested and cited for lewd and lascivious content after simulating sex acts with random female audience members that he would bring onstage. Brown's legal problems however grew serious as he would be often arrested for several offenses over the years including drug possession, driving under the influence and driving while intoxicated. In a now-infamous 1996 arrest while in Florida, during a high-speed police chase, he crashed what was his wife's Mitshubishi, and would be later cited for resisting arrest after he yelled expletives at officers and allegedly performing public urination in the back of one of the squad cars.

In late 2003, Brown was arrested for misdemeanor battery, allegedly for striking Houston while shouting epithets.^[14] In February 2004, Brown was arrested and jailed in Georgia on a parole violation related to a previous drunk driving conviction. In June 2004, Brown was sentenced to 90 days in prison for missing three months of child support payments. That sentence was immediately suspended after Brown made back payments totaling about $15,000.^[15]

On March 26, 2012 Brown was arrested for DUI after being pulled over for allegedly using a cell phone while driving.

Discography[link]

• King of Stage (1986)
• Don't Be Cruel (1988)
• Bobby (1992)
• Forever (1997)
• The Masterpiece (2012)

Filmography[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Bobby Brown Online
• Bobby Brown at the Internet Movie Database
• NEW Bobby Brown HD interview April 2010

Jay Chou
Chou on the red carpet at the MTV Asia Aid, Bangkok, Thailand, 2005
Chinese name	周杰倫 (Traditional)
Chinese name	周杰伦 (Simplified)
Pinyin	Zhōu Jiélún (Mandarin)
Origin	Taiwan
Born	(1979-01-18) 18 January 1979 (age 33) Linkou, Taipei County, Taiwan
Other name(s)	Director Chou (周董)
Occupation	Singer-songwriter, composer, record producer, rapper, DJ, music video director, film director, music arranger, model, screenwriter, actor
Genre(s)	Pop, rock, R&B, hip pop
Instrument(s)	Vocals, guitar, bass, piano, violin, cello, drums, guzheng, keyboards, pipa, erhu, harmonica
Voice type(s)	tenor
Label(s)	Sony Music Taiwan (2008–present) JVR Music (2007–present) Alfa Music (1999–2007)
Years active	2000–present
Parents	Father: Zhou Yaozhong (周耀中) Mother: Ye Huimei (葉惠美)
Influenced	Nan Quan Mama
Official Website	Jay Chou@JVR Music
Awards Hong Kong Film Awards Best New Performer 2006 Initial D Best Original Film Song 2007 "Chrysanthemum Terrace" (Curse of the Golden Flower) Golden Horse Awards Best Newcomer 2005 Initial D Outstanding Taiwanese Film of the Year 2007 Secret Best Original Song 2007 "The Secret That Cannot Be Told" (Secret) Golden Melody Awards Best Mandarin Album 2001 Jay 2002 Fantasy 2004 Ye Hui Mei 2011 The Era Best Music Video 2009 "Mr. Magic" (Capricorn) Best Song of the Year 2008 "Blue and White Porcelain" (On the Run) 2009 "Fragrant Rice" (Capricorn) Best Composer 2002 "Love Before A.D." (Fantasy)[1] 2008 "Blue and White Porcelain" (On the Run) Best Producer 2002 Fantasy Best Single Producer 2007 Fearless EP Best Male Mandarin Artist 2009 Capricorn 2011 The Era Best Composer (Instrumental Category) 2008 "Piano Room" (Secret) Best Producer (Instrumental Category) 2008 Secret Original Movie Soundtrack (Secret) MTV Asia Awards Favorite Artist, Taiwan 2002, 2005 Other awards World Music Awards Best-Selling Chinese-Speaking Artist 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008 Shanghai Film Critics Awards 2007 Best Actor (Curse of the Golden Flower)

This article contains Chinese text. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of Chinese characters.

Jay Chou; (born 18 January 1979)^[2] is a Taiwanese musician, singer-songwriter, music and film producer, actor and director. In 1998 he was discovered in a talent contest where he displayed his piano and song-writing skills. Over the next two years, he was hired to compose for popular Mandarin singers. Although he was trained in classical music, Chou combines Chinese and Western music styles to produce songs that fuse R&B, rock and pop genres. He composes all his own songs, as well as songs for other singers.

In 2000, Chou released his first album, titled Jay, under the record company Alfa Music. Since then he has released one album per year except in 2009, selling several million copies each. His music has gained recognition throughout Asia, most notably in regions such as Taiwan, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, Indonesia, India, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and in overseas Asian communities. He has sold more than 28 million albums worldwide up to 2010.^[3] He debuted his acting career in Initial D (2005), for which he won Best Newcomer Actor in both the Hong Kong Film Awards and the Golden Horse Awards, and was nominated for Best Supporting Actor by Hong Kong Film Awards for his role in Curse of the Golden Flower (2006). He produced the theme song for the film Ocean Heaven starring Jet Li. His career now extends into directing and running his own record company JVR Music.

Career[link]

Jay Chou at the premiere of Secret in Seoul, South Korea, on 10 January 2008.

Jay Chou grew up in Linkou, Taipei County, Taiwan.^[4] Both his parents were secondary school teachers: his mother, Ye Hui Mei (Chinese: 葉惠美; pinyin: Yè Huìměi), taught fine arts, while his father, Zhou Yao Zhong (Chinese: 周耀中; pinyin: Zhōu Yàozhōng), was a biomedical researcher. His mother noticed his sensitivity to music and took him to piano lessons at the age of three.^[4] During his childhood, he was fascinated with capturing sounds and songs with his tape recorder, which he carried everywhere with him. In the third grade, he became interested in music theory and also started cello lessons. He is an only child and loved to play piano, imitate TV actors, and perform magic tricks. His favorite composer was, and still is to this day, Chopin. His parents divorced when he was 13, which caused him to become reclusive and introverted. Although he had friends, he often preferred to be alone, listening to music, contemplating and daydreaming. At Tamkang Senior High School, he majored in piano and minored in cello. He showed talent for improvisation, became fond of pop music and began to write songs.^[5][6]

Chou graduated from high school with inadequate grades for university, so he prepared for mandatory military service. However, a sports injury triggered by an unexplainable and severe back pain eventually led to the diagnosis of ankylosing spondylitis, a hereditary spine inflammation disease; as a result, he was exempted from conscription.^[7][8] Meanwhile, he found himself a job as a waiter. Without his knowing, his friend had entered both their names in a talent show called Super New Talent King. Chou played the piano accompaniment for his friend, whose singing was described as "lousy". Although they did not win, the show's host Jacky Wu—an influential character in Taiwan's entertainment business—happened to glance at Chou's music score and was impressed with its complexity. Wu hired him as a contract composer and paired him with the novice lyricist Vincent Fang.^[6]

Over the next two years he wrote songs for Mandarin pop artists, and also learned recording and sound mixing; his dedication was apparent as he even slept in the music studio. Wu's music studio was later sold to Alfa Music, and the new manager Yang Jun Rong asked him to release his own album. Chou already had an arsenal of songs he wrote for others but had been rejected, so among those he chose 10 for his debut CD Jay that was released in 2000. The album established his reputation as a musically gifted singer-songwriter whose style is a fusion of R&B, rap, classical music, and yet distinctly Chinese. His fame spread quickly in Chinese-speaking regions including countries throughout Southeast Asia.^[9][10][11] Since 2000, Chou has released one album per year, except the year 2009, each selling several million copies, and has been recognized with hundreds of awards.^[12] In 2003, he was the cover story of Time magazine (Asia version),^[6] acknowledging his influence on popular culture. He has held four world tours, "The One" (2002), "Incomparable" (2004), "Jay Chou The World Tours" (2007–2008) and "The Era" (2010–2011) performing in cities such as Taipei, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Beijing, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Las Vegas, Toronto and Vancouver. Unlike most singers, Chou has an enormous amount of creative control over his music.^[6] He is not only the songwriter but also the producer on all of his albums; since 2005 he is also the music director and also directs his own music videos.

Music[link]

Musical style[link]

	"Chrysanthemum Terrace" (菊花台) noicon An example of Chou using Chinese style music. "Nunchucks" (雙截棍) noicon A combination of Chinese style music and rap.
Problems listening to these files? See media help.

Chou's compositions are loosely categorized as pop music. While many of his works fall into contemporary R&B, rap, and rock genres, the term "Chou Style" (Chinese: 周氏風格; pinyin: zhōu shì fēnggé)^[13][14] has been popularized to describe his trademark cross-cultural music and his insistence on singing with slurred enunciation. Taipei Times once described the meaning of "Chou Style": "In what has become the archetypal Chou style, Taiwan's favorite son blends pop, rap, blues and a smorgasbord of esthetic elements of world music to create his dream-like never-never land ..."^[15]

He regularly fuses traditional Chinese instruments and styles with R&B or rock to form a new genre called "Zhongguo feng" (simplified Chinese: 中国风; traditional Chinese: 中國風; pinyin: Zhōngguó fēng), which literally means "Chinese Style Music",^[a] some of which are written in the Pentatonic Scale as opposed to the more common seven-note scale (Diatonic Scale) to accentuate an oriental style. Besides his own culture, he also incorporated Spanish guitar in "Red Imitation" (Chinese: 紅模仿; pinyin: hóng mófǎng), American techno/electronica in "Herbalist's Manual" (Chinese: 本草綱目; pinyin: Běncǎo Gāngmù), rap with subtle classical music undertones in "Reverse Scales" (Chinese: 逆鱗; pinyin: nìlín), Blues style in "Free Tutorial Video" (Chinese: 免費教學錄影帶; pinyin: Mian Fei Jiao Xue Lu Ying Dai) and Bossanova style in "Rosemary" (Chinese: 迷迭香; pinyin: mídiéxiāng), to name a few. Sound effects from everyday life are frequently woven into his music, such as bouncing ping pong balls, touch tone phone dialing, helicopter blades, dripping rain, and radio static noise (concrete music).^[b]

His formal musical training is evident by the use of classical textures in his compositions. For example, counterpoint was used in "Perfection" (Chinese: 完美主義; pinyin: wánměizhǔyì) and "Sorry" (Chinese: 對不起; pinyin: duìbuqǐ), while polyphony can be found in "The Wound That Ends War" (Chinese: 止戰之殤; pinyin: zhǐ zhàn zhī shāng) and "Twilight's Chapter Seven" (Chinese: 夜的第七章; pinyin: yè de dì-qī zhāng).

Chou's albums have been noted for the lack of change compared to his earlier works, yet he firmly stated that he will not alter his style: "They say I've been standing still ... but this is the music I want, and I don't see what I want by moving ahead."^[16] To demonstrate his point, he named his 2006 album Still Fantasy after his 2001 album Fantasy. His use of relaxed enunciation has been criticized as "mumbling"^[17] which he also insisted will not change;^[18] however, recently he has adopted clearer pronunciation for certain songs, particularly more traditional Chinese style songs, such as "Faraway" (Chinese: 千里之外; pinyin: qiānlǐ zhīwài) which features Fei Yu-ching and "Chrysanthemum Terrace" (Chinese: 菊花台; pinyin: júhuā tái).^[19]

Lyrics[link]

Chou is more often a singer-composer than a lyricist. Several "regulars" write the lyrics for most of his music, but the content and style is unified with his own personality and image, covering a diverse range of topics and ideas. Vincent Fang accounts for more than half of the lyrics in his albums, helping to establish an important element in Chou's music: the use of meaningful, imagery- and emotionally rich lyrics, sometimes written in the form of ancient Chinese poetry with reference to Chinese history or folklore.^[c] In addition to writing romantic hits,^[d] he also touches on war, the Bible, sports, and martial arts.^[e] Vivian Hsu is a singer herself and has helped with Chou's earlier hits,^[f] while Huang Jun Lang (Chinese: 黃俊郎; pinyin: Huáng Jùnláng) is noted for his work surrounding unusual themes (such as a detective story and chess game).^[g]

Chou himself has written lyrics for many ballads,^[h] but has also discussed societal ills such as drug addiction in "Coward" (Chinese: 懦夫; pinyin: nuòfū) and loss of the rural countryside to urbanization in "Terrace fields" (Chinese: 梯田; pinyin: tītián). Domestic violence discussed in "Dad, I am back" (Chinese: 爸,我回來了; pinyin: bà, wǒ huílai le) received a great deal of commotion since he was the first to bring up this taboo subject in Sanscript music,^[20] which helped solidify his status as a pioneer and a unique pop singer capable of approaching serious issues. In the songs "Maternal grandmother" (Chinese: 外婆; pinyin: wàipó) and "Listen to Mother" (Chinese: 聽媽媽的話; pinyin: tīng māma de huà), he voiced his high regard for family values. He addressed personal issues about his failure to enter university in "Split" (Chinese: 分裂; pinyin: fēnliè), his resentment towards the paparazzi in "Besieged From All Sides" (Chinese: 四面楚歌; pinyin: sìmiànchǔgē), "Rice Fragrance" (Chinese: 稻香; pinyin: dào xiāng), a song from his 9th album Capricorn encourages people not to give up their dreams even when facing difficulties in life, the sadness of becoming a clown in "Uncle Joker"(Chinese: 喬克叔叔; pinyin: Qiao Ke Shu Shu) and highlighted the importance of individuality in "Popular Imitation" (Chinese: 紅模仿; pinyin: hóng mófǎng).

Collaborations[link]

Chou began as a songwriter for other singers and continued this area of work even after he debuted his own career in singing. He has composed frequently for Jolin Tsai, Landy Wen, and occasionally for other Taiwanese singers such as Coco Lee, S.H.E, Vivian Hsu, Leehom Wang, Will Liu, Valen Hsu, and Hong Kong pop stars Edmond Leung, Gigi Leung, Jordan Chan, Edison Chen, Karen Mok, Leo Ku, Eason Chan, and Joey Yung, as well as a one-time collaboration with Howard Su. He has also written for singers outside of his generation—over one dozen songs for his mentor Jacky Wu, later also for Taiwanese singer Jody Chiang, and Hong Kong singers Jacky Cheung, Andy Lau, Aaron Kwok, and Kenny Bee.^{[21][22][23][24]}

He initiated the band Nan Quan Mama in 2004, selecting band members and overseeing their album production. The group has been noted for sounding too similar to their mentor;^[25] as a result, Chou has reduced his involvement in the band,^[26] but continues to help increase their exposure to mass audiences by inviting them as guests performers for his own concerts and music videos.^{[27][28][29][30]}

He has performed live duets with Landy Wen,^[28] Jolin Tsai,^[31] and former girlfriend news anchor Patty Hou,^[32] but only two studio recordings of duets have been formally placed in his own albums: "Coral Sea" (Chinese: 珊瑚海; pinyin: shānhú hǎi) in 2005 with Lara Veronin (of Nan Quan Mama)^[33] and "Faraway" (Chinese: 千里之外; pinyin: qiānlǐ zhīwài) in 2006 features Fei Yu-Ching, who began his career in the 1970s.^[34]

Besides working with singers, Chou's longest-running collaboration is with lyricist Vincent Fang, as they both started their careers in the music field in 1998. The compilation album Partners (Chinese: 拍檔; pinyin: pāi dàng) featured 12 songs, each consisting of Chou's musical and Fang's lyrical compositions.^[35] Fang has written the words to more than 40 of Chou's songs, was the chief editor of Chou's book Grandeur de D Major (Chinese: D調的華麗; pinyin: D diào de huálì), and is now Chou's business partner (together with Chou's manager JR Yang) for the record company JVR Music.^[36][37]

Jay Chou was also featured in Cindy Yen's (袁詠琳) song "Sand Painting" (畫沙) released in October 2009.

Jay Chou collaborated with Kobe Bryant on "The Heaven and Earth Challenge"(天地一鬥) in order to "promote youth creativity, as well as an upcoming slam-dunk competition in China." The song was released at a press conference before the NBA All-Star Game on 20 February 2011.^[38]

World tours[link]

Jay Chou's 3D enhanced stage at his Singapore concert in 2010, as part of his The Era World Tour

Jay held his first series of five solo concerts, titled Fantasy Concert (范特西演唱會), with the first stop on 11 January 2001 at Taoyuan Arena, Taiwan. Followed by two shows at the Hong Kong Coliseum, one in Malaysia and ended in Singapore on 10 February 2002. His second concert tour, The One Concert (The One 演唱會) commenced on 28 September 2002 at Taipei Municipal Stadium, followed by 11 stops and ended at Shenzhen Stadium, China on 3 January 2004.

Two more series of world tours followed: Incomparable Concert (無與倫比演唱會) in 2004 and Jay Chou 2007 World Tours (2007世界巡迴演唱會), with stops in cities such as Taipei, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Beijing, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Las Vegas, Toronto and Vancouver. In 2010, to celebrate Jay's 10 year career in the entertainment industry, he embarked on his fifth series of concert tour titled, New Era World Tour (超時代演唱會), with the first stop of three concerts from 11 to 13 June 2010 at Taipei Arena, followed by 24 stops ending in Malaysia on 5 March 2011.

World tours/Live (DVD) album releases

• 2001 – Fantasy Concert (范特西演唱會)
• 2002 – The One Concert (The One 演唱會) – Jay Chou The One Concert Live
• 2004 – Incomparable Concert (無與倫比演唱會) – Incomparable Jay Concert Live
• 2007 – Jay Chou World Tours (世界巡迴演唱會) – Jay Chou 2007 the World Tours Concert Live
• 2010 – New Era World Tour (超時代演唱會) – Jay Chou 2010 The Era World Tours Concert Live

Other works[link]

Movie career[link]

Chou formally entered the film industry in 2005 with the release of the movie Initial D (頭文字Ｄ). He has since acted in three other movies, directed one film and more than a dozen music videos. Chou, who once said "I live because of music",^[39] ventured into movies because he felt the need for a new challenge. As fans have grown concerned that movies will compromise his music career, Chou has repeatedly reassured that movies are a source of inspiration and not a distraction; at the same time, he realizes the need to balance both careers and maintain his place in the music field to garner the continued support of fans.^{[40][41][42][43]}

Acting[link]

Jay Chou at a promotional event for Kung Fu Dunk in January 2008

Entry into acting was an unexpected move for Chou.^[41] His high school English teacher thought he was capable of very few facial expressions,^[6] and the director of Hidden Track (2003, a movie in which Chou had a cameo role) said that his strong individualistic personality will not make him a good actor.^[44] In 2005, Chou's first role as the lead actor in Initial D served two purposes: to launch his acting debut, and to increase his exposure to Japanese audiences.^[45] This film is based on the Japanese comic Initial D, where Chou played Takumi Fujiwara, a gifted touge racer who is quiet and rarely shows expression. Some reviewers criticized his bland acting^[46] while others felt he performed naturally, but only because the character’s personality closely mirrored his own.^[47][48] His performance in Initial D won him Best Newcomer Actor in Golden Horse Awards and Hong Kong Film Awards.^[49][50] Chou’s second film was Curse of the Golden Flower (2006). As a supporting character, he drew much of the attention of Chinese reporters; Chou’s involvement in this movie was announced in its own press conference,^[51] separate from the meeting held for Chow Yun-fat, Gong Li, and the other actors. Chou portrayed Prince Jai, the ambitious second eldest prince and general of the Imperial army whose personality epitomizes Xiao (孝), the Chinese virtue of filial piety. In this internationally released film, North American audiences saw Chou for the first time. According to Chinese movie critics, comments about his acting ranged from "lacks complexity"^[52] to "acceptable,"^[53][54] but was critically praised by Western reviewers.^{[55][56][57][58][59]} His performance in Curse of the Golden Flower was nominated Best Supporting Actor in the Hong Kong Film Awards.^[60] In the 2008 film Kung Fu Dunk, Chou portrayed a kung fu student and dunking prodigy, and the film earned over ¥100 million (US$14.7 million).^[61] Chou portrayed Kato in The Green Hornet, directed by Michel Gondry and released in January 2011, after Hong Kong actor Stephen Chow withdrew from the project; the film grossed over $228 million worldwide.^[62] MTV Networks' NextMovie.com named him one of the 'Breakout Stars to Watch for in 2011'.^[63] In May 2011, Chou started filming for a new movie, The Viral Factor directed by Dante Lam and starred various well known artistes such as Nicholas Tse, Bai Bing and Lin Peng. The movie was released in theatres over Asia on 17 January 2012. With most of the scenes shot in the Middle Eastern and Southeast Asian countries, earlier filming process has been slightly disrupted due to political conflicts in the Middle East. In 2012, Jay Chou announced that he has started the filming process to the sequel of his directorial debut "不能说的秘密" (Secret/A Secret That Cannot Be Told), collaborating with his lifelong friend, 刘畊宏/Will Liu. It has been tentatively being named as "不能说的秘密2" (Secret 2/A Secret That Cannot Be Told 2) and is expected to be released in 2013.

Directing[link]

Chou acquired his first directing experience in 2004 through music videos. He initially experimented with a song by the group Nan Quan Mama titled "Home" (Chinese: 家; pinyin: jiā) where he was involved throughout the entire process from research to editing. After learning the difficulties of being a director, he refused to direct again even at the request of his record company.^[64] However, his interest resurfaced again as he directed music videos for 4 of the 12 songs in own album November's Chopin in 2005,^[65] and later television advertisements.^[66][67] By 2006, he had taken responsibility for the storyboard, directing, and editing of music videos for all his songs.^[40] It is unclear how the public appraises his work, since music videos are rarely the subject of critical review; however, director Zhang Yimou said that Chou's directing abilities may surpass his own in the future, after viewing several of Chou's music videos.^[51][68]

In February 2007, Chou finally directed his first movie Secret. The story he wrote is based loosely on his relationship with a high school girlfriend, with a plot focused on music, love, and family.^[69] He stars as the lead actor of the film with Kwai Lun-Mei‎ as the female lead, and Hong Kong veteran actor Anthony Wong as Chou’s father. Despite previous experience in filming music videos, Chou admits that movies are more challenging due to storyline and time constraints.^[69] This movie was released in July 2007.^[70]

In 2005, Jay Chou played the male lead in Initial D, and according to reports, he will be back to direct the sequel, while Andrew Lau, who was a co-director of the first Initial D, will take on the role of the producer.^[71]

[edit] Book: Grandeur de D Major

Chou published his first book titled Grandeur de D Major (simplified Chinese: D调的华丽; traditional Chinese: D調的華麗; pinyin: D diào de huálì) on 25 November 2004.^[k] This 200-page book features a prologue written by his family, friends, and co-workers; the main section is a compilation of his personal attitudes, philosophies, and recollections of childhood experiences along with pictures from his music videos, many of which have never been released; and lastly, a list of the artist's major awards, musical and lyrical compositions, and discography. For the usually low-profile singer, this book revealed his personality and convictions that has served as the basis of his musical and public image. He demonstrated a strong appreciation of family values with an especially deep connection with his mother and maternal grandmother. His confidence and dedication towards music is evident as he dedicated 2 out of 7 chapters to music: the current state of the industry, his composition methodology, and the importance of individualism to his success in music. This pride is contrasted against his modesty and self-assessed naivety about many aspects in life, particularly regarding relationships and marriage.

Endorsements[link]

Chou has been a spokesperson for popular brands such as Pepsi (2002–2007), Panasonic (2001–2005), Motorola (since 2006), M-Zone/China Mobile (since 2003), Levi's (2004–2005), Deerhui (sporting goods, since 2003), Metersbonwe Group (casual wear, since 2003), Colgate (2004–2005), popular computer game Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos (2002), and science and nature magazine National Geographic (2005).^[72][73] To maximize the celebrity branding effect, advertisements are nearly always linked to his music and TV commercials are occasionally directed by him.^[66][67] He acted as the tourism ambassador for Malaysia in 2003.^[74][75] In April 2008, Jay signed with Sprite and collaborated with artistes such as Angela Chang and JJ Lin in commercials. He also did a Sprite commercial with Kobe Bryant and specially wrote a song named "天地一斗 (Battle of the Incomparable)" featuring Kobe Bryant for the commercial. In June 2011, Jay expanded his area of endorsement into the field of technology, becoming the designer and spokesperson of the "N43SL Jay Chou Edition" laptop of ASUS Computers. The laptop is most notable for its lid design, sound system, start-up and shut-down tones, and a unique 'J' font for its key. All of which, except for the sound system, are designed and composed by Jay himself.

Accolades[link]

From the launch of his music career in 2000, Jay Chou has won more than 350 singer, singer-songwriter, and producer awards in Asia.^[12] The highly coveted Golden Melody Awards in Taiwan^[j] awarded "Best Album" for his debut CD Jay (2000) in 2001, and five awards (including "Best Album", "Best Composer", and "Best Producer") in the following year for the album Fantasy (2001). However, failure to win "Best Album" for three consecutive years has left him disheartened with award ceremonies. Although he continues to win more than 20 awards per year from various organizations in Asia, Chou has stated he will rely more on album sales as an indicator of his music's quality and popularity.^[76] In 2004, 2006, 2007 and 2008, he was awarded Best-Selling Artist in Taiwan by World Music Awards for the albums Common Jasmin Orange, Still Fantasy and On the Run.^[77]

Media and public relations[link]

Public image[link]

Chou's 2007 tour outfit exhibited at the Hard Rock Cafe 40th anniversary tour in Seattle, 2011

Despite living under continual media scrutiny, Chou's public image has changed little over the years as he emphasizes individuality as his "personal philosophy".^[6][78] In his music, this is also evident as he fuses Chinese and Western styles and explores topics unconventional for a pop singer, which have been described as "authentic" and "revolutionary".^[6][10][11] The media describes a hard-working^[79] perfectionist^[6] with clear self-direction^[80] who is occasionally regarded as competitive^[81] and a "control freak".^[6] There is a misunderstanding about his nickname "Chairman Chou" (Chinese: 周董; pinyin: Zhōu dǒng), used by both the press and fans to underscore his domineering personality and impact on Asian music,^[82] but also points at his musical talent.^[20][79] Yet the origin of this nickname emerges from his fever of collecting antiques as the word "董" comes from "antique" in Chinese (古董). Outside of music, Chou is reported as shy, quiet,^[80][83] modest, and views filial piety as "the most important thing".^[84] In-line with his aim to present a positive image,^[16] he is a non-smoker, non-drinker, and does not go to nightclubs.^[85] Government officials and educators in Asia have awarded him for his exemplary behaviour,^[86] designated him a spokesperson in the youth-empowerment project "Young Voice" in 2005 and an anti-depression campaign in 2007,^[87][88] His lyrics for two songs^[i] has been incorporated into the school syllabus to inspire motivational and filial attitudes.^{[89][90][91][92]} In November 2007, Chou was criticized for attending the funeral of Taiwanese gang leader Chen Chi-li to console Chen's son Baron Chen, whom Chou met while filming Kung Fu Dunk.^[93][94][95] In 2011 Chou performed on the New Year's Gala program on China's Central Television.^[96]

Response to the news media and paparazzi[link]

As with other stars, Chou has expressed a strong dislike of the paparazzi. In the early years of his career, unwanted attention by the media was usually dealt with by avoidance. In-line with his quiet nature, he frequently wore baseball caps and hoods while lowering his head and evading eye contact during interviews.^[83] In recent years however, he has been less passive about the invasion of his privacy. To discourage the paparazzi from taking unsolicited pictures, Chou is known to photograph the paparazzi that follow him.^[97] He openly calls the paparazzi "dogs" and tabloids "dog magazines", as shown in his lyrics for "Besieged From All Sides" (Chinese: 四面楚歌; pinyin: sìmiànchǔgē). The media have also accused Chou of evading compulsory military service^[98] by feigning to suffer from ankylosing spondylitis. Later that year he was acquitted after providing the relevant medical records and letters from the army confirming a lawful exemption from draft dated before the start of his music career.^[99]

Despite constant harassment and stalking by the media, he does acknowledge that not all media attention is unwelcome.^[100] Coverage by international journals and news agencies such as Time,^[6] The Guardian,^[101] and Reuters^[78] help ascertain his influence on mainstream culture. An editorial written by Kerry Brown of Chatham House named Chou as one of the 50 most influential figures in China, one of only three singers on a list dominated by politicians and corporate owners.^[102] At the end of 2009, he was included on JWT's annual list of 100 Things to Watch in 2010.^[103]

Fanbase[link]

Chou's wax statue at Madame Tussauds Hong Kong

It is difficult to estimate the size and global spread of Chou's fanbase. Jay's fanbase originated from Taiwan, his country, and grew extensively to other mandarin-speaking nations. The Chinese-speaking populations of Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, Malaysia and China make up a significant percentage of Chou's fans. Despite rampant piracy issues in this region of Asia, particularly in China, every album Chou has released so far has surpassed 2 million sales. According to Baidu, the most popular internet search engine in China, Chou is the number one searched male artist in 2002, 05, 06 and 07.^{[104][105][106][107]}

In Hong Kong, he has been the best-selling Mandarin speaking artist for the past 4 years.^[108] According to a 2004 survey in five Chinese urban centers for children ages 9 to 14, 1 in 6 named Chou as their favorite idol;^[109] he was also reported as the favorite singer of youths aged 8 to 25 in a study conducted in seven Asian countries (2006).^[110] He has a solid fanbase throughout Southeast Asia, including Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Vietnam.^[110] In Singapore, Chou was the second most searched celebrity behind Britney Spears in the music category.^[111]

Currently, Chou remains largely unknown outside of Asia, except in cities with large Chinese speaking immigrant populations such as Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Seattle, Vancouver, Toronto, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Brisbane. He has held concerts in major venues such as the Acer Arena (Sydney – 3 July 2009), HP Pavilion at San Jose (San Jose – 31 December 2010), Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena (Los Angeles – 8 January 2011), MGM Grand (Las Vegas—25 December 2002), Rogers Arena (Vancouver – 23 December 2010),^[6] Shrine Auditorium (Los Angeles—18 December 2004),^[112] Galen Center (Los Angeles—24 December 2007) and the Air Canada Centre (Toronto – 18 December 2008). His intention to increase his prominence in the Western world beyond Chinese audiences is clear. In 2006, Chou composed and sang the theme song for Fearless, a movie released in major theatres in most English-speaking countries,^[113] though the impact to his fame has been minimal. His role in Curse of the Golden Flower (limited release) marks his acting debut in North America. Despite having a supporting but important role in the story's plot, the North American version of the official posters only featured a view of his back, greatly contrasting the Asian versions where his face and name were clear and placed between the leading actor and actress. Although Chou is still far from being well known to English audiences, this movie has brought him international exposure. Chou gained further exposure to western audiences in his starring role as crimefighter Kato in January 2011's The Green Hornet.

Chou has won the Favorite Male Artist of the 20th Golden Melody Awards in Taiwan. He did not attend the event to collect the award because he was on tour in China at the time.

Discography[link]

• Jay (2000)
• Fantasy (2001)
• Eight Dimensions (2002)
• Ye Hui Mei (2003)
• Common Jasmin Orange (2004)
• November's Chopin (2005)
• Still Fantasy (2006)
• On the Run (2007)
• Capricorn (2008)
• The Era (2010)
• Exclamation Mark (2011)

Filmography[link]

Chou at the 2007 Shanghai Film Festival

Films[link]

Television series[link]

Notes[link]

References[link]