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Jay Chou: Don't hope that my music changes much
by kelvin@multistars - 30th May 2004Q: Can you present any state of affairs about the new album?
A: Still short of finishing the late stages of one or two songs, according to the plan it is going to be released in July. In terms of style, basically it will continue the feel of "Ye Hui Mei", hope that I can continue to maintain this kind of tonality. Everyone actually doesn't need to hope to say, every time you get my album you are able to hear that I have changed a lot - I think that as long as I can make you think it sounds good, isn't this enough?
Q: I think that compared to other artists, the subject matter of your work has a lot of variety.
A: Yes yes yes! The music ideals I have always held in hand is that the subject matter is more important than skill, to a composing artist. There are a lot of people who can sing, but not everyone can think of a subject matter.
Q: But you have said before that you are a boring person, then is it this kind of personality that has just given you the chance, let you have sufficient energy to observe the surrounding world?
A: Yes yes yes yes yes! I usually don't like to go out to play, always cutting and polishing about what ideas people haven't used before, I will only use it if no one has used it before. That's why every song I finish writing I want to publish it hurriedly, but to the company, you can only release an album after you have at least 10 songs - because I'm really scared of the ideas thought up by me being thought up by other people, appearing in another album first, of course if that really happened I can't do anything about it, at least I know that I didn't copy the creativity. The principles of the world are that the first one to release is the first one to win; I like this kind of feeling of competing with people more.
Q: Is music the most effective exchange channel between you and the world?
A: Yes yes yes yes yes! Because my language is actually limited, my English is not especially good, that's why I can only depend on music to make others know me.
Q: Tsai Chin says that if you want your dream to come true you must be able to persist with yourself, how do you see this?
A: Not wrong not wrong not wrong. Not every artist can reach the state of persisting in oneself. Once there were a lot of artists because the opposing views of other people or the fans, telling you to not always do the same thing, then because of this they make a wrong step, the result is the style changes and the album just won't do. I think the so-called style is "you have to walk your own path" - people like the differences you have with other people that's why they buy your album! You merely go and change because you listen to people, the things you make are not the things you like from the heart, and this is not the action a responsible musician should have.
Q: Then how do you see the phrase "bring new ideas"?
A: I have never changed the style, but I will think a lot of new ideas. For example saying like "Nun-Chuks" and "Dragon Fist" that "Chinese Style" thing, even though a lot of people do it now, there are also a lot of people saying they are bored with it, but I will continue making it, "Chinese style" can have fast songs and can have slow songs, if it is a fast song then it must combine with martial arts, this is my trait. The other new ideas are songs mainly reflecting the sports subject matter, I have already written a lot, I think that the youngsters now like sports more. I often chat to young students I meet, actually a lot of inspirations are given to me by them, just because you say you want to find it doesn't mean you will find it.
Q: In your life now, what matter makes you feel very invigorated?
A: Every time the screams are high before an award presentation will make me feel invigorated. I think the screams being high are more important than affirmation the judges give at the end. For example lets say there is an award today, originally the screams for me were very low, but yet at the end I get it, I won't feel very invigorated like this, because this illustrates that everyone thinks that I shouldn't have got this award - then I would rather the screams were a little higher, then even if I don't get it at the end it doesn't matter. The screams being high illustrates.....illustrates....
Q: Illustrates "the direction of public opinion"?
A: Yes yes yes yes yes, illustrates the direction of public opinion. Of course I regard public opinion as very important, after all the music I make is made for everyone to listen to!
Q: Then what matter will make you feel out of sorts?
A: It's OK, OK! There are seldom things that will make me feel out of sorts.
Q: This time there will be seniors like Tsai Chin and Zhao Chuan on the same stage, what plans do you have in the long term for you career?
A: I hope that I can always maintain a close relationship with music and not saying in the future I will be developing developing and changing into filming movies. Even if I can't release albums I can be a producer, sign some newcomers to build their prospects.