Jay Chou
Encyclopedia
Jay Chou is a Taiwanese
musician, singer-songwriter, music and film producer, actor and director who has won the World Music Award four times. 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, winning more than 20 awards each year. He has sold more than 28 million albums worldwide up to 2010. 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.
Jay Chou grew up in Linkou, Taipei County, Taiwan. Both his parents were secondary school teachers: his mother, Ye Hui Mei , taught fine art
s, while his father, Zhou Yao Zhong , was a biomedical researcher. His mother noticed his sensitivity to music and took him to piano lessons at the age of three. 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.
Chou graduated from high school with inadequate grades for university, so he prepared for military service, which was compulsory for all Taiwanese men at the age of 18. 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. 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
.
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. 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. In 2003, he was the cover story of Time magazine (Asia version), 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. 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.
, rap
, and rock genres, the term "Chou Style" 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 ..."
He regularly fuses traditional Chinese instruments and styles with R&B or rock to form a new genre called "Zhongguo feng" , which literally means "Chinese Style Music", 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" , American techno
/electronica
in "Herbalist's Manual" , rap with subtle classical music undertones in "Reverse Scales" , Blues
style in "Free Tutorial Video" and Bossanova
style in "Rosemary" , 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).
His formal musical training is evident by the use of classical textures in his compositions. For example, counterpoint
was used in "Perfection" and "Sorry" , while polyphony
can be found in "The Wound That Ends War" and "Twilight's Chapter Seven" .
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." 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" which he also insisted will not change; however, recently he has adopted clearer pronunciation for certain songs, particularly more traditional Chinese style songs, such as "Faraway" which features Fei Yu-ching
and "Chrysanthemum Terrace" .
is a singer herself and has helped with Chou's earlier hits, while Huang Jun Lang is noted for his work surrounding unusual themes (such as a detective story and chess game).
Chou himself has written lyrics for many ballads, but has also discussed societal ills such as drug addiction in "Coward" and loss of the rural countryside to urbanization in "Terrace fields" . Domestic violence discussed in "Dad, I am back" received a great deal of commotion since he was the first to bring up this taboo subject in Sanscript music, which helped solidify his status as a pioneer and a unique pop singer capable of approaching serious issues. In the songs "Maternal grandmother" and "Listen to Mother" , he voiced his high regard for family values. He addressed personal issues about his failure to enter university in "Split" , his resentment towards the paparazzi in "Besieged From All Sides" , "Rice Fragrance" , 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" and highlighted the importance of individuality in "Popular Imitation" .
, 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
.
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; as a result, Chou has reduced his involvement in the band, but continues to help increase their exposure to mass audiences by inviting them as guests performers for his own concerts and music videos.
He has performed live duets with Landy Wen
, Jolin Tsai
, and former girlfriend news anchor Patty Hou
, but only two studio recordings of duets have been formally placed in his own albums: "Coral Sea" in 2005 with Lara Veronin
(of Nan Quan Mama
) and "Faraway" in 2006 features Fei Yu-Ching
, who began his career in the 1970s. 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 featured 12 songs, each consisting of Chou's musical and Fang's lyrical compositions. 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 , and is now Chou's business partner (together with Chou's manager JR Yang) for the record company JVR Music. Jay Chou was also featured in Cindy Yen
's (袁詠琳) song "Sand Painting" (畫沙) released in October 2009.
Jay Chou collaborates 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.
, 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
(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", 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.
Entry into acting was an unexpected move for Chou. His high school English teacher thought he was capable of very few facial expressions, 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. 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. 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 while others felt he performed naturally, but only because the character’s personality closely mirrored his own. His performance in Initial D
won him Best Newcomer Actor in Golden Horse Awards
and Hong Kong Film Awards
. 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, 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" to "acceptable," but was critically praised by Western reviewers. His performance in Curse of the Golden Flower
was nominated Best Supporting Actor in the Hong Kong Film Awards
. 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). 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. MTV Networks
' NextMovie.com named him one of the 'Breakout Stars to Watch for in 2011'. 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 is slated to be released in theatres over Asia in spring 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.
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" 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. However, his interest resurfaced again as he directed music videos for 4 of the 12 songs in own album November's Chopin
in 2005, and later television advertisements. By 2006, he had taken responsibility for the storyboard, directing, and editing of music videos for all his songs. 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.
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. 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. This movie was released in July 2007.
In 2005, Jay Chou played the male lead in Initial D
, but 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.
(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). To maximize the celebrity branding
effect, advertisements are nearly always linked to his music and TV commercials are occasionally directed by him. He acted as the tourism ambassador for Malaysia in 2003. 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.
(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. In 2004, 2006, 2007 and 2008, he was awarded Best-Selling Artist in China by World Music Awards
for the albums Common Jasmin Orange
, Still Fantasy
and On the Run.
as "the most important thing". In-line with his aim to present a positive image, he is a non-smoker, non-drinker, and does not go to nightclubs. Government officials and educators in Asia have awarded him for his exemplary behaviour, designated him a spokesperson in the youth-empowerment project "Young Voice" in 2005 and an anti-depression campaign in 2007, His lyrics for two songs has been incorporated into the school syllabus to inspire motivational and filial attitudes. 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
. In 2011 Chou performed on the New Year's Gala program on China's Central Television.
. 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. 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. He openly calls the paparazzi "dogs" and tabloids "dog magazines", as shown in his lyrics for "Besieged From All Sides" . The media have also accused Chou of evading compulsory military service 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.
Despite constant harassment and stalking by the media, he does acknowledge that not all media attention is unwelcome. Coverage by international journals and news agencies such as Time
, The Guardian
, and Reuters
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.
At the end of 2009, he was included on JWT's annual list of 100 Things to Watch in 2010.
, his native country, and grew extensively to China
and other mandarin-speaking population. The Chinese-speaking populations of Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia and Mainland 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.
In Hong Kong, he has been the best-selling Mandarin artist for the past 4 years. 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; he was also reported as the favorite singer of youths aged 8 to 25 in a study conducted in seven Asian countries (2006). He has a solid fanbase throughout Southeast Asia, including Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Vietnam. In Singapore, Chou was the second most searched celebrity behind Britney Spears in the music category.
Currently, Chou remains largely unknown outside of Asia, except in cities with large Chinese 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), Shrine Auditorium
(Los Angeles—18 December 2004), 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, 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.
Taiwanese people
Taiwanese people may refer to individuals who either claim or are imputed cultural identity focused on the island of Taiwan and/or Taiwan Area which have been governed by the Republic of China since 1945...
musician, singer-songwriter, music and film producer, actor and director who has won the World Music Award four times. 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
Music of China
Chinese Music has been made since the dawn of Chinese civilization with documents and artifacts providing evidence of a well-developed musical culture as early as the Zhou Dynasty...
and Western music styles to produce songs that fuse R&B
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
, 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
Jay (album)
Jay Self-Title Album is Taiwanese Mandopop artist Jay Chou's debut Mandarin solo studio album. It was released on 6 November 2000 by Alfa Music and distributed by Sony Music Taiwan with a VCD containing seven music videos....
, 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
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, Indonesia, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Singapore, Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, Vietnam and in overseas Asian communities, winning more than 20 awards each year. He has sold more than 28 million albums worldwide up to 2010. He debuted his acting career in Initial D
Initial D (film)
Initial D is a 2005 Hong Kong film directed by Andrew Lau and Alan Mak. It is a film adaptation of the Japanese Initial D manga and anime series.-Plot:...
(2005), for which he won Best Newcomer Actor in both the Hong Kong Film Awards and the Golden Horse Awards
Golden Horse Film Festival and Awards
The Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival and Awards is a film festival and awards ceremony held annually in Taiwan. It was founded in 1962, by Government Information Office, Republic of China...
, and was nominated for Best Supporting Actor
Hong Kong Film Award for Best Supporting Actor
The Hong Kong Film Award for Best Supporting Actor is an annual Hong Kong industry award presented to an actor for the best performance by an actor in a supporting role.-History:...
by Hong Kong Film Awards for his role in Curse of the Golden Flower
Curse of the Golden Flower
Curse of the Golden Flower is a 2006 Chinese epic drama film directed by Zhang Yimou.With a budget of US$45 million, it was at the time of its release the most expensive Chinese film to date, surpassing Chen Kaige's The Promise...
(2006). He produced the theme song for the film Ocean Heaven
Ocean Heaven
Ocean Heaven is a 2010 Chinese-Hong Kong drama film starring martial arts superstar Jet Li in his first full drama role. It also co-stars Taiwanese actress Kwai Lun-mei, who previously starred in Jay Chou's Secret...
starring Jet Li. His career now extends into directing and running his own record company JVR Music.
Life and career
Fine art
Fine art or the fine arts encompass art forms developed primarily for aesthetics and/or concept rather than practical application. Art is often a synonym for fine art, as employed in the term "art gallery"....
s, while his father, Zhou Yao Zhong , was a biomedical researcher. His mother noticed his sensitivity to music and took him to piano lessons at the age of three. During his childhood, he was fascinated with capturing sounds and songs with his tape recorder
Tape recorder
An audio tape recorder, tape deck, reel-to-reel tape deck, cassette deck or tape machine is an audio storage device that records and plays back sounds, including articulated voices, usually using magnetic tape, either wound on a reel or in a cassette, for storage...
, which he carried everywhere with him. In the third grade, he became interested in music theory
Music theory
Music theory is the study of how music works. It examines the language and notation of music. It seeks to identify patterns and structures in composers' techniques across or within genres, styles, or historical periods...
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.
Chou graduated from high school with inadequate grades for university, so he prepared for military service, which was compulsory for all Taiwanese men at the age of 18. However, a sports injury triggered by an unexplainable and severe back pain eventually led to the diagnosis of ankylosing spondylitis
Ankylosing spondylitis
Ankylosing spondylitis , previously known as Bekhterev's disease, Bekhterev syndrome, and Marie-Strümpell disease is a chronic inflammatory disease of the axial skeleton with variable involvement of peripheral joints and nonarticular structures...
, a hereditary spine inflammation disease; as a result, he was exempted from conscription. 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
Jacky Wu
Wu Jing , sometimes credited as Jacky Wu or Jing Wu, is a Chinese martial artist, actor and film director. Wu is perhaps best known as Hawkman / Jackie in 1996 film Tai Chi Boxer and Kong Ko in 2006 film Fatal Contact.-Personal life:At age six he was sent to the Beijing Sports Institute at Shichahai...
—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
Vincent Fang
Vincent Fang was born on 26 January 1969 in Hualien, Taiwan. He is a Taiwanese multi-Golden Melody Award nominated lyricist, best known for his collaboration with singer-songwriter Jay Chou...
.
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
Jay (album)
Jay Self-Title Album is Taiwanese Mandopop artist Jay Chou's debut Mandarin solo studio album. It was released on 6 November 2000 by Alfa Music and distributed by Sony Music Taiwan with a VCD containing seven music videos....
that was released in 2000. The album established his reputation as a musically gifted singer-songwriter whose style is a fusion of R&B
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
, rap
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
, classical music, and yet distinctly Chinese. His fame spread quickly in Chinese-speaking regions including countries throughout Southeast Asia. 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. In 2003, he was the cover story of Time magazine (Asia version), 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. 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.
Musical style
Chou's compositions are loosely categorized as pop music. While many of his works fall into contemporary R&BRhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
, rap
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
, and rock genres, the term "Chou Style" has been popularized to describe his trademark cross-cultural music and his insistence on singing with slurred enunciation. Taipei Times
Taipei Times
The Taipei Times is one of the three major English-language newspapers in the Republic of China the other two being the Taiwan News and The China Post...
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 ..."
He regularly fuses traditional Chinese instruments and styles with R&B or rock to form a new genre called "Zhongguo feng" , which literally means "Chinese Style Music", some of which are written in the Pentatonic Scale
Pentatonic scale
A pentatonic scale is a musical scale with five notes per octave in contrast to a heptatonic scale such as the major scale and minor scale...
as opposed to the more common seven-note scale (Diatonic Scale
Diatonic scale
In music theory, a diatonic scale is a seven note, octave-repeating musical scale comprising five whole steps and two half steps for each octave, in which the two half steps are separated from each other by either two or three whole steps...
) to accentuate an oriental style. Besides his own culture, he also incorporated Spanish guitar
Flamenco guitar
A flamenco guitar is a guitar similar to a classical guitar. Flamenco guitar also refers to toque, the guitar-playing part of the art of Flamenco.-Brief history:...
in "Red Imitation" , American techno
Techno
Techno is a form of electronic dance music that emerged in Detroit, Michigan in the United States during the mid to late 1980s. The first recorded use of the word techno, in reference to a genre of music, was in 1988...
/electronica
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
in "Herbalist's Manual" , rap with subtle classical music undertones in "Reverse Scales" , Blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
style in "Free Tutorial Video" and Bossanova
Bossa nova
Bossa nova is a style of Brazilian music. Bossa nova acquired a large following in the 1960s, initially consisting of young musicians and college students...
style in "Rosemary" , 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).
His formal musical training is evident by the use of classical textures in his compositions. For example, counterpoint
Counterpoint
In music, counterpoint is the relationship between two or more voices that are independent in contour and rhythm and are harmonically interdependent . It has been most commonly identified in classical music, developing strongly during the Renaissance and in much of the common practice period,...
was used in "Perfection" and "Sorry" , while polyphony
Polyphony
In music, polyphony is a texture consisting of two or more independent melodic voices, as opposed to music with just one voice or music with one dominant melodic voice accompanied by chords ....
can be found in "The Wound That Ends War" and "Twilight's Chapter Seven" .
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." To demonstrate his point, he named his 2006 album Still Fantasy after his 2001 album Fantasy. His use of relaxed enunciation
Enunciation
In phonetics, enunciation is the act of speaking. Good enunciation is the act of speaking clearly and concisely. The opposite of good enunciation is mumbling or slurring. See also pronunciation which is a component of enunciation. Pronunciation is to pronounce sounds of words correctly....
has been criticized as "mumbling" which he also insisted will not change; however, recently he has adopted clearer pronunciation for certain songs, particularly more traditional Chinese style songs, such as "Faraway" which features Fei Yu-ching
Fei Yu-ching
Chang Yen-ting was born on 17 July 17 1955, better known as Fei Yu-ching . He is a Taiwanese singer-songwriter and the younger brother of television personality Chang Fei.-Biography:...
and "Chrysanthemum Terrace" .
Lyrics
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. In addition to writing romantic hits, he also touches on war, the Bible, sports, and martial arts. Vivian HsuVivian Hsu
Vivian Hsu is a Taiwanese singer, actress, and model who has gained remarkable popularity in East Asia, mainly in Taiwan and Japan.Hsu rose to prominence in Japan, where she made her first appearance in 1995 and has become a highly-recognized celebrity with her countless appearances in media...
is a singer herself and has helped with Chou's earlier hits, while Huang Jun Lang is noted for his work surrounding unusual themes (such as a detective story and chess game).
Chou himself has written lyrics for many ballads, but has also discussed societal ills such as drug addiction in "Coward" and loss of the rural countryside to urbanization in "Terrace fields" . Domestic violence discussed in "Dad, I am back" received a great deal of commotion since he was the first to bring up this taboo subject in Sanscript music, which helped solidify his status as a pioneer and a unique pop singer capable of approaching serious issues. In the songs "Maternal grandmother" and "Listen to Mother" , he voiced his high regard for family values. He addressed personal issues about his failure to enter university in "Split" , his resentment towards the paparazzi in "Besieged From All Sides" , "Rice Fragrance" , a song from his 9th album Capricorn
Capricorn (album)
Capricorn is Taiwanese Mandopop artist Jay Chou's ninth Mandarin studio album. It was released on 14 October 2008. by JVR Music and distributed by Sony Music Taiwan. The album is based on his zodiac sign, Capricorn and his interest in illusion...
encourages people not to give up their dreams even when facing difficulties in life, the sadness of becoming a clown in "Uncle Joker" and highlighted the importance of individuality in "Popular Imitation" .
Collaborations
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 TsaiJolin Tsai
Jolin Tsai was born on 15 September 1980. She is a Taiwanese Golden Melody Award-winning Mandopop singer, dancer and actor. She is managed by Mars Entertainment Ltd .-Career:...
, Landy Wen
Landy Wen
Landy Wen is a Taiwanese singer.A member of the Atayal ethnic group, she is one of the few Taiwanese aborigines to become a musical star....
, and occasionally for other Taiwanese singers such as Coco Lee
CoCo Lee
Coco Lee , born on 17 January 1975, also known by her official English name as Ferren Lee, is a pop singer, songwriter, record producer and actress. Coco started her career in Hong Kong but, after becoming popular in Taiwan, she was widely considered to be a Taiwan artist. She was born to a Chinese...
, S.H.E
S.H.E
S.H.E is a Taiwanese girl group whose members are Selina Jen, Hebe Tien, and Ella Chen. The name of the group is an alphabetism derived from the first letter of each member's name. Since releasing their first album Girls Dorm , S.H.E has recorded 12 albums with sales totalling over 15 million, and...
, Vivian Hsu
Vivian Hsu
Vivian Hsu is a Taiwanese singer, actress, and model who has gained remarkable popularity in East Asia, mainly in Taiwan and Japan.Hsu rose to prominence in Japan, where she made her first appearance in 1995 and has become a highly-recognized celebrity with her countless appearances in media...
, Leehom Wang, Will Liu
Will Liu
Will Liu is a Taiwanese singer and composer. He is well known for his album "Caihong Tiantang" and is known as good friends with Taiwanese artists Jay Chou and Show Luo....
, Valen Hsu
Valen Hsu
Valen Hsu, also known as Xiu Xiu , was born on 20 September 1974 in Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China. She is a Taiwanese Mandopop singer-songwriter. Hsu is widely known for her sad love ballads which have earned her the nickname "The Queen of Love Songs"...
, and Hong Kong pop stars Edmond Leung
Edmond Leung
Edmond Leung Hon-man is a Chinese singer-songwriter, record producer, actor, and television host from Hong Kong. At age 17, Leung became a finalist in the 8th annual New Talent Singing Awards in 1989, which won him a contract with Capital Artists. He made his recording debut in 1990 with the...
, Gigi Leung
Gigi Leung
Gigi Leung Wing-kei is a Hong Kong Cantopop singer and actress.-Biography:Given the name Leung Bik-Zi at birth, at the age of 7 her mother changed her name changed to 'Wing-Kei' for superstitious reasons; as a child, Leung suffered from frequent asthma attacks and it was believed a change of name...
, Jordan Chan
Jordan Chan
Jordan Chan Siu-Chun is a Chinese actor and musician from Hong Kong.Chan got his start by enrolling in the TVB Dancers' Training Class in 1985. Soon after graduation, he joined a few of the studio's troupes that would accompany popular singers during their live performances...
, Edison Chen
Edison Chen
Edison Koon-Hei Chen is a Hong Kong film actor, Cantopop singer, Hong Kong hip hop rapper, model, record producer, fashion designer, and a pop icon. Chen is also the founder of CLOT Inc., and the CEO of Clot Media Division Limited...
, Karen Mok
Karen Mok
Karen Joy Morris, known more commonly in the Sinosphere as Karen Mok or Mok Man-Wai, is a three-time Golden Melody Award-winning Hong Kong-based actress and singer-songwriter.- Biography :...
, Leo Ku
Leo Ku
Leo Ku Kui Kei is a famous China and Hong Kong artist, Cantonese and Mandarin pop singer, actor, host, cartoonist, MV Director and Producer, and designer; he is one of the highest visibility and Greater China Pop Male Artist, a major figure in popular music culture. Leo had earned the "Ten...
, Eason Chan
Eason Chan
Eason Chan Yik-shun is a prominent male singer in Hong Kong's music industry. Undoubtedly one of the most dominant male singers in the post-1997 era of Hong Kong music industry. Eason Chan has been praised by Time magazine as a front runner in the next generation of Cantopop...
, and Joey Yung
Joey Yung
Joey Yung is a Hong Kong Cantopop singer and actress from Emperor Entertainment Group. She won the prestigious JSG "Most Popular Female Singer" and "Ultimate Best Female Singer - Gold" awards a record breaking six times, thus emerging as one of the premier Cantonese singers in Hong Kong...
, 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
Jacky Wu
Wu Jing , sometimes credited as Jacky Wu or Jing Wu, is a Chinese martial artist, actor and film director. Wu is perhaps best known as Hawkman / Jackie in 1996 film Tai Chi Boxer and Kong Ko in 2006 film Fatal Contact.-Personal life:At age six he was sent to the Beijing Sports Institute at Shichahai...
, later also for Taiwanese singer Jody Chiang
Jody Chiang
Jody Chiang or Jiang Hui , born as Jiang Shuhui , is a Taiwanese popular singer. She is often called the Queen of Taiwanese music. She began recording in the 1980s and maintains an active career today. Her trademark ballads and folk songs are typically sung in Taiwanese...
, and Hong Kong singers Jacky Cheung
Jacky Cheung
Jacky Cheung is a Hong Kong singer-songwriter and actor. The Chinese language media refers to him, Aaron Kwok, Andy Lau and Leon Lai as the Cantopop Four Heavenly Kings , with more than 60 million records sold as of 2000....
, Andy Lau
Andy Lau
Andy Lau MH, JP is a Hong Kong Cantopop singer, actor, and film producer. Lau has been one of Hong Kong's most commercially successful film actors since the mid-1980s, performing in more than 160 films while maintaining a successful singing career at the same time...
, Aaron Kwok
Aaron Kwok
Aaron Kwok Fu-shing is a Hong Kong singer, dancer and actor. He has been active since the 1980s to the present. The media refer to him, Jacky Cheung, Andy Lau and Leon Lai as the Cantopop Four Heavenly Kings . Kwok's onstage dancing and displays is influenced by Michael Jackson...
, and Kenny Bee
Kenny Bee
Chung Chun-to , better known as Kenny Bee, is a Hong Kong singer, musician and actor. He is well-known as a member of the Hong Kong English pop and cantopop band the Wynners, and as a solo artist who has been active in the Hong Kong entertainment industry for nearly three decades.-Career:Bee made...
.
He initiated the band Nan Quan Mama
Nan Quan Mama
Nan Quan Mama is a Taiwanese music group. The name is a phrase in Chinese to explain having strength while being gentle as a mother. They are closely tied with the Taiwanese artist Jay Chou. The group was nominated for Best Singing Group at the 19th Golden Melody Awards in 2008.The current members...
in 2004, selecting band members and overseeing their album production. The group has been noted for sounding too similar to their mentor; as a result, Chou has reduced his involvement in the band, but continues to help increase their exposure to mass audiences by inviting them as guests performers for his own concerts and music videos.
He has performed live duets with Landy Wen
Landy Wen
Landy Wen is a Taiwanese singer.A member of the Atayal ethnic group, she is one of the few Taiwanese aborigines to become a musical star....
, Jolin Tsai
Jolin Tsai
Jolin Tsai was born on 15 September 1980. She is a Taiwanese Golden Melody Award-winning Mandopop singer, dancer and actor. She is managed by Mars Entertainment Ltd .-Career:...
, and former girlfriend news anchor Patty Hou
Patty Hou
Patty Hou is a former news anchor in Taiwan who is best known for her beauty and her relationship with Taiwanese R&B singer Jay Chou. She subsequently hosted an entertainment program on Azio TV and has just published a book, Patty's About Love...
, but only two studio recordings of duets have been formally placed in his own albums: "Coral Sea" in 2005 with Lara Veronin
Lara Veronin
Lara Veronin , also known as Lara Liang, is a Russian-Taiwanese-American musician, currently signed by JVR . She grew up in Southern California and moved to Taiwan when she was a teenager. She graduated from Taipei American School in 2006. She was the lead female vocalist in the Taiwanese band Nan...
(of Nan Quan Mama
Nan Quan Mama
Nan Quan Mama is a Taiwanese music group. The name is a phrase in Chinese to explain having strength while being gentle as a mother. They are closely tied with the Taiwanese artist Jay Chou. The group was nominated for Best Singing Group at the 19th Golden Melody Awards in 2008.The current members...
) and "Faraway" in 2006 features Fei Yu-Ching
Fei Yu-ching
Chang Yen-ting was born on 17 July 17 1955, better known as Fei Yu-ching . He is a Taiwanese singer-songwriter and the younger brother of television personality Chang Fei.-Biography:...
, who began his career in the 1970s. 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 featured 12 songs, each consisting of Chou's musical and Fang's lyrical compositions. 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 , and is now Chou's business partner (together with Chou's manager JR Yang) for the record company JVR Music. Jay Chou was also featured in Cindy Yen
Cindy Yen
Cindy Yen is a Taiwanese-American singer, songwriter, actress, Composer and producer. She was the first artist to be signed to Jay Chou's company, JVR Music, in 2009. In October 2009 she released her first self-titled album: Cindy Yen 袁詠琳...
's (袁詠琳) song "Sand Painting" (畫沙) released in October 2009.
Jay Chou collaborates with Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bean Bryant is an American professional basketball player who plays shooting guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . Bryant enjoyed a successful high school basketball career at Lower Merion High School, where he was recognized as the top high school...
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.
World tours
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 ArenaTaoyuan Arena
Taoyuan Arena is an indoor sporting arena located in Taoyuan, Taiwan. The capacity of the arena is 15,000 and was opened in 1993. It is used to host indoor sporting events, such as basketball and volleyball....
, Taiwan. Followed by two shows at the Hong Kong Coliseum
Hong Kong Coliseum
Hong Kong Coliseum is a multi-purpose indoor arena, in Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong.It was built by the Urban Council and inaugurated on 27 April 1983....
, 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
Taipei Municipal Stadium
Taipei Municipal Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Taipei, Taiwan. The old stadium was used mostly for track and field events and was able to hold 16,000 people. It has been demolished and reconstructed for the 2009 Summer Deaflympics since December 2006. The new stadium is scheduled to open...
, followed by 11 stops and ended at Shenzhen Stadium
Shenzhen Stadium
Shenzhen Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Futian District, Shenzhen, Guangdong, People's Republic of China. It is currently used mostly for football matches. The stadium holds 33,000 people, and is the home of Shenzhen Ruby F.C..It was built in June 1993, at a cost of 141 million RMB. It...
, 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
Taipei Arena
Taipei Arena is an indoor sporting arena located in Taipei, Taiwan. Built in 2005, the large multi-purpose stadium can accommodate major international sport events such as ice skating, ice hockey, gymnastics, handball, basketball, tennis, badminton, table tennis, indoor soccer, boxing, judo,...
, 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 LiveThe One Concert LiveThe One Concert Live is Taiwanese Mandopop artist Jay Chou's first live album and concert DVD. It was produced by Alfa Music and distributed by Sony Music Taiwan. The album was recorded during the concert held on 28 September 2002 at Taipei Municipal Stadium, Taiwan...
- 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 LiveThe Era Concert LiveThe Era Concert Live is Taiwanese Mandopop artist Jay Chou's fourth live album and concert DVD. It was released on 25 January 2011 in a DVD plus 2CD format, by JVR Music and distributed by Sony Music Taiwan. It was recorded during the concert held on 11 June 2010 at Taipei Arena, Taiwan...
Movie career
Chou formally entered the film industry in 2005 with the release of the movie Initial DInitial D (film)
Initial D is a 2005 Hong Kong film directed by Andrew Lau and Alan Mak. It is a film adaptation of the Japanese Initial D manga and anime series.-Plot:...
(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", 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.
Acting
Initial D (film)
Initial D is a 2005 Hong Kong film directed by Andrew Lau and Alan Mak. It is a film adaptation of the Japanese Initial D manga and anime series.-Plot:...
served two purposes: to launch his acting debut, and to increase his exposure to Japanese audiences. This film is based on the Japanese comic
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
Initial D
Initial D
is a manga by Shuichi Shigeno which has been serialized in Kodansha's Young Magazine since 1995. It has been adapted into a long-running anime series by OB Planning, Studio Comet, Studio Gallop, Pastel, and A.C.G.T, and a live action film by Avex and Media Asia...
, where Chou played Takumi Fujiwara, a gifted touge
Touge
is a Japanese word literally meaning "pass." It refers to a mountain pass or any of the narrow, winding roads that can be found in and around the mountains of Japan and other geographically similar areas, like the legendary Nordschleife in Germany....
racer who is quiet and rarely shows expression. Some reviewers criticized his bland acting while others felt he performed naturally, but only because the character’s personality closely mirrored his own. His performance in Initial D
Initial D (film)
Initial D is a 2005 Hong Kong film directed by Andrew Lau and Alan Mak. It is a film adaptation of the Japanese Initial D manga and anime series.-Plot:...
won him Best Newcomer Actor in Golden Horse Awards
Golden Horse Film Festival and Awards
The Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival and Awards is a film festival and awards ceremony held annually in Taiwan. It was founded in 1962, by Government Information Office, Republic of China...
and Hong Kong Film Awards
Hong Kong Film Awards
The Hong Kong Film Awards , founded in 1982, are the most prestigious film awards in Hong Kong and among the most respected in mainland China and Taiwan. Award ceremonies are held annually, typically in April. The Awards recognize achievement in all aspects of filmmaking, such as directing,...
. Chou’s second film was Curse of the Golden Flower
Curse of the Golden Flower
Curse of the Golden Flower is a 2006 Chinese epic drama film directed by Zhang Yimou.With a budget of US$45 million, it was at the time of its release the most expensive Chinese film to date, surpassing Chen Kaige's The Promise...
(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, separate from the meeting held for Chow Yun-fat
Chow Yun-Fat
Chow Yun-fat, SBS is an actor from Hong Kong. He is best known in Asia for his collaboration with filmmaker John Woo in heroic bloodshed genre films A Better Tomorrow, The Killer, and Hard Boiled; and to the West for his role as Li Mu-bai in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon...
, Gong Li
Gong Li
Gong Li is a Chinese film actress. Gong first came into international prominence through close collaboration with Chinese director Zhang Yimou and is credited with helping to bring Chinese cinema to Europe and the United States....
, 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
Filial piety
In Confucian ideals, filial piety is one of the virtues to be held above all else: a respect for the parents and ancestors. The Confucian classic Xiao Jing or Classic of Xiào, thought to be written around 470 BCE, has historically been the authoritative source on the Confucian tenet of xiào /...
. 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" to "acceptable," but was critically praised by Western reviewers. His performance in Curse of the Golden Flower
Curse of the Golden Flower
Curse of the Golden Flower is a 2006 Chinese epic drama film directed by Zhang Yimou.With a budget of US$45 million, it was at the time of its release the most expensive Chinese film to date, surpassing Chen Kaige's The Promise...
was nominated Best Supporting Actor in the Hong Kong Film Awards
Hong Kong Film Awards
The Hong Kong Film Awards , founded in 1982, are the most prestigious film awards in Hong Kong and among the most respected in mainland China and Taiwan. Award ceremonies are held annually, typically in April. The Awards recognize achievement in all aspects of filmmaking, such as directing,...
. In the 2008 film Kung Fu Dunk
Kung Fu Dunk
Kung Fu Dunk , also known by its former title Slam Dunk, is a 2008 Chinese-language live-action film. It was directed by Taiwanese director Chu Yin-Ping and filmed in Taiwan and mainland China...
, Chou portrayed a kung fu
Chinese martial arts
Chinese martial arts, also referred to by the Mandarin Chinese term wushu and popularly as kung fu , are a number of fighting styles that have developed over the centuries in China. These fighting styles are often classified according to common traits, identified as "families" , "sects" or...
student and dunking
Slam dunk
A slam dunk is a type of basketball shot that is performed when a player jumps in the air and manually powers the ball downward through the basket with one or both hands over the rim. This is considered a normal field goal attempt; if successful it is worth two points. The term "slam dunk" was...
prodigy, and the film earned over ¥
Renminbi
The Renminbi is the official currency of the People's Republic of China . Renminbi is legal tender in mainland China, but not in Hong Kong or Macau. It is issued by the People's Bank of China, the monetary authority of the PRC...
100 million (US$14.7 million). Chou portrayed Kato
Kato (The Green Hornet)
Kato is a fictional character from The Green Hornet series. This character has also appeared with the Green Hornet in film, television, book and comic book versions. Kato was the Hornet's assistant and has been played by a number of actors...
in The Green Hornet
The Green Hornet (2011 film)
The Green Hornet is a 2011 American superhero action-comedy film based on the character of the same name that had originated in a 1930s radio program and has appeared in movie serials, a television series, comic books, and other media...
, directed by Michel Gondry
Michel Gondry
Michel Gondry is an Academy Award winning filmmaker, whose works include being a commercial director, music video director, and a screenwriter. He is noted for his inventive visual style and manipulation of mise en scène. - Life and career :...
and released in January 2011, after Hong Kong actor Stephen Chow
Stephen Chow
Stephen Chow Sing-Chi is a Hong Kong actor, comedian, screenwriter, film director and producer.- Professional career :Stephen Chow began as a temporary actor for TVB. He entered TVB in early 1980s, and was trained there, although he had few opportunities to appear in films. Chow graduated from...
withdrew from the project; the film grossed over $228 million worldwide. MTV Networks
MTV Networks
MTV Networks is a division of media conglomerate Viacom that oversees the operations of many television channels and Internet brands, including the original MTV channel in the United States...
' NextMovie.com named him one of the 'Breakout Stars to Watch for in 2011'. In May 2011, Chou started filming for a new movie, "The Viral Factor
The Viral Factor
The Viral Factor is an upcoming Hong Kong action film directed by Dante Lam and starring Jay Chou and Nicholas Tse. The supporting cast includes Bai Bing, Andy On, Carl Ng, Liu Kai-chi and Elaine Jin and the action director is Chin Kar-lok. Production started in March and is slated for a Lunar New...
" directed by Dante Lam
Dante Lam
Dante Lam Chiu-Yin is a Hong Kong film director, an assistant director, actor, producer, writer, and action choreographer. In 2008 he won the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Director for his work on Beast Stalker.-Director:* Option Zero...
and starred various well known artistes such as Nicholas Tse
Nicholas Tse
Nicholas Tse is a Hong Kong singer-songwriter, actor and musician, and son of actor Patrick Tse. He is a member of the Emperor Entertainment Group...
, Bai Bing and Lin Peng. The movie is slated to be released in theatres over Asia in spring 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.
Directing
Nan Quan Mama
Nan Quan Mama is a Taiwanese music group. The name is a phrase in Chinese to explain having strength while being gentle as a mother. They are closely tied with the Taiwanese artist Jay Chou. The group was nominated for Best Singing Group at the 19th Golden Melody Awards in 2008.The current members...
titled "Home" 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. However, his interest resurfaced again as he directed music videos for 4 of the 12 songs in own album November's Chopin
November's Chopin
November's Chopin is Taiwanese Mandopop artist Jay Chou's sixth Mandarin studio album. It was released on 1 November 2005 by Alfa Music and distributed by Sony Music Taiwan. It was released with a bonus DVD containing three music videos....
in 2005, and later television advertisements. By 2006, he had taken responsibility for the storyboard, directing, and editing of music videos for all his songs. It is unclear how the public appraises his work, since music videos are rarely the subject of critical review; however, director Zhang Yimou
Zhang Yimou
Zhang Yimou is a Chinese film director, producer, writer and actor, and former cinematographer. He is counted amongst the Fifth Generation of Chinese filmmakers, having made his directorial debut in 1987 with Red Sorghum....
said that Chou's directing abilities may surpass his own in the future, after viewing several of Chou's music videos.
In February 2007, Chou finally directed his first movie Secret
Secret (2007 film)
Secret , is a 2007 Taiwanese romance film. It is the directorial debut feature film of Taiwanese musician Jay Chou, who also stars as the male lead and co-wrote the movie.The Secret Original Soundtrack was released by JVR Music on 13 August 2007....
. The story he wrote is based loosely on his relationship with a high school girlfriend, with a plot focused on music, love, and family. He stars as the lead actor of the film with Kwai Lun-Mei as the female lead, and Hong Kong veteran actor Anthony Wong
Anthony Wong Chau Sang
Anthony Wong Chau-sang is a Hong Kong Film Award-winning Hong Kong actor, screenwriter and film director. He is regarded as one of the most notable actors in Hong Kong.-Biography:...
as Chou’s father. Despite previous experience in filming music videos, Chou admits that movies are more challenging due to storyline and time constraints. This movie was released in July 2007.
In 2005, Jay Chou played the male lead in Initial D
Initial D (film)
Initial D is a 2005 Hong Kong film directed by Andrew Lau and Alan Mak. It is a film adaptation of the Japanese Initial D manga and anime series.-Plot:...
, but according to reports, he will be back to direct the sequel, while Andrew Lau
Andrew Lau
Andrew Lau Wai-Keung is a Hong Kong cinematographer and filmmaker. Lau began his career in the 1980s and 1990s, serving as a cinematographer to filmmakers such as Ringo Lam, Wong Jing and Wong Kar-wai. In the 1990s, Lau decided to have more creative freedom as a cinematographer by becoming a film...
, who was a co-director of the first Initial D, will take on the role of the producer.
Book: Grandeur de D Major
Chou published his first book titled Grandeur de D Major on November 25, 2004. 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
Chou has been a spokesperson for popular brands such as Pepsi (2002–2007), PanasonicPanasonic
Panasonic is an international brand name for Japanese electric products manufacturer Panasonic Corporation, which was formerly known as Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd...
(2001–2005), Motorola
Motorola
Motorola, Inc. was an American multinational telecommunications company based in Schaumburg, Illinois, which was eventually divided into two independent public companies, Motorola Mobility and Motorola Solutions on January 4, 2011, after losing $4.3 billion from 2007 to 2009...
(since 2006), M-Zone/China Mobile (since 2003), Levi's (2004–2005), Deerhui (sporting goods, since 2003), Metersbonwe Group
Metersbonwe Group
Metersbonwe Group , marketed as Meters/bonwe is China's leading casualwear apparel company. Metersbonwe opened their first store in Wenzhou on April 22nd, 1995. By the beginning of 2007, the company operates around 1,800 stores across China and has over 5,000 employees...
(casual wear, since 2003), Colgate (2004–2005), popular computer game Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos
Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos
Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos is a real time strategy computer game released by Blizzard Entertainment on July 3, 2002 . It is the second sequel to Warcraft: Orcs & Humans, and it is the third game set in the Warcraft Universe...
(2002), and science and nature magazine National Geographic (2005). To maximize the celebrity branding
Celebrity branding
Celebrity branding is a type of branding, or advertising, in which a celebrity uses his or her status in society to promote a product, service or charity...
effect, advertisements are nearly always linked to his music and TV commercials are occasionally directed by him. He acted as the tourism ambassador for Malaysia in 2003. In April 2008, Jay signed with Sprite
Sprite (soft drink)
Sprite is a transparent, lemon-lime flavored , caffeine free soft drink, produced by the Coca-Cola Company. It was introduced in the United States in 1961. This was Coke's response to the popularity of 7 Up, which had begun as "Bib-Label Lithiated Lemon-Lime Soda" in 1929...
and collaborated with artistes such as Angela Chang
Angela Chang
Angela Chang was born on 19 January 1982. She is a Taiwanese Mandopop singer and actress. She has been nominated twice for Best Leading Actress in a Television Series at the Golden Bell Awards, Taiwan.-Biography:...
and JJ Lin
JJ Lin
JJ Lin is a Singaporean Mandopop Singer-songwriter, Composer and Actor based in Taiwan. JJ Lin is managed by Ocean Butterflies. Lin won Best New Artist for his work on his debut album Music Voyager at the 15th Golden Melody Awards in 2004....
in commercials. He also did a Sprite commercial with Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bean Bryant is an American professional basketball player who plays shooting guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . Bryant enjoyed a successful high school basketball career at Lower Merion High School, where he was recognized as the top high school...
and specially wrote a song named "天地一斗 (Battle of the Incomparable)" featuring Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bean Bryant is an American professional basketball player who plays shooting guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . Bryant enjoyed a successful high school basketball career at Lower Merion High School, where he was recognized as the top high school...
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
ASUS
ASUSTeK Computer Incorporated is a multinational computer technology and consumer electronics product manufacturer headquartered in Taipei, Taiwan. Its product range includes motherboards, desktops, laptops, monitors, tablet PCs, servers and mobile phones...
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
From the launch of his music career in 2000, Jay Chou has won more than 350 singer, singer-songwriter, and producer awards in Asia. The highly coveted Golden Melody Awards in Taiwan awarded "Best Album" for his debut CD JayJay (album)
Jay Self-Title Album is Taiwanese Mandopop artist Jay Chou's debut Mandarin solo studio album. It was released on 6 November 2000 by Alfa Music and distributed by Sony Music Taiwan with a VCD containing seven music videos....
(2000) in 2001, and five awards (including "Best Album", "Best Composer", and "Best Producer") in the following year for the album Fantasy
Fantasy (Jay Chou album)
Fantasy is Taiwanese Mandopop artist Jay Chou's second Mandarin studio album. It was released on 14 September 2001 by Alfa Music and distributed by Sony Music Taiwan. An enhanced CD single Fantasy - Shuang Jie Kun was released on 9 April 2002...
(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. In 2004, 2006, 2007 and 2008, he was awarded Best-Selling Artist in China by World Music Awards
World Music Awards
The World Music Awards is an international awards show founded in 1989 that annually honors recording artists based on worldwide sales figures provided by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry . John Martinotti is an executive producer and co-founder of the show...
for the albums Common Jasmin Orange
Common Jasmin Orange
-Charts:-External links:...
, Still Fantasy
Still Fantasy
Still Fantasy is the seventh studio album by Taiwanese Mandopop artist Jay Chou. It was released on 5 September 2006 by Alfa Music and distributed by Sony Music Taiwan.The album was originally scheduled for release on 8 September...
and On the Run.
Public image
Despite living under continual media scrutiny, Chou's public image has changed little over the years as he emphasizes individuality as his "personal philosophy". 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". The media describes a hard-working perfectionist with clear self-direction who is occasionally regarded as competitive and a "control freak". There is a misunderstanding about his nickname "Chairman Chou" , used by both the press and fans to underscore his domineering personality and impact on Asian music, but also points at his musical talent. 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, modest, and views filial pietyFilial piety
In Confucian ideals, filial piety is one of the virtues to be held above all else: a respect for the parents and ancestors. The Confucian classic Xiao Jing or Classic of Xiào, thought to be written around 470 BCE, has historically been the authoritative source on the Confucian tenet of xiào /...
as "the most important thing". In-line with his aim to present a positive image, he is a non-smoker, non-drinker, and does not go to nightclubs. Government officials and educators in Asia have awarded him for his exemplary behaviour, designated him a spokesperson in the youth-empowerment project "Young Voice" in 2005 and an anti-depression campaign in 2007, His lyrics for two songs has been incorporated into the school syllabus to inspire motivational and filial attitudes. In November 2007, Chou was criticized for attending the funeral of Taiwanese gang leader Chen Chi-li
Chen Chi-li
Chen Chi-li , nicknamed King Duck, was a gangster from Taiwan, best known for heading the United Bamboo Gang...
to console Chen's son Baron Chen
Baron Chen
Baron Chen is a Taiwanese actor and model. His nicknames include Chen Xiaobao and River Chen.-Early life:Chen is the eldest son of Chen Chi-li, a reputed gang leader who masterminded the assassination of dissident journalist Henry Liu in 1984...
, whom Chou met while filming Kung Fu Dunk
Kung Fu Dunk
Kung Fu Dunk , also known by its former title Slam Dunk, is a 2008 Chinese-language live-action film. It was directed by Taiwanese director Chu Yin-Ping and filmed in Taiwan and mainland China...
. In 2011 Chou performed on the New Year's Gala program on China's Central Television.
Response to the news media and paparazzi
As with other stars, Chou has expressed a strong dislike of the paparazziPaparazzi
Paparazzi is an Italian term used to refer to photojournalists who specialize in candid photography of celebrities, politicians, and other prominent people...
. 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. 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. He openly calls the paparazzi "dogs" and tabloids "dog magazines", as shown in his lyrics for "Besieged From All Sides" . The media have also accused Chou of evading compulsory military service by feigning to suffer from ankylosing spondylitis
Ankylosing spondylitis
Ankylosing spondylitis , previously known as Bekhterev's disease, Bekhterev syndrome, and Marie-Strümpell disease is a chronic inflammatory disease of the axial skeleton with variable involvement of peripheral joints and nonarticular structures...
. 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.
Despite constant harassment and stalking by the media, he does acknowledge that not all media attention is unwelcome. Coverage by international journals and news agencies such as Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
, The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, and Reuters
Reuters
Reuters is a news agency headquartered in New York City. Until 2008 the Reuters news agency formed part of a British independent company, Reuters Group plc, which was also a provider of financial market data...
help ascertain his influence on mainstream culture. An editorial written by Kerry Brown of Chatham House
Chatham House
Chatham House, formally known as The Royal Institute of International Affairs, is a non-profit, non-governmental organization based in London whose mission is to analyse and promote the understanding of major international issues and current affairs. It is regarded as one of the world's leading...
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.
At the end of 2009, he was included on JWT's annual list of 100 Things to Watch in 2010.
Fanbase
It is difficult to estimate the size and global spread of Chou's fanbase. Jay's fanbase originated from TaiwanTaiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
, his native country, and grew extensively to China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
and other mandarin-speaking population. The Chinese-speaking populations of Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia and Mainland China make up a significant percentage of Chou's fans. Despite rampant piracy
Copyright infringement
Copyright infringement is the unauthorized or prohibited use of works under copyright, infringing the copyright holder's exclusive rights, such as the right to reproduce or perform the copyrighted work, or to make derivative works.- "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
Baidu
Baidu, Inc. , simply known as Baidu and incorporated on January 18, 2000, is a Chinese web services company headquartered in the Baidu Campus in Haidian District, Beijing, People's Republic of China....
, the most popular internet search engine in China, Chou is the number one searched male artist in 2002, 05, 06 and 07.
In Hong Kong, he has been the best-selling Mandarin artist for the past 4 years. 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; he was also reported as the favorite singer of youths aged 8 to 25 in a study conducted in seven Asian countries (2006). He has a solid fanbase throughout Southeast Asia, including Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Vietnam. In Singapore, Chou was the second most searched celebrity behind Britney Spears in the music category.
Currently, Chou remains largely unknown outside of Asia, except in cities with large Chinese immigrant populations such as Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Seattle, Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
and Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
. He has held concerts in major venues such as the Acer Arena
Acer Arena
The Allphones Arena is a large entertainment and sporting complex located in Sydney, Australia. It is situated in Sydney Olympic Park, and was completed in 1999 as part of the facilities for the 2000 Summer Olympics....
(Sydney – 3 July 2009), HP Pavilion at San Jose (San Jose – 31 December 2010), Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena
Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena
The Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena is a multi-purpose arena, in the University Park neighborhood, of Los Angeles, California, at Exposition Park. It is located next to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, just south of the campus of the University of Southern California.-History:The Los Angeles...
(Los Angeles – 8 January 2011), MGM Grand
MGM Grand Las Vegas
The MGM Grand Las Vegas is a hotel casino located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. The MGM Grand is the third largest hotel in the world and largest hotel resort complex in the United States in front of The Venetian. The MGM Grand was the largest hotel in the world when it opened in...
(Las Vegas—25 December 2002), Rogers Arena (Vancouver – 23 December 2010), Shrine Auditorium
Shrine Auditorium
The Shrine Auditorium is a landmark large-event venue, in Los Angeles, California, USA. It is also the headquarters of the Al Malaikah Temple, a division of the Shriners.-History:...
(Los Angeles—18 December 2004), Galen Center
Galen Center
The Galen Center is a multipurpose indoor arena and athletic facility owned and operated by the University of Southern California. Located at the southeast corner of Jefferson Boulevard and Figueroa Street in the Exposition Park area of Los Angeles, it is right across the street from the campus and...
(Los Angeles—24 December 2007) and the Air Canada Centre
Air Canada Centre
The Air Canada Centre is a multi-purpose indoor sporting arena located on Bay Street in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada.The arena is popularly known as the ACC or the Hangar ....
(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
Fearless (2006 film)
Fearless, known in Chinese as Huo Yuanjia and Jet Li's Fearless in the United Kingdom and the United States, is a 2006 film directed by Ronny Yu and starring Jet Li...
, a movie released in major theatres in most English-speaking countries, though the impact to his fame has been minimal. His role in Curse of the Golden Flower
Curse of the Golden Flower
Curse of the Golden Flower is a 2006 Chinese epic drama film directed by Zhang Yimou.With a budget of US$45 million, it was at the time of its release the most expensive Chinese film to date, surpassing Chen Kaige's The Promise...
(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
Kato (The Green Hornet)
Kato is a fictional character from The Green Hornet series. This character has also appeared with the Green Hornet in film, television, book and comic book versions. Kato was the Hornet's assistant and has been played by a number of actors...
in January 2011's The Green Hornet
The Green Hornet (2011 film)
The Green Hornet is a 2011 American superhero action-comedy film based on the character of the same name that had originated in a 1930s radio program and has appeared in movie serials, a television series, comic books, and other media...
.
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.
Films
| Year | Title | Chinese Title | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 2003 in film The year 2003 in film involved some significant events. Releases of sequels took place with movies like The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, 2 Fast 2 Furious, Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, The Matrix Reloaded, The Matrix Revolutions, Pokémon Heroes, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines,... |
Hidden Track | 尋找周杰倫 | "Himself" |
| 2005 2005 in film - Highest-grossing films :Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top-grossing films that were first released in the United States in 2005... |
Initial D Initial D (film) Initial D is a 2005 Hong Kong film directed by Andrew Lau and Alan Mak. It is a film adaptation of the Japanese Initial D manga and anime series.-Plot:... |
頭文字D | "Takumi Fujiwara" |
| 2006 2006 in film - Highest-grossing films :Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top-grossing films that were first released in the United States in 2006... |
Curse of the Golden Flower Curse of the Golden Flower Curse of the Golden Flower is a 2006 Chinese epic drama film directed by Zhang Yimou.With a budget of US$45 million, it was at the time of its release the most expensive Chinese film to date, surpassing Chen Kaige's The Promise... |
滿城盡帶黃金甲 | "Prince Jai – Yuan Jie" |
| 2007 2007 in film This is a list of major films released in 2007.-Top grossing films:Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top grossing films that were first released in the USA in 2007... |
Secret Secret (2007 film) Secret , is a 2007 Taiwanese romance film. It is the directorial debut feature film of Taiwanese musician Jay Chou, who also stars as the male lead and co-wrote the movie.The Secret Original Soundtrack was released by JVR Music on 13 August 2007.... |
不能說的秘密 | "Jay – Ye Xiang Lun – 葉湘倫" Director Producer Original story author |
| 2008 2008 in film This is a list of all major films made in 2008.-Highest-grossing films:Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top grossing films that were first released in the USA in 2008... |
Kung Fu Dunk Kung Fu Dunk Kung Fu Dunk , also known by its former title Slam Dunk, is a 2008 Chinese-language live-action film. It was directed by Taiwanese director Chu Yin-Ping and filmed in Taiwan and mainland China... |
功夫灌籃 | "Fang Shi Jie – Fong Sai Kit – 方世杰" |
| 2009 2009 in film The year 2009 saw the release of many films. Seven made the top 50 list of highest-grossing films, and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that as of this year, their Best Picture category would consist of ten nominees, rather than five .- Highest-grossing films :Please note... |
The Treasure Hunter The Treasure Hunter The Treasure Hunter is a 2009 Taiwanese action film. It is directed by Taiwanese director Chu Yin-Ping and stars Taiwanese actors Jay Chou and Lin Chi-ling... |
刺陵 | "Lead actor – Qiao Fei" |
| 2010 2010 in film The year 2010 saw many new films released worldwide. 2010 saw a dramatic increase and prominence in the use of 3D-technology in filmmaking and film releases after the success of Avatar in the format, with releases such as Alice in Wonderland, Clash of the Titans, Jackass 3D, all animated films and... |
True Legend True Legend True Legend is a 2010 martial arts film directed by Yuen Woo-ping, starring Vincent Zhao, Zhou Xun, Jay Chou, Michelle Yeoh, Andy On, David Carradine, Guo Xiaodong, Feng Xiaogang, Cung Le, Gordon Liu, Bryan Leung and Jacky Heung.... |
蘇乞兒 | "God of Wushu" / "Drunken God" |
| 2011 2011 in film The year 2011 is notable for containing the release of the most film sequels in a single year, at 27 sequels. The following tables list films that are in production or have completed production and will be released in the United States and Canada at some point in 2011.- Highest-grossing films :... |
The Green Hornet The Green Hornet (2011 film) The Green Hornet is a 2011 American superhero action-comedy film based on the character of the same name that had originated in a 1930s radio program and has appeared in movie serials, a television series, comic books, and other media... |
青蜂俠 | "Kato Kato (The Green Hornet) Kato is a fictional character from The Green Hornet series. This character has also appeared with the Green Hornet in film, television, book and comic book versions. Kato was the Hornet's assistant and has been played by a number of actors... " (First Hollywood Film) |
| Secret 2 | 不能說的秘密2 | "Jay – Ye Xiang Lun – 葉湘倫" Director |
|
| 2012 2012 in film The following tables list films that are in production or have completed production and will be released in the United States and Canada at some point in 2012... |
The Viral Factor The Viral Factor The Viral Factor is an upcoming Hong Kong action film directed by Dante Lam and starring Jay Chou and Nicholas Tse. The supporting cast includes Bai Bing, Andy On, Carl Ng, Liu Kai-chi and Elaine Jin and the action director is Chin Kar-lok. Production started in March and is slated for a Lunar New... |
逆戰 | "Wan Fei" |
| Initial D 2 | 頭文字D2 | "Takumi Fujiwara" Director |
Television series
| Year | Title | Chinese Title | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 2010 in television 2010 in television may refer to:*2010 in American television*2010 in Australian television*2010 in British television*2010 in Canadian television*2010 in Japanese television... |
Pandamen Pandamen Pandamen is a 2010 Taiwanese TV series directed by and starring Jay Chou and co-starring Nan Quan Mama members Yuhao Zhan and Devon Song in the title roles of "Pandamen".-Main cast:-Other cast:-Guest star:-Viewership ratings:... |
熊貓人 | "Detective Leo Lee" Director |
| Mr.J Channel | MR.J頻道 | "Himself – Host" |