Still Fantasy
Encyclopedia
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. However, Alfa Music decided to bring the release date three days forward because the master CD was leaked in Mainland China
by employees of the album's production facility. This led to illegal downloads of MP3s and sales of pirated copies of the then yet-to-be-released album.
The album features a duet "千里之外" (Faraway) with Taiwanese
singer-songwriter
Fei Yu-Ching
. The music videos for "夜的第七章" (Twilight's Chapter Seven) and "心雨" (Heart's Rain) were filmed on location in London, England.
The tracks, "千里之外" (Faraway), "聽媽媽的話" (Listen to Mother's Words) and "白色風車" (White Windmill) are listed at number 2, 8 and 53 respectively on Hit Fm Taiwan's Hit Fm Annual Top 100 Singles Chart (Hit-Fm年度百首單曲) for 2006.
The track "夜的第七章" (Twilight's Chapter Seven) was nominated for Top 10 Gold Songs at the Hong Kong TVB8 Awards, presented by television station TVB8, in 2006; also "本草綱目" (Herbalist's Manual) and "聽媽媽的話" (Listen to Mother's Words) were noimated at the same award in 2007. Another track "菊花台" (Chrysanthemum Terrace) was awarded Best Original Film Song at the 26th Hong Kong Film Awards
in 2007.
The album was awarded one of the Top 10 Selling Mandarin Albums of the Year, as well as the Highest Selling Mandarin Album of the Year at the 2006 IFPI Hong Kong Album Sales Awards, presented by the Hong Kong branch of IFPI., Best Record of the Year at the 2006 Sina-Aokang Internet Awards in Beijing. and Album of Asia Grand Prize at the 2007 Metro Radio Mandarin Music Awards presented by Hong Kong
radio station Metro Info.
1. "Twilight's Chapter Seven" 夜的第七章 (Yè De Dì Qī Zhāng)
2. "Listen to Mother's Words" 聽媽媽的話 (Tīng MāMā De Huà)
3. "Faraway" 千里之外 (Qiān Lǐ Zhī Wài)
4. "Herbalist's Manual" 本草綱目 (Běncǎo Gāngmù)
5. "Retreat" 退後 (Tuì Hòu)
6. "Red Imitation" 紅模仿 (Hóng Mó Fǎng)
7. "Heart's Rain" 心雨 (Xīn Yǔ)
8. "White Windmill" 白色風車 (Bái Sè Fēng Chē)
9. "Rosemary" 迷迭香 (Mídiéxiāng)
10. "Chrysanthemum Terrace" 菊花台 (Júhuā Tái)
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...
Mandopop
Mandopop
Mandopop is a colloquial abbreviation for "Mandarin popular music." It is categorized as a subgenre of commercial Chinese-language music within C-pop. Mandopop was the first variety of popular music in Chinese to establish itself as a viable industry. As the name implies, Mandopop features songs...
artist Jay Chou
Jay Chou
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...
. It was released on 5 September 2006 by Alfa Music and distributed by Sony Music Taiwan
Sony Music Entertainment
Sony Music Entertainment ' is the second-largest global recorded music company of the "big four" record companies and is controlled by Sony Corporation of America, the United States subsidiary of Japan's Sony Corporation....
.
The album was originally scheduled for release on 8 September. However, Alfa Music decided to bring the release date three days forward because the master CD was leaked in Mainland China
Mainland China
Mainland China, the Chinese mainland or simply the mainland, is a geopolitical term that refers to the area under the jurisdiction of the People's Republic of China . According to the Taipei-based Mainland Affairs Council, the term excludes the PRC Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and...
by employees of the album's production facility. This led to illegal downloads of MP3s and sales of pirated copies of the then yet-to-be-released album.
The album features a duet "千里之外" (Faraway) with Taiwanese
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...
singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
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:...
. The music videos for "夜的第七章" (Twilight's Chapter Seven) and "心雨" (Heart's Rain) were filmed on location in London, England.
Reception
The album debuted at number one on Taiwan's G-Music Weekly Top 20 Mandarin and Combo Charts at week 35 (1–7 September 2006) with a percentage sales of 45.98% and 25.93% respectively. It charted in the Mandarin Chart for 24 weeks and the Combo Chart for 18 weeks. It is the best selling album in Taiwan with 181,000 copies sold in 2006.The tracks, "千里之外" (Faraway), "聽媽媽的話" (Listen to Mother's Words) and "白色風車" (White Windmill) are listed at number 2, 8 and 53 respectively on Hit Fm Taiwan's Hit Fm Annual Top 100 Singles Chart (Hit-Fm年度百首單曲) for 2006.
The track "夜的第七章" (Twilight's Chapter Seven) was nominated for Top 10 Gold Songs at the Hong Kong TVB8 Awards, presented by television station TVB8, in 2006; also "本草綱目" (Herbalist's Manual) and "聽媽媽的話" (Listen to Mother's Words) were noimated at the same award in 2007. Another track "菊花台" (Chrysanthemum Terrace) was awarded Best Original Film Song at the 26th Hong Kong Film Awards
26th Hong Kong Film Awards
Ceremony for the 26th Hong Kong Film Awards was held on 15 April 2007 in the Hong Kong Cultural Centre and hosted by Bowie Tsang, Nick Cheung and Lam Chi-chung. Twenty-six winners in nineteen categories were unveiled, with film After This Our Exile being the year's biggest winner...
in 2007.
The album was awarded one of the Top 10 Selling Mandarin Albums of the Year, as well as the Highest Selling Mandarin Album of the Year at the 2006 IFPI Hong Kong Album Sales Awards, presented by the Hong Kong branch of IFPI., Best Record of the Year at the 2006 Sina-Aokang Internet Awards in Beijing. and Album of Asia Grand Prize at the 2007 Metro Radio Mandarin Music Awards presented by Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
radio station Metro Info.
Track listing
Track contents
| "Twilight's Chapter Seven" 夜的第七章 | |
|---|---|
| Composer | Jay Chou Jay Chou 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... |
| Lyricist | Huang Jun Lang |
1. "Twilight's Chapter Seven" 夜的第七章 (Yè De Dì Qī Zhāng)
- In the first track, the music is based on the contemporary classical genre of the early 20th Century, with an R&B beat in the background. Instruments which can be heard include xylophoneXylophoneThe xylophone is a musical instrument in the percussion family that consists of wooden bars struck by mallets...
s, a lone celloCelloThe cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
, as well as an ensemble of stringed instruments. The track includes sound effects such as the ticking of a mechanical clock. The lyrics describe a detective story, in a westernized location ("Baker Street") in "December 1983", with a detailed description of the author's observations. The majority of the track is rapped, while the chorus involves female vocals.
| "Listen to Mother's Words" 聽媽媽的話 | |
|---|---|
| Composer | Jay Chou Jay Chou 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... |
| Lyricist | Jay Chou Jay Chou 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... |
2. "Listen to Mother's Words" 聽媽媽的話 (Tīng MāMā De Huà)
- The music begins with a brief piano introduction with a light beat, and overall uses a bright and upbeat tone. The song is rapped throughout the verses, while the chorus is sung. The lyrics discuss the virtues of listening to your mother.
| "Faraway" 千里之外 | |
|---|---|
| Composer | Jay Chou Jay Chou 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... |
| 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... |
3. "Faraway" 千里之外 (Qiān Lǐ Zhī Wài)
- This song is a duet with Fei Yuqing. It begins with Jay singing the main verses in his usual style, and Fei Yuqing singing the chorus in a strong, high voice, with an opera-based style. It utilises a "Chinese wind" type genre with an R&B beat, featuring Chinese instruments such as the ErhuErhuThe erhu is a two-stringed bowed musical instrument, more specifically a spike fiddle, which may also be called a "southern fiddle", and sometimes known in the Western world as the "Chinese violin" or a "Chinese two-stringed fiddle". It is used as a solo instrument as well as in small ensembles...
. The lyrics are in reference to a romantic relationship, and are written in a poetic style.
| "Herbalist's Manual" 本草綱目 | |
|---|---|
| Composer | Jay Chou Jay Chou 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... |
| 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... |
4. "Herbalist's Manual" 本草綱目 (Běncǎo Gāngmù)
- The title refers to Bencao Gangmu, an early medicine manual. The background music features SynthesizerSynthesizerA synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
music in the Pentatonic ScalePentatonic scaleA 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...
, giving the music a Chinese style with a more modern "feel". The majority of the song is rapped. A wide variety of sound effects are included, such as clock ticking and "bouncing" noises. The lyrics discuss Chinese pride, and make references to aspects of Chinese herbal medicineTraditional Chinese medicineTraditional Chinese Medicine refers to a broad range of medicine practices sharing common theoretical concepts which have been developed in China and are based on a tradition of more than 2,000 years, including various forms of herbal medicine, acupuncture, massage , exercise , and dietary therapy...
.
| "Retreat" 退後 | |
|---|---|
| Composer | Jay Chou Jay Chou 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... |
| Lyricist | Devon Song |
5. "Retreat" 退後 (Tuì Hòu)
- This track involves a slower pace of music, and extensively uses piano to express emotion, while also including acoustic guitar. The vocals are sung with an emphasised expression of romance. The lyrics describe one's inability to retreat from an affair. The music video is direct by Jay and features Hebe Tien of Taiwanese girl group S.H.ES.H.ES.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...
.
| "Popular Imitation" 紅模仿 | |
|---|---|
| Composer | Jay Chou Jay Chou 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... |
| Lyricist | Jay Chou Jay Chou 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... |
6. "Red Imitation" 紅模仿 (Hóng Mó Fǎng)
- This is the only Jay's song so far which involves Spanish guitar, a non-Chinese cultural music style. The lyrics are rapped, and describe the importance of individualism.
| "Heart's Rain" 心雨 | |
|---|---|
| Composer | Jay Chou Jay Chou 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... |
| 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... |
7. "Heart's Rain" 心雨 (Xīn Yǔ)
- This track resembles Jay Chou's other softer, more depressed songs. Violin, cello and piano are used in the background music, while the vocals are gentle and at a relatively slow pace. The lyrics express the feelings of the author as he describes someone who has left him, using raindrops as a metaphor for his emotion.
| "White Windmill" 白色風車 | |
|---|---|
| Composer | Jay Chou Jay Chou 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... |
| Lyricist | Jay Chou Jay Chou 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... |
8. "White Windmill" 白色風車 (Bái Sè Fēng Chē)
- This is a rather upbeat R&B piece, and incorporates violin and synthesizer. The lyrics describe the relationship between the author and his interest.
| "Rosemary" 迷迭香 | |
|---|---|
| Composer | Jay Chou Jay Chou 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... |
| 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... |
9. "Rosemary" 迷迭香 (Mídiéxiāng)
- The musical style resembles that of [1930]s China, introduced from the West as Bossa NovaBossa NovaBossa Nova may refer to:*Bossa nova, a style of music*Bossa Nova , a dance form associated with the music*Bossa Nova , a 2000 film*Bossa Nova - album by John Pizzarelli...
, with the usage of violin, cello and guitar to provide a classical feeling. The lyrics describe the lyricist's sexual attraction towards a woman, with details on physical appearances such as hip curvature, lip shape, and flirtative behaviour.
| "Chrysanthemum Terrace" 菊花台 | |
|---|---|
| Composer | Jay Chou Jay Chou 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... |
| 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... |
10. "Chrysanthemum Terrace" 菊花台 (Júhuā Tái)
- This track was the ending theme for the film, Curse of the Golden FlowerCurse of the Golden FlowerCurse 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...
. It incorporated "Chinese Wind" style music, with the use of guzhengGuzhengThe guzheng or "gu zheng", also called zheng is a Chinese plucked zither. It has 18-23 or more strings and movable bridges....
, while incorporating other instruments such as violin and cello, with a relatively slow pace. Unlike his other songs, Jay sings this track using comparatively clearer pronunciation of words. The lyrics are strongly poetic, using ChrysanthemumChrysanthemumChrysanthemums, often called mums or chrysanths, are of the genus constituting approximately 30 species of perennial flowering plants in the family Asteraceae which is native to Asia and northeastern Europe.-Etymology:...
s as a metaphor for love, where the Chorus line "菊花殘 滿地傷 你的笑容已泛黃" (Chrysanthemums broken, scattered across the floor, your smile has faded) refers to the sorrow which arises after love ends and loneliness begins.
Charts
| Week# / Week Dates of Peak Position | Chart | Peak Position | Chart Run |
|---|---|---|---|
| week 35 (1–7 September 2006) | G-music Weekly Combo Chart (Taiwan) | #1 | 18 weeks |
| week 35 (1–7 September 2006) | G-music Weekly Mandarin Chart (Taiwan) | #1 | 24 weeks |
| Track name | #2 |
|---|---|
| "聽媽媽的話" (Listen to Mother's Words) | #8 |
| "白色風車" (White Windmill) | #53 |