So Leehom dropped his new single 十二生肖 Twelve Zodiacs a few days back (by the time this is published, it would have probably been a couple of weeks since). It's the theme song to Jackie Chan's new (and supposedly his last action) movie of the same name. Here it is:
And what can I say? I love the MV - he's just so adorbs! I love the song (it's very catchy), love the vibe & the energy, the burst of colors, the cute kids, the cameo by Jackie Chan, and the ever lovable Leehom in his nerdy glasses! :D 二哥 二哥 二哥 二哥... 二二二二! :D Well, he definitely has this fangirl's approval la la la!
However, I do think that he's trying, whether intentionally or not, to emulate Psy's no-intro-needed Gangnam Style (which I can't believe is still going strong, and a quick check on youtube shows that it's just 30million shy of hitting the formerly unthinkable 1 billion views, that's 1,000,000,000 O_O)(sometimes I wonder how artists can sing just one song so many times over, I've read of artists who do get tired of their popular songs but they still play it cos that's what the fans wanted)(actually even watching leehom's concert clip where he gets his fans to say I LOVE YOU in their local dialects is tiresome because it's the same thing over and over again but i still watch them hahaha). Back to the topic, I think it's inescapable what he was trying to do, especially with the simple-to-follow dance coupled with a catchy melody. Plus he did ponder aloud about how to make a Chinese song as popular. I am just speculating, but part of me actually wished it's not so, cos it would seem like he's riding on the coattail of someone else's success.. (It's still a fun ride, nevertheless! :) Or perhaps I can choose to see it as a hat-tip to what's current in Asian music. And he did receive the 2012 MAMA (Mnet Asian Music Awards) for “Best Asian Artist”! [MAMA is a major K-pop music award ceremony, and it was held in Hong Kong earlier this month] So maybe it's come a full circle.
Anyway I was watching the MV again on youtube (it/he just makes me smile) but apparently there are a number of ppl who don't like it, up to one in four viewers. I'm trying to figure out the comments which are in Chinese, I think most didn't like the lyrics.. But what's wrong with it? It's basically a message on world peace, and a lesson on the memorising the zodiacs. And why not? Maybe they want him to do another ballad. *frowns*
Anyways, back to da man (yeah he is lol!), he's embarked on a new direction to distribute his music, via his recently revamped website, done just in time to push for the sale of his new single. He's no longer with Sony (which i think is a great move for someone with his clout -- no longer would he be bound to contract fine prints and unnecessary obligations -- he's free to chart his own direction and do what he really wants to do)(which for now seems to be like music AND movies *slight frown*). And here he is, doin' the 'splainin' :)...
Dear fellow music lovers
I'll never forget the sound of those drums, slamming out an anthem that refused to be ignored. The screeching vocals distorted the mic, irreverent, hyperactive, ridiculous – and the coolest thing I'd ever heard.
I had saved up for months, delivering newspapers and mowing lawns, and when I finally had the cash, I begged my mom to drive me to Record Archive, our neighborhood record store. One Thursday afternoon, after picking me up from school, she relented. The minute we got home, I popped the cassette in my tape player, and for the next 44 minutes I soaked in the exhilaration of pure hip-hop bliss. Then, I flipped the tape over and played it again. I was 11 years old when I bought my first record, The Beastie Boys' Licensed to Ill, and life was never the same for me after that.
Everyone remembers buying his or her first CD. It's part of coming of age. It brings us into the world, and it can give us release from the world, too. Music has the power to transport us, to transfix us, to empower us, to inspire us. But record stores are dying out, and it's getting harder and harder to sell music these days. Whenever I speak to anyone in the industry about my ideas for selling music in China, I'm always met with a lot of skepticism. Piracy is king, they say, it's inescapable. Now that I'm not with a record label anymore, I'm not even sure what the best way is for me to release new music. But I've got a lot of great material that I want to share with you, so it's about time I start putting together the next album.
So, our team has started by rebuilding my website from scratch to create a place for me to sell my music digitally, and we're hoping to prove that it can be a model for other musicians too. In the coming year, a few other artists and I will be teaming up to start a new site for musicians and other artists to share their creative works in an economically viable way. But it's still just an experiment, and every download on WangLeehom.com is a vote for a new way of getting music to the fans. It's always been important to me to support musicians and artists, famous or not, independent or not, and I'm hoping that the new site will become a way for me to give back to a community that deserves the kind of support I'm so grateful you guys have given me for so many years.
As always, I intend to include you – the fans – and hear your voice on this topic. After all, you are the ones who empower me. We will be developing a way to get feedback from you and together brainstorm the future of a sustainable music industry, whether it's over Weibo, Facebook, or WangLeehom.com. Thanks so much for continuing to be by my side all these years. It’s your support that fuels me with the fire to keep pushing forward, and I appreciate it more than ever as we take this next step together.
With lots of love,
Leehom
[via]
I've already downloaded the new single, which came with a PDF booklet of some photos and the above note in both Eng and Chi. I really appreciate how optimistic he remains about changing the music purchase mindset in China in the face of rampant piracy. Go Leehom! ^_^
So here's the lyrics to the song... there are a couple more tidbits below so don't X your browser page just yet :) And yes, now I can memorise the 12 zodiacs. :)
Ladies and gentlemen
期待了很久
成龍大哥的電影...
這就是十二個生肖
Ladies and gentlemen
This is what we've been waiting for
Jackie Chan's new movie
These are the Twelve Zodiacs
子鼠 醜牛 寅虎 卯兔
辰龍 巳蛇 午馬 未羊
申猴 酉雞 戌狗 亥豬
這就是十二個生肖
Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit
Dragon, Snake, Horse, Ram
Monkey, Rooster, Dog, Pig
These are the 12 zodiacs
是你的還是他的
是世界的 是地球的
一個人能夠活到一百歲 已經算久的
還有什麼好爭？ 做一個好學生
不要反抗 不要打仗 咱們來唱 首歌
What is yours? What is his? It belongs to the whole world
If a person lived to a hundred, that's considered long life
Why be bothered with strife? Just be a good student
Don't resist, no more fighting, let's just sing a song instead
如果說 人有十二種不同
不如花點時間學習 每個品種
If we say that there are twelve kinds of different people
Why not spend some time and learn about each type
鼠牛虎兔 龍蛇馬羊 猴雞狗豬 大聲地唱
Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit
Dragon, Snake, Horse, Ram
Monkey, Rooster, Dog, Pig
Singing out loud
Hey！我們還 年輕
Hey！We want some 感情
Hey! We are still young
Hey! We want some love
是你的還是他的
是地球的 是世界的
有人說世界和平很遙遠但 我不覺得
放眼這個目標, 無論什麼生肖
關心一點，在乎一點 鐵定能辦得到
What is yours? What is his? It belongs to the whole world
Some people said that world peace is a distant dream
But I think if you make it a priority and care a little more
It's definitely achievable
On another note, Leehom has recently been "crowned" King of Weibo as he overtook Chinese actress Yao Chen (who?) on the scoreboard with the highest number of weibo followers of 27 million. That's a whole country there (hello, Malaysia)! Not bad for a relative newcomer (he opened his account in March 2011, and slowly made his way to the top in just 20 months).I like that he posts regularly (once a day, and never more) so that I have something to look forward to each day but sometimes when he posts stuff that are just so -__-"
take note Leehom: this is a sample of a good update. :)
And this is a sample of -____- update. No! My only comment is 这。。。关你什么事？At least give your opinion of what you thought about the new leadership. Otherwise, I would gladly see a photo of your lunch. Come to think of it, you hardly show us food photos. Why not? :D
Nerdy glasses are *heart*. But the peace sign.. hmmm... the jury's still out on that!
all hail the king. peace out!
