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Why I respect F4?
December 2001, a customer asked me to backup her new
Audio CD. I examined it, what the 'heck' is 'F4'. What a strange name for a new
group. Tried to listen to the songs, instantly interested at LIU XING YU and WEI
NI ZHI ZHUO, so I keep those 2 tracks on my MP3 archives. Want to print a cover
for the CD, I went to the internet, write 'F4' on Yahoo search engine, but only
got information regarding F-4 Phantom, the US warplane. At that time, F4 was
almost unheard.
Months after that, METEOR GARDEN (LIU XING HUA YUAN)
aired on our local TV, swept Indonesia and caused a tremendous effect. From kids,
teenagers, adult to old people, boys and girls, crazy about it. From offices to
streets, people talked about it. At that time, when someone asked my opinion, I easily said
that nothing special about F4.
Then, some people began to feel jealous and annoyed
by the F4 popularity. They attacked F4 on the media, internet forums, etc. What
surprised me was when the mainland China government banned the Meteor Garden
from being aired with
some disgusting and irrelevant reasons. THAT
is the STARTING POINT when I began to RESPECT the F4. :-) Yes, I'm a 'maverick',
and I usually support / defend something just when it's being attacked with
awful and pathetic means. So for faithful F4 fans, probably there's a good
effect from anti-F4 statements and mockery, because only by them, I've switch to
your side.
Now F4 is FAMOUS across Asia and the world, where Chinese can be found.
F4-fever have invaded countries like:
- Taiwan
- Mainland
China
- Hong Kong
- Singapore
- Thailand
- Malaysia
- Indonesia
- Philippines
- Vietnam
- South Korea
- and recently invading Japan!
Besides those countries, U.S.A, Canada and Australia also have significant
numbers of F4 fans. F4 is a phenomenon,
and will be a nice LEGEND. If there's nothing GREAT about F4, how possible so
many people admired them, and at the same time made some people feel irritated. As I witnessed,
F4 fans tend to spread love and compassionate behavior after watching their idol
examples.
F4 makes me proud as a Chinese, and learn more about Mandarin from their
activities (dramas, movies or songs). So far, F4 is the first
Chinese artist that widely accepted by non-Chinese people. That is Why I respect
F4 and offer my hand for friendship with their fans.
F4: One group, four voices
They may be one for all and all for one but Jerry Yen, Vic
Chou, Vanness Wu and Ken Chu are out to prove that they are very different on
their own - as their solo albums will show. CHANG MAY CHOON rates the foursome's
individual efforts.
LAID-BACK ROCKER: KEN CHU
FIRST SOLO: On Ken's Time, out January 2005. Now more than ever before, Ken
seems determined to prove he is not just a pretty face. In this album, he makes
himself out to be a rocker, complete with leather jacket, body-piercings,
tattoos and a guitar strapped across his back. Clearly Ken has nailed the right
image, but whether he can pull it off is another matter. What is most impressive
about his album, which comprises mainly Brit-rock tunes and love ballads, is the
list of names behind it. It reads like a who's who of Mandopop, including
veteran producers Sandee Chan, Francis Lee and Li Wei-song, rockers Mayday, Wu
Bai and Tanya Chua, balladeer Chris Yu and celebrity lyricists Matilda Tao and
Vivian Hsu. ON THE CHARTS: Debuted at No 2 on Taiwan's G-Music Chart, one notch
below label mate Lee Hom. Sales figures were not available at press time.
VERDICT: There is no denying the quality of music in this album, especially
Francis and Wei-song's melancholic collaboration, But I, and Mayday's catchy,
boisterous La La La.
SENSITIVE NEW AGE LOVER: JERRY YEN
FIRST SOLO: Jerry For You in August 2004. This debut album that took three
years to produce chalked up many first experiences for Jerry, the most popular
of the F4 guys. For one, he actually learnt how to project his voice and do
falsettos like a pro - much to the relief of his producers, twin brothers Li
Wei-song and Si-song. The diligent Jerry also took up piano lessons, got
involved in the production process and practised hard to deliver a rap and pen
lyrics for the first time. His efforts paid off. Critics all over Asia were
suitably impressed by his marked improvement in vocal techniques and his
sentimental ballads befitting his sensitive new-age lover image. ON THE CHARTS:
Hogged the No 1 spot on G-Music Chart for two weeks, beating even Jay Chou. It
also sold over 30,000 copies in 10 days in Taiwan. VERDICT: For someone once
slammed as the worst singer in F4, Jerry's debut turned out to be a very
pleasant surprise.He managed to hit all the right notes, be it his endearing
snag image, his improved singing or his karaoke-friendly ballads.
R&B/HIP-HOP WONDER BOY: VANNESS WU
FIRST SOLO: Body Will Sing in August 2002. Given his American roots,
R&B/hip-hop was the only way to go for Vanness, whose beady eyes make him the
least pretty of the group. When his first R&B single, My Friend, was released
anonymously on radio in Taiwan, many listeners even mistook him for the more
accomplished David Tao and Lee Hom - which must be such a compliment to him.
Being the most versatile of the F4 guys, Vanness also dazzled fans with his
sleek raps, temperature-raising dance moves and sizzling showmanship on stage,
proving that his Body Will Sing after all. Naturally, music critics were won
over, with some hailing him as the next Aaron Kwok. But, judging by his reported
lukewarm sales in Taiwan, many fans still preferred good looks over substance.
ON THE CHARTS: It is not known how many copies he sold in Taiwan, but in
Singapore, Vanness hit 10,000 copies in three days. VERDICT: Vanness scores for
substance and versatility, but lacks the requisite fan support to rival the more
popular R&B acts like David and Jay. No wonder then, he has shifted his focus to
acting. Recently he even entered a Shaolin temple to learn martial arts,
supposedly in preparation for a fighter role in a Hollywood film.
PRINCE CHARMING: VIC CHOU
FIRST SOLO: Make A Wish in February 2002 (followed by Remember I Love You in
January 2004). Riding on the F4 fever that erupted across Asia in 2001, Vic was
the first of the group to release an album. He has everything to make girls
swoon - boyish good looks, a soft, gentle voice and a Prince Charming image. His
CD even came with a freebie - a pillow case printed with his face on it, as if
to provide bedroom fantasies for his largely teenage-girls fan base. The mushy
ballads included in his album, like Love Loves You and A Gentle Goodnight, were
also tailor-made for maximum goosebumps-inducing effect. Perhaps the best
testament to his pop appeal is that he got to put out a sophomore album -
Remember I Love You. Needless to say, it was just as soppy. ON THE CHARTS: Make
A Wish sold over 30,000 copies in three days in Taiwan. VERDICT: His albums may
not be the best in terms of production quality or vocal delivery, but Vic did
reasonably well in living up to his carefully-crafted image.
You may read the complete article here :
http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/hey/story/0,4136,81605,00.html
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