Archives For big vocal chops

The BiBi Discography

January 3, 2011 — 11 Comments

I told you BiBi was going to be my first post of 2011! xD

It’s common knowledge I don’t buy singles… or usually “best of” compilations — unless it’s an artist with too many albums that I don’t want to “catch up” on with.

Julz also knows I don’t do mini-albums.

But I do own all of BiBi’s albums ;P I have named myself her biggest fan living the farthest away. LOL Unless BiBi has a fan living in the Patagonia, I’m taking the title, thankyouverymuch.

Bibi’s latest albums are far from perfect. Really respect that she’s trying to expand her style, her vocal range, as well as her image. Though it sometimes feels like her label doesn’t know what to do with her, like they need to change her style (from Time to i.fish.light.mirror) to sell well in Taiwan and Hong Kong – where she probably did sell well after the change.

I sat today listening to her first album (not counting her EP), Who Touched My Violin String?, and it was really quite good. Very strong, except for maybe two skippable songs.

Her second effort, her double album NOW and WOW — UMPH! They’re a killer combo. After over two years of listening and discovering Chinese pop music artists, I have learned to appreciate NOW a lot more. But WOW blew me away right away for its hard to figure out sound.

In NOW, she is a lot more traditional sounding… a few “Chinese” or I guess zhongguo feng songs, nice ballads with tight vocals, great production values, and lyrics. In WOW, she does the opposite. She’s R&B without sounding R&B, she’s a bit Rock without being Rock, she’s Pop without being truly Pop — she’s got funk, soul… her lyrics are whack, and she sounds like no one else.

If Leehom coined Chinked-out style, BiBi was able to pull it off in WOW.

I really believe those two albums have been the highlight of her career, and hope that her new contract with Gold Typhoon lets her — as an artist — experiment with those styles more.

Hopefully, I will be able to get the pinyin for Bibi’s songs. In the meantime, you can check the one that’s already done for the WOW album. If you’re lucky, I will learn Chinese hahaha… tough luck!

In Celebrity, Chinese, English, Music, Products, Reviews, Sharing , , ,
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Wait a minute: Zhou Bichang + NSYNC?

I’ve never seen this video of Bibi during her Super Girl days. And I never knew she sang Gone by NSYNC! She even has a more likable – hint: not nasal – voice than Justin Timberlake. Someone tweet this to him ASAP! xD

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uypEKsCcvZU

I wish she had changed the line about “being a man and be strong” xD but to what?

Then? Then she pulls of the ABC song in blues? Please, WTH.

I’m also making a YouTube playlist titled “Why Zhou Bichang is Awesome” LOL And you see the 2nd clip on that list? The duo with Priscilla Chan – that’s the same song she sang on this clip up here in the contest.

Makes me feel so proud.

Posted on December 24, 2010 In Chinese, Clips, English, Music, Sharing, Television , , , , , , , ,
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Bibi Zhou (Zhou Bichang) – I Miss U Missing Me

I thought I should re-post from here.

And I get to fangirl here.

I knew this had to become a single. Surprised that Bibi’s English is so well-pronounced. I mean, we got a tiny official peek when she sang those bits in English on her song Seasons from the Time album, which has a super soft tone to it, so easy to listen to and so lovely.

But in I Miss U Missing Me she goes all power ballad on me xD

The video is eh… eclectic for a power ballad. But I can dig the color palette, though I don’t get the circus and carousel theme.

Posted on December 19, 2010 In Chinese, English, Music, Music Videos, Sharing , , , ,
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Lily Chou Chou – Ether

This is the best I’m going to get from Lily. A new song.

For those of you who don’t know, Lily Chou Chou is the fictional singer portrayed in Shunji Iwai’s film All About Lily Chou Chou. Lily was played by Salyu on the film, and there was an album released under that artist name. This is the only new material ever since the film was released… and it’s even rare to get to hear the Lily songs in a Salyu concert.

If you haven’t watched All About Lily Chou Chou, it is a rough experience.

Visitor Uzaigaijin kept me posted on the status of her concert ticket, and she messaged me saying she got one! So she will be writing a review of Lily Chou Chou’s concert this week for YAM Magazine. ;P

I’m excited and jealous. xD

Posted on December 8, 2010 In English, Films, Japanese, Music, Music Videos, Sharing , , , , , , ,
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Celebrating Musica Criolla

Musica Criolla is a funny business — it’s not really hip. You don’t go to high school and said “you guys, I just bought the awesomest musica criolla album ever.” There’s no musica criolla playing on MTV. Maybe latin pop with hinted musica criolla on latin music channels — like Gianmarco, but NEVER on MTV. And we know that in school, MTV is hip – NOT MTV is not hip.

Then there’s this quality to musica criolla… musica criolla is many types of Peruvian music. There’s festivities music (festejo), then there’s Marinera — which is more the dance, than the actual music. I don’t recall ever hearing the term “Marinera album” but musica criolla has a very distinct quality — it’s better served live. Musica criolla, at least for me, it’s about the performance, the sentiment, the passion~~~

It’s like Tango, we don’t want to listen to an album with music for Tango, we want to see the passion and the performance of tango. It’s the same for me with musica criolla.

There are types of music that sound the best on albums, you can have great albums that are rubbish live because that feeling of the album is lost — that’s why concerts should be handled different to making an album, right? Then there are okayish albums that just go the extra-mile when they’re live.

That’s musica criolla. The albums, the productions — beside lacking in presentation and printing qualities and what-product-stuff-not — they lack that performance quality. They sound good, but they fall flat. But then you see these people perform, and just give their all on that one song and just… blown away.
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Posted on October 31, 2010 In Clips, English, Music, Sharing, Spanish ,
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Happy 10.10.10 – Here’s some Alicia Keys with SWV, En Vogue and TLC Live @ the BET

October 10, 2010 — Leave a comment

Ahh… nostalgic much?

I was doing some TLC reading – rumored new material? Please, Grilled Cheesus! – and found that Alicia Keys had put together a performance honoring her fave girl groups.

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Ehhh???? Atami no Sousakan End

September 24, 2010 — 7 Comments

I need someone to discuss this. LOL That ending, I did not expect THAT ending. But I like what I’ve been reading around. I like it a lot, without revealing too much – I like the concept of duality. Even more so considering how it ties with Tokyo Jihen’s theme, which let me tell you – could blow your mind.

[iframe src=”https://player.youku.com/player.php/sid/XMzgxMzIxNTky/v.swf” width=”480″ height=”400″ /]

— EDIT —

All the YouTube uploads are going missing (THANK YOU, SONY >,<), so I’m just going to embed this Youku no-so-sync version because it’s the only one I’ve been able to find. In any case, here’s a Portuguese subtitled version on YT.

—

Please, let the explanation of the # mean that there will be a second season~~~

Also, Japan! WHY NO OFFICIAL SUBTITLES? The 8eps DVD collection is priced at over $150USD – considering the Yen’s so high compared to dollars now – and no subs? Oh, really?

Sponsor of Heiwa Fansubs will have to do – google “atami no sousakan” and watch the show – they did a great job at subtitling this… in a time when I was uncertain this show would get picked up by any group, they were our saviors! Thank you Heiwa Fansubs~ Please, don’t stream the groups’ subtitles.

In DVD/BR, English, Fun, Japanese, Music, Sharing, Stills, Television , , , , , , , , ,
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Why the 90s Were Better than the 00s?

Say hi back to Lauryn Hill.

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Posted on August 31, 2010 In Celebrity, Clips, English, Music, Music Videos, Television , , , , , , ,
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Remembering my Celtic Woman and Meav Days

Ahhhh, Failte!! – sorry, too lazy to type accents.

You know, before I started posting so much about Asian stuffs~~~ I was pretty obsessed with Celtic Woman and Meav – coinciding with my 6-month mark. I left “fandom” and began my Asian ramblings. But you know, I always complain there’s so many idols in my Asian radar… not enough vocalists, or dancers. When I thought of vocalists, I often think about Celtic Woman, because… man, those women could sing.

I don’t think many people would actually look at me and say, ahhh see… Amy is a Celtic Woman fan. I don’t look the part, and I certainly don’t follow other Celtic music groups. I was in old downtown Lima, where they sell a lot of fake goods from clothing to music and films – don’t worry, I went there for Chinese food, not buying fake goods – and in one of the music stands, they had Celtic Woman music. I told my dad, because I thought it was surprising. He told me that a local channel had been broadcasting Celtic Woman concerts, and that my dad’s friend had taken a liking for the women. In the end, I gave him a copy of Meav’s Silver Sea album. LOL

I wouldn’t mind Meav coming for a concert xD

Ahhh… that Dulaman performance has so much sex appeal. LOL

Posted on August 23, 2010 In Clips, DVD/BR, English, Misc., Music, Sharing , , , , ,
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Mika Nakashima – Ichiban Kirei na Watashi wo

You’ll have to excuse my Japanese. Is the English translation “The Most Beautiful Me”? Okay, I had a listen to most of Nakashima’s discography, after I was totally team Nana xD She strikes me as a emotionless-goth sometimes, and then the other times she strikes me as a total emo. However, I kinda dig her music.

She sounds great on Ichiban Kirei na, and somehow with my understanding of the lyrics… they seemed kinda poetic. I mean, the kind of lyrics that I like from Asian songs in general. Like having to sing about “that time in winter” and stuff like that. I like it when songs talk about the seasons and the elements, hahaha.

I think this song is the theme for Unubore Deka.

[iframe src=”https://www.yinyuetai.com/video/player/60877/v_0.swf” width=”480″ height=”334″]

Posted on July 30, 2010 In Celebrity, English, Japanese, Music, Music Videos, Sharing , , , , ,
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