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| Birth Name(s) : Jay Chou |
Date of Birth: N/A |
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Full Jay Chou Biography
Jay Chou (traditional Chinese: 周杰倫; simplified Chinese: 周杰伦; pinyin: Zhōu Jiélún; Wade-Giles: Chou Chieh-lun; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Chiu Kia̍t-lûn), born 18 January 1979, is a World Music Award-winning Taiwanese musician, singer, producer, actor and director. In 1998, he was discovered in a talent contest where he showcased his piano and song-writing skills. Over the next two years, he was hired to compose for popular Chinese singers. Trained in classical music, he combines Chinese and Western music styles to produce songs that fuse R&B, rock, and pop genres, covering issues such as domestic violence, war, and urbanization.
In 2000, he released his first album titled Jay under the record company Alfa Music. Since then, he has released one album per year, selling several million copies each. His music has gained recognition throughout Asia, most notably in countries such as China, Japan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Vietnam, and in overseas Chinese communities, winning more than 20 awards each year. In 2007, he was named one of the 50-most influential people in China by the British think tank Chatham House. He starred in Initial D (2005) for which he won Best Newcomer Actor in 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). His career now extends into directing and running his own record company JVR Music.
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, such as "Faraway" (Chinese: 千里之外; pinyin: qiānlǐ zhīwài) and "Chrysanthemum Terrace" (traditional Chinese: 菊花臺; simplified Chinese: 菊花台; pinyin: júhuā tái).
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". His nickname "President Chou" (Chinese: 周董; pinyin: Zhōu d'ng) is used by both the press and fans to underscore his domineering personality and impact on Asian music, but also points at his musical talent since the Chinese word for president is a homonym of knowledge. His neologism "diao" (Chinese: 屌; pinyin: diǎo), which literally means penis, is slang for "outrageous" or "cool". Outside of music, Chou is reported as shy, quiet, modest, and views filial piety 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 Chen Chuhe, who Chou met while filming Kung Fu Dunk.
Currently, Chou remains largely unknown outside of Asia, except in cities with large Chinese immigrant populations such as Vancouver, Toronto, Calgary, Sydney, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. He has held concerts in major venues such as the MGM Grand (Las Vegas—December 25, 2002) and Shrine Auditorium (Los Angeles—December 18, 2004). 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.
Other works
- Neoprint 大頭貼—Single, no official release
- JIII MP3 Player—MP3 player endorsed by Jay Chou featuring songs from Initial D movie, three old demos and a personal message from Jay (June 26, 2005) |
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