Music picks: Online gig by Taiwanese musicians, South Korean girl group (G)I-dle's new EP
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(From left) (G)I-dle, Cao Yang and Joanne Lin.
PHOTOS: (G)I-DLE/FACEBOOK, TOP SINGERS, YOUNG / YOUTUBE
Towards Happiness Taichung Special Online Concert
A bevy of Taiwanese celebrities joined hands for an online concert on Jan 17 to celebrate the start of a new year.
More than 15 musicians took to the stage, including singers Henry Hsu and Eason Lee, rapper Shou Lou and singer-songwriter Chan Ya-wen.
The show opened with hosts Emerson Tsai and Stephen Hsu singing the upbeat Hokkien number Happy, Come Cha-Cha, while showing off some flashy choreography.
Other highlights came from singer Joanne Lin, who gave a moving performance of her new song Shining Stars while seated on a glowing crescent moon; and Lou, who boogied to the energetic Show Me Some, released in November last year.
Young Mise En Scene Online Concert
If you caught the romance musical The Secret at Marina Bay Sands in 2018, you might remember its lead actor, Chinese actor-singer Cao Yang, who also goes by the name Young.
In December, the 29-year-old released his debut album Mise En Scene.
On Jan 15, the charming entertainer performed all of the album's 11 tracks - such as the R&B-style I Think I Love You, the romantic July and the groovy Player - during an 80-minute showcase.
Young also sang two covers, Snail and Step Aside, which were composed by Taiwanese superstar Jay Chou and featured in the musical.
Pop
(G)I-dle
I Burn
Although South Korean girl group (G)I-dle were formed only in 2018, the sextet has quickly earned a reputation for their unique musicality and diverse musical styles.
Their fourth EP I Burn, released on Jan 11, is a mature, well-rounded work about finding the fire in oneself after a relationship ends.
Lead single Hwaa is about the wintry lonesomeness following a break-up, but uses the symbols of fire and flowers to signal a rebirth.
The disco-influenced Where Is Love expresses a cool apathy towards love, while pop number Dahlia is about the excitement of a new romance.
This well-constructed six-track EP is another feather in the group's cap.
