Pop and love ballads dominate the Chinese music industry. But in the last two months, there have been at least three new releases influenced by hip-hop and R&B, genres once considered niche. Here are 10 new works.
1 POP/JAZZ
Wanderlust
Kiat Goh
Kiat Goh/Ascents Media Entertainment
Hear it on: KKBox, Apple Music and other online music platforms
The Singaporean singer-songwriter's follow-up album to his debut release, Pluto (2014), takes listeners around the world. Ten of the Mandarin album's 12 tracks - such as Berlin Wall, Melbourne's Bitter Coffee and Hakodate's Moonlight - are named after physical locations.
One of the standout tracks is Berlin Wall, which depicts a bittersweet separation between two lovers.
The multi-genre work features a range of styles from jazz, funk, pop, rock to electronic dance music.
2 POP
When We Were Young
Eric Chou
Sony Music Entertainment/M.Star Entertainment
Hear it on: KKBox, Spotify and other online music platforms
Giving your album the same name as a popular, critically acclaimed song by Adele might invite comparisons with the English musician's 2015 work.
Sorry, but the mid-tempo title track here by Chou, while also looking back at one's past, pales in comparison with the diva's power ballad.
Chou, a Taiwanese singer-songwriter, does better with the spacey, atmospheric In The Works, a song about the truth of one's situation versus the assumptions made by others.
The other Mandarin and English numbers on the album also make for easy listening.
3 POP
All For Her
VChuan Tan
Ascents Media Entertainment
Hear it on: KKBox, Apple Music and other online music platforms
Last year marked this Malaysian singer's 14th year in the music scene and he promised to "gift" 14 songs to thank his fans and friends. He lived up to his word, releasing this seven-track album on the last day of 2019. Earlier in the year, he had released a seven-track album .
In this new work, Tan performs covers of songs originally sung by female singers, such as Rainie Yang's Longing For..., Della Ding Dang's I Love Him and Jolin Tsai's Let's Break Up.
4 POP
City Zoo
G.E.M.
Sony Music Entertainment/G Nation
Hear it on: KKBox, Apple Music and other online music platforms
With this self-written Mandopop album, the petite Hong Kong singer with the big voice shows she can also get down with the beat.
The dark, ominous-sounding title track includes several hip-hop arrangements and uses the idea of a zoo of animals to refer to society and the people in it.
Many tracks are also associated with specific animals. For example, Selfless, about losing oneself because of a love interest, features a chameleon in its music video, while Full Stop, about moving on after a chapter in life, makes reference to a hummingbird.
This is the singer's first album after a nasty split with her previous record label, Hummingbird Music, last year.
5 POP
Ten
Liu Yu Ning
Golden Dog Entertainment/ Universal Music Group
Hear it on: KKBox, Apple Music and other online music platforms
The debut album of this fast-rising Chinese pop singer, who is the lead singer of Chinese band Modern Brothers, offers plenty of love songs. There are also collaborations with A-listers such as Taiwanese songwriters Wu Ching-feng and Lala Hsu and Singaporean singer-songwriter Tanya Chua.
The maudlin ballad Like It Very Much and the reflective Oh Chemistry did well on music charts last year.
6 POP
Inexplicable Sorrow
Vivian Chan (above)
Chessman Entertainment & Production
Hear it on: KKBox, Spotify and other online music platforms
Tender and heartfelt, with lyrics such as "Who understands sadness/Onlookers always look after the disaster", this new Cantonese song is sure to tug at the heartstrings.
Chan, a singer from Macau, is known for her soft, sweet voice. Here, it brilliantly conveys the vulnerability of a person in love.
7 POP/R&B
Dig Deep
Nathan Hartono
Warner Music China
Hear it on: KKBox, Spotify and other online music platforms
This alternative R&B single in Mandarin explores the idea of vulnerability and of letting someone else into one's heart.
Singaporean musician Nathan Hartono's soulful voice, combined with smooth guitar riffs and a strong drum beat, contributes to the song's loungey feel, while its music video features the chiselled singer-songwriter battling his inner demons in a train, a dark room and other locations.
8 POP
Can You Hear
Kayee Tam
The Voice Entertainment Group
Hear it on: KKBox, Spotify and other online music platforms
The Hong Kong singer-actress shows off her melodious pipes with this album of English and Cantonese songs, many of which are theme songs from Hong Kong dramas.
There is the English song Can You Hear, from the TVB medical drama Big White Duel (2019), as well as a cover of the Cantonese song Goodbye, a theme song from the supernatural drama Barrack O'Karma (2019).
9 HIP-HOP/R&B
U Stupid
Karencici (featuring Ozi)
HIM International Music
Hear it on: KKBox, Apple Music and other online music platforms
This number is a collaboration between two hot up-and-coming artists - Taiwan-based singer-songwriter Karencici and Los Angeles-born rapper Ozi.
With a restless, rule-breaking spirit, this "carpe diem" song is all about pushing forward in life while retaining an air of hip nonchalance.
The music video is also a mix of Eastern and Western - and nostalgic and modern - influences, featuring early 20th-century Chinese fashion, Chinese vampires and a comic book-style presentation.
10 POP
Spring Is Here
Tiger Huang
Warner Music Taiwan
Hear it on: KKBox, Apple Music and other online music platforms
Taiwan's "Queen of Pubs" is known for her deep and soulful voice. Here, she delivers a moving number with a bluesy feel and Chinese-style orchestration just in time for Chinese New Year.
The heartwarming tune urges listeners to visit their relatives during the festive season and the music video features a touching family reunion.
