Jay Chou loves to think big. His most recent music release is “Greatest Works of Art,” is not just the Mando-pop king’s first full-length album after a six-year hiatus. The album’s elaborate, international production of its eponymous first single and the accompanying music video, features the “cameos”Some of the most important names in art history.
This sets Chou up well for his next creative chapter: an Art Film.
“This music video has received a lot of good feedback, including from the French Tourist Office, so I will consider preparing a film project that tells a story revolving around an artist. I might direct it too,”Chou spoke to Variety. Despite appearing in Hollywood movies such as “The Green Hornet”As Kato says, superhero blockbusters don’t appeal anymore.
“If I were to make a film, I would create my own style of art film. Of course, it’s also necessary to take the commercial market into consideration,”He stated.
The newfound ambition of the mega pop star—also a music composer, producer, actor, and film and music video director—should not come as a surprise. Chou’s 2007 debut demonstrated his storytelling skills and his film directing abilities. “Secret,” and more recently by curating a contemporary art auction with Sotheby’s in Hong Kong.
The 12-track Mandarin album was sold “Greatest Works of Art”Already, they have experienced great success since the release of the album in mid-July. It sold 5 million copies in China during its first week, beating the single-region sales record set by Adele’s “25,”It was sold to 3.38 Million copies in the U.S. in 2015. Chou’s album also sold more than 200,000 copies in the star’s native Taiwan.
In three weeks, the single music video had more than 17,000,000 views on YouTube. Second single was viewed over 17,000,000 times. “Still Wandering”More than 9.8 Million views were received in just two weeks. The latest single is “You Are The Firework I Missed”Two days after its release on July 27, the album has already been viewed almost 3.2 million times. Media forecasts predict that the album will surpass the 10 million-copy annual record and be the most-sold album this year.
The production of this new album also reveals Chou’s ambition to take his creative career further on to the global stage. It sees Chou singing in Mandarin in his signature soulful R&B groove, which often incorporates classical music, blues, rock ’n’ roll, contemporary pop, and Chinese sensibility as has been his style since sensational 2000 debut album “Jay.”However, the new album and videos required more international collaborations. Some were shot in the U.S.
Chou has teamed with Lang Lang, a world-renowned Chinese pianist, and Ray Chen (an award-winning Taiwanese violinist), to create the title song. “Greatest Works of Art,”This is a tribute to some of history’s most significant artists. Chou composed Chen’s solo violin. Chen plays it. “I hope to make classical listeners feel that pop and classical can be a perfect combination,”The star said.
“When I first heard of this piece, I thought it was really interesting because there are elements of classical music combined with the pop world,”Chen spoke in a video interview. “It’s a fun project to be involved in.”
Chou directed the video for time travel music. “Greatest Works of Art,”Chou may now feel confident pitching for a feature-length film about art, which is basically a short film with an entire plot.
The Mando-pop king, Mando-pop, disguises himself as security guard to enter the Samaritaine department shop to play the magic piano. This magical piano transports him and his partner of crime from the present to the 1920s French capital. There he meets some of the greatest artists of the 20th century, including the Surrealists Salvador Dalí and René Magritte, Claude Monet, Chinese-French painter Sanyu, and Chinese poet Xu Zhimo.
In Chou’s imagination, these artists are enchanted by his magic tricks and were inspired to create the classical works that have left a mark in the history of art – everything from Dali’s melting clocks in “The Persistence of Memory” (1931), to Magritte’s “The Son of Man” (1964), and Monet’s paintings of waterlilies.
“In this wild era, as the king of music, I think I do not need a picture frame,”He sings. “My musical notes are all the future of art.”Chou also meets Lang, a mysterious pianist who challenges him in a music contest.
The star noted that the music video requires extensive research into the history and artists of Paris and magic. He fills in any gaps in the story using bits of his imagination. And he creates connections between artists. “You can imagine if the literati and artists gathered together in that era, what would they be like, drawing something for each other?”He asked.
Chou plans to make his music available for the public after the world recovers from the pandemic. Due to COVID delays, Chou is scheduled to embark on his Carnival World Tour in Singapore in December. He will then take his show in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) in January 2023.