Music Listening¶
Important
The vast majority of the songs I listen to are in Mandarin, and I had a couple of years where I really liked English songs. I also listen to some Japanese songs from ACG culture, even though I don't speak Japanese.
I also listen to some concert music, mainly piano music from Bandari. But I have no knowledge of classical music, and most of the pieces I listen to come from friends' recommendations or internet trends.
Chinese Songs¶
For Chinese people born in the 90s who listen to songs, Jay Chou (周杰伦, 1979--) is a mountain that cannot be bypassed. Yes, the singer I've heard the most is definitely him. Although I'm not a fan of any singer, if I had to say one of my favorite singers, it would be him. I like his Quiet (安静), Broken Strings (断了的弦), Sunny Day (晴天), Excuses (借口), Stranded (搁浅), Nocturne (夜曲), Maple (枫), Step Back (退后), Rainbow (彩虹)... just too many to count.
Many people would say, "Hey, that's cheating! Because saying your favorite singer is Jay is an always correct but never uninteresting answer." Wow, you're right. If I were to count backwards, it would be Eason Chan (陈奕迅, 1974--) and Yoga Lin (林宥嘉, 1987--). I like Eason Chan's King of Karaoke (K歌之王), Your Backpack (你的背包) and Don't Talk (不要说话), and Yoga Lin's Backdrop (背影), Lie (说谎) and Want to be Free (想自由).
I don't listen to many songs by female singers, but if I were to choose the favorite one, it would probably be Angela Zhang (张韶涵, 1982--). She was the first female singer I saw in a music video, at which time I was in elementary school. She released her first and second albums in 2004, and the songs Fable (寓言), Lost Beauty (遗失的美好), Aurora (欧若拉), Happy Worship (快乐崇拜), and Sun in the Hand (手心的太阳) were all highly popular at the time. To make up also three singers, I will list Fish Leong (梁静茹, 1978--) and Karen Mok (莫文蔚, 1970--). Although Leong is known for singing gentle, slow-tempo love songs like Breathing Pain (会呼吸的痛) and Quiet Summer (宁夏), I like her fast-paced Swallowtail Butterfly (燕尾蝶) best. Karen Mok's hits are also very numerous, such as Cloudy Day (阴天), Fruits of Summer (盛夏的果实) and Suddenly (忽然之间), but I prefer her He Doesn't Love Me (他不爱我) and If I Don't Have You (如果没有你).
In addition to solo artists, I have listened to some groups, mainly Mayday (五月天). Their Stubborn (倔强), Angel (天使) and Suddenly Miss You (突然好向你) are very famous songs, and I like also their Embrace (拥抱), Tenderness (温柔) and Cang Jie (仓颉). The first music CD I bought was also from a group, which is the album Forever from S.H.E.. The tracks I listened to the most in the CD were Superstar and Persian Cat (波斯猫). But apart from these two songs with He Still Doesn't Understand (他还是不懂) and Lovers Not Yet (恋人未满), I haven't listened to too many of their songs.
English Songs¶
For English songs, I started with Avril Lavigne (1984--), since she is the first poular singer I noticed. I had heard many English songs before her, but the distribution of singers was very fragmented (and in fact still is for now). Here are some of the artists I've heard at least two songs from (in alphabetical order, bolded ones are the artists I have really liked for a period of time):
Avril Lavigne: Innocence, Skater Boy, and When You're Gone
Bruno Mars: Grenade and The Lazy Song
Coldplay: Something Just like This, Viva la Vida, and Yellow
Fall Out Boy: Centuries, Imortals, and My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark
Groove Coverage: Far Away from Home and She
Image Dragons: Believer, Demons, It's Time, Natural and Radioactive
John Legend: All of Me and Someday
Kelly Clarkson: Catch My Breath, Mr. Know It All, and Stronger
Lady Gaga: Bad Romance and Poker Face
Linkin Park: Crawling, In the End, Leave out All the Rest, Lost in the Echo, New Divide, Numb, and Skin to Bone
Maroon 5: Animals, Maps, Moves Like Jagger, Payphone, She Will Be Loved, Sugar, and This Love
One Republic: Apologize and Counting Stars
Owl City: Fireflies and Good Time
Shayne Ward: Breathless, I Cry, No Promises, and Until You
Starset: Antigravity, Carnivore, Monster, My Demons, and Satellite
Taylor Swift: 22, Back To December, i knew you were trouble, and You Belong With Me
The Fray: Never Say Never and Over My Head (Cable Car)
Westlife: My Love and Seasons In The Sun
Japanese Songs¶
For Japanese songs, most of the Japanese songs I've heard are from the Japanese ACG (Anime, Comics and Games) culture scene:
CLANNAD: 小さな手のひら (小小的手心) and 時を刻む唄 (铭刻时间的歌)
とある科学の超電磁砲 (某科学的超电磁炮): Only My Railgun and Future Gazer
秒速5センチメートル (秒速五厘米): One More Time One More Chance
偽物語 (伪物语): 白金ディスコ (白金 Disco)
鋼の錬金術師 (钢之炼金术士): 嘘
罪惡王冠 (罪恶王冠): エウテルペ (Euterpe), βios, and Release My Soul
這いよれ!ニャル子さん (潜行吧!奈亚子): 太陽曰く燃えよカオ (太阳说燃烧吧混沌) and 恋は渾沌の隷也 (恋爱乃浑沌之奴仆也)
機巧少女は傷つかない (机巧少女不会受伤): 回レ! 雪月花 (回旋吧!雪月花)
化物語 (化物语): 恋爱サーキュレーション (恋爱循环) and 君の知らない物語 (你不知道的故事)
C3シーキューブ (C3 魔方少女): Endless Story
新世紀エヴァンゲリオン (新世纪福音战士): 残酷な天使のテーゼ (残酷天使的行动纲领)
貧乏神が! (贫乏神来了): 恋暴動
愛殺寶貝 (爱杀宝贝): ふたりのきもちのほんとのひみつ (两人心情的真正秘密)
真實之淚 (真实之泪): リフレクティア (Reflectier)
东京喰种 (东京食尸鬼): Unravel
けいおん! (轻音少女!): Don't say lazy
Others Japanese songs that I listened to are from virtual singers, such as Miku, IA, etc.
Kaito: 上弦の月
GUMI: 人生リセットボタン (人生 Reset Button)
IA: 六兆年と一夜物語 (六兆年零一夜的故事) and 鸟の诗 (鸟之诗)
初音ミク (初音未来): 千本桜 (千本樱), ワールドイズマイン (World is Mine), Freely Tomorrow, Sweet Devil, 恋愛裁判 and が-からくりピエロ (活动小丑)
鏡音リン (镜音双子): ロストワンの号哭 (Lost One 的号哭)
……
Other Music¶
For concert or non-vocal music, although I took violin lessons for a while, I was more interested in piano pieces. This may have been influenced by a good friend of mine who plays the piano, especially on the piano pieces played by Bandari. Although Bandari has many famous pieces (especially in China), there is little public information about it, so there are many who still doubt that this Swiss orchestra really exists. It is worth mentioning that the Bandari repertoire Annie's Wonderland (安妮的仙境) and Childhood Memory (童年) were my school's residential music when I was in high school.
