[Battle 1] Battle of the Chinese Ballads

[jayx8318x]

Some of Jay's songs are very hard to categorize, however the easiest category was the Chinese ballad. Incorporating the er hu, pipa, and other funky Chinese instruments, along with Fan Wen Shang's poetic lyrics - which when translated still leaves you wtf'ing.

The first battle is between the Chinese Ballads, excuse my sorry attempts to try and remind you what each song was about, it's been a while:

Chrysanthemum Flower Bed (Still Fantasy - Track 10)
There is a strong sense of forebodding in this song. In alot of countries chrysanthemums are used as funeral flowers.

Faraway (Still Fantasy - Track 3)
He loves girl, they break up. To forget her he sends her far away...in his mind *eerie voodoo music plays*

Hair Like Snow (November's Chopin - Track 3)
I have NO idea :dunce: . Something about a wolf, waning, and hair. According to the video it's basically about a love in the past life, and crossing paths with that person again in the present life.

East Wind Breaks (Yeh Hui Mei - Track 5)
Reminiscing of a past, yearning for a love that has since long gone. I always thought the East was symbolic of birth, renew, etc. since that is where the sun rises. Why not West Wind Breaks? Or South...anybody know how the East Wind is symbolic?

Vote! Discuss!

[joeymcjojo]

Geez, if they're all gonna be so hard to vote on, I don't think I'll be participating anymore :D

It's difficult because I love all four of these songs, they each bring something that strikes my emotions, but I chose "East Wind Breaks" because it's the first one he did and the first one I got hooked on. Sentimental, I guess. "Faraway" is a very close second.

[Sweet Neko]

I knew that I would never choose Chrysanthemum Flower Bed or Faraway as soon as I saw the poll. I just didn't like these two songs, espeicially Faraway. Which left me with the two options - Hair Like Snow or East Wind Breaks. But then I choose Hair Like Snow because of the beautiful melody there (Although East Wind breaks also has a beautifully composed melody but then it kinds too repitive sometimes. I loved the lalala and Chorus part in Hair Like Snow) But really, Fang Wen Shan's lyrics there was too hard to understand there. Maybe it's just because I'm not into Chinese literature =3=.

(I think the East Wind is symbolic because as you mentioned, the East wind was a start of new things so when it breaks... well breaking is supposed to mean end of something :worry: )

[tenshi_dew]

I chose Ju Hua Tai. It's my favourite song on his new album and I really love the chorus of it. Everything about this song is so grand and I remember I was so in awe of the song the first time I heard it.

[mtv1988]

I was wondering between "Ju hua tai" and "Qian li zhi wai". The former is a strange song of Jay (I think) cos never have i heard such a soft, gente voice and such a sweet melody of J b4. And the latter is a great combination between 2 generations. Both performed themselves well in the song. But lastly i chose "Qian li zhi wai" cos it has a better mixing
I actually have no emtion 4 "East wind break" cos in that song Jay's voice was very week, it seems that the melody and the music overweighed Jay'voice. Abt "Fa ru xue", i like nothing of it except the piano sound
That's all!

[c_c_]

why is it so hard to choose??!! It took me 10 minutes to choose between four songs ><" I think "Fa Ru Xue" is about how the "fate/yuan fen" that bound these lovers together in the last life was destroyed because someone opened up the "pandora's box" that held the mistakes made in the last life, so they can't be together and the girl is dying and old with white hair or something.

[jaychou_21]

I never gave a second thought on voting for Fa Ru Xue. It has all the elements of traditional Chinese music infused with contemporary techniques. It gives me this archaic, tingling feel whenever I listen to it. Another favorite would have to be Dong Feng Po. I love it for it's smooth, mellow flow but it doesn't have the charm that Hair Like Snow exudes.

[*meow]

Faraway was the first one i eliminated. ehh then i had a hard time choosing. :sweat:
but in the end i voted for East Wind Breaks, cos it was one of his first chinese-style ballads and i was hooked onto it for some time. but the most chinese-y song has to be Ju Hua Tai. erm. but EWB gets my vote.

[gcgal]

wow this is SO hard to vote on..
but i would have to go with hair like snow.
i think out of those four, it has the best melody, even if we all probably do not understand the mysteriousness of the lyrics in vincent fangs mind.

[junnleenfaah]

is anybody else kinda surprised that An Jing (Silence) isn't on there? cuz i was =/ i thought that was like ultimate sappy chinese ballad, lol.

well anyway, i chose east wind breaks because to me, it's one of the most beautifully written lyrics EVER. and i'm a sucker for good lyrics, so hands down east wind breaks got my vote. if an jing was there, then it would be a different story.. haha.

[judes]

^ jenn i think it's because "chinese" ballads means songs that have older chinese musical influences rather than just generic chinese ballads.

it was a tough one but i chose faraway because i like the duet and i like the mv and i like everything about the song. hair like snow is a very close second though.

[fznaxez]

i chose fa ru xue. i love that song very much. abt fate and all. it's so sad to know that a person u loved your "past life" cannot be with u in ur present life as well and u'll nvr get to know or understand him/her. =( i certainly hope to hear more of such songs from jay. hopefully next album will have =)

[lanny]

i like all of them! but to choose..it would definately..East Wind Breaks..its veryyy sad...n the music is just so0o0o soothing n warm. i loveee the mv too! the actress n jay so0o0 match..i love how it starts sloww..n then it jumps to addin the drums n everythin else..hmm..Chou Grandma loves the song too! =]

[tc9.jay]

By the process of elimination, Dong Feng Po had to be the first to go. While it's probably as chinese as you can get, it is also the most boring track out of the 4. It doesn't excite or stir you up.

It's really hard to pick the best song from the remaining 3. I'm torn between faraway and hair like snow. Ju Hua tai is a really moving piece but somehow it lacks that special tingling feeling that the other 2 songs has.
A close fight but I chose Hair like snow in the end bcos it has more of that special tingling feeling. :-)

[happifruit]

Oh man...this is too hard...
It's between East Wind Breaks and Snow-like Hair...


.....


.....



After some consideration, it will be East Wind Breaks.


This was the first Chinese ballad that I've ever heard from him, and this one left a deeper impression than Fine Day which was two songs before it. As soon as it started I was captivated, and it didn't release me until the end of the song.

There's a strong feeling of nostalgia in this song which I felt he brought out very well, and for that and the beautiful lyrics, this gets my vote.

(However, Snow-like Hair is an incredibly close second.)

[Erishii]

I ended up choosing East Wind Breaks. The first time I heard this song was when I watched it on TV (I was...12 or 11 years old?). Didn't feel anything at the time, since I didn't like Jay then.

In the summer of 2005, I went to Jay's Incomparable concert and heard this song again, and immediately fell in love. XD It was the most memorable song of the concert for me, and I was obsessed with it for the longest time.

So..yeah. I chose Dong Feng Po~~:D

[pinkcloudx3]

i choose hair like snow. i guess it was the music video that had made me feel that it's the best Chinese Ballad or it could had been time period that had taken place
Chrysanthemum Flower Bed one gave me a different kind of feeling. maybe because it came from a movie, which i didn't find it that comfortable to listen to, cuz it's like reminding me of that story, which jay end up :depresse:

[babysmurf]

Ju Hua Tai is my favorite.
I like the music arrangement so much, it's calm, yet also grand.
Jay's voice is soothing just like the melody.
And among the four ballads above, it's the only song i really understand what it's about, so that adds more feeling whenever i listen to the song.

[friends_pt]

I voted for Ju Hua Tai out of the other 4 which i love all 4 too. The reason why i choose Ju Hua Tai because i think this is rather different from the other songs which Jay had and Fang Wen Shan's lyrics for this song was superb!! love it!!

[feng]

i certainly feel that ju hua tai is the best!!! however, i love dong feng po too.... but ju hua tai is the theme song for the curse of the golden flower, so i feel that its i more succesful than dong feng po!!

[icarus]

Fa Ru Xue is by far the best ballads ever created by Jay.
Despite of the "hard to understand" lyric, the melody and MV is by far the most impressive out of the other three songs

[drenickant]

I've tried listening to "Dong Feng Po", and I consider it the most creative chinese ballad compostion done by Jay Chou compared to the other 3.

The 3 other compostions are outstanding! But based on my musical experimentation, "Qian Li Zhi Wai" and "Ju Hua Tai" have been derived from the tune of "Fa Ru Xue".

So I voted for "Dong Feng Po", a very creative and unique chinese ballad.

[gifted1]

I chose Dong Feng Po, because in my opinion, it's the most beautiful ballad he ever sang. Well this is a close voting poll!

[xwishx3]

I chose Fa Ru Xue. I automically knew i wasnt gonna choose Chrystantheum Flower. just not one of my favorites. hair like snow just gave me that feeling when i read the lyrics.

[sam_ho]

I had a really tough time choosing between Fa Ru Xue and Dong Feng Puo...they are both so good!

But in the end...I chose Fa Ru Xue because it just makes me have butterflies in my stomach whenever I listen to it.

[¦-Metal-Gear-¦]

wow. all are my fav. lols.

but if i have to pick my fav i will choose Hair Like Snow.
=)

[petricia]

I struggled for days.... and finally decided on Hair Like Snow...
I like the MV and the lyrics (okay... I like all Vincent Fang's lyrics...) and the whole concept of ... karma (in a way...).

[cinsin]

I voted for Fa Ru Xue, as much as I love the Faraway Duet. I remember reading the lyric translation of Fa Ru Xue and there was so much meaning behind those Chinese words. It was like putting a puzzle together. It made me fall in love with it even more <3

[yenny1106]

i certainly feel that ju hua tai is the best!!! however, i love dong feng po too.... but ju hua tai is the theme song for the curse of the golden flower, so i feel that its i more succesful than dong feng po!!

haha feng, same sentiments!

I felt that Ju Hua Tai was the most matured of them all, while Dong Feng Po was the first Oriental-styled song of him that I loved. But Ju Hua Tai has a very strong oriental flavour and sounds really grand with all the string arangment and beautiful guzheng melodies, I just had to vote for it. Besides, Jay's singing was really different, and rather touching..

[hk-kc-jc]

it was a close tie between Snow Like Hair and Faraway.. but i just chose Snow Like Hair because.. as soon as i saw the video of it from the huo yuan chia ep i just kept on playing it over and over again.. but then again faraway's video is so touching..

[xanimeotakux]

gah, it was hard deciding between dong feng po and chrysanthemum flower. i love both, but i think i like dong feng po more. i think i enjoy dong feng po's lyrics more, and they both give me that 'ancient feeling,' lol.

[newsletter]

hmm, like both faraway and snow like hair but the lar lar part decides it for me =)

[Pao-Pao]

It has to be Hair Like Snow!!!...It's a great song with a great melody....When I'm listening Blue Storm I always get excited becasue Hair like Snow is next!!! haha It's true....the MV is very nice....but on the other hand Faraway is very beautiful too....It has a great melody and the story is so nice, I identify with it....besides I love the chinese sounds on the background...it gives an extra special touch!

http://images.picsearch.com/is?YUKkW59cUPqsFOhQHPbRFmWJ40PvRhYrXkz3oVMnYZk

[chinook]

I know my banner says that I love Fa Ru Xue, but Ju Hua Tai is so good that I have to vote for it! This is definitely the hardest sub-category to vote for so far!

[stryker7]

tough decision to make.. but i voted for Qian Li Zhi Wai.. i personally feel that Fei Yu Qing's voice makes it such a unique and stylish song that other pop songs cannot compete with.. =]

[neelief]

For me it was hard to decide between Hair Like Snow & East Wind Breaks.
In the end i chose the latter.. well, I preferred the lyrics of the latter.
More substance & more touching I guess?
Hair Like Snow.. more like a descriptive song to me? Whereas East Wind Breaks, sounded kind of sad.

[shez]

=O did hair like snow really win?!?!? i much preferred faraway :P