|
Jay Chou aims to become the 'Jet Li of music,'
breaking into non-Chinese markets with his unique sound that blends
Chinese influences with Western pop.
Asian pop sensation Jay Chou speaks to reporters during a celebration
party of his new film in Hong Kong Monday, June 27, 2005.
The Taiwan singer admires Eminem, Jay-Z and Usher and hopes to break
into Western markets. His strategy: "I want to become the Jet Li of
music."
He's branching out into acting, too, making his feature film debut in
"Initial D," a Hong Kong production based on a Japanese cartoon series
about street car racing.
He says that action film star Li is his model because he used a Chinese
art to attain success in the West.
"Jet Li used kung fu to break into foreign markets, Hollywood. I hope
my music can do the same thing," Chou told The Associated Press in an
interview.
The 26-year-old singer became a star five years
ago with a unique, rhythmic sound that broke the
monotony of sappy, artificial sounding ballads. Chou's own ballads are
soulful , unplugged fare with a lone
piano accompaniment
.
Chou has since become one of the Chinese-speaking world's biggest acts.
He's also a rarity: He writes songs and produces. The Chinese music
industry is known for its well-packaged pop idols who can carry a tune and
look attractive — but that's about it.
Chou
speaks with a bright-eyed idealism — not like a superstar with a sense of
entitlement — expressing hope that he can help lift Taiwan's film industry
to greater heights as he delves deeper into moviemaking.
(CRI) | 
Updated: 2005-07-27 09:05
