My Top 10 list of Taiwanese songs

My list of some of my favorite songs from Taiwan

One of the first associations with the word "Taiwan" is music. I started to listen to Taiwanese artists already in 2006, when I didn't even know my current girlfriend or had any ideas about moving to the country. I was curious about Far Eastern music and started to look for popular songs on YouTube. At the same time I started to watch Taiwanese, Korean and Japanese drama, because of curiosity. I have to say I didn't become a big fan of the East Asian drama genre, I only watched few of them. The one I remember the most was Devil Beside You (惡魔在身邊), which I saw in 2007 in Malaysia. It was full of very sappy love songs and they got me hooked on Taiwanese Mandopop. I was amazed how big Taiwanese artists and TV shows were and still are in the Malaysian Chinese community. At that time I started to listen to Vivian Hsu and Jolin Tsai, of which the latter has become one of my favorite Asian singers. Interestingly, I knew more about Taiwan's pop music than about its history and culture prior to my last year's trip. Maybe I was predestined to end up in Taiwan before I even knew it.

With all this said, I would like to share with you some of my favorite songs of Taiwanese artists from the last few years by making my personal top 10 for you. Maybe you heard some of these songs before, because most of them were big hits. Every song has a brief introduction and my personal story behind it.

1. JOLIN TSAI 蔡依林: 睜一隻眼 閉一隻眼

I love Jolin's songs and have all of her latest albums. This one is my favorite song and video of her. She looks so hot here, it's unbelievable. The way she sings and dances is pure perfection, it's hard to write a better pop song and make a better video. I always feel like dancing, when I hear it, but unfortunately I'm no Michael Jackson, so I only move when I know that nobody sees me. The English title is "Overlooking Purposely".

2. RAINIE YANG 楊丞琳: 曖昧

This is one of my favorite love songs in Mandarin. I heard it for the first time in the popular drama "Devil Beside You", where she played the main female protagonist. This song surely brings me back to my time in Penang in 2007. It's truly a beautiful ballad. The English title is "Ambiguous".

3. Y2J 神木與瞳: 為你而活

This song brings me back to 2008, when I was in Malaysia. My ex girlfriend's family used to have the album in the car and it was always on. Y2J are a duo of amazing singers and both have aboriginal Taiwanese roots. They won a singing competition on a Taiwanese TV and became instant stars. The song is translated as "Live For You".

4. JEANNIE HSIEH 謝金燕: 愛你辣

This song reminds me of 2010 and the amazing private and blogging year I had. The post about Jeannie Hsieh I wrote is still very popular and this is currently my favorite song of her. I like the video a lot, her sexy moves are just electrifying and the chorus is very catchy. The song would be translated as "Love You Hot".

5. JEANNIE HSIEH 謝金燕: 嗶嗶嗶

This is the first song from Jeannie I heard and I was totally amazed. My girlfriend shared it with me and I think that was the beginning of my new wave of discovering Taiwanese music, with that I mean the music in Taiwanese language. The song is very catchy and proves, that Taiwan's pop industry is stronger than ever. It's called "Beep Beep Beep".

6. JOLIN TSAI 蔡依林: 獨佔神話

This is my favorite ballad from Jolin. I remember listening to this song a lot in early 2009, when I was sad, it somehow brought me away to a better world, it comforted me. And I love the ancient Chinese instruments, every time I hear them now, they remind me of Taiwan. In English this song is called "Original Myth".

7. WILBER PAN 潘瑋柏: 不得不愛

I loved this song in 2007, it was a big hit in Malaysia and I heard it a lot throughout the year. But then I saw the version of the Two Chinese Boys and somehow I can't see the beauty of the song anymore. If you don't know the second version, it's better you don't check it out. The English name of the song is "Have to love".

8. AMI PEOPLE: Elders' Drinking Song

This is my most recent discovery. It's a traditional song of the Ami tribe, Taiwan's largest remaining group of indigenous people. Their song was stolen by the German group Enigma in the 1990s and became a huge hit under the name Return to Innocence. Many think, it's a Native American song, but they're wrong, it's Taiwanese in and out.

9. S.H.E.: 安靜了

This was one of the songs that was on my Nokia, when I got it as a gift in Malaysia in 2009. I loved the song immediately, it was very pleasant to listen to and at that time I had no idea, that it's sung by one of Taiwan's biggest pop groups. The song is definitely good for some sad moments. The English translation would be "Silenced".

10. VIVIAN HSU 徐若瑄: 我爱你

This was one of the first Chinese songs I liked and I still love it every time I hear it. The best part is at the end, when the pace increases and it suddenly becomes a rock song. The original song was written by the Japanese singer NOKKO in 1994. The English translation of the song's title would be "I Love You".

I hope you liked some of these songs. I'm going to make new lists, once I more Taiwanese artists. And believe me, there are so many, it's sometimes hard to comprehend, so bear with me. All info provided from here.

Which is your favorite song from Taiwan?
Do you have any recommendations for me?

Related: [My TAIWAN page][My UNIQUELY TAIWAN page]

Jeannie Hsieh's 謝金燕 shocking video

You won't be able to forget that image

Do you remember the hot Taiwanese singer Jeannie Hsieh (謝金燕) I introduced a little while ago? Check this shocking video of her live performance and tell me what do you think by voting on the poll:

If you can't vote below, vote here>>

Jeannie Hsieh 謝金燕: Taiwan's Wonder Woman

An exceptional Taiwanese woman

Xie Jin Yan aka Jeannie Hsieh (or Chinese 謝金燕) is a famous Taiwanese singer and actress and for me an exceptional Taiwanese woman. And you will probably agree with me later. I must say I was not familiar with her until recently. My girlfriend shared one of Jeannie's latest songs with me and asked me to guess how old she was. Well, I would like you to do the same here. Check her latest video to the song Beep Beep Beep (嗶嗶嗶) and then tell me how old do you think she is?

Enjoy "Beep Beep Beep" live...

She looks hot, doesn't she? And those legs are like from a different universe. Well, I suppose your guess was something like 25? 27? I remember mine was 26. Anyhow, to reveal the big secret: Jeannie will be 36 this December! Not only that, she's also a mommy. Amazing, huh?

Xie Jin Yan (

謝金燕)

was born in Kaohsiung on Christmas in 1974. Her father is also a famous Taiwanese artist named Zhuge Liang (豬哥亮, real name Xie Xin Da 謝新達). She entered show business in 1990 at a very young age (she was barely 16). She was chosen "Miss legs" (美腿小姐) in a TV variety show (which is not surprising, since her legs are seemingly endless. She's 170cm tall, so no wonder.) and soon after new opportunities emerged for her. She started to act in movies and drama. She released her first music album in 1993. But she really rose to fame after 2000, when she changed her music style to electronic dance. Her best year was 2005 with many smash hits as well as this year, when she returned with her dance hit Beep Beep Beep (video above), which is sung in Cantonese, Mandarin, Taiwanese and English. She usually sings in Taiwanese (which is similar to Hokkien Chinese) and commonly spoken around Taiwan.

Xie Jin Yan is an exceptional woman, because she's one of those East Asian pop stars, who just keep going even after the dreaded age of 30. Her music style may not be what I would listen to, but I admire her for looking dazzling and remaining popular at age 36 in a genre that's usually dominated by teenagers. Few years ago it was normal that East Asian pop artists ended their careers when they hit 30. But in recent years stars like Lee Hyori, Ayumi Hamasaki and Namie Amuro go against this trend and they're better than ever before. Maybe that "old wine tastes better" analogy could be applied to these artists here. Anyway, you can check two more videos of Jeannie below.

Could she possibly have the hottest legs in Taiwan? More photos from the concert here>>

How do you like Jeannie Hsieh?

[My TAIWANESE WOMEN page][Info source][Photo 1: Source, 2: Source, 3: Source]

Goodbye - Miley Cyrus

Goodbye - Miley Cyrus

Miley Cyrus Epic Fail Video: Good-bye Twitter

Miley Cyrus Epic Fail Video: Good-bye Twitter

Miley Cyrus - Fly On The Wall - Official Music Video

Miley Cyrus - Fly On The Wall - Official Music Video

Miley Cyrus - When I Look At You

Miley Cyrus - When I Look At You

Miley Cyrus - Can't Be Tamed

Miley Cyrus - Can't Be Tamed

I'll Never Get Out of this World Alive [lyrics]

I'll Never Get Out of this World Alive [lyrics]

Now you're lookin' at a man that's gettin' kind a mad
I had lot's of luck but it's all been bad
No matter how I struggle and strive
I'll never get out of this world a live.

My fishin' pole's broke the creek is full of sand
My woman run away with another man
No matter how I struggle and strive
I'll never get out of this world alive.

A distant uncle passed away and left me quite a batch
And I was livin'g high until that fatal day
A lawyer proved I wasn't born
I was only hatched.

Ev'rything's agin' me and it's got me down
If I jumped in the river I would prob'ly drown
No matter how I struggle and strive
I'll never get out of this world alive.

These shabby shoes I'm wearin' all the time
Are full of holes and nails
And brother if I stepped on a worn out dime
I bet a nickel I could tell you if it was heads or tails.

I'm not gonna worry wrinkles in my brow
'Cause nothin's ever gonna be alright nohow
No matter how I struggle and strive
I'll never get out of this world alive.

I could buy a Sunday suit and it would leave me broke
If it had two pair of pants I would burn the coat
No matter how I struggle and strive
I'll never get out of this world alive.

If it was rainin' gold I wouldn't stand a chance
I wouldn't have a pocket in my patched up pants
No matter how I struggle and strive
I'll never get out of this world alive.

Arti Sahabat by Netster

Malaysian friend's awesome music on my blog

My fellow Malaysian blogger Netster a.k.a. Jong Fui Fa, accidentally tweeted a link to an old post of his, and since I'm a busy body, I followed that link and found a video of a beautiful song he sang. The song was originally recorded by an Indonesian pop rock band Nidji [more info here] and it's called Arti Sahabat ["The meaning of a best friend"]. I loved that song instantly. And I thought it'd be a great way to promote my dear friend's blog and also give you the pleasure to enjoy some awesome music from Indonesia, wut wut! Check the two videos below, first one is the cover version from Netster:

Here's the original Arti Sahabat by Nidji:

Music connects people! High five! Enjoy my friends' art.

Lee Hyori: 30 and uberhot!

My favorite Asian pop singer Lee Hyori, born on 10 May 1979, has proved once again that she's the no 1 sexiest Korean (and most likely) Asian singer. She had a concert in China a month ago and I want to share some lovely pics of her here.

Hyori shows that you can be 30 years old and still be the hottest singer and performer in the pool of countless rising stars, especially in Korea.

You doubt? Check these pics! Still doubting?

For me, she's still number one when it comes to sexiness, catchy songs, music videos and on stage charisma. In my opinion, Asian women look the best between 25 and 35 years. Even though it's common in Asian pop industry, that stars, who turn 30, end their music career, Hyori totally breaks that habit. Her 4th solo album is about to be released soon and probably a ton of performances and concerts will follow.

She will again be no 1 in Korea (and Asia) and I can't wait to get my hands on her new album. Good luck, Hyori! Outshine everybody once again. The stage is yours!

Interview before the concert.

Looking hot with those lovely lips.

Paying attention, thinking.

Focusing, tilting the head in a sexy way.

Dilligently answering every question.

And then performing to the fullest.

Being 30 and rocking the stage? No problem for Hyori!

Related: [Hyori Cosmopolitan pics 2009] Source: [Asianfanatics]

Check out my pages: [Exceptional women][My HYORI page]

[Tiny.link to this post: http://tinyurl.com/MKLsHyoriUberhot]

Yui vs. Girls' Generation

The reason for this post is very simple: I had a discussion yesterday with my female friend about women's thighs. She says strong thighs are not sexy and she wants to keep hers thin, while I said I prefer strong over thin and that hers look good the way the are [*ah, women!]. The same day, my other friend Hwan gave me a link to a video of the girl on the left: Yui. She's a singer of the popual Korean girl group after school [애프터스쿨] and she's currently one of the hottest Korean girls in the showbiz [*still not hotter than Hyo-ri, I may add]. Anyway, Hwan told me, that Koreans call her "Kkulbeokji", which means something like "thighs sweet like honey." To get a better idea of that, please check the embedded video below. When my friend saw that video, she was like: OMG, her thighs look like mine. She always mentions another Korean girl group Girls' Generation [소녀시대], that consists of 9 girls, who are famous for having very thin and long legs and she wants to have legs like them. If you want to have a better image of that, check their latest video Genie. The girl on the right photo is a member of this group: Jessica. Now you can compare these two girls and answer a general question:

What kind of women's thighs do you prefer: Strong or thin?

My friend and I have a bet, so I'd really appreciate your feedback on this one. Keep in mind, we're talking about strong, not fat thighs. My friend is Taiwanese and it seems that the very thin legs are deemed beautiful there. And what she considers strong, is considered thin in Europe. So, before you comment, keep in mind, that we're debating Asian and not Western norms.

You said: Strong (5) - Thin (3) - Depends (2)

Yay, I win! :-P

[Ps: I admit, this was a silly post. What the heck, it's just for fun ^_^][Yui photo: Source, Jessica photo: Source]

Recent news about Lee Hyori!

I found some recent news about sexy diva Lee Hyori, my favorite Korean singer. She's now 31 years young and amid of producing her 4th album, that is set for release in 2010, but might be released this October 2009. We shall see. Here's some recent statements she gave, which show that she really matured.

About managing her sexy body: “Usually 2 to 3 days before a photoshooting, I do an urgent diet. Controlling what I eat and exercising are must-dos. I only need to be a little more careful, my body is the type that changes quickly. It’s a body very suitable for an entertainer.”

About her real character: “I’m a little different from the cool image that I have in front of cameras. In front of someone that I don’t know, I don’t say much [...] Talking about things that I regret doing because I’m too timid: I can’t say no, if somebody asks me to borrow him some money. That’s why a lot money didn’t come back.” [source]

About rumours she were a Filipina: “When I first debuted, my skin color was dark and there was an article that was saying I was an illegal Filipino immigrant. Because of that article, a lot of rumors started... The paparazzi photographed me a lot and I was hurt because of that... but now after 10 years, those rumors don't bother me anymore.”

About being 31 years young: “I've thrown away all previous constrictions. Now that I'm in my 30s, I don't rely on or obsess over a boyfriend. When I was in my 20s, all I cared about was cars, cellphones and others, but no more. In the past when I broke up with someone I felt like dying, but now its' much easier for me to accept separation.” [source]

Very interesting stuff from Hyori. I feel like the older she gets, the more attractive she becomes. She's really incredible. Someone who followed her biography and discography and someone who loves her music, will agree with me: Lee Hyori is an incredible woman!

[Exceptional women][My HYORI page][Photo: Source]

Madonna showed us the finger!

Madonna decided to cancel her concert in Slovenia

Madonna was supposed to have a concert in Ljubljana, Slovenia, on the 20th August. Guess what? She could not sell out the place! Out of 15.000 tickets, only 7000 were sold to date. So she announced yesterday, that the gig was canceled due to "unexpected logistical problems." Hahaha. What a lame excuse. They even made jokes on German TV about her, that she's too old to attract Slovenians to come on her concert. There's some truth in it. And I have to add something to our defence: When our best band Siddharta plays an open air concert, it's always sold out. Few years ago, they had 30.000 people on a gig, a record number so far for Slovenia (we're a small country of only 2 million people). We're just very picky when it comes to music. And we don't fall for those old stars now coming to our country, but when they were younger and at their peak of popularity, they didn't care about us. There are many jokes about this cancellation circulating here and most of the people are happy that she won't perform. We're weird. I guess some other nations would go nuts, if she had a concert there.

What do you think? Would you go on a Madonna concert now?

[Photo: Source]

Stupid song lyrics

I love quotes. And the quote from Voltaire on the image below, which I found yesterday, made me think about stupid song lyrics. Especially rap seems to be the leading genre in this regard lately, so I googled 'stupid rap lyrics' to see what can be found online. I came across a site, that has a collection of 25 stupid rap lyrics. I put together my personal top 5. Check them below.

My top 5 stupid rap lyrics:

5 "Got a Bill in my mouth like I'm Hillary Rodham."
~by Ali G [song: Grillz]

4 "I like them black, white, Puerto Rican or Haitian,
like Japanese, Chinese or even Asian."
~by Chingy [song: Balla Baby]

3 "Young, black, and famous, with money hanging out the anus."
~by Mase [song: Can't Nobody Hold Me Down"]

2 "Never let me slip, cause if I slip, then I'm slippin."
~by Dr. Dre [song: Nuthin' But a 'G' Thang]

1 "Don't try to treat me like I ain't famous, my apologies,
are you into astrology, cause I'm, I'm tryin to make it to Uranus."*
~by Kanye West [song: Gettin' It In]

[*Uranus = your anus, in case you didn't figure that out]

[Read whole Top 25 here] [Photo source: Screencap from 'Fairytale' by Ayu]
[Thank you, Rinaz for the help with the text tool blending options tutorial]

Michael Jackson was the King!

Check this photo from 1984, the King of Pop visiting the White house with Ronald Reagan! Can you imagine any other superstar dress up like that when meeting the president of the United States?? Impossible. He was exceptional! He was the King. Only he could dress up like that and not be ridiculed or looked down on. That's huge! Nobody will ever top that. He was a musical genius like Mozart, Bach, Beethoven, Chopin, McCartney and Lennon. He was just one of a kind. And I bet he was doing a moonwalk in the White House. Because he was The King!

[Photo source: Wikipedia, Michael Jackson getting an award for his charity work by the president. Jackson could also be labelled as King of charity.]

Has Michael Jackson ended the Iranian uprising?

So, there we go. Unfortunately, I was right. My theory about the Iranian post-election protests was, that the regime will harden, tighten the security, put more police and military on the streets and sooner or later, there will be something else in the news. And now, Michael Jackson is dead: Who's following the Iran protests now? The momentum is lost, the media has now diverted it's focus and we will get less and less information out of Iran. Soon there will be summer holidays, we will all forget Iran and Michael Jackson and go to the sea side or pools, swimming and barbecueing and enjoying life. That's human nature! Nobody can convince me otherwise.

As I said many many times, if people in Iran, who want change, don't grab guns and start shooting back at those bastards in the riot police and defend themselves with equal means, nothing will change. Be real. Nothing will change and you know it. This brutal regime survived 30 years, you can bet it has means and measures to sustain itself. Peaceful protests won't do anything, the regime doesn't understand peace, it's ruthless and hateful. Stone throwing won't help either. You need to give the regime what it exports to other countries: Suicide bombers, martyrs, mujahedin. Give them a taste of their own medicine. Turn Tehran into Bagdad and they will see, if they still have that smirk on the face like they used to have, when USA couldn't secure Iraq.

But I guess all that won't happen. Now the media will only focus on Michael Jackson, they will go through all his ups and downs, scandals and medical conditions. Many celebs will share their opinions, even Barack Obama will be expected to say something. There will be a funeral, there will be non-stop reporting for at least 2-3 weeks. What will LaToya say? What will Janet say? What will Liz Taylor say? There's so much to come. It's a big shocker and of course Michael Jackson deserves the attention. He was one of the last big superstars, probably THE last superstar (Madonna is nothing comparing to him). So, it's understandable... But quite bad for Iranians. Bad timing, but as I said, even if Iran was the number 1 topic in the media, it still wouldn't make any difference.

Michael Jackson dead! Unbelievable.

One of the best artists of all times, Michael Jackson, died! Unbelievable and shocking news. I was watching CNN, when I heard he's been sent to hospital. Then they announced he was in a coma. And suddenly I see on Twitter: Michael Jackson RIP on top of Trending Topics. I complained, because CNN said he's not dead. Then they announced it, too: King of pop is dead. Wow... Twitter was constantly over capacity, Wikipedia has problems. People flock in masses to that hospital in L.A. I mean, it all came so out of the blue! What a year. People die like it's Judgement day or something.
Well, he was King of pop! I've been very young, when Thriller came out, but throughout the eighties, they played it over and over. But I remember when Bad came out. I was 8 years old, but that Bad video was unbelievable. The way he danced and dressed up was so unique, you just couldn't be not impressed. And then the moonwalking. Tell me someone who did not try to moonwalk? He was just so unique, he could never be copied or surpassed by any other pop artist. Thriller will always remain the best selling album of all times, especially because people are buying albums less and less. My favourite Michael Jackson songs are: Billie Jean, Beat It, Bad, Smooth Criminal, We Are The World, Wanna Be Startin' Something, Man In The Mirror, Black Or White, Who Is It, Jam, Remember The Time, Say Say Say... OMG, it's like every of his 3 top albums (Thriller, Bad and Dangerous) is like all songs were hits! Sadly his downturn started after Dangerous. History was not bad, had many hits, but I felt it's just not as good as the stuff before. I really lost my words now... He was really such a great artist since his childhood. A genious. And all people can be proud of him, not only blacks, who are probably particularly proud.

Thank you, Michael Jackson, you will remain King of Pop forever.

Rest in peace.

[Photo: Source]

Did Susan Boyle freak out?

I was a bit shocked when I saw Susan Boyle, the singer who came to fame in the show Britain's Got Talent, freak out like a mad man. I was watching the last episode of Prison Break, where she played an inmate in a female prison. Someone started a fight and accidentally bumped into her when she ate. She became furious like there's no tomorrow. Why did she freak out like that? (See photos below!) Is now her clean image gone?

Actually no... :) That's an actress that I found and she's really a Susan Boyle look-alike, ain't she? I don't know where I get these connections and why I make posts like this one. I guess I am a bit 'loco'.

[Photo aboveby PA: Source, Photos below: Screen caps of PB final episode]

Play him off, keyboard cat.

Apparently after the 'Rickroll' phenomenon on You-Tube, there's a brand new thing of a simillar kind: 'The keyboard cat'. This video is hillarious! Both parts blend it together perfectly. I couldn't stop laughing when I first saw it. It's also another proof of the so (in)famous Christian 'tolerance.'