SINGER: ELVA HSIAO (XIAO YA XUAN)
WHO IS SHE: One of the four small heavenly queens of Taiwan with
really good record sales.
TITLE OF ALBUM: MING TIAN (TOMORROW)
RELEASED BY: VIRGIN MUSIC/EMI
Firstly, I must admit I am an Elva fan. But I shall try my best to
give a fair review of the album.
Let's talk about her image...well...her image has definitely
improved in this one. No doubt one of my friends remarked that she
looks a little like Coco...actually she does minus the glam factor.
But in this album, they up the glam factor a little more than her
first and second albums. She doesn't look cute or so...in fact i
find her more mature looking than elva...even her songs too...Elva
isn't that pretty...but well...her image has improved since the
first album...
Now here's the producing factor and the people involved in this
task...For this album...3 great producers are assembled...Jae
Chong...Jim Lee and Chen Wei. In fact...Elva did have a part in the
production...as in she dugged out her collections of CDs, and
shared with the producers the kinda music (R&B...soul) she
likes...Chen Wei contributed 2 compositions...Sky Wu with
1...Sakura again...Jae Chong...I think she has assembled quite a
big band of reknowned lyricists for her album...with Yao Qian
penning the lyrics to 6 songs...Lin Xi 2 songs...and Yao Ruo Long
and Yu Guan Zhong having one each...in fact...they said there was
no coaching to be done on the harmonising or so like tat...IN track
3 Let It Go...Stanley Huang raps with her...COOL.
Music wise...well...to those who are expecting a lot of saccharine
filled ballads...or those songs mourning over heart-break and those
love ballads...i am sorry...but u wun probably find these in the
album. Although there are quite a few sentimental songs...but they
are done R&B style. In this album, Elva has tried out several
different styles, Latin, Gospel, Soul and R&B. If you are a fan
of Mariah...Whitney...Toni...Brandy and Monica...All
Saints...TLC...these kinda...well...this album is sure to be the in
thing for you. I personally like these kinda songs...so yah...i
find this album a really good refreshing change from all the
mainstream love ballads (although her first song is a r&b
ballad)...The only complain is that most of the songs are covers of
other songs...like her first album...but then...still good...so it
really depends on taste...this is an album u need to listen to
slowly...probably on a relaxing evening...late at nite...quite
alrite...juz put ur heart to listen...I muz admit...Elva has a
flaw...i cannot find her feelings when she sings...hmm...hope she
can improve on this point...most importantly...all the songs bring
out the uniqueness of her voice...her zhong di yin...well...all the
songs actually suit her voice...and brings out the quality of her
voice...kudos to the team...
Her album in no 1 on TCR Records and Rose Records...on the
former...her album sold 42.52% of the whole record store
sales...the next is only 6% or so...so yah...as for the song to
song breakdown...i would update it with time...
Do support Elva...refreshing album and change in this low-season of
albums.
RATING: A- (if you love American Pop)
RATING: B+ (if u were expecting love ballads)
BEST LYRICS: In fact all of them are good...might not outdo Faye's
FABLE...but they are all good. But do pay attention to Track No 5
CHANG HUA DUAN SHUO...Lin Xi is such a zany lyricist.
RECOMMENDED SONGS: Track 1->MING TIAN, Track 2->MI MI, Track
3->Let It Go (Really cute and entertaining), Track 4-->Tian
Shi Zan Shi Li Kai, Track 6->WO AI NI NA ME DUO, Track
7-->XIA YI CI LIAN AI, Track 8-->AI QING MEI, Track 9->DA
YING WO
Any comments?
BEST LYRICS: CHANG HUA DUAN SHUO, TIAN SHI ZAN SHI LI KAI, MING
TIAN, AI QING MEI, LET IT GO
[This message has been edited by Zilchster (edited 08 June
2001).]
