Preview of Sun Yanzi's New Album

ocean11 SG

Here are snippets of three songs from the album:

1. Gan Lan Shu http://real2.aboutmedia.com.tw/ramgen/warner/self/yanzi/tree.rm
I don't have much impression of the original version, so am treating this almost like new. Sounds pleasing enough, even tho I don't particularly like this song.

2. A*Mei's Yuan Lai Ni She Me Dou Bu Yao http://real2.aboutmedia.com.tw/ramgen/warner/self/yanzi/nothing.rm
Still prefer A*mei's version, but hers is not too bad actually.

3. Tori Amos's Silent All These Years http://real2.aboutmedia.com.tw/ramgen/warner/self/yanzi/silent.rm
Frankly, I was not hopeful that Yanzi could competently handle this technically demanding song, but her commendable effort took me by surprise. Her version has more orchestral music compared to the piano-based original.

Appetising enuf to wanna check out the rest of the album, out in stores from 7 Jan.

Zilchster SG

SCREAM!

Stefanie's coming out with another album again...so fast...

There would be other songs...but i think she should be able to sing English songs with the correct pronunciation I hope...that's the advantage with us Singaporeans...we ARE BILINGUAL...YAYYYY!!!

newg SG

whether we are EFFECTIVELY bilingual is another story altogether. Razz

Ayy..gonna grab Yanzi's latest album..(what to do..always suckered by marketing ploys..)
Even though her version of Gan Lan Shu is not comparable to Chyi Yu's...

Zilchster SG

If u dun like it then dun get it lor Smile We dun need to fall for some marketing ploys wat!!!

galacticnick SG

after hearing the snippets, I think I gonna grab the album when it’s out…

Sng Jun Song SG

Stef’s hit song… Gan Lan Shu… resung Qi Yu’s song… out in middle o’ Jan… Warner!!

b|ueapp|ez SG

yanzi is bilingual, but not effectively bilingual. mi was in China holidaying last wk when i saw Stef on tv promoting the Up2U cosmetics & the jiu shi zhe yang mtv...nice nice. Buthen the reporter oso asked her bout her thots on her new album. She replied in chinese...but stammered a few times.

But i guess her chinese has improved compared to last yr when she was still a newcomer.

ocean11 SG

I guess being based in Taiwan has certainly helped her to improve on her spoken Mandarin. She's a lot more fluent and articulate in English, so expressing some of her more "complicated" thoughts may still be a bit of a problem.

Heard her on a phone interview on today's 933FM where she was informed by djs Huishi and Liyi that she was the most popular female artiste on 933 this year (her staggering 900 points broke the record formerly held by Wang Fei!) and two of her songs were placed second and fourth in the Top 10 Songs.... no surprises here

I thought she spoke quite well, but then again they were the std questions which she has been asked many times before. She was about to talk more about her new album of covers when they brought the interview to an abrupt end... maybe ran out of time.

b|ueapp|ez SG

heard tt the date 4 the release of the album will be brought forward to 5 Jan for tw(due to the unexpected smooth recording of the songs). As for sg, i duno…

lindgal SG

i think all our artists are quite effectively bilingual what... ok, let me re-phrase that... they are all effectively bilingual maybe not so much in interviews but definitely in their songs...

i mean, usually mandarin pop singers when they try (*cringe*) to sing in english, it usually ends in a disastor (*think leon lai*)... but look at our singaporean artists like kit, Dreamz fm, stef and tanya...(maybe not mavis, dunno about stella) when they sing an english song...whoa! you can be SURE it's a true-blue english song worthy even to be on perfect 10's top charts!

speaking of which, that day at the dreamz fm concert, they mentioned that should i stay is on some english radio chart at no.4 right?
which channel is it? cos i can't seem to find it? and when is the programme?

b|ueapp|ez SG

heard the complete version of gan lan shu on 93.3. Generally ok, but still prefer cloudy day.

Zilchster SG

I think Dreamz FM said Perfect 10.

Actually most of our Singaporean singers are very ang moh kind...

Dunno abt Mavis.

Newcomer Yong Bang is definitely...he speaks more Mandarin than English...in fact i remember only speaking to him in Mandarin.

The other 2 guys no idea.

Chen Huan Ren aka Tan Han Jin...true blue ACSian...he would prob be doing an english album.

Kit...rafflesian...tanya...needless to say...2 english albums.

Stef seems more comfy wif english i think.

Stella Ng...i think i think...she would sound ok with mandarin numbers...she studied in crescent...went to acjc...in fact she is studying sociology or something like that.

Dreamz Fm...too...okay!

Last but not least Xin Wei...geez...Masters in English...end up writing chinese songs...

ocean11 SG

At the New Year concert in Taipei telecast live on TVBS last night, she sang five songs from the album. First time I heard the full version but can't say I was particularly impressed. She sang ok in the English numbers but diction-wise, could be better. The only fast number she performed was Venus (sung by 80's girl group Bananarama) and I half expected her to launch into a disco dance.... but her dance movements were rather restrained. Surprisingly for someone so lightweight, her legs seem to be made of lead Smile .... she's not exactly a natural performer lah. But she only need to smile and the audience simply went wild!

Die-hard fans will definitely still snap up this album, but unlikely to win new fans with this one.

newg SG

Agree. Sporean artistes are not as cringe-worthy when attempting english songs. But our academic environment puts emphasis on biligualism after all. English and Mandarin (or rather, our mother tongue) are used often interchangably, and sometimes not in the best of taste.
HK and Taiwanese artistes speak predominantly in cantonese/hokkien and mandarin. English probably counts as their third language of sort. Can we really blame them for their 'hopeless' sounding English then? If anything, give them bonus points for trying lah.

Besides, from the interviews and write-ups, Stefanie and Tanya's lingistic proficiency probably leans towards English. Tanya, if I didn't remember wrongly, also started out with an English debut album 'My color TV set'

One and half cent's worth again. From armchair critic.

Back to the original topic..anxiously awaiting for Stef's 4th album of covers.... : )

newg SG

Shucks... What's wrong with this site. Messages that I posted up always 'disappear' into thin air and I am sure ain't trying to emulate david copperfield.

Anyway. Lindgal, I meant to say that I concur with you about local artistes being less cringe inducing when singing in English. But most of us of brought up in academic environment where biligualism is practised anyway. Though often than not, we inevitably is more proficient in one language.

HK and Taiwanese artistes, however speaks predominantly Cantonese/Hokkien and Mandarin.
English probably counts as their third language? Though their heavily accented English is odd-sounding at most times, I think we have less excuse than them for less than perfect diction?

Another 1 and half cents worth. From this armchair critic.

Anyway, back to original topic, anxiously waiting for release of Stef's album of covers.. Smile

Zilchster SG

I'm not waiting anxiously for Stef's 4th album...

Yah...i probably think this album wun win her new fans...but i am sure those supporting her will be delighted.

As for dancing...well...dancing has never been Steffy's forte...she looks quite like a dummy...do give her a break on this one...she looks like a dummy when she dances...but dun u feel she looks awkward at times..???

Leave the dance and groove to coco, elva, jolin etc.

newg SG

Shucks..double posting earlier on..

don't think Stef's selling point is her dancing anyway. She does appear awkward but I have seen worse anyway, say for eg, Alanis Morisette's hair swinging and contortionist hand gestures 'dance'.

But sing, these gals sure can.

Besides, who can't dance when the steps are taught by experienced choreographers..

one and half cents worth. From this armchair critic.