Yeh Hui-Mei (simplified Chinese: 叶惠美; traditional Chinese: 葉惠美) is the fourth studio album by Taiwanese recording artist Jay Chou. It was released by Alfa Music on 31 July 2003, and was distributed throughout Asia in physical and digital formats. Chou enlisted various collaborators to assist with the album's lyrical content, including Vincent Fang, Alang Huang, Tseng Yu-ting, and Vivian Hsu, while Chou served as the album's sole composer. Named after the singer's mother, Yeh Hui-Mei utilizes genres such as alternative rock and R&B, whilst containing influences from classical music, opera, and hip-hop. The record's production and visuals utilize both retro and contemporary elements.
| Yeh Hui-Mei | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 31 July 2003 | |||
| Recorded | 2003 | |||
| Studio | Alfa Studio (Taipei) | |||
| Genre | Mandopop | |||
| Length | 48:08 | |||
| Language | Mandarin | |||
| Label | Alfa Music[1] | |||
| Producer | Jay Chou | |||
| Jay Chou chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Yeh Hui-Mei | ||||
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The album received positive reviews from music critics for its production and composition. Commercially, Yeh Hui-Mei saw success in Asia, reaching number one on the album charts in Singapore and the top five in Malaysia. In Taiwan, it was the best-selling album of 2003 with 335,000 copies sold, becoming Chou's second highest selling album of the year after The Eight Dimensions (2002). Yeh Hui-Mei went on to sell over 3 million copies throughout Asia. In 2019, the album was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of Singapore.
Yeh Hui-Mei spawned various singles including "Sunny Day", "Dong Feng Po", and "In the Name of Father". To promote the album, several songs were featured in promotional campaigns in Taiwan and China. At the 15th Golden Melody Awards, Yeh Hui-Mei won Best Pop Vocal Album while the video for the song "Class 3-2" won Best Music Video. The album's other accolades include the Most Popular Album of the Year Award at the Global Chinese Music Awards and highest-selling Mandarin album award at the IFPI Hong Kong Sales Awards.
Background and development edit
Chou assumed creative control over all aspects of Yeh Hui-Mei. He composed all of the tracks on the album and served as the executive producer and visual director. Alongside Chou and Vincent Wang, other musicians such as Zhong Xingmin, Hong Jingyao, Lin Michael, and Yang Dawei helped write the lyrical content for the record. The album cover design of Yeh Hui-Mei features Chou donning a retro-style suit whilst sitting on a vintage chair.
Composition edit
Yeh Hui-Mei is named after Chou's mother, serving as a tribute to her love while also mirroring the title of the single "In the Name of the Father". When producing the album, Chou embraced a philosophy of musical evolution, incorporating various perspectives and concepts. The single "In the Name of the Father" was inspired by Chou's relationship with his father, who Chou noted was relatively reserved and seldom engaged in conversation with him. The song "Class 3-2" was inspired by the singer's experiences playing pool with his friend and lyricist Vincent Wang.
Reception edit
The tracks, "Sunny Day", "Her Eyelashes", and "Dong Feng Po", are listed at number 2, number 15, and number 41 respectively on the 2003's Hit FM Top 100 Singles of the Year chart.[2]
Awards edit
The album was nominated for eight Golden Melody Awards and won two awards, including Best Pop Vocal Album and Best Music Video for "Class 3-2". The album also won an IFPI Hong Kong Top Sales Music Award for Best Selling Mandarin Album of the Year.[3]
| Year | Award | Category | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | IFPI Hong Kong Sales Awards | Highest Selling Mandarin Album | Won | [4] |
| Top 10 Mandarin Albums | Won | |||
| 2004 | Global Chinese Music Awards | Most Popular Album of the Year | Won | [5] |
| Golden Melody Awards | Best Pop Vocal Album | Won | [6] | |
| Best Mandarin Male Singer | Nominated | |||
| Best Album Producer | Nominated | |||
| Best Composer (for "Dong Feng Po") | Nominated | |||
| Best Music Video (for "Class 3-2") | Won | |||
| Metro Radio Music Awards | Best Mandarin Album | Won |
Music videos edit
The music video for "Sunny Day" was filmed in Tamsui, New Taipei City and features actress Doris Lai.
Track listing edit
All music is composed by Jay Chou
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "In the Name of Father" (以父之名; Yǐ fǔ zhī míng) | Alang Huang | 5:42 |
| 2. | "Coward" (懦夫; Nuòfū) | Jay Chou | 3:38 |
| 3. | "Sunny Day" (晴天; Qíngtiān) | Jay Chou | 4:29 |
| 4. | "Class 3-2" (三年二班; Sān nián èr bān) | Vincent Fang | 4:40 |
| 5. | "Dong Feng Po" (東風破) | Vincent Fang | 5:15 |
| 6. | "You Hear Me" (妳聽得到; Nǎi tīng dédào) | Tseng Yu-ting | 3:50 |
| 7. | "Same Tone" (同一種調調; Tóng yīzhǒng diàodiao) | Vincent Fang | 3:51 |
| 8. | "Her Eyelashes" (她的睫毛; Tā de jiémáo) | Vincent Fang | 3:52 |
| 9. | "Cliff" (愛情懸崖; Àiqíng xuányá) | Vivian Hsu | 4:22 |
| 10. | "Terrace Field" (梯田; Tītián) | Jay Chou | 3:33 |
| 11. | "Double Blade" (雙刀; Shuāng dāo) | Vincent Fang | 4:51 |
| Total length: | 48:08 | ||
Charts edit
Sales edit
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Singapore (RIAS)[10] | Gold | 5,000* |
| Taiwan | — | 350,000[11] |
| Summaries | ||
| Asia | — | 3,000,000[12] |
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* Sales figures based on certification alone. | ||
References edit
- ^ "Billboard". Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 29 May 2004 – via Google Books.
- ^ (in Chinese) "Hit Fm Annual Top 100 Singles Chart 2003 (#1 to 50)" HITO Radio. Retrieved 21 June 2011
- ^ (in Chinese) "2003 IFPI Hong Kong Album Sales Awards winners list" IFPI Hong Kong. Retrieved 19 April 2011
- ^ "《香港唱片銷量大獎》所頒發之獎項 2003" (in Chinese). IFPI Hong Kong. Archived from the original on 28 August 2016. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
- ^ "快讯：年度最受欢迎专辑奖--周杰伦《叶惠美》" [News: Most Popular Album of the Year Award--Jay Chou's "Ye Huimei"]. Sina Entertainment (in Chinese). 4 September 2004. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
- ^ "周杰伦《叶惠美》获最佳流行音乐演唱专辑奖" [Jay Chou's "Ye Huimei" won the Best Pop Vocal Album Award]. Sohu Entertainment (in Chinese). 8 May 2004. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
- ^ "Malaysian Chinese Album Chart". RIM. 30 September 2003. Archived from the original on 13 October 2003. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
- ^ "RIAS Top 10 Album Chart". Archived from the original on 11 August 2003. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
- ^ "周杰伦蔡依林S.H.E领衔2003台湾唱片销量榜" [Jay Chou, Jolin Tsai, and S.H.E lead the 2003 Taiwan record sales list]. Qianlong News Netwok (in Chinese). 7 January 2004. Retrieved 15 May 2024 – via Sina Entertainment.
- ^ "Singapore album certifications – Jay Chou – Yeh Hui-mei". Recording Industry Association Singapore.
- ^ "周杰倫遭 假扣押5千萬 | 蘋果日報". Apple Daily (in Chinese (Taiwan)). 17 May 2007. Retrieved 17 September 2018.
- ^ "《叶惠美》和《七里香》里周杰伦有过写真，你可能都没见过？". NetEase (in Chinese). 19 March 2019. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
External links edit
- (in Chinese) Jay Chou discography@JVR Music