Mandopop superstar Jay Chou (Jay) released his 16th album “Son of the Sun” on the 25th, with the lead single of the same name and its MV premiering on the 24th. The MV alone cost nearly NT$100 million (approximately RM12.38 million), and featured a world-class creative visual team.
The MV’s release sparked immediate discussion. Many fans noted that the melody was still familiar and carried Jay’s signature playful style, but some questioned the lack of innovation, even bluntly asking if Jay had “run out of inspiration.” In response, influencer Chen Yi expressed a different opinion on Facebook, saying directly: “Jay isn’t out of inspiration—he’s just too happy now.”
After watching the MV, Chen Yi commented that although this NT$100 million production paid tribute to famous paintings and was full of special effects, “you can see a lot of money was spent, but it doesn’t feel like it’s worth NT$100 million.” She admitted her first reaction was: “Oh, that’s it? It didn’t move me at all, the melody isn’t catchy, and as for the lyrics—they’re just famous painting titles forced in, with no logic. You’d need to constantly look at a teleprompter to be able to sing this live.”
Chen Yi believes that Jay hasn’t run out of creativity, but is just “too happy.” She pointed out that because life is going so smoothly for Jay, it’s now hard for him to write songs that touch people’s hearts like in the early days: “When you have everything in life and everything is going well, you just can’t create works that move people anymore. The best works are always born from the artist’s most painful moments.”
Additionally, Jay Chou couldn’t wait for fans to pick their “Top 3” favorite songs from the new album, and netizens eagerly shared their thoughts. Favorites include “The Day It Rained,” “Sicily,” “Gold Rush Town,” “Saints,” and others, while “Son of the Sun” itself was less favored, receiving the “most bland” review of the entire album.
Netizens pointed out that the melody is plain, the lyrics are adolescent in style, and Jay’s vocals are overshadowed by the accompaniment. Still, Jay’s willingness to spend big on real-life MV production deserves high praise.
Source: China Times News