"The Third Person and I" Released: November 10, 2014 (2014-11-10)
Play (Chinese: 呸) is the thirteenth studio album by Taiwanese singer Jolin Tsai, released by Warner and Eternal on November 15, 2014.[1] The album marks a departure from the traditional framework of C-pop albums, featuring rich and diverse musical styles and themes. It was produced by Starr Chen, Andrew Chen, Tiger Chung, JJ Lin, and Michael Lin.[2][3]
The album received widespread acclaim from music critics. Bloomberg Businessweek praised it for showcasing the world-class quality of Chinese dance music, and dubbed Tsai as the "Queen of Chinese Dance Music".[4] In Taiwan, the album sold over 85,000 copies,[5] ranking as the fourth best-selling album of 2014. It also earned Tsai the top spot for female artist album sales in Taiwan that year.[6]
Play was nominated for 10 awards at the Golden Melody Awards, making it one of the most-nominated albums in the history of the awards.[7] The album won two major honors: Best Mandarin Album and Best Vocal Recording Album. Additionally, Andrew Chen won the Best Producer award for the song "Lip Reading".[8]
Following the album's release, Tsai embarked on her fourth world tour, the Play World Tour, which began in Taipei, Taiwan, on May 22, 2015,[9] and concluded in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on July 16, 2016.[10]
Background and development
On September 14, 2012, Tsai released her twelfth studio album, Muse. The album sold over 95,000 copies in Taiwan, ranking as the third best-selling album of 2012 in the region. It also earned Tsai the top spot for female artist album sales in Taiwan that year.[11]Muse was nominated for four awards at the 24th Golden Melody Awards, including Best Mandarin Album, Song of the Year for "The Great Artist", Best Music Video for the song's music video, and Best Mandarin Female Singer for Tsai herself.[12] The song "The Great Artist" went on to win the award for Song of the Year.[13]
On April 13, 2013, Tsai concluded her third world tour, the Myself World Tour, and announced she would begin preparations for her new album.[14] Later, on July 25, 2013, she traveled to London to take part in a month-long program focused on music, dance, and performance.[15] On October 19, 2013, she released a live album, Myself World Tour.[16] On November 22, 2013, Tsai revealed that she was still in the process of selecting songs for her new album, indicating slow but steady progress.[17]
In January 2014, it was reported that Tsai would take full control over the production of her new album, with a potential for international collaborations. The production budget for the album was disclosed to exceed NT$50 million.[18] By April 4, 2014, it was revealed that the album was slated for release during the summer of the same year, with Tsai potentially contributing to the songwriting process.[19] On May 19, 2014, she released the English song "Now Is the Time", which was included in the compilation Pepsi Beats of the Beautiful Game.[20]
By June 10, 2014, it was reported that Tsai had already completed the recording of three tracks for the new album, but chose to re-record them after finding better interpretations of the songs.[21] On June 13, 2014, she also released "Kaleidoscope", the theme song for the film Tiny Times 3.[22] By September 5, 2014, Tsai confirmed that her new album was nearing completion and was expected to be released by the end of the year.[23]
Writing and production
JJ Lin (left) and Namie Amuro (right), two collaborators on the album
The lead single, "Play", features lyrics that humorously explore the absurd yet real aspects of modern life, highlighting how people find joy in life's contradictions.[24] The second single, "The Third Person and I", describes the tendency of individuals to adopt an indifferent, detached attitude when faced with the challenges of life or love, symbolizing a form of escapism.[25]
"Medusa" involved two years of negotiations to acquire the song's copyright, after which it was re-arranged to blend dance-pop with trap element. This track became the longest to produce on the album.[26] "We're All Different, Yet the Same" is rooted in R&B,[26] with lyrics inspired by real-life events. The song tackles the issues of gender equality and same-sex marriage. Lyricist Albert Leung expressed, "Love is not just an abstract belief; it should be a right, not requiring anyone's forgiveness or understanding. Those who oppose diverse families have never considered that some people love more deeply than legal spouses, yet at the most critical moments, they are denied the right to save their loved ones as family."[27]
"Gentlewomen" merges noise rock and alternative dance.[26] The song's lyrics are inspired by Simone de Beauvoir's work The Second Sex,[28] with the "one" and "zero" in the lyrics symbolizing the infinite power of women.[29] "Lip Reading" draws inspiration from Marilyn Monroe, blending trip-hop beat with dramatic atmosphere. The lyrics reflect the delicate emotional states within a woman's heart. "I'm Not Yours", a collaboration with Namie Amuro, fuses electronic dance music with dubstep.[3] "I Love, I Embrace" is based in soft rock and describes the courage to embrace oneself while living fearlessly in the face of others' judgments.[30]
"Phony Queen" was the theme song for the online game We Dancing Online DX,[31] featuring house music.[26] The song humorously critiques the modern obsession with smartphones, with lyricist Wyman Wong commenting, "For modern people, the closest companion is not necessarily a lover, but the smartphone that is always by our side—relying on it for directions, work, and even choosing a meal."[32] "Miss Trouble" blends opera with trap music, showcasing Tsai's vocal versatility as she performs a coloratura soprano. The lyrics humorously depict various peculiar internet phenomena in contemporary society.[26]
Title and artwork
The album's standard cover art was inspired by Bettie Page.
The album title "Play" carries multiple meanings such as script, role-playing, and performance. Tsai revealed that the title reflects her recent reflections on life, explaining, "Life is like a stage. You may not be able to choose the role you were born into, but you can work hard to rewrite your own story."[1]
The pre-order edition of the album, titled "Actress Edition", features a cover where Tsai is styled with voluminous golden curls and wears a red transparent gradient trench coat by The Blonds. All the outfits in the accompanying photo booklet are also from the same brand. The cover and photo booklet were shot by Marko Krunic, who is known for capturing sensual angles of women and chose dramatic settings for Tsai's shoot.[1]
For another pre-order edition, "Medusa Edition", Tsai is photographed wearing a custom-designed outfit by Versace, inspired by the mythological figure Medusa. This marked the first time Versace had designed a piece for an Asian artist. The cover and booklet photos for this edition were shot by Wing Shya and CK Chan.[33]
The standard edition features a cover and photo booklet photographed by Chen Man, with stylist Wyman Wong serving as the fashion consultant.[34] The photoshoot has three main themes: "Sexy Playful Child", "Angry Good Girl", and "Vintage Lady Spy". In the "Sexy Playful Child" theme, Tsai wears an oversized grey suit from Comme des Garçons paired with black lace lingerie. For "Angry Good Girl", she dons a deep green embroidered tulle gown by Valentino, and in "Vintage Lady Spy", she wears a black leather skirt from Lanvin.[26]
The album's packaging was designed by Aaron Nieh, using his signature minimalist style. The design features a large black background and bold typography, and the inner booklet includes six double-sided, 56x42 cm posters.[26] Additionally, the "Replay Deluxe International Edition" of the album, which includes an updated cover and booklet photos, was also shot by Chen Man, with Wyman Wong continuing as the stylist.[35]
Release and promotion
On October 17, 2014, Warner announced that the album would be available for pre-order starting on October 29, 2014, with the official release scheduled for November 15, 2014.[1] On October 28, 2014, Tsai held a pre-order press conference in Taipei, Taiwan, where she revealed that the album would be released in two versions: the "Actress Edition" and the "Medusa Edition". Additionally, it was announced that the album would be accompanied by an online reality show titled Play Project.[36] On November 10, 2014, Tsai held an album preview session in Taipei.[37]
On November 20, 2014, she hosted an album launch press conference in Beijing.[38] On November 23, 2014, she held an album autograph session in Taipei,[39] and on October 30, 2014, another autograph session took place in Taichung.[40] On December 7, 2014, Tsai held the Play Concert in Taipei.[41] Additional autograph sessions were held in Hong Kong on December 13, 2014,[42] and in Kaohsiung and Tainan on December 14, 2014.[43][44] On December 27, 2014, the online reality show Play Project premiered on YouTube, with a total of five episodes.[45] On February 6, 2015, the album was re-released as an "Replay Deluxe International Edition", which included nine additional music videos.[46] Tsai also held album autograph sessions in Kaohsiung and Taichung on February 14, 2015,[47] and in Taipei on February 15, 2015.[46]
The album achieved commercial success, topping the weekly sales charts at major Taiwanese retailers such as Books.com.tw, Eslite, Kuang Nan, Chia Chyun Record, G-Music, and Five Music, as well as at international retailers like YesAsia and HMV Singapore.[48] By December 31, 2014, the album had sold over 63,837 copies in Taiwan,[47] ranking fourth in the annual Taiwanese album sales for 2014 and making Tsai the best-selling female artist of the year in Taiwan.[6] The album also secured high positions on several year-end sales charts, including third place at Books.com.tw,[49] Kuang Nan,[49] and G-Music,[50] and fifth place at Five Music.[51] In 2015, the album continued to perform well, ranking 10th in annual sales at Kuang Nan and 15th at Five Music.[52][53]
Live performances
Tsai performing "Phony Queen" at the 2015 Hito Music Awards, May 2015
On November 22, 2014, Tsai participated in the recording of the CCTV variety show Global Chinese Music and performed the songs "Medusa" and "The Third Person and I".[54][55] On December 20, 2014, she appeared on the TVB variety show The Voice 4, where she performed the song "Play".[42] On December 31, 2014, Tsai participated in the New Year's Eve Concert organized by CTS, where she performed "Medusa", "The Third Person and I", "We're All Different, Yet the Same", and "Play".[56] On February 8, 2015, Tsai attended the 10th KKBox Music Awards, where she performed "I'm Not Yours", "Medusa", and "Play".[57]
On February 12, 2015, she took part in the CCTV Web New Year's Gala, where she performed "Phone Queen" and "I'm Not Yours".[58] On March 25, 2015, Tsai performed at the 2015 QQ Music Awards, singing "The Third Person and I", "We're All Different, Yet the Same", "I'm Not Yours", and "Play".[59] On May 31, 2015, she appeared at the 2015 Hito Music Awards, where she performed "I'm Not Yours", "Phone Queen", and "Play".[60] On November 10, 2015, she participated in the Tmall Double 11 Carnival Night, where she performed "Medusa" and "I'm Not Yours".[61]
On December 2, 2015, Tsai performed at the 2015 Mnet Asian Music Awards, where she sang "Play".[62] On December 31, 2015, she took part in the New Year's Eve Concert hosted by Jiangsu TV, where she performed "I'm Not Yours" and "Play".[63] Subsequently, Tsai continued to participate in various events held across different locations, performing songs from the album at these occasions.
On October 27, 2014, Tsai released the single "Play".[24] The following day, on October 28, 2014, she released a lyric video for the song.[24] On November 2, 2014, Tsai debuted the official music video for "Play" and held a promotional event at the National Taiwan Museum in Taipei.[64] The music video, directed by Muh Chen, had a production cost of over NT$8 million.[65] It reached number one on both the YinYueTai's weekly chart and the QQ Music's Chinese music video weekly chart.[48] It also topped the 2014 Taiwan's YouTube Most Popular Music Videos chart.[66] The music video received high praise from international media, including Time magazine and Spain's GQ magazine.[67][68] On November 8, 2014, Tsai released a dance version of the music video for the song.
On November 10, 2014, Tsai released another single, "The Third Person and I".[25] The music video, directed by Fu Tien-yu, featured actress Carina Lau in a guest appearance.[25] It also topped the YinYueTai's weekly chart.[48] On January 6, 2015, "Play" and "The Third Person and I" ranked number one and number eight, respectively, on the 2014 Taiwan's Hit FM year-end chart, making Tsai one of the two artists with the most number one singles in the chart's history.[69]
On September 29, 2014, Tsai released the music video for "Phony Queen", directed by Jeff Chang, with a production cost exceeding NT$6 million.[31] On November 30, 2014, she released the music video for "Medusa", directed by Jennifer Wu.[70] On December 16, 2014, Tsai unveiled the music video for "We're All Different, Yet the Same", produced by Leste Chen and directed by Hou Chi-jan. The video featured guest appearances by Grace Guei, Ruby Lin, and Bryan Chang.[71] The music video, based on a true story, explored themes of gender equality and same-sex marriage, drawing attention from international media outlets such as El País in Spain,[72]Gay Star News in the UK,[73] and AfterAllen in the US.[74] On December 30, 2014, Tsai released the music video for "Gentlewomen", co-directed by Scott Beardslee and Kitt Lin.[75]
On January 20, 2015, Tsai released the music video for "Lip Reading", co-directed by Thomas Wyatt and Edwin Eversole.[29] On February 3, 2015, she released the music video for "I'm Not Yours", directed by Muh Chen and featuring Namie Amuro.[76] The video was inspired by the Tang Dynasty's legend Third Lady of Plank Bridge Inn by Xue Yusi, and was filmed at the Wufeng Lin Family Mansion and Garden in Taichung, Taiwan.[77] The music video ranked number six on the 2015 Taiwan's YouTube Most Popular Music Videos chart.[78] On February 6, 2015, Tsai released the music video for "I Love, I Embrace", directed by Thomas Wyatt and Edwin Eversole.[30] Additionally, the music video for "Miss Trouble" was directed by Michael Sun, but reports suggested that Tsai was dissatisfied with the final result and chose not to release it.[79]
On October 29, 2014, Tsai announced that following the release of the album, she would begin preparations for her fourth concert tour. She mentioned that the new tour would place a greater emphasis on the musical aspects of the performance.[80] On February 15, 2015, Tsai revealed that her Play World Tour would kick off on May 22, 2015, at Taipei Arena in Taipei, Taiwan.[81] On March 29, 2015, she traveled to Los Angeles to begin a two-week dance rehearsal, while the entire production team also gathered in Los Angeles for preliminary work on the tour. It was reported that Tsai and all the dancers would later rehearse on a full-scale temporary stage in Taipei two weeks before the tour's official start.[82]
On March 31, 2015, Tsai released the official poster for the tour, which was photographed by Chen Man, with fashion consultation by Wyman Wong. Tsai also announced that she would be collaborating with concert production company Live Nation for the tour, with Travis Payne and Stacy Walker serving as co-directors.[82] Reports indicated that the production cost of the tour would exceed NT$100 million, with stage hardware teams sourced from around the world. Additionally, the film production company Jet Tone Production was invited to create five interlude videos for the tour. Live Nation also held three dancer auditions in Los Angeles, ultimately selecting 12 dancers for the tour, and invited 14 choreographers to create routines for the songs to be performed.[82]
On June 1, 2015, Tsai held a press conference in Beijing to announce the tour's upcoming dates in mainland China.[83] The tour concluded on July 16, 2016, at Stadium Merdeka in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.[10] Spanning over a year and two months, the Play World Tour was held in 23 cities across the globe, with a total of 34 performances and an audience of over 600,000. The tour grossed over NT$1.5 billion in ticket sales.[84]
On January 30, 2018, Tsai released a live video album titled Play World Tour, featuring footage from her performance at Taipei Arena in May 2015.[85]
Golden Melody Awards' jury praised the album, stating, "The entire album showcases an exceptionally high standard of recording techniques, with surprises throughout the listening experience, providing listeners with a rich auditory journey",[89] and added, "The songwriting focuses on marginalized social groups, blending the artist's views with music. The excellence of the work is impressive, marking a new milestone in Jolin Tsai's career. Her musical interpretation explores new directions, and both the auditory and visual aspects are highly successful."[90]
Bloomberg Businessweek referred to Tsai as the "Queen of Chinese Dance Music", commenting, "Through her music, Jolin Tsai has written the soundtrack of 'her era,' introducing the world to the international standard of Chinese dance music." Associate Professor Hou Cheng-nan from the Department of Mass Communication at I-Shou University noted, "Jolin has elevated the landscape of Chinese dance music, setting an unsurpassable high standard." DJ Mykal stated, "Revolution must occur in the mainstream market to have a significant impact. Jolin Tsai, with her iconic status, attempts to merge new dance music elements, believing that this will influence mainstream listeners."[4] Songwriter Eazie Huang commented, "Many people see this as another dance music album from Jolin Tsai, but they fail to recognize the intricate arrangements and the mixing ingenuity that elevate this album to another level of musicality."[91] Songwriter Adam Hsu observed, "Jolin Tsai is following in Madonna's footsteps; she has started speaking with more layered meaning, building consciousness, and using music to open new territories in her world."[92]
Freshmusic magazine gave the album a rating of 9/10, calling it "undoubtedly the benchmark of 2014 Chinese pop music, and a work that cements Jolin Tsai's position at the peak of her career."[86] PlayMusic's critic Danial Chang rated the album 4.5/5, commenting, "Play breaks the confines of popular music, crossing the boundaries between mainstream and non-mainstream, offering Chinese music a new depth and breadth."[87] Another PlayMusic's critic, Chia Hsu, gave the album a perfect 5/5 rating, stating, "At last, Jolin Tsai effortlessly presents her music with ease, dancing freely, playing music, and enjoying the process, successfully establishing a new high standard."[93]Today newspaper rated the album 3.5/5, describing it as "a finely crafted electropop music album."[88]United Daily News' journalist Yen Fu-min remarked, "Having overcome widespread skepticism, Jolin Tsai's new album 'Play' sets an insurmountable high standard for Taiwanese pop singers. One can hear the care and consideration she put into producing this album, which is an intelligent dance album from an intelligent diva."[94] Music critic Jamie Lee described Play as "an extraordinary and era-defining work, with Jolin Tsai once again setting a high benchmark in the Chinese pop music scene. This is no longer something that can be achieved with mere 'effort'; Jolin has equipped herself with 'vision and ambition'."[95]
Tencent Entertainment's critic Mi Mi Mao stated, "This is a dance music album with unique arrangements, complex and rich tracks, diverse and trendy styles, and a broad theme, making it one of the best-produced pop dance albums in the Chinese-speaking world, comparable to similar international albums."[3]Tencent Music's Wave Jury ranked the album number 9 in their Top 200 Best Chinese Albums of 2001–2020 in the 2010–2020 category, commenting, "Play is a major transformative work in Jolin Tsai's musical career and a representative of Chinese dance music. In this album, Jolin Tsai breaks free from worldly constraints, crossing the boundaries between mainstream and non-mainstream music, and focusing on marginalized groups. Her stance is clear, with inclusive values, top-notch songwriting, composition, and performance. She relaxes into the album's production, bringing a sense of ease, and uses intellectual depth to arm a dance music album, broadening the borders of Chinese dance music."[96]
Accolades
On February 8, 2015, Tsai was awarded the Top 10 Singers at the 10th KKBox Music Awards.[97] On March 25, 2015, the album won Best Mandarin Album at the QQ Music Awards, and Tsai received the titles of Best Taiwanese Female Singer and Most Popular Hong Kong/Taiwan Female Singer.[59] On April 11, 2015, the album won the Best Hong Kong/Taiwan Album at the 3rd V Chart Awards, with Tsai receiving the Best Female Singer.[98] On May 15, 2015, the album was named Best Album at the 5th Global Chinese Golden Chart Awards, while the song "The Third Person and I" ranked among the Top 20 Songs of the Year, and "Play" claimed the Hit FM's Top Song of the Tear.[99]
On May 18, 2015, the album was nominated for 9 awards at the 26th Golden Melody Awards, the highest number of nominations for any album that year. The album was nominated for Best Mandarin Album and Best Vocal Recording Album, while the song "Play" was nominated for Song of the Year. The music videos for "Play" and "We're All Different, Yet the Same" were nominated for Best Music Video. Alex Ni and Starr Chen received nominations for Best Music Arrangement for "Play". Starr Chen and Andrew Chen were nominated for Best Single Producer for "Play" and "Lip Reading", respectively. Aaron Nieh received a nomination for Best Album Design for the album.[100] On May 31, 2015, the album won the Hito Music Awards' Top Album, while "Play" was awarded both the Top 10 Mandarin Songs and Hit FM's Top Song of 2014. Tsai also won the Top Female Singer.[101] On June 10, 2015, "Play" was named one of the Top 10 Songs of the Year by the Chinese Musicians Exchange Association.[102] On June 20, 2015, the album won one of the Top 10 Albums of the Year at the 8th Freshmusic Awards, and "Play" also received the Top 10 Songs of the Year.[103]
On June 27, 2015, the album won three awards at the 26th Golden Melody Awards, making it the most awarded album that year. The album received the Best Mandarin Album and Best Vocal Recording Album awards, while Andrew Chen won Best Single Producer for "Lip Reading".[8] On August 23, 2015, Tsai was named Most Popular Female Singer at the Music Radio China Top Chart Awards, and "The Third Person and I" won the Top Hong Kong/Taiwan Songs of the Year.[104] On September 15, 2015, Tsai was nominated for Best Taiwanese Act at the 2015 MTV Europe Music Awards.[105] On November 6, 2015, Tsai won the Most Popular Female Singer and Top 5 Most Popular Female Singer at the 15th Global Chinese Music Awards, while "Phony Queen" was named one of the Top 20 Songs of the Year.[106]
On December 2, 2015, Tsai received the Best Asian Artist at the 2015 Mnet Asian Music Awards.[62] On December 16, 2015, Tsai was named Best Dance Music Artist at the 16th Chinese Music Media Awards.[107] On May 13, 2016, the music video for "I'm Not Yours" was nominated for Best Music Video at the 27th Golden Melody Awards. Overall, the album received a total of 10 Golden Melody Award nominations, tying the record held by Jay Chou's Fantasy (2001) and A-Mei's Amit (2009) for the most nominations in the history of the awards, making it one of the most nominated albums of all time.[108]
Track listing
Play – Standard / Replay Deluxe International edition
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