Jay Chou 5th Album " Common Jasmin Orange

Common Jasmin Orange(Chinese: 七里香; pinyin: Qī Lǐ Xiāng) is Jay Chou's fifth studio album, which was released on February 3, 2004. The title of this album literally translates to "Seven Mile Fragrance". This album was also #42 in the Top 50 Global Best Selling Albums for 2004. The popular single, 七里香 Qī Lǐ Xiāngwas officially released on November 29, 2003.

Editor's Review
Reviewed by kelvin on 9th October 2006

Track 01 - Describing the behavioural style of youths who place themselves first. Jay opens the album with this song, echoing the first line: In my territory, you have to listen to me...as if a kind of confidence and declaration he has towards his own album. This is a song with a lot of style employing emphasis on "er" to give it a very chinese feel, also bringing with a slight Disney feel at the opening. This is the type of song that you either love or hate. You either love the way he uses "er" throughout the song or you hate it due to its repetitiveness. Personally it was not too bad at first but the number of "er"s is overused in my opinion. As the track one it surely gives a shock to listeners with its unique style, and perhaps even too unique of a style that may turn people off upon hearing the album from the start.

Track 02 - This is a piece by the partnership of Jay and his best partner Vincent Fang, it is a modern poetic song, it gives people a refreshing feeling like a breeze. The music is like an interesting poem, it is a new idea he longed to show. This the main ballad of the album, following the success of Fine Day from the previous album, this song goes for the same formula. The song starts off very nicely with good instruments and strong verses. The song is spoiled by the average chorus, also by the fact that the chorus is repeated too often. This is a good solid song that many will like.

Track 03 - A lyrical deep feeling rock song, it is also an easy to sing along KTV plugged song. Once again Jay writes about losing love in this song. It is very easy to listen to with nice and simple lyrics that one can easily sing along to. The song itself is nothing spectacular but worth a listen.

Track 04 - Through music, one can understand the relationship between grandson Jay and his grandmother, it is warm and endearing, the latter parts of the lyrics looks back on the Golden Melody Awards, sincerely talking about his feelings and regrets at that time. It also lets us see Jay's real temperament. There are two ways you can look at this song. Either you see Jay singing about his grandmother and being diao about not winning at the GMAs or you can see Jay as whining about not winning. However saying that, the song is mainly about his grandmother. Once again in this song we have a child's voice, only this time the child is in fact a 20 year old female colleague at Jay's company. Personally I do not like the child voices.

Track 05 - The new commercial song for Panasonic, the contents of the lyrics are taken from the topic of slaughtering battle of chinese chess. The rhythm is fast, not letting people have one moment of rest. The strange lyricist Ah Lang after In The Name Of The Father has once again written another representative work. The result is a very well written piece coupled with great rapping by Jay. The song has a strong eastern taste mixed with hip hop.

Track 06 - Jay challenges himself against the hard level of singing in "Black Humour" and "Silence", it is the song he has sung the highest note, it is more than enough to display his vocal abilities. Another slow sad love song, this time the lyrics are by Devon from Nan Quan Mama. This song can be very easily mixed up with Excuse (track 3) since they sound very alike. Personally I feel this song has the better lyrics and tune compared to Excuse and overall the song has much more feeling especially near the end when the song becomes very hard to sing.

Track 07 - From Wife, Nun-chuks, Dragon Fist to Double Blade, Jay used Chinese music to create a musical brand that no one can contend with, this song has even more spectacular creativity shown, letting the time machine of music bring you back to that fascinating dynasty. A commercial song for a popular chinese video game, Jay samples many video game sounds in the song and also inserting a comical phone call in the middle. The song is laid back and easier to listen to but it isn't a song you particular want to listen to. When you are running through the album you won't mind listening to it but usually you won't pick it deliberately to listen to. Also I think the track uses too much scratching that spoils the song slightly. This song definitely falls short in terms of a song for a video game compared to The Orcs for Warcraft 3.

Track 08 - A very strong rock song, the lyrics are by Jay's good friend Liu Geng Hong, showing off a cool Jay style storm. This song is one that is very unlike Jay to sing. Supposedly Jay first wrote this song for a newcomer at Alfa Music but after listening to it, he felt it was better suited for him to sing it himself. Personally, the song just doesn't click for me, perhaps it is because I am more used to Jay singing rnb. The song also sounds very depressing.

Track 09 - An rnb love song style, the rhythm is quick, Vincent Fang uses the school garden party as the topic that creates the vocabulary of students. Taking the listener back to the simple feelings of student period. This is a classic Jay style song, it is very obvious he took some inspiration from his past work Lovable Woman, the song is a welcome return to easy to listen to song with rnb flavour. Fans of his older albums will enjoy this song. The only flaw to this song is the lyrics, not because they are not good but because they are hard to memorise and sing to. Simple lyrics will suit this song better.

Track 10 - The battleground, children, hope, dandelion, theatre, storyteller and also old pictures...Jay has used music to direct the scene. Displaying the main vison of the entire album. It is an excellent piece of work that is very appealing and makes people think. A song about war, I have found with this song a mixed reception. Some people like it, some people don't. Personally the song is low on my playlist. The song gives off a certain uneasy feel to it with the music in the background.

Overall - A better album than the previous since it is much more closer to Jay's original style which is the style I enjoy more. The album is not without its problems, for example the inclusion of Excuse and Run Aground - two songs that just sound too much alike one another. The album is solid overall with a good balance of songs but it lacks truely classic songs that people remember.
Track listing

All music composed by Jay Chou.
Singles from Common Jasmin Orange

"七里香 Qī Lǐ Xiāng (Common Jamsine Orange)"
Released: November 29, 2003
"擱淺 Gē Qiǎn (Stranded)"
Released: March 8, 2004
"止戰之殤 Zhǐ Zhàn Zhī Shāng (Wounds of War)"
Released: June 17, 2004


No. Title Lyrics Length
1. "My Territory" (我的地盤 Wǒ De Dì Pán) Vincent Fang 4:02
2. "Common Jasmine Orange" (七里香 Qī Lǐ Xiāng) Vincent Fang 4:57
3. "Excuse" (藉口 Jiè Kǒu) Jay Chou 4:18
4. "Grandmother" (外婆 Wài Pó) Jay Chou 4:02
5. "Checkmate" (將軍 Jiāng Jūn) Jun-Lang Huang (黃俊郎) 3:22
6. "Stranded" (擱淺 Gē Qiǎn) Devon Song 3:58
7. "Chaotic Dance of Spring and Autumn" (亂舞春秋 Luàn Wǔ Chūn Qiū) Vincent Fang 4:37
8. "Duel of Trapped Beasts" (困獸之鬥 Kùn Shòu Zhī Dòu) Will Liu 4:27
9. "Carnival" (園遊會 Yuán Yóu Huì) Vincent Fang 4:13
10. "Wounds of War" (止戰之殤 Zhǐ Zhàn Zhī Shāng) Vincent Fang 4:34

Britney Spears 5th Album "Blackout"

Blackout is the fifth studio album by American pop singer Britney Spears, released by Jive Records on October 27, 2007. Spears began working on this album as early as February 2006, exploring into electropop, synthpop and techno. The album has also a more R&B/urban sound and recording with new producers such as Danja. Blackout was her first studio album in four years since 2003's In the Zone and is the first time Spears is the executive producer of one of her albums. The album's title refers to "blacking out negativity and embracing life fully". The songs on the album are thematically focused on sex, love and Spears' relationship–struggle with the media.

Blackout debuted at number two on the Billboard 200, becoming her first and so far only studio album not to debut at number one due to a last-minute rules change by the Billboard music association. According to the IFPI, the album was 32nd in terms of units shipped by the end of 2007.

The album's first single, "Gimme More", peaked at number one in the Canadian Hot 100 and became a top five hit in twelve countries. The second single, "Piece of Me", reached number one in Ireland. The final single, "Break the Ice", reached number one in the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play, making all the singles of the album go to the top position of at least a chart. All three songs frequently appeared on the lists that included the best records of the year. Even though initial critical response was mixed to positive, the album later won high critical acclaim and appeared on many lists that included the decade's best albums. The album was named the 5th "Best Pop Album of the Decade" by The Times, the 7th-best album of the decade on the Rolling Stones "The Decade-End Readers’ Poll", and the 3rd Best Album of the decade on the Billboard "Readers Poll", and won "Album of the Year" at the MTV Europe Music Awards 2008. To date, the album has sold over 3.1 million copies worldwide.


Singles
"Gimme More" was the first single from Blackout. Spears performed the song at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards on September 9, 2007. It was released earlier to radio stations on August 30, 2007, and as a digital download on iTunes on September 27, 2007. "Gimme More" became Spears' first top 5 hit since "...Baby One More Time", reaching number three on the Billboard Hot 100. Since the release in September 2007, "Gimme More" has been certified Platinum in the U.S.
"Piece of Me" was released as the second single from the album. The music video was shot on November 27, 2007, at Los Angeles restaurant and night club, Social Hollywood. It debuted at number 65 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, mostly due to its digital download sales, and peaked at number 18. It has also reached number one on the Irish Singles Chart, number two in Australia and on the UK Singles Chart, and number five on the Canadian Hot 100. The first live performance of "Piece of Me" was during The Circus Starring Britney Spears, where Spears dances in a Golden Cage.
"Break the Ice" was officially released for radio airplay in the U.S. on March 3, 2008, The song peaked at number 43 on the Hot 100. The music video for the song premiered on March 12, the first, of Spears' videos to be fully animated.
"Radar" was planned as the fourth single from the album but plans were scrapped since Spears had begun recording new material for her sixth studio album, leading to "Radar" being only released as a promotional single. The song was also included on Circus as a bonus track and was released as the fourth single from the album. Radar was first performed live at The Circus Starring Britney Spears tour.
Track listing
No. Title Writer(s) Producer(s) Length
1. "Gimme More" Nathaniel Hills, James Washington, Keri Hilson, Marcella Araica Danja 4:11
2. "Piece of Me" C. Karlsson, P. Winnberg, K. Åhlund Bloodshy & Avant 3:32
3. "Radar" C. Karlsson, P. Winnberg, H. Jonback, B. Muhammad, C. Nelson, E. Lewis, J. Que Bloodshy & Avant 3:49
4. "Break the Ice" N. Hills, J. Washington, K. Hilson, Marcella Araica Danja 3:16
5. "Heaven on Earth" M. McGroarty, N. Huntington, Nicole Morier Kara DioGuardi, Freescha 4:52
6. "Get Naked (I Got a Plan)" C. Ellis, N. Hills, Marcella Araica Danja 4:45
7. "Freakshow" B. Spears, C. Karlsson, P. Winnberg, H. Jonback, E. Lewis, J. Que Bloodshy & Avant, The Clutch 2:55
8. "Toy Soldier" C. Karlsson, P. Winnberg, M. Wallbert, S. Garrett Bloodshy & Avant, Sean Garrett 3:22
9. "Hot as Ice" T-Pain, N. Hills, Marcella Araica Danja 3:17
10. "Ooh Ooh Baby" B. Spears, K. DioGuardi, F. Nasser, E. Coomes Fredwreck, Kara DioGuardi 3:28
11. "Perfect Lover" N. Hills, J. Washington, K. Hilson, Marcella Araica Danja 3:02
12. "Why Should I Be Sad" P. Williams The Neptunes 3:10

 

Eminem 5th Album "Encore"

Encore is the fifth studio album by American rapper Eminem. It was set for release on November 16, 2004, but was moved up to November 12 after the album was leaked to the Internet. Encore sold 1,582,000 copies in its first two weeks of release in the United States in November 2004, and was certified 4x Platinum there in mid-December. Nine months after its release, worldwide sales of the album stood at 11 million copies. Critical reception was mostly positive. However, most critics and fans alike did note the quality of the lyrics were more simplistic when compared to previous albums. The album was nominated for three Grammys at the 48th Annual Grammy Awards including for Best Rap Album, but lost to Speakerboxxx/The Love Below.

The album was nominated for three Grammys at the 48th Annual Grammy Awards, but it did not win any:
Encore for Best Rap Album
"Encore/Curtains Down", featuring Dr. Dre and 50 Cent, for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group
"Mockingbird" for Best Rap Solo Performance

Despite the commercial success of the album, it has been subject to some criticism for its tone and greatly simplified lyricism compared to Eminem's past albums. Conversely, in terms of controversy, this album attracted less notoriety than previous Eminem albums due to the fact that shock-oriented lyrics were toned down somewhat in favor of a lighter approach than Eminem's previous three albums. However, the album did provoke some controversy over anti-Bush lyrics and lyrics that made fun of Michael Jackson, who was upset about Eminem's depiction of him in the video for "Just Lose It".

Eminem stated that around the time Encore was being made he became addicted to prescription drugs.
Track listing

No. Title Writer(s) Producer(s) Length
1. "Curtains Up" (skit) 0:47
2. "Evil Deeds" M. Mathers, A. Young, M. Elizondo, M. Batson, C. Pope Dr. Dre 4:20
3. "Never Enough" (feat. 50 Cent & Nate Dogg) M. Mathers, A. Young, M. Elizondo, C. Jackson, N. Hale Dr. Dre, Mike Elizondo 2:39
4. "Yellow Brick Road" M. Mathers, L. Resto, S. King Eminem, Luis Resto 5:46
5. "Like Toy Soldiers" M. Mathers, L. Resto, M. Dawson, M. J. Margules Eminem, Luis Resto 4:57
6. "Mosh" M. Mathers, A. Young, M. Elizondo, M. Batson, C. Pope Dr. Dre, Mark Batson 5:18
7. "Puke" M. Mathers, L. Resto, S. King, B. May Eminem, Luis Resto 4:08
8. "My 1st Single" M. Mathers, L. Resto Eminem, Luis Resto 5:03
9. "Paul" (skit) 0:32
10. "Rain Man" M. Mathers, A. Young, M. Elizondo, M. Batson, C. Pope Dr. Dre 5:14
11. "Big Weenie" M. Mathers, A. Young, M. Elizondo, M. Batson, C. Pope Dr. Dre 4:27
12. "Em Calls Paul" (skit) 1:12
13. "Just Lose It" M. Mathers, A. Young, M. Elizondo, M. Batson, C. Pope Dr. Dre, Mike Elizondo 4:09
14. "Ass Like That" M. Mathers, A. Young, M. Elizondo, M. Batson, C. Pope Dr. Dre, Mike Elizondo 4:26
15. "Spend Some Time" (feat. Obie Trice, Stat Quo & 50 Cent) M. Mathers, L. Resto, O. Trice, S. Benton, C. Jackson, S. King, G. Write Eminem, Luis Resto 5:11
16. "Mockingbird" M. Mathers, L. Resto Eminem, Luis Resto 4:11
17. "Crazy in Love" M. Mathers, L. Resto, A. Wilson, N. Wilson, R. Fisher Eminem, Luis Resto 4:02
18. "One Shot 2 Shot" (with D12) M. Mathers, L. Resto, O. Moore, V. Carlisle, D. Porter, R. Johnson Eminem, Luis Resto 4:27
19. "Final Thought" (skit) 0:30
20. "Encore" (feat. Dr. Dre & 50 Cent) M. Mathers, A. Young, M. Elizondo, M. Batson, C. Pope, C. Jackson Dr. Dre, Mark Batson 5:48


Bonus disc
No. Title Writer(s) Producer(s) Length
1. "We as Americans" M. Mathers, L. Resto Eminem, Luis Resto 4:36
2. "Love You More" M. Mathers, L. Resto Eminem, Luis Resto 4:44
3. "Ricky Ticky Toc" M. Mathers, L. Resto, S. King Eminem, Luis Resto 2:53