Pop music abroad

Jolin Tsai, a Taiwanese pop star at a 2007 concert in Singapore. Photo: Yaw Yong Xin / Flickr

While “pop music” is a dirty word among the hipster set, it’s hard to escape because it’s well, popular. Now that I live in Taiwan, the center of the Mandopop universe, the music is everywhere: in department stores, metro stations and restaurants. The local pop stars grace the covers of magazines in convenience stores and the billboards on the street.

(Note: “Mandopop” refers to Mandarin-language music, while “Cantopop” is the Cantonese variety that comes from Hong Kong.)

Just from sheer overload, familiar tunes start to seep into your head. Eventually, you even start to have favorites. Without even thinking about it, I’ll find myself humming the latest hit while I’m stuck waiting for an elevator. I often point out ads to newly-landed expats and recite the Chinese name of each pop star. In response, I get incredulous looks saying, “Man, you’re losing it!”

Silk Road, by Malaysian-born singer Jasmine “Fish” Leong, is one of my top picks. The first time I heard it, I was stuck on a miserable car trip from a remote factory to downtown Shanghai. So when this soaring ballad came on the radio, it transported me away from my problems.

Every time I listen to “Silk Road,” I get a little teary. It just encapsulates everything I imagine about Asia, the epic landscapes, tragic loves and sheer beauty of the people. For an English translation, click here.