![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
presumenothing(事情是这样的…)
So after realising he'd already gotten to ten (TEN!!) new releases for 2022 as of today, I apparently decided that obviously made it time to relisten to all his 2021 songs Right There and Then. As usual, things devolved from there. You know how it is.
And thus! Here is a 2021 releases playlist…
…to go with the 2021 releases gifsets I already did…
…aaaaand a completely arbitrary personal ranking made on the very objective criteria of "on a scale of 1 to 10 how !!!! am I about this", among other scientific measures:
(Numbers in brackets indicate their order in the playlist above, which also has some titles in traditional or pinyin instead for reasons I completely cannot decipher, but anyway. Music!)
ABSOLUTE MOST VERY TOP 3 FAVES
- 光亮 (#40): The song I spent nearly the whole of 2021 impatiently waiting for after a teaser bit was released, and 1000000/10 worth it!!! Bonus points: gorgeous MV, all the ad-lib harmonies in the performances so far, and of course hearing him do the 戏腔/opera parts live is such a treat.
- 时结 (#31): Firm winner in the "have definitely listened to this for three hours nonstop" category! Along with "harder to sing than you might think", because it might not go as high as his other songs but wow that second line of the verse is low.
- 生而为赢 (#29): Such a badass track, damn. Especially in the live edition, and of course one must mention the extremely dramatic MV. *hands you a gifset in appreciation*
ALSO FAVES
- 我，江湖！ (#4): The chorus?? Hello?? I don't know the lower line also counts as 戏腔 but it's definitely distinct from his regular voice – there's so much vocal variety in this, harmony rap line included.
- 望 (#5): Winner of "most-attack-on-my-feelings MV", as already mentioned here.
- 明月传说 (#6): Tied with 若梦 for "slow songs I didn't expect to like until they grew on me". There's just something pleasing about the verse melody. Also an instance of excellent piano use!
- 若梦 (#11): Once again – who says slower songs have to be boring. The build-up towards the final version of the chorus! Good stuff.
- 跳舞的月光 (#23): One of the rare instances I actually didn't mind movie clips in the MV. Which is gorgeous, by the by, and if you haven't tired of hearing me say it then I also have a gifset for that. Moooooon.
- 若思念便思念 (#32): That opening Hakka line! Also liable to give me feelings overall, because lyrics.
- 和光同春 (#34): I know "refreshing" is usually descriptor for drinks, but it absolutely also applies here. More collaborations with Tan-laoshi please, yes and thank you.
- 真相 (#36): I recall seeing the first 90 seconds of this described as practically acapella, and honestly? Accurate. And it works.
- 美好的世界 (#37): Literally the most un-Zhou-Shen-like Zhou Shen song ever, as he noted, and wow, I'll take another dozen!! Also notable for the verse going lower than even I can comfortably hit (which I'm used to for high notes… but yes he can unfairly do both too).
- 借给我一盒火柴 (#43): …okay, I admit to having been a little disappointed this didn't turn out to be a full-length English song after hearing the chorus line in a teaser bit. But it's good!
HONORABLE MENTIONS
- 无所畏惧 (#2): Excellent orchestra use, as also featured in the MV – strings! piano! the works!
- 归处 (#3): The original 大鱼 team returns! With that whole last minute of 吟唱, my feelings.
- 茫茫星河 (#8): Tied with 归处 for "most nostalgic" for purely personal reasons, because みちゆき was one of my favourites in high school and I fairly lost it when I first realised what this was.
- 灯火里的中国 (#16, with Zhang Ye): Clear winner of "most likely to get stuck in my head", 青春婀娜～ for days.
- 茧 (#13): Specifically sold to me by the debut live on Happy Camp! Also, would-be candidate for "most adorable behind-the-scene extras" (and "most hilarious", for the fact that he clearly did not find it that challenging despite the staff comments).
- Rubia (#7): Because doubling/quadrupling(?) as your own kid choir backing will always deserve a mention. One of many contenders for the most "Literally Also Being My Own Harmony Vocals" award.
- 田埂五月風 (#19): For the heartwarming quotient, and proof that he could go wordless for a whole song and I would happily enjoy it regardless.
- 问花 (#24): Extra pleasing for the poetic symmetry of him also having done the song for the first White Snake movie, aka 缘起!
- 江湖缘起 (#25): Would probably have made it into the faves section if not for the other jianghu-themed songs being also Really Great… competition is strong, what can I say XD
- 生活总该迎着光亮 (#28): So very many light-themed songs he has! And quite appropriately so.
- 像鸟儿一样 (#45): Another demonstration of the power of a simple composition when employed well!
Which I know declares a good one-third of the total as some kind of fave, but I assure you this is completely true and valid. Anyway! Drop any faves you have in the comments so we can compare notes. For Science.
no subject
Date: 2022-02-20 08:34 pm (UTC)I'm on song 18 and so far my favourites are #1, #6 and #18. Not much overlap with your choices at this stage XD
no subject
Date: 2022-02-22 02:07 pm (UTC)Spreadsheets!!
Maybe I'll do a 2020 releases version when I'm in the list mood again XD it's like 3/4 the length, but I'm much less familiar with most everything pre-2021 so it might be fun.
(also, choosing is HARD)
VERY
I just like him doing ballads ok.
Well, you've definitely got no shortage there! I do like his ballads more than the average artist's, especially if performed live (see: 无问 and 能解答一切的答案 from Singer 2020, i.e. the at-home performances), but (to borrow![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
nnozomi's phrasing) my catnip is generally on the catchier and/or less-conventional end.
so far my favourites are #1, #6 and #18
And of course the Hu Xia duet (#1) is on here haha. #6 would be in my top few for a ballads-only list, I flailed so hard when he sang it live on his birthday stream last year.
no subject
Date: 2022-02-22 06:46 pm (UTC)You do NOT want to know what kind of noise I made the first time I heard that song. Catnip.
no subject
Date: 2022-02-23 11:32 am (UTC)The Venn diagram of your catnip and duet songs is definitely non-negligible :P one might even say statistically significant…
no subject
Date: 2022-02-23 02:10 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-02-21 02:28 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-02-22 01:44 pm (UTC)♡ his music is always good background for work! And there's enough variety in last year's stuff especially to keep things interesting, though funnily enough my absolute favourite (江湖觅知音) is from 2020 instead haha. It's fun when you stumble upon a song that hits the specific catnip blend.
(That said I am absolutely the opposite on this, I listen to my faves on repeat like it's going out of style LOL rationing out the things I like is reserved for food and drink)
no subject
Date: 2022-02-23 06:29 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-02-23 11:22 am (UTC)I was having a VERY shenshen year in 2021 XD 'twas excellent, and now I can gif. Very specifically motivated skills acquisition ftw.
I'm eyeing that jianghu song, it sounds up my alley
*eyes emoji-ing back at you* jianghu vibes!!
My favorite is his Who's the Murderer performance (obviously)
XD literally the only reason I've not listened to this infinity times is it's Too Good and therefore distracting for work…
Related recs since you mention Dalabengba and dancing (which I think broke many people's minds when it first aired LOL): 卡布叻船长, 你看起来很好吃 from this CNY, the Chuang theme song performance, 极乐净土 (not sure if there's currently a complete version on YouTube, the audio keeps getting muted even on the official upload, rip).