En
Li Ronghao
Chinese singer-songwriter Li Ronghao has made his name with finely crafted, and performed, mid-tempo tracks about life and love on Model (2013), 2014’s eponymous album and An Ideal (2016).
He shakes things up here on the opening title track by serving a slice of electronica pop with lyrics that sketch a portrait of millennial youth: “Don’t like tattoos of dragons and phoenixes/To bleed for one you love/Perhaps the upper classes won’t get it.”
The misguided attempt to connect with a younger audience is worrying. Luckily, much of the album is still Li doing what he does best – contemplating the vicissitudes of life and relationships at a slower pace.
The poignant Ballad sees him draw strength from ditties that remind him of home: “Ballads from hometown/ Are a good thing to me/They’re the most tenacious side of me/Whenever I feel low, I’d sing them.”
Wish You Happiness is melodic and moving: “Last night, unknowingly, falling leaves fell, a fairy-tale like autumn/That day a girl faced the phone, do you still love me.”
There is also Teenager, a song about taking life by the horns which features a cappella harmonisation: “While you’re still unafraid/Choose a path and set off/Don’t look back/ While you’re still a young man.” Despite the title, this might resonate more strongly with older listeners looking wistfully back on their youth.
(ST)