The Song
Jam Hsiao
It is no secret that Taiwanese singer Jam Hsiao is a big fan of the late Michael Jackson. In his live performances in Singapore, he has often covered the King of Pop’s Black Or White.
On his new album, he even channels MJ on the opening number Kiss Me, which he composed and wrote the lyrics for.
From the falsetto to the swagger in the voice and the rhythmic swing of the track, this could well be the Jackson sound in Mandarin. One can already imagine Hsiao dancing up a storm to this live.
Elsewhere, he delivers songs such as Let Go with a playful rock snarl, drawing out the vowels and digitally altering his voice on Play With Me.
The album flounders, though, on the ballads – which is somewhat surprising considering his past hits such as Forgive Me and Clone. Ring Ring, a duet with Christine Fan, and Kelly, the Taiwanese ending theme for the Korean hit You Who Came From The Stars, fall short of those songs.
Maybe he should have channelled MJ on the ballads as well.

Warm Water
Yisa Yu
Calling China singer Yisa Yu’s new album easy listening sounds mildly disparaging. But it is not meant to be. Rather, the songs here go down comfortingly like a glass of warm water.
Pairing her pristine voice with slightly left-of-centre melodies is a good way to go.
On the lilting Forgiveness Is Not Perfect, she sings: “If some things lead you astray/If some people make you feel lost/If some songs are never sung/I ask for forgiveness on their behalf.”
The sentiment is not exactly cheery, but the soothing track could well put you in a forgiving mood.
The title track, with music and lyrics by Yu, is another highlight, as is the English version of a Zhang Yadong-composed mid-tempo number, Invisible Love.
Zhang also produced the album and he handles the material with a light touch, adding a light sprinkling of electronica here and there for a laidback feel.
(ST)