Common Jasmine Orange | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 3 August 2004 | |||
Recorded | 2003–2004 | |||
Studio | Alfa Studio (Taipei) | |||
Genre | Mandopop | |||
Length | 42:30 | |||
Language | Mandarin | |||
Label | Alfa Music | |||
Producer | Jay Chou | |||
Jay Chou chronology | ||||
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Singles from Common Jasmin Orange | ||||
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Common Jasmine Orange ( Chinese: 七里香; pinyin: Qī Lǐ Xiāng) is the fifth studio album by Taiwanese recording artist Jay Chou, released on 3 August 2004, by Alfa Music. The album's lyrics were written by a team of songwriters including Chou, the singer's frequent collaborator Vincent Fang, Alang Huang, Devon Song, and Will Liualong, whilst composition was handled entirely by Chou himself. Musically, Common Jasmin Orange is primarily a R&B and pop record with influences from rock and traditional Chinese and Japanese music.
Common Jasmin Orange was met with generally positive reviews from music critics, who appreciated its musical styles and usage of traditional elements. The titular track was promoted as the record's lead single, which fused pop rock styles with oriental instrumentations. Radio station Hit FM ranked the song number one on their Hit FM Top 100 Singles of the Year list. Common Jasmin Orange also contained singles such as "Wounds of War" and "Step Aside", while music videos were produced for most of the album's tracks.
A commercial success, the album reached number one on the record charts in Malaysia and Singapore, becoming his fourth consecutive chart topper in the latter country. In Taiwan, it was the best-selling album of the year according to domestic media publications, marking his third consecutive number-one annual album in the country after The Eight Dimensions (2002) and Yeh Hui-Mei (2003). Common Jasmine Orange saw major commercial success in China; according to Guinness World Records, it is the best-selling physical album in China in the 21st century with more than 2,600,000 copies sold. According to the IFPI, the album was the 43rd best-selling album globally in 2004.
Chou composed all of the songs in Common Jasmin Orange. Half of the lyrics were penned by the singer's frequent collaborator Vincent Fang, while the remaining tracks were written by Chou, Alang Huang, Devon Song, and Will Liualong. Zhong Zuohong and sound engineer Yang Ruidai also worked on the record, both of whom were members of Nan Quan Mama.
The album cover was envisioned to be shot in a location that exudes vitality. After a careful selection process, Vladivostok, Russia was chosen as the location for the album cover shoot. Chou donned a military uniform while a young Russian girl holding a stuffed animal was positioned in front of him. [1]
In Common Jasmin Orange, Chou adopts the persona of a storyteller, using music as a medium to share his narratives and imaginative visuals with his listeners. [2] The song "Common Jasmine Orange" (Qi Li Xiang) was inspired by a poem by Xi Murong. Commentators have described the song as a romantic summer number that captures the feelings one gets from a love interest. [3] Its production utilizes traditional Chinese and Japanese folk music elements. [4] "Grandma" was written by Chou and is a heartfelt tribute to the elderly. In the process of writing the song, Chou expressed discontent with certain award ceremonies. Fans speculated that the song was about Chou not receiving any accolades at the 14th Golden Melody Awards for his album The Eight Dimensions (2002). The song "Chaotic Dance" draws creative inspiration from the historical events of the Three Kingdoms in the late Eastern Han Dynasty. [4]
The album was nominated for six Golden Melody Awards. The album won for an IFPI Hong Kong Top Sales Music Award for Best Selling Mandarin Album of the Year. [5]
Award | Year | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
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China Music Awards | 2005 | Top 25 Songs Award | "Common Jasmine Orange" | Won | [6] |
Golden Melody Awards | 2005 | Best Mandarin Album | Common Jasmine Orange | Nominated | |
Best Mandarin Male Singer | Nominated | ||||
Best Composer | "Common Jasmine Orange" | Nominated | |||
Best Music Video | "Wounds of War" | Nominated | |||
"Grandma" | Nominated | ||||
Hito Music Awards | 2005 | Audience Favorite Song | "Common Jasmine Orange" | Won | |
Top 10 Chinese Songs | Won | ||||
IFPI Music Sales Awards | 2004 | Best Selling Mandarin Album | Common Jasmine Orange | Won | [5] |
Top Ten Chinese Gold Songs Awards | 2005 | Outstanding Gold Award | "Common Jasmine Orange" | Won | [7] |
Top 10 Songs Award | Won |
Common Jasmin Orange achieved commercial success throughout Asia. In Singapore, the album peaked at number one on the Recording Industry Association Singapore (RIAS) album chart in the issue dated 21 August 2004, and remained atop the chart for multiple weeks. [8] It was Chou's fourth consecutive album to reach number one in Singapore. In Malaysia, it peaked at number one on the Recording Industry Association of Malaysia (RIM) Chinese album chart in the issue dated 24 August 2004. [9] In Taiwan, it was the best-selling album of the year according to domestic news publications, making it the singer's third consecutive best-selling album of the year after The Eight Dimensions (2002) and Yeh Hui-Mei (2003). [10]
In China, Common Jasmine Orange saw major commercial success. According to Guinness World Records, it is the best-selling physical album released during the 21st century in China with sales of over 2,600,000 copies. [11] The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) ranked the album at number 43 on their list of the best-selling albums worldwide during 2004. [12] The tracks, "Common Jasmine Orange", "Excuse", and "Wounds of War", were listed at number 1, number 10, and number 88 respectively on the 2004's Hit FM Top 100 Singles of the Year chart. [13] [14]
The music video for "Common Jasmine Orange", filmed in Takasaki, Japan, combines modern and picturesque elements. It features Japanese model and actress Chie Tanaka. The music video for the album's second single, "Wounds of War", and "Excuse" were shot in Vladivostok. [1]
All music is composed by Jay Chou.
No. | Title | Lyrics | Length |
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1. | "My Territory" (我的地盤; Wǒ dì dìpán) | Vincent Fang | 4:00 |
2. | "Common Jasmine Orange" (七里香; Qī lǐ xiāng) | Vincent Fang | 4:55 |
3. | "Excuse" (藉口; Jièkǒu) | Jay Chou | 4:16 |
4. | "Grandma" (外婆; Wàipó) | Jay Chou | 4:00 |
5. | "General" (將軍; Jiāngjūn) | Alang Huang | 3:20 |
6. | "Step Aside" (擱淺; Gēqiǎn) | Devon Song | 3:56 |
7. | "Chaotic Dance" (亂舞春秋; Luàn wǔ chūnqiū) | Vincent Fang | 4:36 |
8. | "Struggle" (困獸之鬥; Kùn shòu zhī dòu) | Will Liu | 4:25 |
9. | "Fun Fair" (園遊會; Yuán yóu huì) | Vincent Fang | 4:11 |
10. | "Wounds of War" (止戰之殤; Zhǐ zhàn zhī shāng) | Vincent Fang | 4:34 |
Total length: | 42:30 |
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
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Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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China | — | 2,600,000 [15] |
Taiwan | — | 300,000 [16] |
In China the official figure reached 2.6 million units, a stunning figure that no other Chinese artist has attained.