Kelly Chen - 真感覺 (True Feelings) 1999

Kelly is one of those idol cpop artists that rose to stardom in the late 90s.  She's half pop star, half actress.  She's not the demure, perky idol that you see in kpop or the bitchy bad girl popular in America.  She's is typical of what's popular in cantopop, that chic, trendy, lively but feminin pop starlet.

She is mainly focused on dance music, whether it's EDM or rock flavored dance pop and karaoke ballads.  She started out very popular and gradually lost steam and this was the song that turned things around and allowed her to eventually become a diva.  "True Feelings" is a dance pop song with a Chinese melody and guitar riffs.  It's catchy and lively.  The lyrics is nothing spectacular and cumbersome to translate..so I didn't bother.

Kelly Chen - 真感覺 (True Feelings)
From album: 真感覺 (True Feelings) 1999

Lyrics:
似看破四面牆　似看到太平洋
我與你去翱翔　飛得那麼歡暢
是你的一張肖像　叫我這麼多聯想

我看見你眉頭　我看見你鼻樑
我看見你面容　一些美好印象
是你的一張肖像　佔據這刻的意向

不必變身　只需非常留神
相信　你的心　便能超過限制
凝望眼前人　眼前人　我靈魂　你靈魂
剎那接近　更加逼真

情是　即刻想到你　已經　即刻想見你
其實我　掛念你　無限的神奇
即刻想到你　已經　即刻感覺你
無論你　遠或近　這一刻我要吻你

發覺這晚悠長　發覺我懶洋洋
我要你也在場　方可覺得歡暢
讓你的一張肖像　叫我這麼多聯想

看到你佻皮時　看到你困惑時
看到我已茫然　一些美好印象
讓你的一張肖像　佔據這刻的意向

不必變身　只需非常留神
相信　你的心　便能超過限制
凝望眼前人　眼前人　我靈魂　你靈魂
剎那接近　更加逼真

情是　即刻想到你　已經　即刻想見你
其實我　掛念你　無限的神奇
即刻想到你　已經　即刻感覺你
無論你　遠或近　這一刻我要吻你

Maria Cordero - 充滿希望 (Full of Hope) 1987

Maria Cordero is a large Chinese-Portugese mixed race singer born in Macau.  Her parents passed away when she was 11 and she had to get fake IDs to work and make money for the family.  She sang at a Hong Kong club as a blues singer and that big voice captured the customers and the word spread and soon she was discovered and offered to sing a theme song "Light of Friendship" for the popular movie "Prison on Fire" starring chow yun fat.  She became a star overnight, the song was a huge hit just like the movie the song was featured in. Her album soon went platinum and she was everywhere in the media.  Her mixed looks and big size and voice made her an icon and she later became a famous film and tv personality.   "Full of Hope" is her followup to "Light of Friendship", it became a minor hit.  It's a retro blues single with a chinese erhu (a wailing chinese violin) interlude.   There are not that many husky big voices in Asian music and Maria Cordero is a stand out in the industry.

Maria Cordero - 充滿希望 (Full of Hope)
From Album: Maria Cordero (1987)

The world has so much pain and sorrow
The road is rough so persevere
If wounded, please don't be frightened
The reality is that's life
Don't fear sky high, heart is higher
Don't remember the pain, venture my path with courage
Encounter predicaments, don't be dishearted
it's because I haven't tried my best to get up


Chorus:
Today, just toss away all worries
No turning back, see pass it, strive again
Failures, winning and losing becomes my strength

World's harship must break through
Don't carry pessimism and disappointment
On this day even if feeling sorrow
Still willing to try my best to get up

Vow to completely let loose and completely break through..
yeah..yeah
If disappointed, if exhausted
This is only a mandatory part of life
Vow to, I vow to break... through
yeah..yeah

Failures should be, Victories should be
Full of Hope
Don't think about triumph and failure
Tomorrow, everything must change
My heart's fullest, dream will come true

Rose Garden - 沒有明天的少年 (Youth without tomorrow) 1991

There is a little known about this band, one album and competely disappeared from the mainstream. It's hard to even find one copy of this cd on the 2nd hand market. Fortunately, somebody traded me this cd for some album I didn't care for anyways. They had 3 singles that charted on their debut album, but none of them had a huge impact despite getting some decent radio play.  Hong Kong used to welcome bands, from the 60s there were local bands singing in local venues and playing both original songs and cover of western bands, some of the prominent solo singers in the early 80s were once band members.
Most bands disappeared by the early 90s because the media airwaves and their focus were saturated with the four heavenly kings and new idols.   Rose Garden is one of those rare bands that's got signed to a record label, although a pretty small label and managed to debut in the idol populated cantopop market in the early 90s. Bands are an indie thing at that time ..very few managed to make it in the mainstream and things haven't changed since.  This is a pop rock single and I like it.  It's catchy with fast guitar solos and riffs.

Rose Garden - 沒有明天的少年 (Youth without tomorrow)
From album: 樂與怒的變奏 (A Rock & Roll Variation) 1991

Lyrics:
Never had tomorrow
Never desired money
They scoffed at me, I just stay silent

Never had sunny days
Only had self-pity
Although with big dreams,
they are hard to realize

Home in my heart has no roots
still holding onto regrets
Sorrow I swallowed alone
Pain left me scars
I can't take it anymore

Heart repressed with anger
No one to talk to
The world is callous
I want someone to care
my intentions are wasted
A stomach full of anger

Heart repressed with anger
No one to talk to
love hate left me confused
I want happiness
I don't want to hear again:
Your life is like shit

Jacky Cheung - 輕撫你的臉 (Gently caress your face) 1986

Jacky Cheung is the king of Chinese ballads and is frequently referenced as the "song god" in Chinese pop.
He has one of the longest careers in cantopop, as well as chinese pop in general out of the 4 heavenly kings. 
He is doing 100+ stop concert tour around Asia at this day and age. 
He won a local singing competition in the mid 80s and was signed by Polygram (now universal music).  Although the record company didn't have much faith in him in the beginning due to his homely looks, he managed to start with a bang.  His debut album sold quadriple platinum and produced 3 number one singles, including this pretty piano ballad, "Gently caress your face".  Jacky Cheung went onto becoming THE biggest selling male solo artist in chinese pop history with many multiple million selling albums across Asia. He has many of the best selling album in Chinese music history. Despite not being movie star handsome and lack of hardcore screaming fangirls, he is widely popular with an enormous amount of casual fans, which guarantees his stellar album sales and sold out concerts.

Jacky Cheung - 輕撫你的臉 (Gently caress your face)
From album: Smile (1986)

Lyrics:
A hand gently caress your face
Gentle to the touch, soft like cotton
Innocent eyes, closed firmly waiting
Like intoxicated, waiting to hear my words of love

Do you know I have fabricated a lie
Don't know where to start, hard to put it bluntly
Lighting up a cigarette, my heart scattered like the smoke
Forget it, I'll hide behind the smoke and pretend to be invisible

That bit of candlelight is like a cold arrow
My voice under the rapid breathing is gradually changing
This moment, my heart is a complete choas
I can't withhold from explaining
that Our love has changed

That day I impulsively said:
my love for you never will change
It was a sincere moment
never meant to deceive
Your heartfelt sacrifices, truly made me feel warm
Unfortunately today, I am no longer the same

A hand gently caress your face
Gentle to the touch, soft like cotton
Innocent eyes, vaguely revealing tears
Broken, broken memories, is plugged with a hundred arrows

A hand gently caress your face...

Aaron Kwok - 地獄天堂 (Hell Heaven) 2000

Aaron Kwok is also one of the 4 heavenly kings, being the youngest, the most youthful and energetic one.
He started out as a dancer, appearing on music videos and was picked up by a major label despite his lack of singing abilities, he has the showmanship and looks to make up for it.  He specialises in dance music, mainly house and techno pop and of course, being an idol in cantopop, you MUST sing some ballads for the female fans.  Aaron is the one with the least longevity of the 4 kings in cantopop, Hell Heaven is the continuation of his career downward spiral.  The previous album was the beginning of that spiral.  Hell Heaven was the first aaron lead single that failed to chart in the top 10.
The song barely made it in the top 20, the album sales while still good thanks to his large fanbase, but was nowhere stellar as most a-list artists of the time.  At this point, Aaron started to heavily focus on the movie industry and eventually faded out from cantopop and only to return once every few years for his return concert tours.  Aaron is a big influence on many Chinese solo dance artists, including Show Luo.  Hell Heaven is an electro-house song, interchanging between an etheral piano section and a heavily synthesized, beat-heavy electronic section. 

Aaron Kwok - 地獄天堂 (Hell Heaven)
From Album: 著迷 (Fascinating) 2000



Lyrics:

la la la ....
This world of love, two special zones, separated into dark and light factions
Sweetness and failure, neglected and spoiled, Romance on sale without license

In reality, love is limited in allocation, People love challenges without resolution
commitment and dependence, evasion and misunderstanding
Many struggles, still stayed happy

Love is separated, into Hell and Heaven
Everytime getting into the battle, everyone forgets easily
Fate and desinty, hopefully has Heaven
Love will forever shine, blazing and illuminating, is an ideal

la la la ....

Love is separated, into Hell and Heaven
Everywhere it's the same, who will never let go and never forget
This moment, hopefully has Heaven
Love forever the same, boundlessly illuminating, the extreme ideal

Andy Lau - 答案就是你 (The Answer is you) 1993

Speaking of the 4 heavenly kings the last time, in the early 90s, there were 4 solo male singers that caused an extreme craze in cantopop. The media was talking about them, they get mobs of fans chasing after their cars, their fans get into arguements and physical fights over their tense rivalry.  Their albums go quadriple platinum the day it's released and causing line ups at record stores.  For most of the 90s, they reigned the cantopop industry and leave everyone else in the dust.  The 10 yearly most popular songs are mainly shared amongst the four of them.  It made things tough for other artists as the four of them topped the charts for a total of 23 out of the 52 weeks in 1993.  Companies wanted to replicate their success and ended up unsuccessful.  This was what started the rampant idol manufacturing and over commercialization in cantopop which ultimately had a hand in leading to its own demise.  Andy Lau was one of the heavenly kings.  He was initially a very popular TV actor, then turned into a successful movie star and singer. ...he gives off a smooth boyish Tom Cruise vibe and was often called the chinese Tom Cruise.  His specialty is mainly catchy romantic love ballads.  The Answer Is You was a #1 hit as expected.  The song is a european style ballad.   30 years since his debut, Andy Lau is still very popular today with mega sold out concerts in Chinese speaking communities in Asia.

Andy Lau - 答案就是你 (The Answer is you)
From album: 答案就是你 (The Answer is you) 1993

Lyrics:
Why would I love, why would I open a closed heart
Why would I be intoxicated, soul and body cannot stay sober
Why the world that was lonesome, became a warm comforting dream
My past was only a pointless existence
Why is the present a passionate lust for life

Chorus:
Very clearly, the answer is you.
Do you know that my eyes, when looking at you,
I discover that my heart can only fall for you,
as if everything was predestined.
Very clearly, the answer is you.
Do you know this heart, from the night I met you,
I was certain that I will love you my entire life.
Inexplicable surprise (cannot be stopped)


Lost Perplexed Searching Finding, the past is always alone
Coming Going Turning in circles, wasted half my life
Searching for an answer, searching for a life that I can feel attached to
Just as I was endlessly depressed, who knew you'd fortunately drifted near

Beyond - 海闊天空 (Vast ocean and sky) 1993

Beyond is one of the most influential pop rock bands in Chinese history, and not just in cantopop.  Many of their songs are still being heavily played today all over Chinese speaking nations.  Vast ocean and sky's lyrics might sound a bit corny to the average listener and the lyrics seem to be a bit ambiguous, but knowing the background story explains everything.  The song was written at a time when cantopop music is at its commercial peak, when the industry is flooded with pretty idols and newcomers with nothing more than a pretty face is popping up by the second, cantopop was becoming overly commercial and manufactured.  Bands that were once relevant in the 80s have disappeared off the radar. The media at the early 90s was mainly focused on the 4 heavenly kings (which I will talk about later). Koma Wong at one point said "Hong Kong has no music industry, there is only an entertainment circle" .  Beyond, feeling dishearted by the future prospects of the industry as well as their career, decided to focus on Japan, the lyrics describes their sentiments with reference to their situation at that time.  I personally love Vast ocean and sky, the arrangement is perfect.  The song started with a quiet piano verse, then comes beautiful string sections that builds up to an emotional soaring guitar solo.  It's a beautiful rock ballad with a memorable melody and a raw heartfelt rendition.  It's one of those songs that I cannot get tired of because it's so full of real emotion.

Althought Vast ocean and sky was only a modest hit at the time of release, it soon became a huge smash due to the death of its lead, Koma Wong, who fell off a stage on their Japanese promo tour and sustained a fatal head injury.  Ironically, the song was released not long before his accident, which coincidentally contain lyrics about "falling".  The song has become the song to commerate his passing and has since become the ultimate Beyond classic as well as one of the biggest classics in cantopop.

Beyond - 海闊天空 (Vast ocean and sky)
From album: Rock & Roll (樂與怒) 1993

Lyrics:
Today I saw snow drifting by in the cold night
with a heart turned cold, drifting off to faraway places
Hurrying in the storm,
unable to tell the shadows apart
Vast ocean and sky, you and I,
will we change? (Who wouldn’t change?)

Many times, facing cold shoulder and ridicule
Never gave up on the ideals in my heart
A moment of absentmindedness,
a feeling of loss
Unwittingly, it faded,
..the love in my heart (Who understands me?)

Forgive my whole life of indulgence and love of freedom
I'm also afraid that one day I might fall,
Abandoning your ideals, anyone can
Not afraid that someday there’s just you and me

Still free and independent. Forever chating my song, Traveling through thousands of miles