Today’s post was inspired by the recent Cdrama Reset! If you haven’t watched the drama yet, I highly recommend it – I loved the wonderfully layered and well-written story. AND I also loved a couple of songs from the OST, which I just had to share! Come check out those songs, as well as a few other Chinese songs that have claimed residence on my ever-growing playlists!
Essay Wang – ‘Wake Up’ (Reset OST)
I really fell for this song’s combo of rock guitar and growly lyrics – a perfect rock ballad and anthem for the drama’s ordinary heroes vibe.
Chen Hui – ‘Rebound’ (Reset OST)
Sung by lead vocalist of the rock band The Face, this song evokes all the feels of overcoming challenges and coming out stronger on the other side. Again, a perfect fit for the drama and its characters!
Zhou Shen & Sa Dingding – ‘Upwards to the Moon’ (Ashes of Love OST)
Originally sung by Sa Dingding, this collab version also features Zhou Shen, whose vocals are sure to leave you stunned! It took me a few seconds to realize that it was the male singer hitting those high notes. Enjoy this beautiful performance!
Zi De Guqin Studio – ‘Dalabengba’
I always enjoy learning about the origins of different music styles and was excited when my Cbestie shared this traditional instrumental ensemble with me! Their cover of ‘Dalabengba’ showcases a wonderful combination of instruments, vocals, and Chinese culture.
After Journey – ‘The Bonfire Underneath the Grape Trellis’
I love After Journey’s flowing, lyrical rap style combined with the acoustic guitar and Middle Eastern vibe of this song. Also, he’s just having blast performing – his smooth dance breaks are so much fun!
Into1 – ‘Into the Fire’
Formed from the Tencent survival show Produce Camp 2021, Into1 is an 11-member Chinese, Japanese, and Thai boy group. WayV and NEX7 opened the door to Cpop for me and I’m excited to add this new group to the roster as well!
Hua Chen Yu – ‘Madhouse’
(Consider this your warning – there will be lots of gushing about this particular artist!)
Hua Chen Yu has quickly become one of my favorite vocalists. I have thrown myself down the rabbit hole that is Hua Hua and am forever indebted to my Cbestie for introducing me to his soulful songs and dramatic performances. He’s a quiet (and some might say eccentric) individual outside of the spotlight, but as a performer, his stage presence and charisma are totally magnetic! His powerful vocal range and his ability to switch between different styles in his songs is fantastic. It was HARD to just pick one song to share with you here, because I have ALL his songs saved – none should be missed! BUT I picked ‘Madhouse’ because I absolutely love the calypso-rock beat and the fact his lyrics are shining a light on mental health.
Thanks for joining me on this little detour to check out these great Chinese artists!! I love exploring different genres and languages – what’s your favorite non-Kpop music?? Share with me in the comments below!!
화이팅!
MiataMama
Dramas with a Side of Kimchi
There are so many great songs and artists for C-pop.
Currently Yisa Yu and Terry Lin have been dominating my mandopop playlist because of the Chinese music variety show Time Concert.
Yisa Yu’s “Walking By The World” – https://youtu.be/63_ZYUy3yWY
Terry Lin’s “Mona Lisa’s Tear” – https://youtu.be/z7Z9A5ybq3c
I don’t listen to cantopop as much now, but Leon Lai’s collaboration with Hins Cheung is a favourite of mine.
Leon Lai & Hins Cheung “Old Fashioned” – https://youtu.be/eDqYERnAJ7E
To connect C-pop to K-pop, I really like Jackson Wang’s (of GOT7) solo career with both his Chinese and English songs. Also love all his collaborations (RAIN, JJ Lin, PANTHEPACK, etc.).
His Chinese song “Alone” is a sad one – https://youtu.be/8QZXLF7Drvg
His English Song “LMLY” is very catchy and retro – https://youtu.be/QIMihDOXMpY
I’m also a fan of Jung Yung Hwa (of CNBLUE) and have his C-pop song “Dimples” on my mandopop playlist as well – https://youtu.be/rXF4l8dT7qE
Your list is fantastic collection of artist and songs!! I’ve not had the opportunity to listen to Yisa Yu and Terry Lin before now, but their vocal colors are beautiful and I will definitely be checking out more of their work! The cantopop collab was also an excellent listen!
YES, Jackson Wang is great! ‘Alone’ is a very emotional but gripping song and I have enjoyed ‘LMLY’ on repeat too – his ability to do songs in Chinese, Korean and English always impresses.
I had NO idea that Jung Yung Hwa had a C-pop song – I have already added ‘Dimples’ to my playlist, lol! Yet another multi-lingual talent!!
Thank you so much for taking the time to share – I loved all these – YEAY for new songs and more artists to follow!
I watched the entire Chuang (Produce Camp) 2021 so I feel like I watched the baby boys in INTO1 grow up, and have a soft spot for them all. They are going to all have an amazing career! I love the songs from RESET as well, it is and will probably stay as one of my favourite Cdramas of all time.
Oh, that’s exciting that you were able to watch the the whole program to see the INTO1 members come together as a team!! It’s a fun journey to be able to follow a group from their inception and watch them grow!! Do you perhaps have a link to a subbed version of the show?? I can’t wait to see what new music they bring next!!
And yes, Reset has claimed a spot on my all-time-favorite-dramas list as well!!