YAM Loves: BiBi Zhou
Nearly two years after the release of NOW/WOW and a label switch, Bibi was ready with a new sound and a more polished image with the release of Time, a more acoustic influenced album than her previous, but it still managed to infuse that emotive voice of hers.
The deep relationship with her fans was showcased in the music video for her bluesy pop ballad, Your Love (你们的爱) [MV]. She also began showcasing her English speaking talents with the almost heartbreaking acoustic ballad Season.
That wouldn’t be the most shocking image change she would try, though. No, she left that for her next album, i.fish.light.mirror, which was not only a shift in image, but also a complete 180 turn around in musical style.
Besides getting herself Diane Warren’s power ballad I Miss U Missing Me [MV] for the album [1], she also sang a Mandarin version titled A Tear in the Distance (一滴泪的距离) [Xiami]. But expanding her catalog, Bibi also sang varied genres like the pop-rock Love&Life [Xiami], the eclectic sounding Canned Fish (鱼罐头) [MV], featuring an androgynous Bibi hitting on a girly Bibi in the music video, and Single Mirror (单面镜).
This is a good starting point for anything Bibi, and guarantees no trolls in the comments saying negative things like wondering why she placed *cough* above a certain 3rd place.
Sorry, couldn’t help it.
@ghost, just shhh and check out the music.
@ghost, Not to knock your opinion, but I think she should have won overall. Chris Lee and Jane Zhang are great singers, no doubt, but Bibi’s voice just KILLS me. Every time.
@Mandy Jean, Bibi should have won… but I do understand the appeal of Chris Lee… as well as Jane Zhang’s voice. While I think Chris lacks the singing chops and Zhang lacks the personality spark, I think Bibi has a great balance of both.
Too bad Oprah didn’t pick her, huh?
After redirecting me from LiveJournal’s ~chinesesongs community to your article, it seems as if LiveJournal or perhaps the moderators of the community have flagged your comment as spam.
This is possibly the best written article I’ve ever read on Bibi Zhou. It not only tells the full story, it tells the truth and paves the way for other people to become fans as well. And to me, it looks like we’ve both been deeply touched by her artistry. I only wish it had happened sooner.
The truth about Bibi is that her music, once again, made me take an overall active interest in Chinese music and pop-culture in general. I’m just now figuring out the best places on the Web to find news on Chinese artists and so forth, so I’m still very much of a newbie. However, I also have to credit her with helping me to make a solid decision on the language I would like to learn sometime in the near future.
I always thought I would choose to learn Japanese in college, but as my interests have changed throughout the years – as well as my personal situation – I have come to the conclusion that it’s not only a smart idea to learn Mandarin (since so many people speak it) but it’s also the right decision for me. I may not be able to learn it through college since Full Sail University doesn’t offer any classes in it and I’m locked into their Creative Writing for Entertainment program for a while, but I’m looking into Rosetta Stone and other effective language-learning tools.
Thank you for writing this article! I must share it with all of my friends who have a penchant for foreign music, especially that of Asian origin.
@Mandy Jean, yeah. I noticed that on LJ – the pop-up said the comment was being held for moderation or screening or something.
Me too! Me too! I started out my Chinese interest after being reluctant for so many years where I told myself I wanted to learn Japanese (first), LOL! Then, after 2008 and the crazy summer Olympics (with the sports and media), I felt compelled to look into Chinese music more. Bibi’s been the final push to start Chinese classes haha.
You should read the post written by Reuben, who actually knows Bibi ;D
I’m a middle aged English guy. I was lucky a few years ago to have a Chinese friend introduce me to the bibi story via YouTube.
And now I feel I must be the only white male in England who is currently listening to a purloined version of UNLOCK. I’ll buy it when yesasia makes it available, but she’s the only artist I’d go to such lengths for
Little girl, big voice
@Stephen,, album review is out! xD
I know a white middle age guy who’s also a fan, so you’re not so alone. And I think we’re three non-Chinese speaking fans :)