100 Songs of Chinese Music

Modern China~

56. My Favorite Male Defects (我最爱缺陷男) – Bang Bang Tang (棒棒糖)

Also credited as BBT (to avoid confusions with Taiwanese boyband Lollipop, who use the same Chinese characters), is… sadly… no longer active. The last time I heard about them was years ago, when I engaged vocalist Xiao Bai on Weibo and she told me they hadn’t gotten together in a while, and she was then prepping to get married.

But we will always have this song.

57. All I Like Is You (But You Don’t Know) (全世界我最喜歡你 (可是你都不知道)) – Come On! Bay Bay! (来吧！焙焙！)

Enchant yourself with Come On! Bay Bay! They have actually been more active on Facebook than YouTube.

58. Let Love Fly (讓愛飛起來) – Elva Hsiao (蕭亞軒) [MV]

59. Broken (壞了) – Jing Chang (張蕓京) [MV]

60. Flowers in a Mirror, the Moon on the Lake (镜花水月) – Li Yugang (李玉刚)

I invite you to be as sexually confused as I’ve often been with Asian music in general. Li Yugang is a male opera singer and performer who has specialized in “nan dan,” meaning in female roles played by men. He came to prominence for his performances of famous Beijing operas Farewell my Concubine and The Drunken Beauty, which made him a sensation overnight.

Flowers in a Mirror, the Moon on the Lake (which figuratively translates to “rose-colored glasses” for seeing things on a reflection) is an extract of his 2010 album The New Drunken Beauty (新贵妃醉酒).

You can check out his 1hr. show broadcast at the Beijing Media Network.

61. No Time (没时间) – Milk@Coffee (牛奶@咖啡) [MV]

62. SHERO – S.H.E [MV]

Who said that girls don’t have Rock N’ Roll
I tell myself, when I’m the only one left
“Who is my hero?”
Can’t see, can’t find, can’t wait for your hero.
Why not be your own sky-holder Shero.
You can, I can be a Shero and face all obstacles
like an Empress waving a proud cape

63. Ha Ha Lili (天地记) – Sa Dingding (萨顶顶)

The launch of Sa Dingding’s career is one of the most significant moments of modern Chinese music.

She hasn’t been as active, though she’s released a couple of single tracks… nothing has been significant since the launch of The Coming Ones (in its Mandarin and English version). Still, Harmony remains her most daring, and possibly biggest crossover.

64. Life?! – Yu Heng (宇珩) [MV]

65. Dance through the Week, My Love (跳完这支舞吧，我的恋人) – Yuguo (羽果) [clip]

66. Why Couldn’t Be Together Everyday

The song actually doesn’t have a “singer” credited, but someone must be vocalizing this! This is an extract off the 2010 soundtrack for Pang Ho-cheung smoky love letter to Hong Kong in the surprise hit bitter rom-com Love in a Puff. The soundtrack was composed by Wong Ngai-Lun (黃艾倫) alongside Janet Yung, who I suppose I could credit for the vocalizing.