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Sisters (A-Mei album)

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Sisters (Chinese: 姊妹; pinyin: Zǐmèi) is the debut studio album by Taiwanese singer A-Mei. It was released on December 13, 1996, by Forward Music.[1] The album was primarily handled by Taiwanese producer Chang Yu-sheng, with the assistance of Yu Guangyan, Ma Yu-fen, Baby Chung, David Wu, and Chen Fu-ming. Musically, it experiments with genres such as pop, soul music, R&B, adult contemporary and easy listening to exhibit A-Mei's vocal talent and versatility. On June 23, 2017, 21 years after its initial release date, a vinyl reissue of Sisters was released by Forward Music.[2]

Sisters
Studio album by
A-Mei
ReleasedDecember 13, 1996
Recorded1996
Studio
  • Mega Force Studio
  • Platinum Studio (Taipei)
  • Forward Studio
  • Da Sheng Studio
  • Studio C. (Singapore)
Genre
Length47:39
LabelForward Music
Producer
A-Mei chronology
Sisters
(1996) 		Bad Boy
(1997)
Alternative cover
Singles from Sisters
  1. "You Don't Want Anything"
  2. "I'm a Dreamer on Air"
  3. "Cut Love"
  4. "Release"
  5. "Sisters"

Prior to the album's release date, the higher-ups at Forward Music were concerned that A-Mei's aboriginal heritage would negatively impact the performance of the album, due to widespread discrimination against indigenous people in Taiwan at the time.[3] Nevertheless, Sisters was a massive commercial success in Taiwan upon release. The record topped the Taiwan IFPI chart for a total of nine consecutive weeks and sold a total of 1.21 million copies in Taiwan[4] and 4 million in Asia.[5]

To promote Sisters, A-Mei and Forward Music released five singles; "You Don't Want Anything," "I'm a Dreamer on Air," "Cut Love," "Release" and the title track, all resulting in commercial success. The album's success paved the way for future popular Taiwanese aboriginal artists such as A-Lin and Jia Jia.[6] Sisters currently ranks as the fourth highest selling album of all time in Taiwan.[7]

Background and development

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In 1992, A-Mei headed on a bus to Taipei and participated in the televised "Five Lights Singing Contest" on TTV Main Channel after encouragement from her father.[8] She made it all the way through to the finals but lost in the final round.[9] She was disappointed and considered giving up music until her father encouraged her to attended the singing contest again in 1993, which she later won in 1994.[10] Her father died before getting to see her win, which affected A-Mei and inspired her to take a break from music afterwards. After her father's death, A-Mei struggled to recall her passion for music until 1995 when she started singing in local pubs with a rock band called "Relax" which was formed by her musician cousin.[9] One of her pub performances impressed Taiwanese music producer Chang Yu-sheng and Chang Hsiao-yen, then-head of Taiwanese record label Forward Music.

In March 1996, she signed a recording deal with Forward Music. After she signed to the label, she collaborated on the song "The One Who Loved Me Most, Hurt Me The Most (最愛的人傷我最深)" with Chang. It appeared on his mini-album, Red Passion, which was released on July 12, 1996.[11] In November 1996, A-Mei was invited to sing "I'm a Dreamer on Air," the theme song for Taiwan's UFO Radio station, which further increased her popularity.[12][13]

Writing and recording

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Sisters was primarily handled by Taiwanese producer Chang Yu-sheng—who served as A-Mei's primary vocal tutor, producer and supervisor until his death—with the assistance of Yu Guangyan, Ma Yu-fen, Baby Chung, David Wu, and Chen Fu-ming.[14] The album's music incorporates a range of contemporary genres with a mix of slow ballads and up-tempo tracks, having been influenced by various genres and styles such as adult contemporary, funk, jazz and R&B. There are 10 full-length recorded songs on the album in total, all of which feature vocals from both A-Mei and various backing singers.[14]

The lead single "You Don't Want Anything" was originally sung by Michelle Pan in February 1995 under the name "Who Makes Who Down (誰辜負誰)." Formerly planned to be on Pan's album "It's Time to Wake Up (該醒了)," it was delayed due to the acquisition of UFO Records by Warner Music. The composer Guo Tzu authorized the lyricist Wu Yukang to re-write the lyrics for A-Mei to sing for her version of the song.[15] The songs "Sisters" and "Seafoam Blue Tears" were written and composed solely by Chang Yu-sheng.[14] In the song "Sisters" he added in traditional Puyuma musical elements and invited A-Mei's mother, sisters and other relatives to sing along with her in the upbeat chorus. Lyrically, the song reflects on the deep love between sisters and family. In 2016, to commemorate the 20th anniversary of her debut, A-Mei sang a re-arranged version of the album's title track.[16] The guitar-driven pop ballad "Release" was composed by Jonathan Koh and written by Daryl Yao;[14] lyrically it talks about finding a new direction and moving forward after a difficult romantic breakup. "Impulse" is an R&B influenced track that was written by Yu Guangyan & Yu Meiming,[14] with music composed by Baby Chung.[14]

"Cut Love" was written by producer Michael Tu for his wife Huang Qishan. However, after the two divorced, Tu gave the song to A-Mei to sing,[17] and the lyrics of "Cut Love" were filled in by Eric Lin.[18] The snazzy soul influenced song "Betrayal" was written by KiKi Hu and composed by David Wu.[14] "Love Until You Can't Receive" was composed by Jonathan Koh and written by Wang Zhongyan.[14] Musically, it is a Latin soul-influenced power ballad that describes the feeling of emotional scars in a relationship which also features drums, guitars, and digital synthesizers. The synthesizer-heavy ballad "Seriously" is composed by Chen Chih-yuan and written by Zhang Fanglu.[14] "I'm a Dreamer on Air" was also composed by Chen Chih-yuan with lyrics handled by Andy Yang[14] and musically is a mellow easy listening ballad.

Commercial performance and legacy

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A-Mei's meteoric rise to fame was compared to the similar experience of American artist Madonna (pictured), where she was dubbed as "Taiwan's Madonna" or "Queen of Mandopop."

Commercially, Sisters experienced major success in the Sinophone world. The album sold 300,000 copies within a week of its release, and sales in Taiwan exceeded one million by 1997.[19] According to various published sources and journalists, the album sold 1.21 million units in Taiwan alone[20] and 4 million throughout Asia.[21] It topped Taiwan's IFPI chart for a record breaking nine weeks.[22][23] Sisters is ranked the fourth highest-selling album of all time in Taiwan behind two album entries by Jacky Cheung and A-Mei's album Bad Boy.[24][25] The success of Sisters also awarded A-Mei with numerous accolades and recognition. The lead single "You Don't Want Anything" won the "Silver Award for Most Popular Mandarin Song" at the 1997 Jade Solid Gold Best Ten Music Awards Presentation.[26] The album also won a Gold Record at the 1997 Hong Kong Golden Disc Awards Ceremony, won one of the top ten excellent albums and top ten singles of 1997 by the Chinese Musicians Exchange Association, and eventually was placed at No. 10 in the selection of the "200 Best Taiwanese Popular Music Albums."[27]

Despite there still being widespread discrimination for Taiwanese aborigines at the time of its release,[3] Sisters defied expectations and A-Mei became the very first A-lister to repeatedly flaunt her aboriginal identity to the mainstream media.[28][29] The commercial performance of Sisters surprised Forward Music, since they had low expectations for it, and even forgot to sign her up for the 8th Golden Melody Awards.[30] As a result of the album's success in the 1990s, A-Mei was noted by journalists and commentators as a trendsetter in the Greater China region, where her influence was dubbed as "sister power."[31] Consequently, some journalists described her meteoric rise to the top to the experiences of Madonna.[32] This comparison inspired Western media to dub A-Mei with honorific titles such as the "Queen of Mandopop" or "Taiwan's Madonna."[33]

Before the release of Sisters, there were many singers with Taiwanese aboriginal ancestry in Taiwan's entertainment industry, such as Yulunana Tanivu, Shen Wen-cheng, Sammi Kao, Wan Sha Lang, Qian Bai Hui, and Gao Jin Sumei. Despite this, A-Mei was the first popular singer in Taiwan to continually emphasize being aboriginal to the media. Many later generations of Aboriginal singers, such as A-Lin, Jia Jia, Francesca Kao, Landy Wen, and Samingad cited A-Mei as the godmother of Aboriginal pop music. Many Aboriginal singers began to attract attention because of the appearance of A-Mei.[6]

Track listing

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No.TitleLyricsMusicArrangementLength
1."原來你什麼都不要" (You Don't Want Anything)Wu YukangGuo TzuLi Bojie4:47
2."姊妹" (Sisters)Chang Yu-shengChang Yu-shengWang Jikang4:22
3."解脫" (Release)Daryl YaoJonathan KohJonathan Koh4:43
4."衝動" (Impulse)
  • Yu Guangyan
  • Yu Meiming
Baby ChungBaby Chung4:20
5."水藍色眼淚" (Seafoam Blue Tears)Chang Yu-shengChang Yu-shengBaby Chung5:34
6."剪愛" (Cut Love)Eric LinMichael TuMichael Tu4:41
7."背叛" (Betrayal)KiKi HuDavid WuWang Jikang4:32
8."愛到不能收" (Love Until You Can't Receive)Wang ZhongyanJonathan KohRicky Ho5:12
9."認真" (Seriously)Zhang FangluChen Chih-yuanWang Jikang4:20
10."空中的夢想家" (I'm a Dreamer on Air)Andy YangChen Chih-yuanChen Chih-yuan4:56
Total length:47:39

Charts

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Sales and certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
Hong Kong (IFPI Hong Kong)[35] Gold 10,000*
Taiwan (RIT)[37] 3× Platinum+Gold 1,210,000[36]
Summaries
Asia — 4,000,000[38]

* Sales figures based on certification alone.

References

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  1. ^ "《姊妹》專輯" (in Chinese). Retrieved April 4, 2024.
  2. ^ "《姊妹》黑膠專輯" (in Chinese). Retrieved April 4, 2024.
  3. ^ a b Beech, Hannah. "Both Sides Now". Time. Archived from the original on May 22, 2002. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
  4. ^ "張惠妹、張學友兩「張」王牌，稱霸華語歌壇黃金十年少見的百萬銷量紀錄". Archived from the original on April 19, 2021. Retrieved October 21, 2023.
  5. ^ "【明星倒退嚕】阿妹《五燈獎》挫敗再起 2個男人推向天后之路". tw.appledaily.com (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Archived from the original on January 21, 2022. Retrieved September 25, 2023.
  6. ^ a b "靈魂的旅程 回家吧！都市不是我的家／我是原住民 驕傲喊出我的名【台灣啟示錄】復刻版 第625集｜洪培翔". YouTube. Retrieved October 15, 2023.
  7. ^ "台灣史上唱片銷量專輯 張惠妹 張學友統治整個華語市場". mypaper.pchome.com.tw (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Retrieved October 23, 2023.
  8. ^ "Father's advice spurs singer". South China Morning Post. February 11, 1999. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
  9. ^ a b Xinhua News (originally from Askmen.com). Always A-Mei, xinhuanet.com, December 11, 2003; retrieved July 23, 2007.
  10. ^ Han Cheung (October 7, 2018). "The five lights to stardom". Taipei Times. Retrieved October 7, 2018.
  11. ^ "张惠妹出道不久即成天后歌星". yule.sohu.com (in Chinese (China)). Retrieved October 25, 2023.
  12. ^ "2014.04.06紀錄台灣／不怕失敗闖歌壇 阿妹蛻變成天后". youtube.com (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Retrieved September 25, 2023.
  13. ^ "【狂野嗓音】天后張惠妹《就愛電你》1996年飛碟電台台呼". youtube.com (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Archived from the original on February 22, 2021. Retrieved September 25, 2023.
  14. ^ a b c d e f g h i j 姊妹 (CD album; Liner notes). 張惠妹. Forward Music. 1996. 96-20028.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  15. ^ "郭子出書爆料阿妹非原唱 〈原來你什麼都不要〉是「她」的歌". www.ctwant.com (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Retrieved September 25, 2023.
  16. ^ "张惠妹重新演绎《姐妹》 巡演上海起跑". ent.sina.com.cn (in Chinese (China)). Retrieved October 25, 2023.
  17. ^ "一首《剪爱》情感纠葛 牵动黄绮珊张惠妹两位歌后". www.163.com (in Chinese (China)). Retrieved October 25, 2023.
  18. ^ "旧作《剪爱》等引追捧 林秋离重回公众视线". www.163.com (in Chinese (China)). Retrieved October 25, 2023.
  19. ^ "姐妹(張惠妹演唱專輯)". newton.com.tw (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Retrieved September 25, 2023.
  20. ^ "紀念恩師! 阿妹重新詮釋"姊妹"". news.cts.com.tw (in Chinese (Taiwan)). December 13, 2016. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
  21. ^ "BIO人物傳記頻道：張惠妹 （Biography®：A-Mei）". youtube.com (in Chinese (Taiwan)). June 21, 2016.
  22. ^ "IFPI張惠妹首張專輯"姊妹"連9周封后破紀錄". mypaper.pchome.com (in Chinese (Taiwan)). January 6, 2021. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
  23. ^ "巨星猴年蹦蹦跳-亞洲天后 妹力四射 張惠妹". youtube.com (in Chinese (Taiwan)). November 27, 2019.
  24. ^ "巨星猴年蹦蹦跳-亞洲天后 妹力四射 張惠妹". youtube.com (in Chinese (Taiwan)). November 27, 2019.
  25. ^ "台灣史上唱片銷量專輯 張惠妹 張學友統治整個華語市場". mypaper.pchome.com.tw (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Retrieved October 23, 2023.
  26. ^ "1997年度十大劲歌金曲颁奖典礼". jsg.tvb.com (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Retrieved September 6, 2023.
  27. ^ "《台灣流行音樂200最佳專輯》評選最佳專輯名單第10名*姐妹". mypaper.pchome.com.tw (in Chinese (Taiwan)). January 6, 2021.
  28. ^ "阿妹好嗓依舊在 專輯不夠好 P.132". businesstoday.com (in Chinese (Taiwan)). June 17, 1999. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
  29. ^ "跨越語言界線！紀曉君《聖民歌─太陽 風 草原的聲音》讓原住民音樂獲得主流肯定". fountmedia.io (in Chinese). March 12, 2021. Archived from the original on May 15, 2021. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
  30. ^ "10年回顧： 「創作」和「突破」是拿金曲歌后兩大重點，今年會是誰呢？". thenewslens.com (in Chinese (Taiwan)). June 20, 2015.
  31. ^ "《华声月报》评出1999年"十大华声人物"". ent.sina.com.cn (in Chinese (China)). December 29, 1999. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
  32. ^ "舒淇张惠妹荣登美国"国际销魂风云人物榜"". ent.sina.com.cn (in Chinese (China)). January 11, 2000. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
  33. ^ "China bans Taiwan's Madonna". BBC News. May 24, 2000. Retrieved May 3, 2007.
  34. ^ "IFPI Taiwan Chart – Top 20 Albums" (in Chinese). IFPI Taiwan. Archived from the original on June 19, 1997.
  35. ^ "IFPIHK Gold Disc Award − 1997". IFPI Hong Kong.
  36. ^ "九零年代超強專輯歌手，第一名真的是天后中的天后！" [The super album singer of the 1990s, the number one is really the queen of divas!]. Yahoo News (in Chinese). May 19, 2017. Retrieved April 1, 2024.
  37. ^ 認證紀錄 [Certifications Awarded] (in Chinese). Recording Industry Foundation in Taiwan.
  38. ^ "【明星倒退嚕】阿妹《五燈獎》挫敗再起　2個男人推向天后之路". Apple Daily. January 21, 2022. Archived from the original on January 21, 2022. Retrieved April 1, 2024.
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