Mystery (Chinese: 迷; pinyin: Mí),[1][2] alternatively translated as Riddle,[3] is the debut Mandarin studio album (seventh overall) recorded by Chinese singer Faye Wong. It was released through Cinepoly Records on April 8, 1994.[4]
| Mystery (迷) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | April 8, 1994 | |||
| Genre | Mandopop | |||
| Length | 42:21 | |||
| Label | Cinepoly | |||
| Producer |
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| Faye Wong chronology | ||||
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Songs
editAlthough she had included a few Mandarin Chinese songs in her 1993 albums No Regrets and 100,000 Whys, Mystery was her first album recorded entirely in Mandarin rather than the Hong Kong majority dialect of Cantonese. The first track "I'm Willing" (or "I Do") was an instant hit single, and the album brought Wong to fame across the region of East Asia.[5]
The track "Cold War" is a cover of Tori Amos's "Silent All These Years"; Wong had already scored a hit with her Cantonese version of this song, which had been included in her 1993 album 100,000 Whys.[2] "Ruanruo" or "Weak" is a cover of "Road", originally by the group Everything But The Girl, and which Faye Wong also covered on her 1993 album, "No Regrets", but sang under the title, "Starting Tomorrow".
Commercial performance
editDespite the inclusion of Mandarin versions of that and other Cantonese songs, Mystery was a huge hit, selling over 800,000 in Taiwan alone, making it one of the best-selling albums of all time in Taiwan.[2]
Covers and usage in media
editThe first track "Wo Yuanyi" was covered in English by Lene Marlin in 2005,[6] in Japanese by JAYWALK in 2002,[7] and in Korean by Seomoon Tak in 2004.[8] It was featured in the following films: Loving Him (2002), Just Another Pandora's Box (2010), Don't Go Breaking My Heart (2011), and I Do (2012), among others.
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Unofficial translation | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "我願意(管弦樂版)" (Wǒ Yuànyì (Guǎnxiányuè Bǎn)) | "I'm Willing (Orchestral Version)" | 4:30 |
| 2. | "執迷不悔" (Zhí Mí Bù Huǐ) | "No Regrets"[n 1] | 5:24 |
| 3. | "變幻的世界在轉" (Biànhuàn de Shìjiè Zài Zhuǎn) | "A Changeful World Is Turning" | 4:08 |
| 4. | "軟弱" (Ruǎnruò) | "Weak" | 4:25 |
| 5. | "我願意(弦樂版)" (Wǒ Yuànyì (Xián Yuè Bǎn)) | "I'm Willing (Acoustic Version)" | 2:39 |
| 6. | "沈醉" (Chénzuì) | "Drunk"[n 2] | 4:13 |
| 7. | "冷戰" (Lěngzhàn) | "Cold War"[n 3] | 4:10 |
| 8. | "心太野" (Xīntài Yě) | "Wild at Heart" | 5:00 |
| 9. | "只願為你守著約" (Zhǐ Yuàn Wéi Nǐ Shǒuzhe Yuē) | "I Only Want to Keep A Promise to You" | 4:18 |
| 10. | "只有我自己" (Zhǐyǒu Wǒ Zìjǐ) | "By Myself" | 3:29 |
| Total length: | 42:16 | ||
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 11. | "誘惑我" (Yòu Huò Wǒ) | 3:55 |
| 12. | "動心" (Dòng Xīn) | 4:02 |
| 13. | "容易受傷的女人" (Róng Yì Shòu Shāng De Nǚ Rén) | 4:18 |
| Total length: | 12:15 | |
- Notes
- ^ This is a remixed version of the track originally included on the album of the same name
- ^ Mandarin version of "Summer of Love", originally included on 100,000 Whys
- ^ Mandarin version of the track of the same name, originally included on 100,000 Whys
References
edit- ^ Shane Homan, Access All Eras: Tribute Bands and Global Pop Culture, 2006, p219. "Fung and Curtin (2002) have provided a reasonably comprehensive overview of Faye Wong's career up to 2001, ... song entitled 'Weak', with lyrics by Pan Li Yu, also about a relationship break-up, was included on her 1994 album Mystery."
- ^ a b c Chan, Boon (October 28, 2011). "Faye's back". The Straits Times. Singapore. p. C2.
- ^ Billboard - 1994 4 30 p65 "FAYE WONG - RIDDLE Cinepoly"
- ^ Anthony Fung and Michael Curtin, “The Anomalies of Being Faye (Wong): Gender Politics in Chinese Popular Music,” International Journal of Cultural Studies 5, no. 3 (September 2002) - album not mentioned by name -
- ^ "Asia's pop queen unruffled by media glare". Archived from the original on October 3, 2002. Retrieved October 3, 2002.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) Reuters, February 17, 1999. Republished by fan site. Retrieved October 31, 2009. The article translated the album title as Getting Lost. - ^ Marlin's English version, "Still Here", is included as a bonus track in many Asian editions of her 2005 album Lost in a Moment. A music video is also available on DVD.
- ^ JAYWALK's Japanese version, "Ikanaide" (いかないで), is included in their 2002 album Asia.
- ^ Seomoon Tak's Korean version, "Geudaemyeon geudae hanamyeon" (그대면 그대 하나면), is included in her 2004 album Now Here Vol. 4 (서문탁 4집).