Opus 12 (Chinese: 12新作; pinyin: Shí èr xīn zuò) is the twelfth studio album by Taiwanese singer-songwriter Jay Chou, released on 28 December 2012 by JVR Music.[1] The album was nominated for four Golden Melody Awards.[2]
| Opus 12 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 28 December 2012 | |||
| Recorded | 2012 | |||
| Genre | Mandopop | |||
| Length | 48:08 | |||
| Language | Mandarin | |||
| Label |
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| Producer | Jay Chou | |||
| Jay Chou chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Opus 12 | ||||
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Release and promotion
editOn 5 December 2012, the album's lead single "Hong-Chen Inn" premiered on Hit FM.[3] Chou had previously performed an erhu solo from the song during The World Tour in 2007, which later evolved into "Hong-Chen Inn".[4] On the same day, "Ming Ming Jiu," the album's second single, premiered on Beijing Music Radio.
The album was made available for pre-order starting 12 December 2012, and was distributed in several formats: a "Hardcover Edition" and a "Limited USB Edition" (with a "Paperback Edition" also available). On 24 December, a Hit FM press conference revealed all 12 songs on the album.[5] It was announced that these songs would debut on Hit FM on 27 December, the day before the album's release. During the album release press conference that same day, Chou announced that pre-orders had surpassed 200,000 copies.[6]
Album cover
editThe cover of Opus 12 resembles that of Chou's previous album Capricorn (2008) and features an oil painting background. In the image, Chou is seen wearing a black see-through outfit and riding a mythical unicorn.
Critical reception
editSome critics felt that Opus 12 "offered a fresh sense of novelty,"[7] while others felt that "the production felt formulaic, making the overall direction of the album predictable." Despite these mixed reviews, several critics selected "A Larger Cello" as the standout track of the album.[8]
Commercial performance
edit"Hong-Chen Inn" and "Ming Ming Jiu" reached the top of the charts on iTunes in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, and Malaysia, as well as Baidu Music, Kugou Music, Xiami Music, and Yinyue Tai in China.
Music videos
editJVR Music released behind-the-scenes footage of the "Hong-Chen Inn" music video on its official YouTube channel on 10 December 2012, with the full version following on 11 December. The video stars Darren from Wave Brothers and Gülnezer Bextiyar, with Chou lip-syncing as a storyteller. It was filmed at the Huairou Studio in Beijing. The inn's plaque in the video was written by Vincent Fang, the song's lyricist.
Fang Wenshan wrote the lyrics for "Ming Ming Jiu" based on Chou's connotations of Scotland, including elements such as seagulls, bagpipes, and medieval Edinburgh. Chou filmed his scenes in Scotland. The video for "Big Ben" stars Liang Xinyi and Chou as a couple going through a breakup. It was filmed in London, including at the Big Ben.
Track listing
editAll music is composed by Jay Chou.
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Four Seasons Train" (四季列車) | Vincent Fang | 2:40 |
| 2. | "Sign Language" (手語) | Jay Chou | 4:48 |
| 3. | "Eunuch With a Headache" (公公偏頭痛) | Vincent Fang | 3:03 |
| 4. | "Ming Ming Jiu" (明明就) | Vincent Fang | 4:18 |
| 5. | "Giggle" (傻笑 feat. Cindy Yen) | Vincent Fang | 4:50 |
| 6. | "A Larger Cello" (比較大的大提琴 feat. Lara Veronin & Gary Yang) | Vincent Fang | 4:12 |
| 7. | "No Difference in Loving You" (愛你沒差) | Huang Lingjia | 4:41 |
| 8. | "Hong-Chen Inn" (紅塵客棧) | Vincent Fang | 4:35 |
| 9. | "Dream Initiated" (夢想啟動) | Kevin Lin | 3:25 |
| 10. | "Big Ben" (大笨鐘) | Jay Chou | 4:02 |
| 11. | "You are Everywhere" (哪裡都是你) | Jay Chou | 4:39 |
| 12. | "Ukulele" (烏克麗麗) | Jay Chou | 2:55 |
| Total length: | 48:08 | ||
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Worldly Tavern" (紅塵客棧) | |
| 2. | "Eunuch with a Headache" (公公偏頭痛) | |
| 3. | "Big Ben" (大笨鐘) |
Awards
edit| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Golden Melody Awards | Best Mandarin Album | Opus 12 | Nominated |
| Best Mandarin Male Singer | Jay Chou for Opus 12 | Nominated | ||
| Best Album Producer | Nominated | |||
| Best Musical Arranger | Huang Yuxun for "A Larger Cello" | Nominated |
Charts
editSales and certifications
edit| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Singapore (RIAS)[13] | Platinum | 10,000* |
| Taiwan | — | 65,000[12] |
|
* Sales figures based on certification alone. | ||
Notes
edit- ^ Best-selling albums of the year in Taiwan as reported by media outlets
References
edit- ^ (in Chinese) JVR Music Opus 12 album info Archived 6 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine 28 December 2012. Retrieved 25 December 2012
- ^ "第24屆金曲獎流行音樂類入圍名單". Bureau of Audiovisual and Music Industry Development (in Chinese (Taiwan)). 22 May 2013. Archived from the original on 15 June 2024. Retrieved 23 July 2024.
- ^ "周杰倫「紅塵客棧」Hit Fm全球獨家大首播". Hito Radio (in Chinese). 5 December 2012. Archived from the original on 5 December 2012. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
- ^ "周董開創電影化武俠MV新視界 紅塵客棧MV 12/11於杰威爾YouTube官方頻道首播". JVR Music (in Chinese). 11 December 2012. Archived from the original on 5 March 2013. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
- ^ "周杰伦圣诞前夕亮相台北 宣传《十二新作》(2)-中新网". www.chinanews.com (in Chinese). 24 December 2012. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
- ^ "周杰伦新专辑《十二新作》预购突破20万张-中新网" [Jay Chou's new album "12 New Works" pre-orders exceed 200,000 copies]. China News (in Chinese). 27 December 2012. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
- ^ "周杰伦《十二新作》:别再黑了 有惊喜不容易". www.163.com. 18 January 2013. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
- ^ "周杰伦《十二新作》：剩饭也够别人开宴席". www.163.com. 18 January 2013. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
- ^ "综合榜 2013年 第18周" [Comprehensive List, Week 18 of 2013]. Sino Chart (in Chinese). 5 May 2013. Archived from the original on 3 April 2016. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
- ^ "2013 香港唱片商會銷量榜" [2013 Hong Kong Record Merchants Association Sales List] (in Chinese). 26 April 2020. Retrieved 10 July 2024 – via Cmusichart.
- ^ "G-Music Combo Album Chart – Week 20 of 2010" (in Chinese). G-Music. 17 January 2013. Archived from the original on 19 January 2013. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
- ^ a b "2012台湾唱片销量排行榜公布 罗志祥三连霸冠军" [2012 Taiwan album sales chart announced: Show Luo ranks first for the third time in a row]. QQ Music (in Chinese). 10 January 2013. Archived from the original on 22 January 2013. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
- ^ "Singapore album certifications – Jay Chou – Opus 12". Recording Industry Association Singapore.
External links
edit- (in Chinese) Jay Chou discography@JVR Music
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