Shangri-La (Wang Leehom album)

Shangri-La (Chinese: 心中的日月; pinyin: xīnzhōng de rìyuè) is an album by Taiwanese-American R&B artist, Leehom Wang. It was released on 31 December 2004 by Sony Music Taiwan. In this album, Wang incorporated the often unheard music of the Chinese ethnic minorities and therefore began the first chapter of "chinked-out", a term he coined together to represent the ties between Chinese and Western music. He experimented with the tribal sounds of Taiwan, Tibet, and Mongolia, traveling the area carrying 15 kg of equipment while fighting bouts of altitude and food sickness.

Shangri-La
Shangri-La cover
Studio album 心中的日月 by
Released31 December 2004 (2004-12-31)
GenreMandopop, R&B, hip hop
Length39:23
LanguageMandarin
LabelSony Music Taiwan
ProducerLeehom Wang
Leehom Wang chronology
Hear My Voice
(2004)
Shangri-La
(2004)
Heroes of Earth
蓋世英雄

(2005)

Album edit

In this album, Lee-Hom began the first chapter of "chinked-out," a term he coined together to represent the connection with both Chinese and Western music. He incorporated the often unheard Chinese ethnic minority music, which includes Mongolian, Taiwanese, Tibetan, etc. into modern hip-hop melodies. For the production of this album he traveled all around China with heavy equipment to collect these rare pieces of music.

His reasons behind the title of this album is also well thought of. Shangri-La is another meaning for a mythical paradise. Translated in Chinese, Shangri-La means 心中的日月, which is literally translated as the heart's sun and moon. When Lee-Hom arrived to the district of Shangri-La, he was immediately absorbed into the astonishing and unique music he had heard and therefore named his album, Shangri-La, or, Xin Zhong De Ri Yue. The music video for title track "心中的日月" (The Heart's Sun and Moon) features Taiwanese actress Ann Hsu.

Reception edit

The tracks "心中的日月" (The Heart's Sun and Moon/Shangri-La), "Forever Love" and "放開你的心" (Release Your Heart) were nominated for Top 10 Gold Songs at the Hong Kong TVB8 Awards, presented by television station TVB8, in 2005.[1]

The album was awarded one of the Top 10 Selling Mandarin Albums of the Year at the 2005 IFPI Hong Kong Album Sales Awards, presented by the Hong Kong branch of IFPI.[2]

Track listing edit

  1. "開場" (Intro)
  2. "放開你的心" Fang Kai Ni De Xin (Release Your Heart)
  3. "心中的日月" Xin Zhong De Ri Yue (The Heart's Sun and Moon/Shangri-La)
  4. "竹林深處" Zhu Lin Shen Chu (In the Depths of the Bamboo Forest)
  5. "Forever Love"
  6. "在那遙遠的地方" Zai Na Yao Yuan De Di Fang (At That Faraway Place)
  7. "一首簡單的歌" Yi Shou Jian Dan De Ge (A Simple Song)
  8. "星座" Xing Zuo (Astrology)
  9. "過來" Guo Lai (Come Here)
  10. "愛錯" Ai Cuo (Loved Wrongly)
  11. "Follow Me"

Charts edit

Release Chart Peak Position Chart Run
December 31, 2004 G-music Top 20 1 N/A

Singles edit

Song Chart Peak Position Chart Run
The Heart's Sun and Moon Hito Chinese Charts 1 2 weeks
Forever Love Hito Chinese Charts 1 1 week
Release Your Heart Hito Chinese Charts 1 1 week
A Simple Song Hito Chinese Charts 3 2 weeks
Astrology Hito Chinese Charts 1 1 week
Within the Bamboo Grove Hito Chinese Charts 2 2 weeks
Wrong Love Hito Chinese Charts 1 4 weeks

References edit

  1. ^ (in Chinese) Sina.com 2005 TVB8 Awards Gold Songs nomination list 2 December 2005. Retrieved 2011-07-01
  2. ^ (in Chinese) IFPI Hong Kong 2005 IFPI Hong Kong Album Sales Awards winners list Archived 2012-07-02 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 2011-04-19