Happy new year! I think this was the least exciting December in years. Two albums that immediately topped a bunch of bloggers’ lists and then barely anything else worth paying attention. I wrote about one of them as an album, Shan Yichun’s Lil’ Sis, which is good, albeit, largely for two of the singles already release, and one of the singles from the other, Mavis Fan’s Passing Soul, along with singles from A1J and Diiton plus ewonjin.

Thanks for reading!

Shan Yichun - Lil’ Sis

Shan Yichun might be mainland’s most exciting new mainstream act, solely going off the strength of a pair of singles. For those not following, the singer has been responsible for two of the most exciting tracks of the past two years, both cases coming as surprises: the first arrives after taking the predictable money-making OST singer route, an overhaul of the grey balladry of her ` that put her in the company of singers like Eric Chou and Zhou Shen; the second came after a couple weeks of being back on the singing competition circuit doing flat covers of the classics. Respectively, the Chang Shilei-produced title track immediately recalls his inventive production for Isabelle Huang, while “有趣” (“Interesting”) pairs orchestral string arrangement and glitch pop synths for an elegant yet progressive showcase of her technical skillset.

The long-teased second album from Shan arrives with the expected fanfare, and, despite its long promotional cycle, the feeling that it was hastily compiled. Rumoured fan theory put the album’s release date for her December birthday. That didn’t happen. In an interview posted around the same time, she sheepishly addressed the long delay, mentioning that two of its songs were “still being written.” Maybe she was trolling. With a sly smirk, the twenty-four-year-old also talks about an early retirement, that singing may not be important to her in the future. Whatever the case, Lil’ Sis was released a couple days later at 12:23 PM on the last Sunday of the year, its timing meant to coincide with her birthday where the date couldn’t.

Taking inventory, many of Shan’s early singles are cut from the same cloth as “Lil’ Sis” and “有趣,” mixing the luxurious of exorbitant strings with the youthful restlessness of warped, buzzing synths, something a head would gleefully tag as “art pop.” “我管不住我自己” (“I Can’t Control Myself”) hits a sweet spot as her quiet performance lends her most infatuated tone over the cradle-rocking synth; meanwhile, “多少的光阴” (“How Much Time”) is a gorgeous piece of balladry. They are nice—good even—though they lack the momentous feel of her best singles.

The four newer songs vary in quality. “假如我们还爱着” (“If We Are Still in Love”) boasts an exquisite melody but has the mishap of being a rather plain ballad. Her interest in rock is frustrating: “我表示理解” (“I Understand”) could stand to be about twenty percent more annoying; “还你茉莉” (“I’ll Return You Jasmine”) sounds like Shan’s version of Angela Chang—it could be half as annoying. Most compelling of the new songs is the droning and formless “向日葵朝着夜” (“Sunflowers Facing the Night”), where fragrant melodies lilt and the synth work is at its most amusing across the album. In putting these songs together, Lil’ Sis feels haphazardly sequenced, perplexingly lesser than the sum of its parts. Most confusing is the burbling “珠玉” (“Pearls and Jades”), which feels more like table setting than a final thought. As the closer it sounds like an unfinished thought—establishing brilliance to come without actually getting there.

Many a moment across Lil’ Sis seems to borrow from mainland’s lineage: Chang as producer invites the obvious comparison to Huang but Shan’s voice sounds like an imitation of TIA RAY on the album’s opening phrase and the stylistic influence of Faye Wong is clear on “向日葵朝着夜.” Yet few tracks get the singularity of the title track, where sophisticated melodies sidle up beside clipped bratty expressions or the beautiful juxtaposition of mechanical versus orchestral on “有趣.” Lil’ Sis too often lands at nice rather than ambitious or impressive. All that’s to say that the statements claiming Shan to have found her artistic identity feel exaggerated. Tossing everything at the wall, thankfully much of it sticks. Off the strength of its best two singles, Shan and Chang’s collaboration often feels more exciting for what it could be rather than for whatever it is.

Listen here: Apple Music // Spotify

Singles: “Lil’ Sis”

A1J & Diiton - “4to9”

In their office cosplay, Taiwanese-Vietnamese performer A1J and producer Diiton tone down the straightforward ecstasy of last year’s “Always U” for some flirtatious back and forth. They call it an ambiguous relationship, but their awkward pre-ritual fumblings quickly make their neediness explicit, the pair quick to ditch the masked coyness. The tension smooths out easily as they slink towards the same high.

ewonjin - “DRIVERLESS”

At a familiar intersection, ewonjin recalls a time prior when there was still a destination in his mind. “I remember you said, ‘as long as we’re together, things are simple,’” he recalls, seemingly wondering why that wasn’t true. Now, even as the guitar and drums take solid form, his voice falls as an echo, the permanent black-and-white etching of snow on empty roads and the bordering forest line on his mind. He lets his mind drift as he runs through the motions of steering through clear roads, the song ending with a wishful ‘if only…’

Mavis Fan & 100% - “很瘋”

Mavis Fan has been battling public opinion for three decades now, and on “很瘋” (“Insane”), she internalizes all the criticism. “You must think I’m insane,” she sings, trying on every word tossed her way—impulsive, stubborn, unreasonable. Fan is a seasoned performer, but “很瘋” feels absent of an audience, as if the forty-eight-year-old is squandered in her bedroom, trying to make sense of the self. The song starts with a callback to her sophisticated jazz era but growingly progresses into a noisy storm of electric guitar, hammered keys, and snarled words. Fan grounds herself with an appeal directed to herself: “don’t let heartlessness occupy our peace and friendship,” she softly pleads. Don’t let the cynics win.

Extra Listening

Favourite Sinosphere release from December goes to Jen Jen, who’s released her first Taiwanese album, Dream on. She’s been dripping out singles throughout the year, including one with Chen Yiheng, and they flow together. And yes, the cover was designed to look like both a flower and whatever else you’re thinking of.

Find the latest Canto Wrap and Mando Gap playlists on Spotify and me on Twitter here.