2004 compilation album by Jolin Tsai
J9 (an abbreviation of Jolin's Night) is a compilation album by Taiwanese singer Jolin Tsai, released by Sony on November 12, 2004. The album includes two new songs and nine remixed tracks.
Background and development.
On February 27, 2004, Tsai released her sixth studio album, "Castle", which sold over 360,000 copies in Taiwan and more than 1.5 million copies across Asia. On July 8, 2004, Tsai announced that her first world tour, the J1 World Tour, would kick off on August 7 in Shanghai at the Hongkou Football Stadium. On October 5, 2004, she revealed that a stop for the tour would be held on November 20 at the Chungshan Soccor Stadium in Taipei. Later that month, on October 27, 2004, media outlets reported that Tsai would release her compilation album "J9" on November 12, 2004.
Writing and recording.
The track, "Signature Gesture", conveys a message of confidence, encouraging women to embrace their own attitudes and individuality. The track "Single Harm" is a reworking of The The's song "It's You". Additionally, the nine remixed tracks on the album incorporate a variety of musical elements, including lounge, techno, and trance.
Title and artwork.
The album's title, "J9", is an abbreviation of "Jolin's Night", with the number "9" replacing the word "Night", a stylistic choice commonly used in European and American dance music and Black music. It also signifies that the songs on the album are perfect for nighttime revelry. Additionally, the title plays on the name of Tsai's tour, J1, with the combination of "J1" and "J9" symbolizing the number 10, representing perfection and completeness. For the album's cover, Tsai wore a custom-designed white lace dress and fur shawl, created by stylist Roger Cheng, valued at NT$100,000. The outfit combined vintage and sensual elements, further emphasizing the album's aesthetic.
Release and promotion.
On October 22, 2004, "J9" became available for pre-order. The album was officially released on November 12, 2004, with the record label announcing that it would be a limited edition, available only from November 2004 to February 2005, after which it would not be reissued. The album features two new songs, "Signature Gesture" and "Single Harm", specifically created to accompany Tsai's J1 World Tour, along with nine remixed tracks.
The album achieved commercial success, ranking 2nd on the weekly sales charts of G-Music, 3rd on Asia Music's chart, and 6th on Five Music's chart. Additionally, the track "Signature Gesture" placed 61st in Taiwan's Hit FM Top 100 Singles of 2004.
Music videos.
The music video for "Signature Gesture" was co-directed by Marlboro Lai and Bill Chia. The record label invested NT$1 million to create a nightclub setting and runway stage for the video, allowing Tsai to dance freely amidst a party atmosphere. Additionally, NT$50,000 was spent to hire a stylist to design a custom pink floral butterfly outfit for Tsai. Tsai was also involved in choreographing half of the dance routine for the video. She described the choreography as a departure from her previous, more youthful dance styles, emphasizing larger, more dynamic movements that exude coolness, individuality, and a wild beauty. The music video for "Single Harm" was directed by Jimmy Chou.
Live performances.
On December 17, 2004, Tsai performed "Signature Gesture" at the 2004 TVB8 Mandarin Music On Demand Awards. On December 26, 2004, she performed the same song at the 2004 Metro Radio Hits Music Awards. On January 11, 2005, Tsai participated in the 11th China Music Awards, where she also performed "Signature Gesture".
On January 16, 2005, Tsai took part in the 2005 Hito Music Awards, where she performed "Signature Gesture". On January 11, 2006, she performed the song at the 12th China Music Awards. Following these events, Tsai continued to attend various other events and performed tracks from the album at multiple shows.
Critical reception.
"Tencent Entertainment"'s critic Shu Wa commented: "This is a dance music compilation designed for promotion, primarily featuring remix versions of fast-paced songs from "Magic" and "Castle". It served as a promotional warm-up for Jolin Tsai's upcoming first world tour. The album itself lacks standout features, with the exception of the two new songs. The rest of the tracks are simply some of the most popular fast-tempo remixes from the market at the time. However, Jolin Tsai's popularity had already reached new heights, and with the album's limited edition and time-limited release, it still sparked a rush of purchases among fans."
Accolades.
On September 3, 2005, the song "Signature Gesture" won the Top 25 Songs award at the 5th Global Chinese Music Award.
References.
 ;templatestyles src="Reflist/styles.css" / ;