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1019 (album)

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1019
Studio album by
Jolin Tsai
ReleasedSeptember 10, 1999 (1999-09-10)
GenrePop
Length42:59
Label
  • Universal
  • D Sound
Producer
Jolin Tsai chronology
1019
(1999) 		Don't Stop
(2000)
Singles from 1019
  1. "The Rose"
    Released: September 1999 (1999-09)
  2. "I Know You're Feeling Blue"
    Released: September 1999 (1999-09)

1019 is the debut studio album by Taiwanese singer Jolin Tsai, released on September 10, 1999, by Universal and D Sound.[1] The album was produced by David Wu, Peter Lee, and Paul Lee, blending elements of pop music with hip-hop, R&B, and world music.[2] This fusion showcased Tsai's musical talent and versatility.[3]

The album received widespread critical acclaim, with critics noting that its youthful charm filled the gap for a "girl-next-door" type of idol in Taiwan's music scene at the time. Tsai's combination of idol appeal and vocal prowess, along with the album's high-quality production, helped launch her into stardom.[2][4] 1019 sold over 450,000 copies in Taiwan, cementing Tsai's status as a breakout star.[5]

Background and development

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In May 1998, Tsai participated in the singing competition program co-organized by MTV Mandarin and Sony.[6] She stood out by performing English songs and ultimately won first place in the singing category. Judge Wawa Chen remarked, "She [Tsai] is truly a born singer; she sings with her natural talent." Judge Lee Cheng-fan also stated, "I think it would be a great pleasure to help her make an album."[7]

In March 1999, Tsai signed a contract with Universal and became one of the label's key newcomers for the year.[8] Following the signing, Universal arranged a series of training sessions for her over the course of six months. These included bi-weekly dance lessons to enhance her stage performance skills, bi-weekly makeup courses to help her manage her appearance during busy schedules or interviews, and language training to prepare her for media interactions. Additionally, Universal arranged for her to observe live performances by international artists in locations such as Ireland and the United States.[9]

Sam Chen of Universal recalled that he decided to sign Tsai after watching just 30 seconds of her competition footage. He explained, "The first time I saw her [Tsai] was in the video from the competition. The manager told me about this young girl reading a book quietly offstage. She was in her school uniform—she was still in high school—and she had excellent English. 10 minutes before going on stage, she quickly changed out of her school uniform and into the performance outfit. It was as if two completely different people had appeared on stage. She shone brightly, and the girl offstage was almost unrecognizable. I thought to myself, this is definitely a star. So, I signed her right then."[10]

On July 16, 1999, Tsai released her debut single, "Living with the World", which became the theme song for the annual 7-Eleven advertising campaign in Taiwan.[11] This single also served as a preview of her upcoming first studio album, which was scheduled for release in September of the same year.[12]

Writing and recording

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Tsai covered Bette Midler's "The Rose" on the album

The album's first single, "The Rose", and its fifth single, "Good-Bye", were both recorded at the Quad Studios in New York City. For these tracks, Tsai invited eight African American backing vocalists to provide harmonies, adding a powerful, choir-like intensity to the songs.

The second single, "I Know You're Feeling Blue", as well as the tracks "Blame It on the Age" and "Emptiness", are all emotive ballads with strong commercial appeal. The young Tsai showcased a rare maturity and vocal finesse in interpreting these songs.

The track "Out on the Street" is a reinterpretation of the song "A Song Story" by South Korean group Idol, and features a complex, high-energy hip-hop dance beat. Additionally, the tracks "Who Are You" and "Living with the World" further demonstrated Tsai's versatility in her vocal performance and ability to interpret a wide range of musical styles.[3]

Title and artwork

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The title of the album, "1019", is a play on words. The "10" sounds like "I-lin", which is her name, while the "19" refers to her age at the time, 19 years old.[13] The album's overall theme centers around a fresh, shy "girl-next-door" image, which is reflected in the cover art—a melancholic profile of Tsai.[2]

Universal positioned Tsai, who demonstrated strong vocal ability, as an idol singer.[9] Sam Chen from the label recalled, "I immediately positioned her as a 'boy-killer.' I had her start learning dance, and I arranged her first fan meeting at the best high school in Taiwan, Chien Kuo High School, which was an all-boys school. When she went there, she became incredibly popular. At that moment, I knew that the 'boy-killer' concept was right, and I had her continue learning dance, eventually going from a beginner to where she is today."[10]

The album's first image was of Tsai dressed in a white long gown, emphasizing her 19-year-old, studious, and music-loving persona. Later, she adopted a healthier and sexier look with a midriff-baring outfit, showcasing her more energetic and lively side.[2] Universal described Tsai as having a "dual personality" when they first met her: "On the surface, she was shy, quiet, and diligent in her studies, but she also had tattoos that reflected a more rebellious, modern persona. On stage, she was expressive and confident. The combination of the shy, obedient girl and the energetic spirit of a new generation made her incredibly unique."[9]

Release and promotion

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The album's first edition included 10 tracks along with instrumental versions of two of the songs. On September 11, 1999, Tsai held the album's launch events in Kaohsiung and Taichung, where a limited edition was sold exclusively at the events. The following day, on September 12, she hosted another album release event in Taipei.

To celebrate the album's sales exceeding 200,000 copies in Taiwan, Universal released a new edition on October 15, 1999. This version consolidated the 10 tracks into a single CD and included a bonus photo book titled Life Photobook, though the two instrumental tracks from the original edition were omitted.

On December 4, 1999, Tsai held her 1019 I Can Concert in Taipei. Later, on December 13, Universal released another new edition to mark the album surpassing 350,000 copies sold in Taiwan. This edition included six music videos and a documentary short film, 1019 Universal Highlights.

To further commemorate the album's success, Universal released another new edition on January 15, 2000, in honor of the album reaching over 400,000 copies sold in Taiwan. This edition combined the contents of the previous two special editions.

Tsai released two singles from the album: "The Rose" and "I Know You're Feeling Blue". Both music videos were directed by Chou Ko-tai, with "I Know You're Feeling Blue" reaching number 30 on Taiwan's Hit FM Top 100 Singles chart in 1999.[14] The music video for "Blame It on the Age" was directed by Marlboro Lai, with Lin Yo-wei making a guest appearance. Additionally, the music videos for "Good-Bye" and "Emptiness" were directed by Tony Lin.

Critical reception

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Tencent Entertainment's critic, Shuwa, commented: "The ten songs on Jolin Tsai's debut album, while relatively conventional compared to her later works, still served as a successful introduction to her career. As the first album meant to establish her name, it only needed one song that could truly resonate with the audience to be considered a success. "I Know You're Feeling Blue", composed by Jimmy Ye, perfectly showcased Jolin Tsai's image as a sweet and delicate young girl. In terms of the album's overall theme, both the fast and slow songs stayed true to the 'girl-next-door' sentiment, filling a gap in the Taiwanese Mandopop scene, which lacked a local artist with this particular image at the time. As a result, Jolin Tsai rose to stardom. Of course, the success of this album also owes much to the excellent production work of renowned producers David Wu, Peter Lee, and Paul Lee, particularly the Lee brothers, who made significant contributions to Jolin Tsai's subsequent works."[2]

Sina Hong Kong's review stated: "Nineteen-year-old Jolin Tsai from Taiwan made her debut in the music scene after participating in competition. Her appearance was often compared to actress Ruby Lin, while her vocal technique was more akin to a skilled singer. With an R&B-infused singing style, she clearly had solid vocal foundations. Most of the songs on the album also carry R&B influences, though they are somewhat mainstream and lack a distinctive edge. Nonetheless, every track is of a certain quality, and combined with Jolin Tsai's appearance and vocal abilities, this album remains one of the more competitive releases by a new artist in Taiwan that year."

Accolades

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With this album, Tsai won several prestigious awards, including the UFO People's Choice Award for Favorite New Artist (Bronze),[15] the China Music Award for Favorite Female New Artist,[16] the Singapore Hit Award for Best New Artist (Gold),[17] the Top Music Chard Award for Best New Artist,[18] and the TVB8 Mandarin Music On Demand Award for Best New Artist (Silver).[19] Additionally, her song "I Know You're Feeling Blue" won the UFO People's Choice Award for Most Played Song.[15]

Track listing

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1019 – Standard edition (CD 1)
No.TitleLyricsMusicProducer(s)Length
1."Because of You"Julian Yu
Peter Lee4:40
2."I Know You're Feeling Blue" (我知道你很難過)Kiki HuJimmy YeDavid Wu4:24
3."Guessing" (猜想)Daryl Yao
David Wu4:15
4."Who Are You" (你是誰)Julian YuJose Manuel Lopez MolesDavid Wu4:09
5."Living with the World" (和世界做鄰居)Chuang Ching-wenRonald Ng
  • Peter Lee
  • Paul Lee
3:56
6."Out on the Street" (上街)Mao MaoJun Young-hunDavid Wu3:49
7."Blame It on the Age" (怪我太年輕)Eric LinMichael TuDavid Wu4:44
8."Good-Bye"
  • Mao Mao
  • Joe Lai
Keith ChanDavid Wu4:46
9."Emptiness" (空白)Chuang Ching-wenChervun LiewPeter Lee3:52
10."I Know You're Feeling Blue" (karaoke version)   4:24
Total length:42:59
1019 – Standard edition (CD 2)
No.TitleLyricsMusicProducer(s)Length
1."The Rose"Amanda McBroomAmanda McBroomDavid Wu4:20
2."The Rose" (karaoke version)   4:20
Total length:8:40
1019 – Celebration edition, recelebration edition, and school start celebration edition (CD)
No.TitleLength
1."The Rose"4:20
2."Because of You"4:40
3."I Know You're Feeling Blue"4:24
4."Guessing"4:15
5."Who Are You"4:09
6."Living with the World"3:56
7."Out on the Street"3:49
8."Blame It on the Age"4:44
9."Good-Bye"4:46
10."Emptiness"3:52
Total length:42:55
1019 – Recelebration edition and school start celebration edition (VCD)
No.TitleLength
1."I Know You're Feeling Blue" (music video)5:10
2."The Rose" (music video)5:05
3."Blame It on the Age" (music video)4:44
4."Emptiness" (music video)3:47
5."Living with the World" (music video)3:53
6."Good-Bye" (music video)4:41
7."1019 Universal Big Events Documentary"10:02
Total length:37:22

Release history

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Region Date Format(s) Edition Distributor
China September 10, 1999
Standard Meika
Indonesia Cassette Universal
Malaysia
  • CD
  • cassette
Taiwan
  • 2CD
  • 2 cassette
September 11, 1999 2CD Special memorial
October 15, 1999 CD Celebration
December 13, 1999 CD+VCD Recelebration
January 15, 2000 School start celebration
March 25, 2005 CD Reissue

References

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  1. ^ "蔡依林出道满10年 感谢歌迷陪伴走过低潮-搜狐音乐". music.yule.sohu.com. Retrieved 2022-10-30.
  2. ^ a b c d e "蔡依林十年音乐路①：环球时期"少男杀手"_娱乐_腾讯网". 2009-03-30. Archived from the original on 2009-03-30. Retrieved 2022-10-30.
  3. ^ a b "1019 - 專輯介紹 - 音樂". KISSRADIO - 大眾廣播 FM99.9. Retrieved 2022-10-30.
  4. ^ "娱乐首页_内容中心_新浪网". ent.sina.com.cn. Retrieved 2022-10-30.
  5. ^ 【蔡依林 Jolin】嗨、什麼樣的愛@Super Live 3-5 (2000-07-09), retrieved 2022-10-30
  6. ^ "關於蔡依林10個小秘密！從內向女孩到霸氣的亞洲天后故事太勵志，她說：跌倒過的人，比較幸福！". Yahoo News (in Chinese). 2022-06-29. Retrieved 2024-11-10.
  7. ^ 蔡依林Jolin《1019》全紀錄, retrieved 2022-10-30
  8. ^ 蕭志傑 (2021-07-04). "【我眼中的大明星】堅持不對嘴 唱走音的蔡依林哭了". 鏡週刊 Mirror Media (in Traditional Chinese). Retrieved 2024-11-10.
  9. ^ a b c "娱乐首页_内容中心_新浪网". ent.sina.com.cn. Retrieved 2022-10-30.
  10. ^ a b "陈泽杉：主动不签约孙燕姿 30秒决定签蔡依林_影音娱乐_新浪网". ent.sina.com.cn. Retrieved 2024-11-10.
  11. ^ 娛樂星聞 (2021-07-02). "蔡依林出道嫩照曝 憶天后努力史：能紅超過20年真的不多 | 娛樂星聞". star.setn.com (in Traditional Chinese). Retrieved 2024-11-10.
  12. ^ 蔡依林, 和世界做鄰居 (in Chinese (China)), retrieved 2024-11-10
  13. ^ "潘玮柏发新片，蔡依林首专21年，S.H.E出道19年_腾讯新闻". 2021-06-08. Archived from the original on 2021-06-08. Retrieved 2022-10-30.
  14. ^ "Hitoradio‧Hit Fm --華人音樂入口指標". www.hitoradio.com. Retrieved 2022-10-30.
  15. ^ a b 【蔡依林 Jolin】勁碟民選大賞, retrieved 2022-10-30
  16. ^ "第六届华语榜中榜获奖名单(1999年)". ent.sina.com.cn. Retrieved 2022-10-30.
  17. ^ "第十九届《新加坡金曲奖》 Singapore Hit Awards 2014 - Past Winners". 2017-05-25. Archived from the original on 2017-05-25. Retrieved 2022-10-30.
  18. ^ 【蔡依林 Jolin】1999音樂風雲榜外榜 最佳新人, retrieved 2022-10-30
  19. ^ "TVB8金曲榜頒獎典禮歷屆得獎名單 - tvb.com". 2011-10-06. Archived from the original on 2011-10-06. Retrieved 2022-10-30.
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