On the Spring Festival Gala of 2000, Song Dandan and Zhao Benshang starred in the sketch " Hourly Worker ". When the elderly escort played by Song Dandan pressed the doorbell of Zhao Benshan and the other party asked who she was, Song Dandan blurted out in rich Northeastern dialect: Zhang Huimei!
At this point, all Chinese people have remembered this buzzword. It also once again confirmed Zhang Huimei's position in the popular entertainment culture of that era. Perhaps, "that era" is not accurate. Even though it is 9012 years ago, she is still standing on the high post of pop music, looking down.
html On August 9th, Zhang Huimei turned 47 years old. She debuted in 1996 and has been popular for 23 years, which is almost half of her life. This name, which sounds very rural, has already become a symbol, a standard, and a metaphor.
, Beinan·Xiaonan
On August 9, 1972, Zhang Huimei was born in the Tai'an tribe of Beinan Township, Taitung , Taiwan Province. Beinan's name is Gulilai· Amit.
Beinan is a "big family" among Taiwan's aboriginal people. During the Kangxi period, because of his contribution to assisting the Qing government, he was canonized as the "King of Beinan" and accepted tribute from the surrounding Amis and Paiwan tribes. Therefore, the Puinan people maintain a training system for men.
As a member of the large Beinan family, Zhang Huimei has many brothers and sisters. She is neither the eldest nor the youngest, but she is the closest to her father. My father felt the heroism in amei very early, so even though he was a daughter, he encouraged her to learn Taekwondo and accompanied her to get the second degree black belt.
Family and family are important shaping and nourishment of Zhang Huimei’s musical personality. Zhang Huimei also has a nickname called Katsu. It means "win" in Japanese. This is the name that only those closest to him call out. The last song on the album "Fever" is named after Kastu. In the song, Zhang Huimei's mother personally performed the narration, singing her instructions and expectations for her daughter, even though Amei was already a queen at that time.
The family is the eternal safe haven and the eternal gas station for Zhang Huimei. Otherwise, there would be no twin Amit in the future. That is a story for another day.
, twice participated in the Five Lights Award
Even among the Beinan people, where everyone is good at dancing, Zhang Huimei's singing talent is still visible to the naked eye. In 1992, she entered the fifth prize singing competition for the first time. When she sang to the fourth and fifth levels, she forgot the lyrics because of a cold, and she still came to the final step to win the championship. His father encouraged him and said: You obviously sing better than others, why don't you compete again?
With the wish of her father who was already ill at that time, Zhang Huimei came to the Five Lantern Awards again, and passed all the challenges to become the final winner. But before he could get the trophy back, his father passed away. It is Amei's lifelong regret that her father did not see her realize her talent and become a real singer.
, Master and Disciple·Brother and Sister
After the Five Lights Award, Zhang Huimei joined her cousin's Rolax band and stayed at the pub.
One day, before the show started, someone came to the backstage and told Zhang Huimei, amei, a big shot is coming today, so you must sing well. After Zhang Huimei came on stage, she looked down and saw that Zhang Yusheng, the mainstay of UFO Records, was Zhang Yusheng. With amei's character, the bigger the person, the more stimulated she is to perform. This performance was outstanding. Yusheng also came to the backstage to praise amei.
As everyone knows, Zhang Yusheng has been here for a week and is preparing to sign this aboriginal singer because of the recommendations of Fenghua Records bosses Chen Fuming and Chen Zhiyuan.
At that time, Zhang Yusheng was also in the process of transformation. His popular and avant-garde filmmaking style was also being tested by the market. Someone from the record company suggested that he try being a producer. After making albums for Yi Nengjing and Tao Jingying , he discovered Zhang Huimei.
In July 1996, in Zhang Yusheng's EP "Iran-Iraq War - Red Passion", Zhang Huimei tried her voice for the first time and sang " The person I love most hurts me the most " with Zhang Yusheng.Then at the end of the same year and in June of the following year, Zhang Huimei's first two albums "Sisters" and "Bad Boy" were produced. Everyone knows what happened next.
A lot of gossip speculated about the relationship between the two. But the meeting of two people with the surname Zhang was in itself a kind of fateful providence. Zhang Huimei lost her father, but gained a brother with the same surname. Zhang Yusheng had a biological sister who drowned in 1986. Ten years later, God gifted a beloved disciple with the same surname. It is a coincidence of fate and an arrangement of destiny.
. The brightest star among the stars
1996 is a magical year. It was also the best era for the record industry.
At that time, the three queens of Taiwan's music scene were neck and neck, chasing each other, and the stars were shining brightly. They are Zhang Huimei, Li Min, Xu Ruyun.
Xu Ruyun actually debuted in 1995. The debut album "Ingratiation" did not receive a response from the market. But in 1996, Xu Ruyun released "Sea of Tears", relying on her unique Yun-style singing, which instantly established her status as a queen in the music industry.
As the first sister of Shanghua Records, Xu Ruyun singled out the female singers of Rolling Stone. Including " if the cloud knows " in 1997, 2.2 million copies were sold across Asia. It can be called a miracle.
Coco Coco Lee debuted earlier. But it was also the release of the album of the same name "Coco" in 1996 that established Coco Lee's status as a little queen. That year's album sales ranked second on the Golden Songs Chart.
In 1997, Coco Lee took advantage of the victory and released "Every Time I Miss You", and began to take the lead among many female singers. The styles of these two albums are also the most visual examples of Coco, and they are still stunning to this day.
Among the three days later, Zhang Huimei, who is the oldest and the latest to debut in , is undoubtedly the one who shines brighter. 's first album "Sisters" was belatedly released in December 1996. But it quickly became popular, and the album sold 1.08 million copies, making him the first singer in Taiwan to have his debut album sell more than one million copies. Zhang Huimei specializes in becoming a god.
After "Sisters", the legend continues and becomes more legendary. The second album "Bad Boy" continues to be popular. It eventually sold 1.25 million copies. Became the second best-selling album in Taiwan's history. The one that overwhelms it is the "Kiss Goodbye" album by singer Jacky Cheung . She also became the first female singer to have two consecutive albums sell more than one million copies in Taiwan. In an era when stars shine, she is the brightest star.
Now look back at the historical sales list. Among the top ten are three Jacky Cheung and two Huimei Chang. These are the undoubted "two kings" engraved in the history of Chinese pop music .
, Super Queen
Before 1996, or before Zhang Huimei appeared, there seemed to be no such thing as a "super female singer" in the Taiwanese music scene. The affectionate style is like Ru Yun, the cool charm is so beautiful, the style of everyone is like Chen Shuhua , and the international European style is like Coco Li. But there doesn’t seem to be a female singer who can sing and be selective, who can be extremely soulful and wildly passionate, and who has her own raw energy.
Leo Zhang Huimei fills this gap perfectly. To be precise, it was Zhang Huimei who created such a new type of singer. And so far no successor has been found. Thanks to "One Piece", we define this type in and call it Empress!
Li Ao once commented on Zhang Huimei’s singing voice: Her singing voice does not come out of her throat, but tumbles out of her body. Wave after wave, endless.
"Sisters" and "Bad Boy" are the best showcases of Zhang Yusheng's talent. Together with amei, he developed a genre and together they revolutionized the appreciation of female singers. Almost every song in these two albums has become a hit song in the future.
Since then, we have discovered that the Chinese pop music scene will be really different without Zhang Huimei. It's just that there is no rain in the future. This is the reality that Zhang Huimei must face after releasing two albums. It is very cruel, cruel and decisive.
, After Yusheng
After two masterpiece albums, Yusheng left in a hurry. This is undoubtedly a huge blow to a female singer who has just debuted for more than a year. Both professionally and physically. However, the road must continue to walk, and the songs must continue to be sung.
's "Holding Hands" and "Can I Hug You?" Lover" two albums, as well as this piece of light and heat from the rain. But this temperature is also slowly decreasing. Zhang Huimei knows that she must step out of Brother Bao's comfort zone to explore new fields and expand new directions.
joined Warner's first album "Reality". The short-haired amei
left her old club Fenghua Records in 2001 and joined Warner Records . Warner Records is the last glory of the recording industry and is also known as the "Palace of the Queen of Heaven". At that time, almost all Chinese-speaking queens were at Warner Bros., which was also an important reason for Zhang Huimei to change careers.
From 1998 to 2007, Zhang Huimei successively released 9 studio albums. She wholeheartedly adapts, blends and collides with the best music creators and resources in the industry. Although my singing ability and stage performance have been improving day by day; although each album has a hit song that is constantly being sung, I can't seem to find the way to enter the altar. 's last step is always slow. It was late, but it finally came.
, Twin Flowers
2009 has as much special significance to Zhang Huimei as 1996. Zhang Huimei discovered that the best match for 's singing career is herself. This self is another self, another twin of the individual, and this unique copy is called Amit.
In 2009, Zhang Huimei, who joined Gold Medal Gale, released an album of the same name under her tribal name Amit. It became the most topical and sensational album of the year, and also made Zhang Huimei once again become a god.
"Amit" was shortlisted for 10 nominations for next year's Golden Melody Awards, and eventually won 6 awards. With its devastating attitude, it has set another benchmark for Chinese pop music. And once again recreated the legend that every song on the album is a hit. In the
album, Zhang Huimei integrates female consciousness, supports LGBT, explores the meaning of life and soul, and explores and innovates the ancient tunes of her nation musically. In an era where newcomers are emerging in large numbers, Zhang Huimei has returned to the top and returned to the mainstream. To be precise, Amit redefined the mainstream.
With the success of "Amit", Zhang Huimei's subsequent albums have become more self-conscious. The proportion of love themes has been reduced again and again. More content is placed on social issues, feminism and soul speculation. There are no taboos in the MV shooting, challenging the visual bottom line.
In "Get to the Point", she roared the word "bastard" loudly; in "Black Eat Black", she casually said an English curse word; in " Amit2", she directly sang " Freak Show" " and " matriarchal society ", and shouted in "What are you going to do": You are a bitch!
It’s just that the Internet is rising and popular music is disappearing. Even though Zhang Huimei has continued to show off her beauty in the past few years, the public's attention often focuses on her increasingly fat figure. For the sake of body shape, people are constantly "fighting" on the Internet. One side keeps gossiping about Zhang Huimei's "ugly and fat" photos, while the other side uses: "What's wrong with being fat? Did the fat guy eat your rice?" to support Zhang Huimei.
What is valuable is that Zhang Huimei will always appear in the public eye. He won’t dodge, he won’t take a break, and he won’t escape any kind or malicious criticism. For example, when faced with the acute problem of obesity, she expressed: I am old, and I love drinking milk tea, so I will control in the future to face it directly. So, regarding amei’s figure, just ask Rene Liu next time.
"Sound into the Heart 2" poster
Another example is participating in the popular variety show "Sound into the Heart 2" and serving as the show's producer.Many people jumped out to question: Why can a pop singer be the producer and judge of a bel canto program?
Faced with this, Zhang Huimei did not explain to the camera that she once went to Japan to participate in the Japanese version of the opera "Turandot" for a whole year and 59 performances as the lead actress.
Oh, by the way, she is the only female chorus singer selected by Andrew Bocelli for his new album. Are these conditions sufficient?
, LIVE QUEEN
A singer's concert is an important indicator to judge a good singer. Whether the singer will open regularly, whether it has a box office, whether it performs wonderfully throughout the whole process, etc., are all topics that people will discuss. Otherwise, the reason why Jay Chou was promoted for super chat a while ago was related to the concert.
When it comes to concerts, Zhang Huimei is a born winner. Because, 23 years after her debut, Zhang Huimei is either giving a concert or on the way to a concert. From the "Girl Power" concert held less than three years after her debut, to subsequent world tours and 10th anniversary concerts.
The success of "Amit" not only opened a new peak for Zhang Huimei's career, but also set a new high for her concerts. Amit's 16 concert tour is just a warm-up.
’s Ameizing concerts from 2011 to 2013 broke the record for a single tour by a Chinese band. 19 months, 45 cities, 59 games, 1.48 million viewers. Today, her new round of "Utopia World Tour" is still going on.
These days, apart from singer Jacky Cheung, the only one who can open a show like this is Zhang Huimei. What a coincidence, it's still these "two kings".
In the latest album "The Story Stealer", there is this piece of planning copy: If our life is a storybook, how much part of the three words Zhang Huimei will occupy in the book?
In fact, it is not that important how much these three words Zhang Huimei occupy in our lives, because the story in her song has long become our story. Accompany us, and guide us, walking in the flow of time together.
There is no doubt that Zhang Huimei is an artist. She comes from the tribe, and she has a long-lasting devotion to music performance. No slacking off.
More importantly, 47-year-old Zhang Huimei is still not married. The food of pop artists is not good. Only artists who give themselves completely to the stage can keep improving. Only then can stand at the top of the industry and use loneliness as a blessing and compensation in exchange for the beauty on the stage. The brightest chasing light.
We are lucky enough to be born. We can witness Zhang Huimei who has not yet climbed over the hill and is still standing on the high hill. It’s been almost 25 years, and she is still the most beautiful girl in Chinese pop music, maybe not one of them.
