New life for an old art form
When she first saw the dense lyrics, Huang recalls, she very nearly called it quits then and there. Memorizing things was what she was most worried by at school, she jokes, so how on Earth could she remember all that?
Across the rivers / Up to the moon / A thousand boats passing by / Over the mountains / I'm the prettiest / In all the country. / The far-away moon / A thousand-mile wall / Endless sorrow / Through all kinds of illusions / And the vicissitudes of life / I'm the most gorgeous.
What kind of killer look / What kind of man / What kind of hero / Makes me chase him to the end of the world?
With a gentle, confident a cappella start, the song moves up a gear as the chorus kicks in, powerful but evocative, every word in its place, the whole thing carefully orchestrated. The song was a challenge, as she had to enunciate each word, slicing them apart from one another with the precision of a surgeon.
"She had to sing it many times to get the pattern and style down," says Chen.
In order to get her on board, Chen first sang the song for her himself, unaccompanied. While she had trouble at first, after practicing and practicing for a week, she finally finished the recording.
Her unrestrained and uncommon melismatic style gave the song a lasting appeal, and with its combination of loneliness, power, and emotion, "Chase, Chase, Chase" was a bold reinterpretation of budaixi music, becoming Huang's signature tune.
For another song, "Crying Wind," Chen specially taught her how to use head voice, and even gave her the chance to drop some English in the track. With its driving rhythm and brisk interpretation, coupled with a touch of tragedy, it quickly became a hit with the younger crowd.
The album is highly experimental, breaking away from the traditions of Taiwanese music. So strong was Huang's performance on it that when she was nominated for Best Taiwanese Female Singer at the 12th Golden Melody Awards, the well-established Taiwanese songstress Jody Chiang said that Huang was her biggest competitor that year.
A born performer who inherited a talent for song from her mother, Huang Fei would sing and dance to entertain guests at her family's home.