I was really excited when I first found out Hua Chen Yu 華晨宇 was performing Nunchucks雙節棍 (originally by the king, Jay Chou 周杰倫) on ‘Singer歌手’ earlier this year. Hua Hua singing Jay Chou’s music is basically one of my favorite artists singing the song of my absolute favorite artist. Hua Hua didn’t disappoint.
The original has always been one of the coolest songs. The background instrumental is epic and the chorus is something everyone who grew up listening to Jay Chou, never forgets. Hua Hua starts off with an arrangement completely of his own but what makes his performance so great is the layering. He’s always been very good at building to a climax, this performance is a good example. While it seems as if he’s merging three different songs, it’s quite enjoyable to listen to. The transition from his little excerpt to the beginning beats of the original is gold and just gets you really pumped up.
I think Hua Hua was daring to leave the iconic rap chorus to the end. Throughout the song, I was just waiting for him to go all out with it, the build up was worth it. Now which one do I like more? It’s hard to say. Hua Hua almost created a new song out of it. Jay Chou will always be king but I can appreciate what Hua Hua has accomplished here.
MISOE MUSIC HOUSE 