Favorite Chinese/Taiwanese Drama OSTs from a Non Pop Fan's Perspective

de thsisneo4u, Janeiro 26, 2021

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Hi guys, hope you are doing great.

This is my second article and a follow up on my previous article on Kdrama OSTs. You can check it out over here.

The reason I am doing a combined list of Chinese/Taiwanese OSTs is because, compared to Korean dramas, the number of Chinese/Taiwanese dramas that I have seen is pretty limited as I have watched mostly Old School Chinese/Hongkong movies. (Love Wong Kar Wai movies!!!!!) and they are a bit lacking on the original soundtrack department in my opinion.

Again, before I begin, I just wanted to convey that this is purely personal preference and in no way I am undermining tracks that are not on the list. Please feel free to share your favorites in the comment.

With that out of the way, here we go...

The Blue Lotus by Xu Wei from Buddha Mountain (2011)

Although not very critically acclaimed, this is one of my favorite Asian movies and what made me an admirer of Fan Bing Bing. One of my favorite parts of the movie is when this song is played in the background. The way the director used it is pure genius. The song was being played in a vinyl record and halfway through the song, it goes into a defective part of the disk and part of the song keep on repeating (old timers like me may understand what I am talking about. Vinyl Records are very much last century after all.) as if symbolizing the never-ending loop of heartache of the character.

This was my first introduction to Chinese Acoustic Rock and I loved it. Later on I went on to listen to some other great works from Xu Lei (Perfect Life, The Way You Are, etc.). Definitely a singer worth checking out.

Don't Leave Me Alone Anymore by Bobby Chen from A Beautiful Life (2011)

Sometimes a single acoustic guitar and a soulful voice are all that is needed to create great music. This song is proof of that. Give it a listen, you won't regret it.

Unbroken by Rosie Yang from Another Woman (2015)

Never been much of a fan of K-Pop or Mando-Pop, but this track was what caught my ears in this otherwise very much forgettable movie.

He Isn't Worth It by Shi Shi from Behind Your Smile (2016)

The opening track from this drama comes with high recommendations from a lot of my MDL friends and I can certainly see why.

I Really Wanna be There With You by Yao Ye from Crocodile and Plover Bird (2019)

This track is probably my favorite part of this drama. Guitar solos have become a rarity these days. I was pleasantly surprised to find such long bluesy interlude solos in a pop song. And the best part is that it does not hurry through the guitar parts, rather it takes its own sweet time to build up and convey the emotions.

Shiroi Yuki by Kokia from At Dolphin Bay (2003)

I was really, really surprised to find a Japanese track being used in a Chinese/Taiwanese production given the history between the two nation and how particular the government censor can be. But damn this is a good song. Not the best work by Kokia (In my humble opinion, that honor goes to Otona no Ookami. You should definitely check that out.) but definitely one of the top.

The Horizon by Yisa Yu from If Paris Downcast (2018)

Never heard of her before but this lady sure does have range. The way she sang some of the higher notes, reminded me of Celine Dion. Not a pure rock song by any stretch but definitely has some rock elements in it. Worth checking.

Still Here by Liu Yifei & Wang Zhengliang from So Young 2 (2016)

Do I love Liu Yifei or do I love her? Always liked her acting and her subdued way (almost in a whisper) of delivering dialogues (Mulan was a disaster though, no offence). Never knew this pretty lady also sings.