Yan Zi (album)

In 1998, the soon-to-be chairman of Warner Music Taiwan, Chou Chien-hui, visited Singapore to visit Sammi Cheng at the Lee Wei Song Music Academy, and it was at this time that he discovered Stefanie Sun, who had a unique voice and a solid background in music.{{Cite web |title=华语乐坛的黄金时代 |url=https://www.sohu.com/a/507445519_120099896?_trans_=000019_wzwza&aria=wza |access-date=2024-07-18 |website=Sohu Entertainment}} The Warner producer immediately offered to sign her, however, Sun's father demanded that if she wanted to concentrate on singing, she had to finish college first. For this reason, Warner Music waited for her for two years. It was not until 2000 that Stefanie Sun successfully signed a contract with Warner Music and officially began her music career.{{Cite web |title=从亚洲天后到"冷门歌手" 孙燕姿遇冷背后 戳痛了谁的神经？ |url=https://news.sina.com.cn/s/2021-05-06/doc-ikmyaawc3691506.shtml |access-date=2024-07-18 |website=Sina News|date=6 May 2021 }}

Sun's first album was co-produced by two pairs of twin brothers: Taiwan's Anthony Bao and Tino Bao, and Singapore's Peter Lee and Paul Lee, each of these two sets of producers had their own lyricist and songwriters who worked together to create the album.{{Cite web |title=一颗最灿烂的新星--孙燕姿(附图) |url=https://ent.sina.com.cn/pop/info/2000-08-22/14184.html |access-date=2024-07-18 |website=Sina Entertainment}} Sun recorded the album in the studio by the two groups of musicians double grinding, every time in the studio to record to exhaustion.

"Turbo" expresses the new human, new power, and new view of love;{{Cite web |title=孙燕姿 同名专辑 |url=https://y.qq.com/n/ryqq/albumDetail/002UZ9ob4Ecg0S |access-date=2023-09-12 |website=y.qq.com}} musically, it is a dynamic and upbeat song she announces with a casual whistle.{{Citation |title=《同名专辑(Remastered)》- 孙燕姿的专辑 |url=https://music.apple.com/cn/album/%E5%90%8C%E5%90%8D%E5%B0%88%E8%BC%AF-remastered/990152978 |language=zh-Hant-TW |access-date=23 July 2024}} "Finally" was composed by Peter Lee and written by Kevin Yi; it is an ethereal picturesque love song of the new century. Sun's performance of "Love Certificate" and "Cloudy Day" honestly sings to the depths of simplicity, unlike the kind of gibberish that purposely pretends to be playful, which is a gesture of a singer's maturity.{{Cite web |title=音乐评审团卢世伟：孙燕姿长大了 |url=http://music.yule.sohu.com/20070401/n249121569.shtml |access-date=2024-07-18 |website=Sohu Entertainment}} "Love Certificate” is a mellow song, with Paul Lee calmly writing a melodious melody, and Sun stretching out her "lightly made-up" vocals in a calm tone.{{Cite web |date=2001-09-14 |title=萧亚轩、孙燕姿专辑全接触 |url=http://ent.enorth.com.cn/system/2001/09/14/000143631.shtml |access-date=2024-07-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030508022736/http://ent.enorth.com.cn/system/2001/09/14/000143631.shtml |archive-date=2003-05-08 }} The song "Cloudy Day" was inspired by Taiwanese folk songs. The undecorated voice whispers in the ear, and the yellowed fragments, the wrinkles of the grandmother, the pain of falling, all flow out with the song and piano accompaniment. "E-Lover" is a guitar-driven pop ballad. "Scultpted Eyebrow" is an upbeat chamber pop song. "Make Peace" is a slow tempo guitar-based song. "Natural" combines power pop and pop-punk elements. "Fine" is a pop ballad that relies heavily on the Spanish guitar. "Leave Me Alone" is a rock song.

File:Pacific Sogo Zhongli Store 20121103.jpg Zhongli Store (pictured)]]

The album's original title track was "Love Certificate," but less than a month before its official release, Warner Music Taiwan's boss Zhou Jianhui made a last-minute decision to change the title track to "Cloudy Day."{{Cite web |title=〈天黑黑〉造成奇蹟|url=http://epaper.crown.com.tw/read/130_1_3.htm |access-date=April 18, 2025 |website=epaper.crown.com.tw}} On 22 May 2000 "Cloudy Day" was officially released.{{Cite web |title=

停、看、聽！請大家好好認識一下我們的燕姿！ |url=http://www.warnermusic.com.tw/news/news.php?id=36 |access-date=April 18, 2025 |website=Warner Music Taiwan|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040502132407/http://www.warnermusic.com.tw/news/news.php?id=36|archive-date=May 2, 2004}}

Warner Music promoted Yan Zi with a variety of advertising campaigns across Asia. In the start, they wanted Sun to be familiar to the public by getting her to shoot the Chunghwa Telecom Pocket Code advertisement, then they asked her to frequently endorse various activities before the release of the album.{{Cite web |title=华纳强力推出孙燕姿 郑秀文面临师妹挑战(附图) |url=https://ent.sina.com.cn/pop/info/2000-07-31/11997.html |access-date=2024-07-18 |website=Sina Entertainment}} She then promoted other products such as sanitary pads, sports cars and green tea.{{Cite web |title=超级新星孙燕姿个人小档案(附图) |url=https://ent.sina.com.cn/pop/info/2000-08-22/14194.html |access-date=2024-07-18 |website=Sina Entertainment}}{{Cite web |title=孙燕姿绿茶广告被传有抄袭菜菜子之嫌 |url=https://ent.sina.com.cn/s/h/21564.html |access-date=2024-07-18 |website=Sina Entertainment}}

After the album was officially released on 9 June 2000, it remained in the top three on the charts of Taiwan's two major record stores, Popular Records and Rose Records, for 11 consecutive weeks. By the end of July, sales in Taiwan had exceeded 300,000.{{Cite web |title=孫燕姿同名專輯(全能認證版)封底 |url=https://gcs.rimg.com.tw/g2/2/19/bc/21813833731516_984.JPG |access-date=2024-08-24 }}{{cite news |author1=鐘雁齡 |title=孫燕姿：假槍事件不是宣傳 「有人坐牢，有人受傷，怎假得了？」 |work=聯合早報 副刊 |date=July 26, 2000 |quote=本地新崛起女歌手孫燕姿首張專輯，在台灣已創下超過30萬張的佳績，從台灣華納唱片公司經理周建輝手中接過六白金唱片獎。……周建輝念了一遍孫燕姿的漂亮成績單說：“台灣一年有200至300張新唱片推出，像兩年前就有80到100名新人涌現。孫燕姿6月初發片，到7月底就在台灣賣了30萬張，在過去10個月內，沒有一個藝人有這樣的成績。”}} In order to celebrate these sales, Warner Music took advantage of the hype and released a revised version of the album with a limited edition in early August.{{Cite web |title=孫燕姿成為黃子佼進軍網際網路業的超重量級武器？ |date=2000-08-03|url=http://www.warnermusic.com.tw/news/news.php?id=78 |publisher=Warner Music Taiwan|access-date=2024-08-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040502142035/http://www.warnermusic.com.tw/news/news.php?id=78|archive-date=May 2, 2004}} It was limited to 30,000 copies and additionally included Stefanie Sun's E-Lover super secretary software and a mouse pad.{{Citation |title=Yan Zi [全能認證版] |url=https://music.douban.com/subject/5979678/ |language=zh-CN |access-date=2024-07-18}} On 14 July 2000, Sun held a signing event at Pacific Sogo in Zhongli, Taoyuan County, when a man started a disturbance with a gun; fortunately, the man fired a fake gun and no one was injured.{{Cite web |title=歌手孙燕姿签名会被枪手开枪射击 |url=https://ent.sina.com.cn/pop_music/2000-07-15/10762.shtml |access-date=2024-07-18 |website=Sina Entertainment}} In August 2000, Sun went to Hong Kong to help promote her album, where she was interviewed by RTHK.{{Cite web |title=新加坡人气歌手孙燕姿近日赴港宣传(附图) |url=https://ent.sina.com.cn/pop/info/2000-08-31/15101.html |access-date=2024-07-18 |website=Sina Entertainment}} On 2 September 2000, Sun traveled to Beijing to sign albums.{{Cite web |title=华纳新人孙燕姿9月2日来京签售唱片(附图) |url=https://ent.sina.com.cn/pop/info/2000-08-28/14781.html |access-date=2024-07-18 |website=Sina Entertainment}}

The music video for "Turbo" was directed by Jinhe Lin and revolves around Sun sitting on the roof of a car and driving it on the seaside.{{Citation |title=孫燕姿 Sun Yan-Zi - 超快感 Turbo (official 官方完整版MV) | date=20 July 2017 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_C-i4rbUpk |access-date=23 July 2024}} The music video for the song "Love Document" was directed by Ma Yizhong and revolves around Sun walking around a loft and outside a window display.{{Citation |title=孫燕姿 Sun Yan-Zi - 愛情證書 Love Document (official 官方完整版MV) | date=20 July 2017 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_l62qIfP6UI |access-date=23 July 2024}} The music video for "Cloudy Day," which was also directed by Ma Yizhong, was filmed at a foggy mountain full of reeds.{{Citation |title=孫燕姿 Sun Yan-Zi - 天黑黑 Cloudy Day (official 官方完整版MV) | date=20 July 2017 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zi8z6RPYGV0 |access-date=23 July 2024}} The music videos for "E-Lover" and "Sculpted Eyebrow" were directed by Huang Lijun.{{Citation |title=孫燕姿 Sun Yan-Zi - E-Lover (official 官方完整版MV) | date=20 July 2017 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuBfgpg_xYk |access-date=23 July 2024}}{{Citation |title=孫燕姿 Sun Yan-Zi - 濃眉毛 Sculpted Eyebrow (official 官方完整版MV) | date=20 July 2017 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLx_jZ8R_x4 |access-date=23 July 2024}} The songs, "Love Document" and "Cloudy Day", reached number 4 and 33 respectively on the Hit FM Top 100 Singles of the Year chart for 2000.{{in lang|zh}} HITO Radio [https://www.hitoradio.com/newweb/chart_2.php?ch_year=2000 Hit Fm Annual Top 100 Singles Chart – 2000 (#1 to 50)] Retrieved 29 June 2011

{{Music ratings

| rev1 = MTVChinese.com

| rev1score = {{Rating|4|5}}

| noprose = yes

}}

Mathilda of MTVchinese.com awarded the album four stars out of five and commented: "The first hit is impressive, followed by “Love Certificate” which shows another flavor, and the rock in “Turbo”, which is also well-arranged. It can be crazy, it can be light, it can be cool, it can be gentle. This is what I think of Stefanie Sun after listening to this album. Her voice is very similar to Karen Mok's, but she doesn't sound like she has lost her bite, which makes the album a great effort! Although there are some concerns about her singing: with such a thin body, will she not have enough breath? (you can hear it in the album), this should be something that can be practiced, so I hope to see more improvement! I hope you'll take care of yourself! If you improve your chi, you'll have a bright future, really!"{{Cite web |title=孫燕姿同名專輯 |url=http://www.mtvchinese.com/Music/Review/Chinese/200007/13/99.html |access-date=2024-08-24 |website=MTVchinese.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010129011300/http://www.mtvchinese.com/Music/Review/Chinese/200007/13/99.html|archive-date=2001-01-29}}

Dong Wen of Sohu Music commented: "In the summer of 2000, Warner finally released its long-brewing secret newcomer, a 22-year-old girl from Singapore named Sun Yanzi. I was in my sophomore year of high school at the time, and when I grabbed this CD from a girl in my class, I vaguely sensed in my heart the extraordinary nature behind this headstrong voice. The fresh melody, simple lyrics, and the incomparable sincerity of the lyrics captured the innocent me at once. Maybe there is a little bit of virginity in me, I have always insisted that the selection of songs in this album is the best among all of Stefanie Sun's albums, and each song has its own characteristics and pop possibilities."{{Citation |title=七年之痒转签百代 回顾孙燕姿的华纳时代(附图) |url=http://music.yule.sohu.com/20070322/n248908110.shtml |language=zh-CN |access-date=2024-08-24}}

On 10 June 2020, to celebrate Sun's 20th anniversary in the music industry, Benson Ang of The Straits Times singled out the songs "Cloudy Day," "Love Document," "Turbo" and "Fine" as key songs from Sun's vast discography, commenting that they showcase Sun's sweet, ingenue persona, which over the years has evolved into the confident, charismatic performer she is today.{{Citation |title=The Life List: Four key tracks from Stefanie Sun's 2000 debut album|work=The Straits Times |url=https://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/entertainment/the-life-list-four-key-tracks-from-stefanie-suns-2000-debut-album |publisher=The Straits Times|language=en |access-date=2024-07-18}}

The album earned Sun a Golden Melody Award for Best New Artist.{{in lang|zh}} GIO, Taiwan [http://info.gio.gov.tw/ct.asp?xItem=20291&ctNode=4824&mp=3 12th Golden Melody Awards winners list] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110929231813/http://info.gio.gov.tw/ct.asp?xItem=20291&ctNode=4824&mp=3|date=29 September 2011 }} 28 April 2004. Retrieved 9 May 2011 Sun won the Newcomer of the Year award at the 1st TOP Chinese Music Awards, where the track "Cloudy Day" also made it onto the leaderboard of the Top Ten Golden Songs of the Year in Hong Kong and Taiwan.{{Cite web |title=歌坛盛事《音乐风云榜》揭晓 那英孙楠又获大奖 |url=https://ent.sina.com.cn/p/i/40754.html |access-date=2024-07-23 |website=Sina Entertainment}} "Cloudy Day" also made it onto the leaderboard of the Taiwan Chinese Musicians Exchange Association's Top Ten "Excellent Singles."{{Cite web |title=台音乐人交流协会评出年度十大单曲和专辑 |url=https://www.chinanews.com/2001-02-26/26/73661.html |access-date=2024-07-23 |website=China News Service}}

{{Track listing

| all_writing =

| extra_column = Arrangement

| total_length = 41:13

| title1 = 超快感

| note1 = Turbo

| lyrics1 = {{hlist|Francis Lee|Tino Bao}}

| music1 = Tino Bao

| extra1 = Anthony Bao

| length1 = 3:40

| title2 = 愛情證書

| note2 = Love Document

| lyrics2 = Jennifer Hsu

| music2 = Peter Lee

| extra2 = Terence Teo

| length2 = 4:15

| title3 = 天黑黑

| note3 = Cloudy Day

| lyrics3 = Kate Liao

| music3 = Peter Lee

| extra3 = Goh Kheng Long

| length3 = 3:57

| title4 = E-Lover

| lyrics4 = Li Yao

| music4 = Tino Bao

| extra4 = Anthony Bao

| length4 = 5:01

| title5 = 濃眉毛

| note5 = Sculpted Eyebrow

| lyrics5 = Francis Lee

| music5 = Yang Junliang

| extra5 = Terence Teo

| length5 = 3:48

| title6 = 和平

| note6 = Make Peace

| lyrics6 = Kate Liao

| music6 = Peter Lee

| extra6 = Terence Teo

| length6 = 4:09

| title7 = 自然

| note7 = Naturally

| lyrics7 = Kate Liao

| music7 = Peter Lee

| extra7 = Martin Tang

| length7 = 3:25

| title8 = 終於

| note8 = Finally

| lyrics8 = Kevin Yi

| music8 = Paul Lee

| extra8 = Goh Kheng Long

| length8 = 4:30

| title9 = 很好

| note9 = Fine

| lyrics9 = Jennifer Hsu

| music9 = Stefanie Sun

| extra9 = Goh Kheng Long

| length9 = 4:28

| title10 = Leave Me Alone

| lyrics10 = {{hlist|Peter Lee|Kate Liao}}

| music10 = Paul Lee

| extra10 = Terence Teo

| length10 = 3:55

}}

{{Certification Table Top|caption=Sales and certifications for Yan Zi}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=China|nocert=yes|salesamount=200,000|salesref=}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Hong Kong|nocert=yes|salesamount=12,000|salesref=}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Malaysia|nocert=yes|salesamount=12,000|salesref=}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Singapore|award=Platinum|salesamount=17,000|certref={{cite web |last1=Zeng |first1=Zoe |title=Why Stefanie Sun is one of Singapore's biggest icons |url=https://www.herworld.com/gallery/pov/people/why-stefanie-sun-singapore-icon/ |website=Her World Singapore |access-date=2 April 2024 |language=en |date=31 December 2019}}|salesref={{cite book |last=Suryadinata |first=Leo |author-link=Leo Suryadinata |date=2012 |title=Southeast Asian Personalities of Chinese Descent: Biographical dictionary |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=v9QEBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA1019 |accessdate=11 September 2023 |publisher=Institute of Southeast Asian Studies |page=1019|isbn=978-981-4345-21-7 }}}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Taiwan|nocert=yes|salesamount=330,000|salesref=}}

{{Table end}}

{{Reflist}}

{{Stefanie Sun}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:2000 debut albums

Category:Stefanie Sun albums

Category:Warner Music Taiwan albums