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Fuzao review (1996)

by Wong Chi-wah

Faye Wong's "Fuzao" album is considered to be a masterpiece of her peak era. The text here is a reflection upon listening to this album. It was originally published in the 1996 "Song and Music" column in Sing Pao.

PART 1

Every time I listen to Faye Wong's recently released album "Fuzao", I always think of this poem by the foreign poet Dante:

O you, who in some pretty boat, Eager to listen, have been following Behind my ship, that singing sails along Turn back to look again upon your own shores; Tempt not the deep, lest unawares, In losing me, you yourselves might be lost.

The confident poet issued an "expulsion order" to his readers and similarly, a confident Faye Wong gave an "expulsion order" to her fans with a lyric-less song. Ladies and gentlemen who are only used to karaoke-style songs, please come back!

In fact, lyric-less songs are by no means an invention by Faye Wong. But it is rare and strange for less experienced music fans. It is common in everything from classical to pop music, especially in some mainstream music circles abroad where it is easier to find this kind of work. The most ridiculous thing is that some people who write about music actually think that they are being humorous by comparing lyrics-less songs to humming songs in the shower. It's like someone pointing to a painting by Ah Chong and saying, "I know how to paint a few strokes and write a few words that seem very philosophical! No one appreciates it!" What would you think if an art critic said this?

Faye Wong's "Fuzao" album contains two songs written specifically for her by the foreign band Cocteau Twins. This is likely the policy of PolyGram, a large multinational company. In recent years, they liked to invite famous foreign musicians to write songs for local superstars, thereby enhancing the status of local singers.

However, I always felt that although it's a great honor if a foreign artist is willing to write songs for local singers, but if a foreign artist is willing to sing the works of a local singer-songwriter and become popular, that would be an absolute honor!

Will Faye Wong's works ever have such a day? I think whether or not there is such an opportunity might not necessarily be related to the quality level of the song, but luck may be more important.

In any case, although Faye Wong issued this "expulsion order", I hope that I can retain more supporters for her without overestimating my ability.

PART 2

I have read a lot of reviews on Faye Wong's "Fuzao" album. One of them made this comment: "It is obvious that Faye Wong did not study harmony too deeply. She only used a few simple chords, but she was able to apply them with various slight changes, and the effect was very beautiful."

I would like to add something to this statement. The songs written by Faye Wong in her past two or three albums have begun to have a lot of "Chinese" elements. Just as I answered a reader earlier about the song "Vacation" from Faye Wong's last album, the melody development techniques and musical form structure are actually very Chinese. The aesthetic taste of Chinese music isn't concerned about harmony, but only the twists and turns of the melody line, and the musical structure also tends to be scattered in form and coherent in meaning. Therefore, not much exploration on harmony does not affect Faye Wong's composition at all.

However, this aesthetic habit of Chinese music often requires enough time and space to stretch one's musical mind. You will realize this by listening to traditional pieces such as "Blossoms on a Moonlit River in Spring", "Two Springs Reflect the Moon", and "Mist and Clouds Over the Rivers ".

It is not easy for Faye Wong to incorporate "Chinese" elements into pop songs with limited time and space.

When I think of Chinese minor-type works written by another singer-songwriter, George Lam, such as "In the Middle of the Water", "Goodbye Willow", or Tat Ming's "Story of a Stone", I often feel that they only have the appearance of "Chinese" elements, but sounds like they were "done in a rush", with neither twists and turns nor a sense of expanding itself.

Listening to the three songs with strong "Chinese" elements in Faye Wong's "Fuzao" album [SPORADIC, RESTLESS, and DOOMSDAY], there is no such feeling of "done in a rush" at all. It is unknown whether it is because Faye Wong has become closer to Dou Wei and has gained a stronger Chinese musical literacy , or whether she already had this when she was growing up in Beijing, which enabled her to successfully overcome the difficulty of injecting "Chinese" elements into a small space! It is worth noting that most of Faye Wong's songs are short in duration, but they leave people with an endless aftertaste, which is very wonderful.

PART 3

The two songs "Sporadic" and "Restless" in Faye Wong's new album can be compared in many ways.

What is particularly noteworthy is that the first four words of the two songs are all sounded 5 6 1 2 (the blue note is the bass). It seems that Faye Wong did this intentionally, so that the two songs have a subtle connection.

In addition, the melodies of these two songs are mainly based on the pentatonic scale, with a strong Chinese flavor. In terms of lyrics, one emphasizes "impermanence" and the other talks about "troubles." Both words come from Buddhism. "Impermanence" is the free translation of the Sanskrit word anitya, and "troubles" is the free translation of the Sanskrit word klesa. Music fans who are even only slightly familiar with Faye Wong will know that she believes in Buddhism and often reads Buddhist scriptures and thinks about Buddhist principles. Therefore, it is not surprising that words commonly used by Buddhists appear in her works. Therefore, it feels like it is natural for these two songs to be put together, as if they are connected.

However, if we look at the musical structure, "Sporadic" and "Restless" are very different. The musical form of "Sporadic" is A+A+B+C+C1+D (end). The musical form of "Restless" is: Introduction + A + B + A + C + A + B + A1.

From the commercial point of view of pop songs, "Restless" is certainly much catchier than "Sporadic" because the A section is repeated three times, making it easier to remember. As for the musical form of "Sporadic", it seems to be relatively loose, but it has the aesthetic taste of Chinese art because it is similar to the spatial structure of a Chinese painting's scattered perspective.

This kind of "scattered perspective" structure has been favored by Faye Wong in recent years. In the last album, the song "Vacation" was like this. In this album, besides "Sporadic", another song called "Doomsday" also has this kind of musical structure, and it seems to be her "trademark" style point when writing songs.

Undoubtedly, this kind of "scattered perspective" musical structure can be very changeable and it is not rigid in formula, but its shortcomings are also very obvious. It is relatively difficult to be catchy. It is easy to remember one or two lines, but it is difficult to memorize the whole song. But I believe that Faye Wong, who has her own way, would rather express her heart and does not care about whether or not it is catchy.

PART 4 - EXCERPT

Faye Wong's lyrics in "Sporadic" remind me of Zen Master Chonghui's famous saying: "The sky is eternal, and the wind and moon are one."

Faced with this pleasant scenery, why not cherish and enjoy it?

The last two lines of the song are particularly very interesting:

"Can't help but rush and leave hope to disappointment." I immediately thought of the saying "the greater the hope, the greater the disappointment" and "without hope, there is no disappointment". Leaving hope to be disappointed seems to mean working hard and not caring about the result.

PART 5

Although the lyrics of the title song of Faye Wong's new record, "Restless", are less than thirty words, there are many things to comment on.

Regarding the shortness of the lyrics, among Hong Kong songs, the most impressive one is "Love Fury" by Tat Ming, which has only sixteen words. The writing of a cultured man Mike [Lam]. However, when it comes to the richness of meaning, "Love Fury" is far inferior to "Restless", which only has six more words:

"In September, people are restless. September is dull and boring. Everything is fine, only lacking troubles."

Perhaps when many people will read these simple 22 words, they are unsure whether the writer is very troubled or has no worries at all?

The general interpretation of the word "restless" is rashness and impatience and it is usually used together with the word "frivolous".

The first intuitive understanding of these twenty-two words [of lyrics] is:

In the season of summer competing with autumn, people seem to be very impatient. Even if they don't encounter any troubles, they want to find troubles for themselves, but they can't find them!

However, when we listen to the lyrics of Faye Wong's "Restless", the notes are jumping frequently, and the C section, which has lyrics, sounds more like a pleasant folk song. The beat of the song is brisk, and in terms of tonality, it is also a clear major scale. Together, they demonstrate that this is an absolutely relaxed and cheerful song, and it may really be expressed as "everything is fine, only lacking troubles."

But since "everything is fine", why are "people restless"? Is "boredom" a hardship or a pleasure?

I always feel that being restless is never a pleasure and being bored is also a difficult thing. As for "only lacking troubles", the author believes that the absence of troubles is often a kind of trouble in and of itself. It means that a person who is suddenly forced to do nothing will also become restless. Faye Wong's "Restless" is obviously a bittersweet song, with lyrics and music that contradict each other.

PART 6

Other songs such as Grasshoppers' dance song "Lonely" also has music and lyrics that contradict each other. But it misses the point. However, Faye Wong's song "Restless" engages this phenomenon, but it does not affect the performance of the song.

Faye Wong embraces these troubles: "restless", "dull and boring", and "lacking troubles" so happily!

Don’t forget that she just sang in “Sporadic”: “Can’t help but rush and leave hope to disappointment.” She seemed to be rushing into the beautiful scenery of nature. This mood seems to flow over into the following song "Restless".

In fact, when thinking about worries, I always immediately think of a famous saying in Buddhism: "In the Buddha nature, worries do not need to be eliminated." Even Master Huineng, the sixth ancestor of Zen Buddhism, also famously said: "Affliction is Bodhi." Faye Wong's bittersweet lyrics in "Restless" also vaguely carry a similar meaning.

Most people think that Zen Buddhism teaches people how to escape troubles. But what they don’t actually realize is that this religion teaches people to face troubles head-on and learn how to mentally deal with all the troubles they encounter in life. Facing troubles head-on is not only a way to eliminate troubles, but also a way to achieve great things. How many great people have succeeded precisely because they dare to face problems head-on and are not afraid of troubles?

Faye Wong, who often reads Buddhist scriptures and principles, created the song "Restless" in the form of bittersweet words and music. It seems to be a demonstration of facing troubles head-on. What's more, the troubles are just "restless", "dull and boring", and "lacking troubles". If you can't face these directly, how can you face bigger problems?

PART 7 - EXCERPT

In a column I wrote years ago, I said that if a good tune has a range of no more than one octave, it must be a rare masterpiece. Because too narrow of a range will bring great constraints to the creation of the melody.

But having many constraints is also a challenge! However, writing a beautiful melody with a range of no more than one octave may often be an unintentional "skill" of the composer, and it may not be possible to write it intentionally.

The latest discovery of a beautiful song with a range of no more than one octave is Faye Wong's new song "Restless" (sorry, I'm still talking about "Restless", I have already said that this song has a lot to talk about).

When the record company originally selected "Restless" as the title song of Faye Wong's new album, apart from the lack of lyrics, which represented a major feature of the record, the song's small range and the fact that it could be suitable for all ages should be a major consideration. It is worth mentioning that "Sporadic" basically only has one octave range, and only the bass 3 slips out of the octave range.

Although the musical range of "Restless" is only one octave, it does not hinder the liveliness of the melody. In the most repeated section A, the first beat jumps from 3 to 5, the second beat jumps from 5 to 3, and the third beat is a broken chord from the perspective of Western music, but the tone is also flying! The C section, which only appears once in the song, is like a folk song, and the B section is also very unique. There are four short beats in the phrase. The first three beats all stop on the 2nd note, and the fourth sentence returns to the main tone! It seems clumsy and ingenious, but also very Chinese. In fact, Chinese folk music artists like to call this technique "pulling continuously" to describe the melody surrounding the central note.

PART 8

In Faye Wong's new album "Fuzao", there are four songs without lyrics or even no singing at all: "Imagine", "Uneasy", "Where", and "Wild Three Hills".

The origin of one of them, "Uneasy", is a bit unclear. It's not clear who wrote the music. It may be adapted from some unknown foreign music.

The remaining three songs were all composed by Faye Wong, where you can hear her singing "oohs and aahs" and only occasionally singing "Where? Where?" in "Where". I saw a music critic write: "Faye Wong's "oohs and aahs" are countless times better than the vulgar and boring lyrics of other colleagues, and these "oohs and aahs" all express a certain artistic conception of the song." - I deeply agree with this. On many pop singers' albums, of 10 songs, often 5 or 6 have cliched lyrics that have no meaning. In this case, it would be better not to have lyrics at all, and just have a piece of pure music or "oohs and aahs".

Interspersing pure music or songs without lyrics between songs can often hide the reality and expand the imagination of the audience. In fact, local music fans are too accustomed to the fact that every piece of music on an album is a song, and every song must have lyrics. Otherwise, they feel that it is a "money grab" (cheating money). This kind of mentality is equivalent to a person buying a book and requiring that every page in the book be filled with words. If there is a page of illustrations or half a page is blank, it feels like a "money grab." As everyone knows, when white space is used well, it also has a beautiful (artistic) effect, which at least makes the eyes comfortable when reading.

Faye Wong's use of "blank space" has a good effect, especially in this hot summer. Listening to these songs of "Imagine", "Where", and "Wild Three Hills", I feel like a breeze is coming. Faye Wong seems to be very business-minded by releasing summer-relieving music in the middle of summer. It is worth mentioning that the melody that Faye Wong hums in "Imagine" also has a musical structure that has a "scattered perspective" flavor. This gives the author another example to illustrate her recent creative direction. She likes to imitate the aesthetic characteristics of traditional Chinese art: the dispersion of form and the coherence of meaning.

I hope that Faye Wong’s loyal fans can “receive” the rich messages sent out in these songs. PART 9

In Faye Wong's new album "Fuzao", two songs were written especially for her by the Cocteau Twins. The Mandarin lyrics were written by local lyricists, Faye Wong did not write them herself.

Regarding the lyrics of these two songs, I personally like "Divide", but I don't think much of "Disappointment".

Speaking of which, when I first listened to the song "Divide", it always reminded me of the song "I Have Two" from Tat Ming. But after listening to it more, I felt that my original understanding of "Divide" was not appropriate and that I had misunderstood the meaning.

What is the theme of the lyrics "Divide"? I finally realized recently that the theme is actually frequently sung in the background: "The cells of longing are constantly dividing…dividing…dividing." This is another song describing longing!

I remember that previously this lyricist wrote "Lost" for Faye Wong which was about longing. This time "Divide" is about longing again, but the technique used is so different and fresh:

"Divide, divide, smiling innocently, seeing through everything… Divide, divide, guarding one person's world, two people's blood, it's all the fault of the embrace. Half hot, half cold,…half the sky, half the ground…a little bit of me, a little bit of you…a little male, a little female…one side is red, the other side is green…the soul is up to you. Flying to another world, my body is like a butterfly with broken wings… Sometimes I face everything with strength, and sometimes I have to run wild. Divide, divide…"

The imagery is very psychedelic, but it is completely different from the realm of her previous song "Lost". In particular, the lines "half hot, half cold…half red, half green" reminds me of those magnificent and strange fractal diagrams in contemporary mathematics. The metaphor of longing for cell division is indeed ingenious and appropriate. It grows from few to many, and even divides to infinity. The lyricist also seems to intentionally or unintentionally mislead the listeners. I believe he is also writing about personality and mental split, thus achieving a confusing effect. In fact, being suspicious, I occasionally wondered whether "two people's blood" could imply pregnancy? But guessing like this would spoil the fun. PART 10

When studying Sam Hui's works in the past, I pointed out that many of the lyrics sung by Sam Hui often have only one creative technique. The author also likened this technique to hanging lights on a Christmas tree: that is, using an idea as the backbone, then trying to collect as much material related to this idea as possible, and then integrating it into the lyrics. "Happiness" and "Kiss You" are typical representatives.

One of the songs in Faye Wong's new album, "Disappointment", was actually written using this "hanging lights on a Christmas tree" technique.

The advantage of this technique is that it often enhances the tension and momentum of the work, because relevant materials [content] pours out one after another or overwhelmingly, making the audience feel interested or amazed when they are overwhelmed. However, this method can easily cause the creator to fail and end up with a patchwork without any structure.

Comparing songs with similar creative techniques, the author does not think "Disappointment" is better than "Happiness" and "Kiss You". They all [use the method] of listing the materials [content]. Generally speaking, as long as you decide to use this method to create, as long as the lyricist is not too poor in imagination and association, you can write lyrics with similar performance.

The most successful classic written using this technique is "The Road to Shu is Difficult" written by the great poet Li Bai of the Tang Dynasty. A series of strange images can highlight the central theme of "The Road to Shu is Difficult". This is the style and sentiment of the poem.

Of course, "Disappointment" is just a short song, and the lyricist was not able to wander with his pen, and "Disappointment" is just a personal emotion that is not too painful or uncomfortable. Compared with the lofty density of "The Road to Shu is Difficult", it is not fair at all to compare. It can be compared more with "The Rules of Desire", which the poet wrote using the same technique. When compared with "Disappointment, "The Rules of Desire" is obviously much better, both in terms of meaning and level. In fact, the meaning of "Disappointment" is too stagnant to bind together, just like a painting that is locked in a trap and cannot escape. It fails to give the viewer extra room for imagination. Therefore, although the converging images in the song are vivid, they lack the aftertaste.

PART 11 When discussing Faye Wong's "Fuzao" album, one cannot fail to talk about "Doomsday", a song in which she wrote her own music and lyrics for.

The tune of "Doomsday" is obviously a typical scattered perspective music form. Three very different sections A, B, and C are strung together. The melody line develops from a relatively smooth development to frequent ups and downs later (that is, the section where the "Clear Rules and Commandments" is sung), which seems to be an uncontrollable emotion.

The lyrics of "Doomsday" are very shocking, and they seem to be about the end of the world complex of some Hong Kong people. In the author's eyes, Faye Wong is just a passer-by in Hong Kong. Who would have expected that this passer-by would be able to so vividly write about this apocalyptic complex with her pen.

Stanza A of "Doomsday" says: "Ideals are wandering at the crossroads, not knowing which way to go. Faith lowers its head along the way, counting the stones under its feet. The sun is a bit dazzling, and the air is not too fresh. They think about it and hesitate to move forward." Everyone knows how to personify [apply human traits], but the writer [Faye Wong] personifies "ideals" and "confidence" here, which is very clever, and a series of cleverly personified descriptions follow: "Beauty bids farewell to herself with tears, and hypocrisy spreads its smile on the crowd. I'm going back and forth, reason can't convince me to give up, my desire has bought everything, but it still can't satisfy the emptiness." These four sentences describe four "people", but they seem to be silhouettes of all kinds of strange beings in the sunset years of the colony. In fact, these lines are all made up, but they give people countless associations. For example, "hypocrisy spreads a smile and circulates in the crowd" reminds the author of those political chameleons. Of course, you can also have other associations. The last stanza of the song is also very interesting: "Clear rules and commandments are meaningless, and half-heartedness is the charm. When doomsday comes, no one will care about a little curiosity." The word "curiosity" exactly points out the current psychology of many Hong Kong people: I really want to see how Hong Kong will change after 1997 [handover], or I want to see what will happen to those people who flatter themselves on both sides, and what will happen to them after 1997? This song "Doomsday" resonates more and more the more I listen to it. PART 12 I have talked about Faye Wong for many days in a row, but this actually did not break my own record. I remember that in the early years, I talked about Hou Dejian's album in this column for half a month. In the 1980s, there were many records that I talked about for more than ten days. Unlike today, there are only a handful of records that can stimulate conversation.

Back to discussing Faye Wong's "Fuzao" album, there is a song called "Degenerate" written by Faye Wong. I have listened to this song many times over the past few days, and I have spent a lot of time pondering the lyrics, but I could never understand the central idea of ​​the lyrics, which is very hazy and foggy.

However, in the end, I heard some clues. Although the idea may be misinterpreted, I believe it can also give everyone some inspiration. It can also be seen from this that after listening to some albums only a few times, it is often impossible to get the meaning of the music and the lyrics. Faye Wong's albums must belong in this category. I wonder if readers also think so?

A bold understanding of "Degenerate" is that this song is Faye Wong and Dou Wei's declaration of "degeneration". The word "degenerate" reminds the author of two famous lines in Tao Yuanming's "Five Poems on Returning to Live in the Garden and the Fields": "If you fall into the net of dust by mistake, you will be gone for thirty years." It's just that Mr. Tao "fell" by mistake, while Faye Wong and Dou Wei may have fallen into the net willingly, but they clearly knew what "falling" meant.

The "you" in the song is quite similar to Dou Wei's public image: "You don't want to talk too much" and "You refuse to be lonely because you can't control the temptation (the temptation of a big company to support the release of records?)." The "I" in the poem also has a strong shadow of Faye Wong: "desperately swimming upstream (hence "Restless"?), willingly throwing myself into the trap (referring to the competitive entertainment industry?)" It's probably not too bad to understand it in this way. If this interpretation works, then from the lines: "I just want to indulge… I haven't missed anything, in fact I have gained nothing, I can't even say I am lost, intoxication and anesthesia are intertwined" - we can guess that Faye Wong is still very attached to making records, or it just depends on whether she can continue to swim against the current.

I really hope she can continue to travel into the vast depths of the ocean.

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SOURCE: SING PAO // TRANSLATED BY: FAYE WONG FUZAO

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Profile | Faye Wong’s career as Cantopop singer and actress, and her very public romances (2025)

A ‘natural-born actress’, Wong Kar-wai said. The bestselling female Cantopop artist. Yet Faye Wong left it all behind to be a wife and mum

by Lisa Cam

SCMP Hong Kong's pop culture icons

This is the 44th installment in a biweekly series profiling major Hong Kong pop culture figures of recent decades. ——————————————————————

Faye Wong reigned supreme as Hong Kong’s diva of the 1990s. Her distinctive voice, artistic integrity, aversion to celebrity and unique style cemented her status..

While many will recognise her from her cover of The Cranberries’ track “Dreams” or her vocals on “Eyes on Me” (the theme song for the video game Final Fantasy VIII), her breakthrough came with her fourth studio album, Coming Home (1992). Before this, the Beijing-born Wong had modelled and placed third in a singing competition, which led to a contract with record label Cinepoly. There, she studied under Tai See-chung, who mentored Cantopop superstars such as Anita Mui Yim-fong, Aaron Kwok Fu-shing, Andy Lau Tak-wah and Leon Lai Ming. Initially, her birth name, Wang Fei, was deemed too mainland Chinese for Hong Kong audiences, so her label rebranded her Shirley Wong, or Wong Ching-man. But after her first three albums achieved only modest success, she was sent to New York for vocal training and cultural immersion. It was there that Wong truly discovered herself. “I wandered around, visited museums and sat at cafes,” she later explained. “There were so many strange, confident-looking people. They didn’t care what other people thought of them. “I felt I was originally like that too, independent and a little rebellious. But in Hong Kong I lost myself. “I was shaped by others and became like a machine, a dress hanger. I had no personality and no sense of direction.”

It was this realisation that led to her becoming the idol she is today, a performer who transitioned from Cantopop love ballads to composing alternative tunes for her own albums. The TV series Greed of Man was Hong Kong broadcaster TVB’s big-budget show of 1992 and is still lauded as one of its best dramas. Wong’s Vulnerable Woman was the song played when the heroine tragically died and it immortalised the scene in the hearts of many. The 1993 album 100,000 Whys saw Wong come into her own. Shedding her stage name Shirley, Wong went back to using her given name, Wang Fei, in Chinese and changed her English name to Faye. The album brought grunge music to the Hong Kong public’s consciousness as well as adopting other bold style experiments of the time. “Summer of Love” was a small step away from the ballads she was known for, and appealed to her younger fans. To some, Wong’s decision to make the cover of her 1994 album Random Thoughts white with the title embossed in cream came to feel as pivotal as The Beatles’ White Album. It marked Wong’s first move into alternative rock, and included her covers of two songs by the Scottish rock group Cocteau Twins. Among the songs on the album is “Pledge”, the first one she wrote with her then partner and eventual husband Dou Wei, and the first original Mandarin song to feature on her track list. Wong’s cover of The Cranberries’ “Dream” was a landmark moment in Cantopop because of the fact that she adopted lead singer Dolores O’Riordan’s vocal style of keening and yodelling thereafter. The song featured on the soundtrack to Wong Kar-wai’s acclaimed 1994 film Chungking Express, in which Wong appeared. It catapulted her into the international spotlight.

Wong’s 1995 album Di-Dar was described by music journalist Fung Lai-chee as “the best psychedelic and bestselling avant-garde work in Cantopop, with songs that are self-centred, ignoring [the] market and others’ work”. Lovers & Strangers became one of her bestselling albums, and after its release in 1999 Guinness World Records declared Wong the bestselling female Cantopop artist of all time.

The album marked the start of moves by Wong to release more songs in Mandarin, her mother tongue, and make the Hong Kong market less of a priority.

While she was busy with her music career, Wong was also making a name as an actress. Early in her career, Wong had appeared in well-known Hong Kong-made television dramas such as The Legendary Ranger and File of Justice II. However, after establishing herself as a pop diva she stepped away from television. It was not until 2001 that she was invited to Japan to star in the Japanese drama Uso Koi, becoming the first Chinese actress to play the lead role in a Japanese TV series. In film, Wong is best known for her roles in Wong Kar-wai productions including Chungking Express and 2046, both of which he directed, and the comedy Chinese Odyssey 2002, produced by the filmmaker, for which she received a best actress nomination in the 22nd Hong Kong Film Awards and was named best actress in the Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards.

Wong Kar-wai has repeatedly praised her acting skills, calling her a “natural-born actress”. “With just a few movements in front of the camera, the entire scene comes to life,” the director said in a 2010 interview. “No one can replace Faye. It’s truly a pity that she doesn’t act any more.”

As for her personal life, Wong first hinted to the media in 1993 that she enjoyed an intimate relationship with the musician Dou Wei, saying: “I can say that we are indeed very close now.”

A love triangle developed between Dou, Wong and Jiang Xin, Dou’s first love. In September 1994, Jiang announced she had split up with Dou. Asked if Wong was the other woman whose presence had triggered this, Jiang said: “If it weren’t Faye Wong, it would have been someone else.”

In July 1996, with Wong pregnant, she and Dou married. On January 3, 1997, Wong gave birth to their daughter, Dou Jingtong, who would grow up to become alternative rock artist Leah Dou. In early March 1999, Dou was spotted dining with Gao Yuan, a photographer he met on an album cover shoot in 1994, at a restaurant in Tokyo. When Hong Kong paparazzi questioned him about her identity, Dou replied: “Her name is Gao Yuan, and she is my lover.”

On March 25 of that year, Wong went to a lawyer’s office and unilaterally signed a separation agreement. Five months later she and Dou divorced, with custody of Leah granted to Wong. In March 2000, Wong was photographed getting intimate with actor-singer Nicholas Tse Ting-fung, 11 years her junior, at a bar. The pictures sparked talk of a “sister-brother romance” – derogatory Cantonese slang for a relationship in which the woman is older than the man – although both denied it at first. In June 2000, Wong and Tse publicly confirmed their relationship when they were pictured holding hands as they left actor Tony Leung Chiu-wai’s In the Mood for Love celebration party. Things had become messy for the couple by 2003, with Tse involved in a car accident and beginning an association with actress Cecilia Cheung Pak-chi, who went on to marry him in 2006. They divorced in 2011.

Around the same time, and while recording an album in Beijing, Wong began associating with actor Li Yapeng, who she would marry in 2005.I wanted a family, but you were destined to be a legend.

Actor Li Yapeng after he and Faye Wong divorced in 2013

After her marriage, she stepped away from the limelight. In 2006, Wong gave birth to her second daughter, Li Yan, at Peking Union Medical College Hospital.

On September 13, 2013, Wong announced her divorce from Li on Weibo, China’s answer to Twitter, now X, in a post that read: “This lifetime, our marital fate ends here. I am fine, and I hope you take care.”

Li then released a statement saying: “I wanted a family, but you were destined to be a legend.” It was reported that Wong and Tse crossed paths again in 2014 and rekindled their romance. The two made public appearances together in 2017 but did not comment on their relationship.

In an interview in 2019, Tse confessed that he had been in love with Wong for over 20 years.

The couple have been extremely private about their relationship but by all accounts are still going strong.

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SOURCE: SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST

[fayewonglibrary]

"Toy" EP Review (1997)

by Wong Chi-wah

After Faye Wong's "Fuzao" album, listening to her recent EP which only has five songs, the feeling of brilliance has greatly decreased. Possibly, without Faye Wong's own compositions, it will always lack something.

These days I often feel that ten songs on a record is too much. Who would have expected that there would be Faye Wong's EP with only five songs. Of course, it is known that Faye Wong did record ten songs, but because Fei Fei was going to "fly" away [change her record company], Cinepoly put half of the songs away, saving them for future competition for "Fei".

Although the brilliance is far less than the "Fuzao" album, Faye Wong's EP is still worthy and "endurable" to listen to. However, Lin Xi had to take on the lyrics of the five songs by himself, so there is somewhat less enthusiasm. I would rather Faye Wong write them herself.

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SOURCE: SING PAO // TRANSLATED BY: FAYE WONG FUZAO

[fayewonglibrary]

"Please Myself" review (1994)

by Wong Chi-wah

"Song and Music" column

Faye Wong's new album is called "Please Myself" and one of it's most shocking songs, "Exit", has lyrics written by Faye.

People think Faye is cold and arrogant. However, there are few singers who are as bold as Faye in portraying their state of mind in their lyrics.

"I lack patience. Nothing satisfies me. I often offend people. This seems to be a natural talent. I hate being a star but I want to attract attention."

She clearly states that she "often offends people", but does not hide her contradictions and mischievousness.

"Turning to the entertainment page, there's a charity show. Everyone comes to donate money, that's our contribution. I don't like politics because I think it's full of danger. I care about society, but society has fallen into enemy's hands. Of course, there is a good side".

Faye does not deliberately criticize anything here. She just writes about her perceptions on certain phenomena in society. Even so, you rarely see other singers who write such lyrics. Is it because they think that it is better to write about love instead of writing about something that will not resonate with them?

In fact, Faye Wong's lyrics also touch on the issue of love and makes people feel a sense of truth:

"I believe in Buddhism, does this help? I try to attain to happiness, but what is happiness? My concept is vague."

"I believe in love and long for a happy family, but the fortune teller says that our marriage will not go well, that you will have an affair by the time you are forty, which makes me worry…"

She didn't have to go out of her way to construct some romantic and tragic stories. She just frankly says a few words about her anxiety toward love and happiness, which is just as touching. This is the power of sincerity.

However, the record company has to release several records a year. How many lyrics of true feelings can Faye Wong churn out?

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SOURCE: SING PAO // TRANSLATED BY: FAYE WONG FUZAO

[fayewonglibrary]

The mahjong masters in the entertainment circle (2025)

This heavenly queen queen is more dedicated to playing mahjong than singing.

by Tsui Lik Sang

During the Lunar New Year, in addition to relatives and friends gathering to pay New Year's greetings, many of them also want to make a new fortune. Playing mahjong is a favorite among Hong Kong people. It has become a must to gather around and play a few rounds. There are many artists in the industry who are very addicted.

There is also a music queen who is very competitive and is more dedicated to her mahjong skills than her singing skills. 4. Faye Wong

Carina Lau "takes good care" of her sister Faye Wong on the mahjong stage. She knows that Faye Wong gets weaker when she loses more and wins less, so she will give her a "special" [discard tiles to allow the other player to improve their hand]. She also joked that whether the opponent draws good or bad tiles will be written on her face [facial expression].

Faye Wong, on the other hand, is very confident in her playing skills. During Leslie Cheung's interview, the most classic moment occurred when he mentioned that Faye once played mahjong at his house. Carina Lau sat behind Faye. While watching her play, Carina asked Faye why she played like this. Faye Wong turned around and said to her very seriously: "If you say I'm not good at singing, I can accept it. But if you say I'm not good at mahjong, I won't accept it!"

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SOURCE: HK01 // TRANSLATED BY: FAYE WONG FUZAO

[fayewonglibrary]

Faye Wong burst into tears on the stage of the Spring Festival Gala! (2025)

Inside story revealed: "Both parents and brother have passed away". Faye is an orphan. Her closest relatives remaining are her 2 daughters

by Ying-Yong Wong

55-year-old Heavenly Queen Faye Wong once again appeared on the stage of the CCTV Spring Festival Gala after 7 years, singing a new song "What The World Gifted Me". Faye Wong's singing was praised and the Weibo post was viewed more than 100 million times. But a neighbor revealed that her parents and brother died one after another. As Faye has been very low-key, having her private matters revealed made fans both upset and distressed.

Faye Wong appeared in a white evening dress at the Spring Festival Gala. She was elegant and fairy-like. The years seemed to have never left a mark on her. She sang a song specially made for the Spring Festival Gala. Netizens were moved and praised: "She has transcended." and "Her voice is so recognizable that it can't be replaced by anyone else".

Faye Wong sang the last line for those who have passed: "Those who have gone far away have gone far away, may they be at peace". She instantly burst into tears, clasped her hands and bowed deeply, which moved the audience.

Singer Hei Ni, who is an old neighbor of Faye Wong's, recently posted a video to share many stories of Faye Wong's childhood, and revealed that "Faye Wong is actually an orphan".

Hei Ni and Faye Wong's mother were choir colleagues and neighbors in the past, and the 2 families had a deep friendship. He Ni revealed that Faye's mother died of illness at about 60 years old and her brother died young of illness in his 50s. She also said that Faye Wong and her family are very kind and their relationship is very harmonious.

However, after the video was posted, Hei Ni also made fans upset and they criticized her: "Can the word orphan be used like this?", "Faye Wong has always protected the privacy of her family, this is too much to spread."

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SOURCE: TVBS // TRANSLATED BY: FAYE WONG FUZAO

[fayewonglibrary]

Heini defends Faye Wong's emotional spring festival performance (2025)

by Heidi Hsia

Fellow artist Heini has called for public understanding regarding Faye Wong's recent performance at the CCTV Spring Festival Gala, where the songstress faced criticism over alleged lip-syncing during "What the World Gifted Me."

Speaking in Faye's defence, Heini suggested the emotional nature of the performance might be connected to personal losses. Faye appeared particularly moved while singing the lyrics, "Those who have gone far away, may they all rest in peace."

Heini reminded netizens that Faye's immediate family now consists solely of her two children, Leah Dou and Li Yan from previous marriages, following the passing of her mother over two decades ago and the more recent deaths of her father and brother.

Footage emerged showing Faye leaving the stage after the broadcast, wrapped in a thick blanket and requiring assistance from two people as she departed backstage, appearing visibly exhausted.

The performance marked Faye's first appearance on the CCTV stage in seven years.

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SOURCE: YAHOO

[fayewonglibrary]

Faye Wong’s "Shrimp Chip Earrings" Spark Shopping Frenzy After CCTV Spring Festival Gala Performance (2025)

Replicas began flooding e-commerce platforms the next day, with prices ranging from $3 to $27.

by Ilsa Chan

Pop diva Faye Wong may have faded from the spotlight, but her star power remains undeniable.

Everything she does — even something as random as taking the airport bus — makes the news.

So when the star graced the CCTV Spring Festival Gala on January 28, her first appearance at the annual Chinese New Year eve show after a seven-year hiatus, you bet it would become one of the most talked-about performances of the night.

Faye, 55, sang her new song ‘世界赠予我的’ translated as ‘The Gift The World Gave Me’.

Her performance not only earned record-breaking viewership ratings making it the top segment of the evening, Faye’s striking look quickly became a hot topic of discussion.

Dressed in an elegant white gown with her hair in a sleek updo, Faye accentuated her look with a subtle pink blush applied in her hairline, a makeup trend dubbed "hair blush."

Some fans likened it to her iconic "sunburnt" look, calling it unique and nostalgic.

But what stole the spotlight was Faye’s bold red earrings, which went viral.

Netizens compared the translucent acrylic earrings to shrimp chips (now we cannot unsee it), with one humorously commenting: “I couldn’t stop salivating — I suddenly have a craving for shrimp chips."

The playful comparison didn’t end with jokes.

The earrings sparked a shopping frenzy, with dupes flooding e-commerce platforms the next day. Prices ranged from 14.8 to 139 yuan ($3-$27).

According to reports, demand surged so much that prices temporarily spiked.

This isn’t the first time Faye has set trends with her Spring Festival Gala appearances.

In 2010, her pink and blue striped mini dress and colourful tight combo also inspired a wave of copycat products and fashion trends.

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SOURCE: 8DAYS

[fayewonglibrary]

The Heavenly Queen's Spring Festival Gala Performance (2025)

Faye Wong quickly got off the stage, put on her coat and left. She was so cold that her face was frozen, but she still completed the performance with dedication.

by Cheung Ning Yi

The 55-year-old Heavenly Queen Faye Wong once again appeared on the CCTV Spring Festival Gala stage (January 28th) after 7 years. Her new song "The Gifts The World Gives Me" was so beautiful that many netizens praised the sound and it attracted more than 100 million views on Weibo. Faye Wong's makeup and the large red earrings she wore also became popular. They received many orders on shopping platforms. The queen's appeal has not diminished.

Someone revealed footage of Faye Wong after she got off the stage. After Faye Wong stepped off the stage, she quickly put on her coat and walked out under the escort of the staff. Although the fans around her greeted her enthusiastically, Faye Wong seemed to be frozen and walked with her head bowed, only waving slightly as she left. Faye Wong still performed well in the cold winter and was really dedicated to her job.

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SOURCE: HK01 // TRANSLATED BY: FAYE WONG FUZAO

[fayewonglibrary]

Only Love Strangers Review (1999)

by Liang Daiqi

Ballads have character because of Faye Wong.

Because she is Faye Wong, everything rings true.

Whether it's the heavy and complex "Last Blossom" or the simple and warm "Only Love Strangers", Faye Wong in any genre will not fail. In her new album, Faye Wong’s music style has had a big adjustment or should I say a compromise.

In "Only Loves Strangers", Faye Wong, who has experimented a lot with various musical elements since "Fuzao", has not only stopped playing around with different singing styles as she used to do in the past in terms of her voice, but also restrained herself a lot in terms of her music, abandoning many of the cold electronic styles that were used in the past and added warm tones of guitar, piano, strings and other traditional instruments to her songs, which directly translates into more ballad songs.

Faye Wong's singing of ballads is beautiful. In the last album, fans were particularly fond of "Red Bean" with it's popular lyrics and catchy melody. However, this time Faye Wong has greatly increased the number of ballads. In the past, there might have been only one "Red Bean" in an album. But in this new album, we get to hear "The Moon at that Moment", "Passing Cloud", "Overthrow", and even "Butterfly" and "Only Love Strangers" all have a bit of that flavor. Faye Wong doesn't use many singing skills and although she lacks dazzling vocal performances, just by using her simple and real voice is enough to charm many listeners. Just like clear soup with noodles, Faye Wong is still beautiful.

Faye Wong's ballads are actually not mainstream at all. Many producers tailor ballads for the market, repeating the chorus constantly to become engrained in the listener's memory, so that the song can quickly become popular in KTV. Faye Wong does not do this. Even "The Moon at that Moment" which has the greatest potential to become a mainstream commercial hit, has a delicate and beautiful string arrangement. While "Only Love Strangers" is guitar based with occasionally added electronic, jazz and other different styles to it. Even Dou Jingtong's sudden "COME ON, BABY" adds a major surprise to the song. Moreover, both songs insist on being just barely over three minutes long and are not filled haphazardly with content. Even with Lin Xi's lyrics, songs can be contrived. But under Faye Wong's control, both songs are designs that can be enjoyed by both critics and the general public as elegant mainstream songs.

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SOURCE: CHINA TIMES ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY // TRANSLATED BY: FAYE WONG FUZAO

[fayewonglibrary]

Hey, I'm a warm person (1999)

by Teo Pau Lin

So declared Faye Wong, who will be spending Valentine's Day next week in Singapore with her fans

Enough talk about Faye Wong being the ethereal ice queen.

Chinese pop's most enigmatic icon simply does not understand why press reports always describe her as cold and detached.

"I don't think I am icy at all," she told Life! yesterday.

"Maybe I give people this impression because I don't know them well."

In fact, her fans will see her up-close-and-personal next week when she holds a two-day concert here at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. Her last concert here was held four years ago.

The entire production, which will cost a seven-figure sum to put up, will boast a revolving platform that will circulate the entire perimeter of the stage area.

Brought in entirely from Hong Kong, the set also includes a high-speed platform designed to lift Wong up in mid-air, which will give the audience clear views of her.

"That would be the highlight of the concert for me, to be able to be in close contact with my fans," she said from Hong Kong.

She will bring an entourage of 54, including backstage crew, hairstylist, and an 11-piece band including her husband, Dou Wei, who will be playing the drums during the concerts.

She declines to reveal if her two-year-old daughter, Dou Jingtong, will accompany her here.

It has been a hectic few months for Wong, 29, who was recently signed up as a spokesman for Pepsi in its latest advertising campaign.

Since December last year, she has brought her Scenic Tour to Hong Kong and six cities in China.

After Singapore, she will be heading for Japan where 12,000 tickets to her gig were snapped up in two hours. Following that, she will perform in Las Vegas.

Now nursing a flu, she left for Beijing yesterday where she hopes to recuperate in time for her concerts here.

"I will definitely prepare the very best for my fans in Singapore," she proposed.

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SOURCE: THE STRAITS TIMES

[fayewonglibrary]

I Will Sing What I Like, So There (1999)

Trust diva Faye Wong not to care what others think.

While other pop singers cling to their share of an ever-diminishing market with formulaic songs of mass appeal, the ice queen has declared "markets are not really that important".

In a recent interview with CNN, she said, "The most important thing is that I do something which I feel is good. I don't expect everyone in the world to like what I do."

Wong, who will give a concert here next month, was also puzzled over talk that she has mellowed since the birth of her daughter.

"I don't know why people keep saying that my attitude towards the media and fans has changed dramatically over the past year," she said.

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SOURCE: THE STRAITS TIMES

[fayewonglibrary]

Faye's Hedgehog Tour (1998)

By Hazel Tan

Protective. Sharp. Mysterious.

Who are we talking about here? No, not Faye Wong, or so she says.

It's a hedgehog, rather.

What does the superstar have in common with a brown, spiky creature?

In some ways, the ice queen does remind one of a hedegehog.

Like the hedgehog, she can turn all protective when it comes to her private life. That is probably why she chose the animal as a symbol for her concert.

A colourful hedgehog stands on the top right hand corner of Faye's concert poster.

"I think the hedgehog can represent my concert. It's a creature with magical powers. I have had one before.

"It's quite a mysterious creature," Faye, 29, said in a telephone interview from Hong Kong.

The interview was conducted before an audience at Parco Bugis Junction yesterday afternoon.

It was also broadcast "live" on Dongli 88.3 FM.

Tickets to the Faye Wong Singapore Scenic Tour 1999 went on sale yesterday.

The two-day concert, to be held at the Singapore Indoor Stadium in February next year, is co-sponsored by local Chinese newspaper Lianhe Zaobao.

So, what magic can we expect from Faye's concerts here?

A $2 million dollar stage with a spiral staircase and several circular platforms.

"This is just part of the essentials to help the audience get into the mood. But the main thing will still be my music…

"It would lose its novelty if I were to reveal everything now," said Faye.

But like all Faye Wong concerts, trust her to come up with something new or outrageous.

Like taking her 23-month old daughter, Dou Jingtong, to the concert.

Or even getting off the stage to let her fans take a closer look at her?

"Maybe, " she said, before sighing out loud.

"We will have to see how it goes that night, how the mood is.

"If it's that high, I will do anything," Faye said, with a few giggles.

The group of fans at Parco Bugis Junction, who were listening to the live interview, cheered and clapped at her response.

"What do they want me to do? Why are they so happy?" Faye asked cheekily, when she heard the cheers.

Not much. The fans were simply thrilled to just hear her voice.

And the pop diva wouldn't oblige, even if they had a simple request anyway, would she?

When asked to say something specially to her fans at the beginning of the interview, Faye said giggling: "Aiyoh. My God."

Then she softened: "I can't say anything special, I am just grateful to my fans."

Yes, so long as you are happy, we will be happy too, Faye.

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SOURCE: THE NEW PAPER

[fayewonglibrary]

Fame enough (1998)

She may be the region's biggest star.

But it seems Faye Wong doesn't want to get any bigger.

This laid-back streak of hers was revealed when she was asked if she has plans to go beyond Asia.

"I don't have that ambition. I just do what I think is good music. I don't give a thought to the market's demands. But of course, I don't mind my record company paving the way for me," she said in a telephone interview on Sunday.

Faye, 29, will perform at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on Feb 13 and 14 next year. Tickets are available at Sistic outlets.

The ice queen added: "I am happy that there are people beyond this region who like my songs. But on the other hand, I don't need the whole world to listen to my music either."

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SOURCE: THE NEW PAPER

[fayewonglibrary]

OK to Lose out to Faye Wong (1998)

The Orchard Hotel expects to lose a bundle when it hosts Hong Kong singer Faye Wong and her entourage of 60 for her concerts on FEB 13 and 14.

But a spokesman said it does not mind "losing money", despite the economic crisis.

Never mind that the bill to accommodate, feed, and entertain the group will come to $200,000.

That appears to be small change for the hotel, which claims that it is giving up a highly-demanded suite - yes, with space for mahjong tables - for the pop diva.

The spokesman said that the hotel does not mind as long as it can have the privilege of hosting Wong.

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SOURCE: THE STRAITS TIMES

[fayewonglibrary]

New image, new album for Faye (1997)

Do you miss her avant-garde image and mesmerizing vocals?

You will not, for long, for Faye Wong is making a comeback - and in a big way too. She will be signing a contract with EMI in Hong Kong on May 26, an affair which will be witnessed by scribes from all over the region.

Meanwhile, the pop diva may even be taking to the stage with her six-month-old daughter at a Hong Kong handover concert on June 30 and July 1, which will see an assembly of top Hong Kong and Chinese stars.

She will return with a new image and album.

The China-born singer had kept away from the public for the past year after news of her pregnancy broke.

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SOURCE: THE STRAITS TIMES

[fayewonglibrary]

Dou Wei scraps gig to be with Faye (1996)

Dou Wei, beau and now rumored husband of Cantopop queen Faye Wong, has cancelled his concert in Tokyo for next month so that he can be by her side for the birth of their baby.

Meanwhile, according to Taiwanese news reports, the mother-to-be has managed to finish work on her Cantonese album. Earlier reports had said she was rushed to hospital during the recording.

With the new album, Wong's contract with her record company, Cinepoly, would have come to an end.

Now everyone is watching her next move: Will the pop queen continue with her career or will she be a housewife instead?

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SOURCE: THE STRAITS TIMES