Not confused Zhou Hui has "suddenly"

After 22 years of debut, after experiencing various accidents and tribulations such as "disappearing" from the showbiz circle, falling to the bottom of his career, leaving his relatives, and frustration in the love scene, people suddenly became enlightened when they reached middle age, and Zhou Hui finally had the courage to sing a song "suddenly law" for herself.

At the end of 2020, singer Zhou Hui launched a new EP "Sudden Law". This song zhou hui personally participated in the lyrics, composition, production of the work, different from the past albums with love songs as the theme, challenging the style of music that has not been tried before, using music to share the concept of life and philosophy of life with fans, conveying the attitude of zhou hui who is not angry and confused like a floating cloud in middle age. When people reach middle age, Zhou Hui realized that there is no standard equation in life, and the so-called "not confused" is actually more able to think backwards, interpret the various question marks of life from different angles, and find a new path.

debut

The first album cover was used as a comic book image

In 1996, 19-year-old Zhou Hui graduated from art school and planned to continue studying stage drama in the United Kingdom. Zhou Hui, who likes to sing since childhood, went to record a CD as a graduation commemoration during the holidays, but was unexpectedly appreciated by the studio owner and recommended to the musician Ji Zhongping. Ji Zhongping, who had just heard Zhou Hui, immediately decided to sign this crystal clear and pure voice.

Zhou Hui recalled that at that time, her wish was to be a theater director, and she liked the feeling of constructing pictures and strategizing. Although I also like to act and sing, I have never thought of being a singer or making a record. "I never thought that the songs I sang could go up to the level of the record. It wasn't until my first manager discovered that I knew I could make records. From that time on, there were some changes in goals or ideals. ”

After a choice between interest and professionalism, Zhou Hui finally decided to become a singer. 19-year-old Zhou Hui has learned that when it comes to the right time, you must grasp it well, and you can read at any time, but being a singer is not for everyone who has this opportunity. "I can experience it first, and if I fail at best, I'll go back to study, but if I miss this opportunity, I may never come back."

In 1999, Zhou Hui's first album "Zhou Hui Selection" recorded sales of more than 1 million copies in Asia, and the song "Engagement" became Zhou Hui's most classic masterpiece and has been sung to this day. At that time, Zhou Hui was known as "the most explosive newcomer since Zhang Huimei". The album is based on the Italian cartoonist's drawing of Dan Phoenix's "Hui'er Doll", which is a great success and is still freshly remembered, and the comic image of Zhou Hui Dan Phoenix's eye is regarded as a classic together with the song "Covenant".

At that time, there was a saying that it was because Zhou Hui's appearance was not beautiful enough that the record company decided to replace the photo with a comic image as the album cover. But in fact, this is Zhou Hui's own idea, and the reason is not that she is not confident in her appearance, but her whimsy: to be a virtual singer.

"Like I said I went to england to study not to be an actor, I want to be a director, I want to be invisible behind the scenes, so singing is one of the things I like very much, it doesn't mean I want to show my face, I hope I can hide and sing. So if I had been born in this era, I could have succeeded in being a virtual singer. All I can say is that the ideas at the time were too avant-garde. ”

But at that time, the record company could not not let the singer show his face, so Zhou Hui's idea was difficult to realize, so she thought of using comic image as an album cover, and also innovated the concept of planning. At that time, it was an unprecedented move, so until today, when the album and cover are mentioned, Zhou Hui will be proud.

The singer's first experience made Zhou Hui feel that this road was probably the right choice, you can go to many places, walk around to see, meet a lot of people and things, "because you are young and energetic, you will feel very happy wherever you go." ”

fall

Hindered by the teacher's calculation of the cause

On the road of singer, Zhou Hui has been gone for 22 years. Although the scenery on this road is infinite, but there are more to lose and need to bear, she did not expect that after five years of debut, she would be betrayed by her most trusted mentor, and even before she had time to taste the feeling of fame, she fell from the clouds to the bottom.

In 2004, after Zhou Hui's contract with Fumao Records expired, Ji Zhongping, who was also the boss at the time, privately reached a transfer contract with BMG Records for NT$24 million (about 6 million yuan), and the contract required three albums in three years. Out of trust in her mentor, Zhou Hui signed her own "deed of sale" on the blank contract. But Ji Zhongping disappeared after taking away all the production fees, and BMG Records was reluctant to pay for Zhou Hui again. In the past three years, Zhou Hui has been in a state of being hidden by snow.

Without funds to produce an album, there is no record income, and can only rely on occasional commercial performances to supplement the family. These three years were extremely painful for Zhou Hui. Falling from the clouds to the bottom, the gap can be imagined, Zhou Hui once wanted to quit the music scene. "How do I adjust myself is a very hard thing. I'd rather start a little lower and climb up step by step. Now it is a very painful thing to reach the clouds and then fall to the bottom. ”

Zhou Hui confessed that at the lowest point, she was miserable and depressed for a long time, and she had been struggling with why that person hurt her like this. Fortunately, at her most painful and helpless time, she met nobles, including Zhao Shaowei, the general manager of Giant Room Music Company, The eldest sister of taiwanese music scene, Da Su Rui, and the owner of Fumao Records. With their encouragement and help, Zhou Hui had the opportunity to come back again.

Years later, recalling the contract disputes of that year, Zhou Hui can finally be relieved, and those painful journeys will eventually become the nourishment for making music and nourish her artistic life.

Parting

The death of his father was regressed

It was not until 2009, when Zhou Hui released the album "Zhou Hui", that her career was back on track, but the twists and turns of her life continued, and two years later, her father died of illness, which made her grief and her acting career once again faced stagnation.

"I was struggling, wondering if I should give up all the work at hand first, because standing in front of the camera, you have to endure the pain of your father's death, and you have to laugh brightly." Father just left, how can you laugh? But my mother said that you should be brave enough to do what you should do, and Dad would understand. ”

"I wasted 5 years of my life when I was in contract disputes, I have been walking very slowly, I really don't have 5 years to waste anymore, I should be quick to put myself on my feet. So I really think of myself going forward, trying to control my sensibility with reason as much as possible, and presenting more things to everyone on the road of singing. ”

Suddenly

No longer care if others say, "I grew up listening to your songs."

The tragic experience of youth, the life and death of people in middle age, and the various prides and frustrations of life have all become Zhou Hui's musical materials, condensed into this new musical work "Sudden Law".

"Looking back at the bumps in the road, I think there are a lot of things to share with you. I believe that no one is smooth sailing, and there will always be some trauma in life. But not everyone is as lucky as I am to be brave enough to come over, so I want to use this sudden mood to share with you how to face the future. ”

Zhou Hui, who has entered the year of confusion, feels that the biggest change in her feelings to this day is that many things have been put down and looked away, "because life is not perfect, we must remember those beautiful, and convert those not beautiful into better notes to convey it." In the past, as a singer, Zhou Hui's wish was: "Where there is Chinese, there is Zhou Hui's voice"; after middle age, she felt that as a singer, she should also have a sense of mission: to heal everyone through my singing.

In the past, when she heard others say, "I grew up listening to your songs," Zhou Hui would feel very embarrassed, as if she was very old. But now hearing such words again, Zhou Hui feels that this is a very fulfilling thing, she will never mind being mentioned in age again, "The passage of time and slow aging is irresistible, you can't press the pause button." Although there are many ways to make people look younger, the youthfulness of the mentality is still up to you. ”

"Success, fame, I have felt, the low period is regarded as a singer, the eyes of being looked down upon by others I have also tasted, why should I live under the eyes of others?" 」 When people reach middle age, Zhou Hui finally understands: happy and sad, self-confidence and inferiority, that is their own life, many times, has nothing to do with others.

Text/Reporter Shou Penghuan Photo/Guo Qian

Coordinator /Liu Jianghua Manyi