Xiao Yu(小宇) - With You(同在) Album Thoughts(Mandopop)

Track List:
01. 同在
02. 慣性取暖
03. 原來的你
04. 不好過
05. 這樣好不好
06. 所謂的愛
07. 給我你的壞
08. 理想時代
09. 被愛妄想
10. 我呢
11. Outro 我們...能回到原來的樣子嗎？



   Xiao Yu was a producer responsible for penning many songs for other popular Chinese artists. This gave him the time to hone his own craft to mold his musical vision. A record label soon saw the burning creative film that was inside of Yu. He then released his first album that received enormous acclaim. He is also became one of the few artists that had an album chart on the Chinese music charts for more than twenty weeks. One More Try was the album that was recommended to me by a viewer of my old youtube videos. I used to do videos on Chinese pop music if you didn't know. Its been a few years now though. One More Try got Yu a nomination for best male artist before he took a break to go to the military. With You is his fourth album release after five years under Warner Music Taiwan.

   Xiao had a strong plan to create a pop album. An album that showcases different faces of the pop genre. He's well know for producing addictive pop tunes that influence listeners however, With You could have been a single pop record but Yu was smarter than that. There's tracks with trance pop that contain many edits for the beat creation. I was impressed with the many different ways that pop was recreated. It made the songs more interesting to listen to. Then there were tracks with electronica pop. Many keyboards synchronize together to enhance the rhythm for tunes that can bring life to any club. He even takes on an RnB vibe while also mixing this theme of pop into the style. Pop was created out of the functions of RnB so the two genres fit like a puzzle. He uses this fact well and the songs sound like his version of RnB pop that he's in control of.  On the lyrical side of the music, Yu focuses on the aspects of love that hurt the most. Love doesn't come easy. Sometimes you feel more hurt than you do happiness. When you do find true happiness in love though, it makes all the heart ache and tears worth it. Yu writes about this ver topic with such ease that these lyrics are the icing on the cake of his songs. The music goes through so many different developments but things don't  stop there. He suddenly returns to the pop rock sound that he performed in One More Try. The sound has been reproduced to make the pop sound more noticeable but the rock genre is also given a time to shine. His self produced style was an equal balance of both music genres. I liked the way these tracks turned out since they aren't predictable. Some tracks don't give any hint that its a pop rock track until the chorus plays.

  I'm confused on how Xiao Yu was a producer for such a long time with his vocals. He has a range that many other Chinese male singers wish they had while only a few others Chinese singers I know actually have that range. He wastes no time showing you that he can hit those high notes. Every track gives Yu the freedom to switch from different ranges. I did get a little tired of hear him singing in falsetto constantly but he does it less toward the end of the album. The album closing track gives listeners the chance to hear Yu sing raw and unfiltered. Lets just say its impressing.

  With You is a great album. I expect nothing less from this talented singer. I do personal like his last album a little bit more. Not because there's anything wrong with this album, just a matter of taste.