Antonio Huang(黃宥傑) - THE LISTEN-ER(傾聽者) Album Thoughts(Mando-pop)

   Music is what makes my world go around. There's nothing like a good song that speaks to the soul when you need it the most. Sometimes during life there're times that I just want to give up or i'm not feeling at my best then I power on my iPod and pop in my earphones to find that song that will make my day brighter. I'm super happy that a bunch of great albums have been released in Jpop, Cpop, and Korean music recently.(You noticed I said Korean music and not Kpop..... this is for a reason.) Model/ Actor turned singer Antonio Huang has a new album in the mist of all these other great mandopop albums that have been coming out over the last few months. I need to be slapped in the face because, I kept glossing over this guy until now. 

01.抱緊處理
02.恐龍
03.壞男人的第一堂課
04.唇
05.眼淚拌飯
06.戲
07.鎖惦心內的名字
08.你怕不怕
09.Hey
10.傾聽者

  "THE LISTEN-ER" is Antonio Huang's second album after a four break. One day this guy just decide he wanted to be a singer after working in almost every entertainment field that his looks would get him into. He has done countless commercials and modeling inserts so its only natural that he would want to show his vocal chops at some point. Most actors in China(Taiwan, Hong Kong, mainland China.) can sing a little bit. maybe enough to make an album while other have talent that's note worthy. Antonio's debut album caused note worthy buzz for not only its title "Beyond DaVinci" but for the themes used for the tracks and a music video containing a explicit love between two men. 

   Mister Huang wastes not time trying to pull the listeners in with catchy hooks that will get caught in your brain and leave you wanting to listen to the track again. He seems to want to have fun with this album and not take things as seriously as he did with "Beyond DaVinci". Rock infused with pop is his home base for this album so much so that its like the back of his hand. Fans know that he can perform this style well but I came in unaware. You will forgive me... right? RIGHT??? Anyway, the slow down version of the fun pop rock tracks turns into a mellow acoustic song with a catchy move your body chorus that goes great with the other highlights of the album. He not done though. Soon "THE LISTEN-ER" changes themes to a more swing jazz club style. Who know were this came from but it works somehow as Huang sings like he's been singing in clubs all his life. This album would have been constant if the ballads were as strong as the tracks in his first effort. Producers tried to add variety in order to not make the album stale but the bottom line is that these tracks lacked the power that his previous ones had. Maybe because there was more to prove with his first album, he worked harder on his ballads. This time you could hear the artistry for each track as producers would add different musical elements such as violins and acoustic guitars but the emotion along with a rememberable chorus was missing. "Beyond DaVinci" took care to bring the fire that allowed Antonio to shine. The style for this album was very versatile and slick from beginning to he end of the album. He wasn't afraid to take risks even adding a hard rock track that surprised the pants of of me. I wish he would have been consistent with keeping that catchy pop rock sound that appeared for a few instances but it became overrun with forgettable ballads. Some of the ballads did catch my ear but my mind was focused on pressing the skip button more than anything after awhile.

   Antonio doesn't sound too different from most of the other actors who also sing in Taiwan. I was actually comparing his voice to a slew of other singers in my head as I listened to his albums. I don't know what it is with singers who have mid deep tonal voices. It must be a fad or a voice that is in demand in China. You can listen to a bunch of drama OSTs and the male singers will sound like each other. Not to say that ALL of them do but a good chunk of them do. You know that if a male singer has a good low range then his falsetto notes are just as beautiful. This applies to Antonio. Without a doubt this man can sing but he fits into that category of most other male singers vocal wise. One thing that makes him stand out is that he is not afraid to be risky with his musical image. It takes a singer who is stable in himself or herself to be able to pull that off. 

   I'm a fan of "THE LISTEN-ER" because of the catchy choruses of some of the tracks. Half of the album will probably be deleted off of my iPod soon. I like select tracks more than others. Theses tracks are the ones I play over and over again. Nothing like a good looking guy singing about love like he hasn't had a million girlfriends already.