Recently, Jay Chou, who has been focusing on producing a new album, seems to be facing some challenges. On November 17th, he posted a series of Instagram Stories with an unusual sense of irritability. From the messy wires in the recording studio to the bad weather preventing him from playing basketball, everything has become an outlet for him to vent his emotions. He exclaimed, “I feel a bit fed up, perfectionism can really drive people crazy!”
Jay Chou shared a photo on IG showing the studio floor filled with audio cables, expressing helplessness, “Seeing a bunch of cables on the floor is annoying, with dozens of audio tracks for one song, who can distinguish them?” He revealed that even during his break, he is immersed in composing and meticulously handling the details of arrangement. He self-deprecatingly asked, “Why be so serious?”
At the same time, it was raining outside, preventing him from playing basketball to relieve stress, further dampening his mood. Ironically, he posted a photo of his pet dog lying comfortably at home, enviously saying, “This one is lying so comfortably,” and lamented how the rainy day brought back memories of childhood days practicing piano at home, “When I was a child, I was practicing piano while watching others play outside.” His tone was both resigned and tinged with childhood shadows, as if stress was hitting him one by one.
Jay Chou confessed that his years of obsession with details have created pressure for him. He sighed, “Perfectionism really can drive people crazy, and I’m not even a perfectionist, just very particular.” In order to achieve the ideal state of his work, he often obsesses over subtle details that are hard for outsiders to notice, joking that these insistences “won’t get him a Guinness record.”
He mentioned that he will try to let go of some overly obsessive standards and learn to give himself a breather. He rhetorically asked himself, “As long as the music sounds good, right?” This statement seems to indicate his recent fatigue towards album production and reflects the hardships of artistic creation.
On February 2nd this year, Jay Chou posted on IG that he was still working on lyrics with Vincent Fang late at night. He joked, “The important thing is, he can really come up with them, he must not be the procrastinating Vincent Fang from before.”
On February 8th, Jay Chou announced on IG that his new album is expected to be released during the summer this year. “The Greatest Work” is Jay Chou’s 15th music album, produced by himself, featuring 12 songs. The complete album was officially released on July 14, 2022, at 9:30 p.m., and it has now been almost three years since its release.
Jay Chou, who debuted in 2000 with his first album “Jay,” shot to fame. Now, after 25 years, on November 6th, he celebrated his debut day on IG with a selfie, reflecting, “More time has passed, more wrinkles, more memories, more companionship, and more reliance.” He thanked his fans for their continuous support. Surprisingly, his post led to a playful comment from his wife, Hannah Quinlivan, celebrating their 10th year of marriage, “You forgot to mention, there are more words now too.” Which amused netizens.
At 46 years old, Jay Chou is not only a king of music creation but also a representative of a good husband and father in the entertainment industry. After marrying Hannah Quinlivan in 2015, they now have two daughters and a son. Jay lovingly calls Hannah “Three-Treasure Mom.” Their marriage is harmonious, their careers are thriving, and their family of five is filled with happiness.