嘻哈文化的全球本土化——以周杰伦的中国风歌曲为例 = GLOCALISATION OF HIP-HOP CULTURE: A CASE STUDY ON JAY CHOU’S CHINA WIND SONGS
李欣融 WINNIS LEE XIN RONG
李欣融
WINNIS LEE XIN RONG
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Abstract
Acclaimed as the “King of Mandopop”, Jay Chou is one of the most iconic figures in the Mandopop industry. His songs have constantly sparked vibrant discussions within the musical sphere, particularly his China Wind collaborations with Lyricist Vincent Fang. The distinctive nature of Chou’s China Wind songs, known for infusing Eastern and Western elements, made him stand out in the Mandopop music scene, solidifying his prominence over two decades.
This thesis aims to anaylse how Chou has successfully localised Hip-hop and Rap genres which originated from Western cultures. The theory of “Glocalisation” by Roland Robertson serves as a benchmark for my analysis, which explains the global circulation and consumption of music across various regions. As the spread of Western cultures becomes a global phenomenon, Chou has localised these genres to suit the tastes and preferences of the East Asian market, enabling him to expand his influence. It is noteworthy that although Chou is not the first musician who has attempted localising Western music, he is the most successful one to date in the Mandopop industry. Hence, there bound to be reasons which distinguished his success from the other many musicians beforehand.
This thesis puts forth an argument that Chou’s success in the localisation of Western music comprises of a multitude of factors ranging from the unique style of his songs, his personal charisma and time factors. Amongst all factors, Chou’s adept incorporation of local elements into Hip-hop culture stands out as the most salient factor contributing to his international renown.
This thesis proceeds in five sections, beginning with an introduction of the concept of “China Wind” and explores the transformative impact of globalisation on music consumption patterns. The second part is an overview of the era of Chous’s debut, laying out the Mandopop landscape in the 1990s dominated by the “Four Heavenly Kings”, before contrasting their musical styles with Chou’s initial breakthrough in 2000. The third section provides a critical analysis of Chou’s localisation strategies, which encompasses two factors: the image he portrays and his political strategies.
After macro analysis in the second and third part, the fourth part, also the main part of this thesis, will be a micro analysis of Chou’s songs, in terms of lyrics, melody, music arrangement and MV scenes. It aims to investigate the cultural syncretism and localisation techniques adopted in his songs, such as how he has successfully evaded the grassroots nature of Hip-hop culture and utilised self-orientalism to shape cultural identities, through incorporating Chinese tea culture, martial arts and Chinese medicine as thematic elements in his music. This part will also explore how cultural collisions resulting from juxtaposition of local and exotic elements in Chou’s songs seamlessly intertwine.
The final section concludes by summarising the multifaceted factors which underpinned Chou’s enduring success and how he played the role of an intermediary, introducing Hip-hop culture into the East Asian market. This thesis hopes to glean valuable insights into the dynamics between globalisation and cultural localisation in the Mandopop industry.
Keywords
周杰伦, 中国风, 全球本土化, 嘻哈, 饶舌, 亚文化, 青年文化
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2024-04-03
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