An Analysis of “Chinese Style” in Jay Chou’s Popular Songs

Pop music originated from American jazz at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, and then gradually developed into China. With the development of pop music in China, many music works with ‘Chinese style’ characteristics have emerged. In 2000, Jay Chou released his first solo album 'Jay', which opened the wave of ‘Chinese-style’ music. The reason why Jay Chou can become a memory of the times is not only the use of traditional Chinese music in his works but also the use of Western pop music elements in his own works. Therefore, in his works, we can hear the integration of traditional Chinese elements and Western pop music elements, which is different from his predecessors. The author mainly analyzes a large number of Jay Chou’s popular songs in the lyrics, melody, arrangement, harmony, and other aspects, so as to find out the ‘Chinese style’ elements. This paper also tries to summarize its characteristics and laws, to provide more ideas and methods for future creation.