Mandopop’s King, Prince and Joker: Six setlist changes at Jay Chou’s 2024 Carnival concerts (2024)

The clowns and harlequins are back this weekend, as Jay Chou’s Carnival World Tour returns to Singapore for the third time.

It stopped here in January 2020 and December 2022, for two shows each time. During this leg, however, the Taiwanese singer will stage three sold-out concerts at the National Stadium from Oct 11 to 13.

This makes himthe first Asian singer to perform three consecutive gigs at the venue.

The current Carnival World Tour, Chou’s eighth, celebrates the 45-year-old’s more than two decades in the music industry, since the release of his debut studio album Jay (2000). It has been running since 2019, and has travelled to cities such as London and Paris.

But the upcoming run will offer something new to fans who have attended previous iterations.

According to news reports and videos from Chou’s recent concerts in other cities, here are six changes to his setlist when the Prince of Mandopop holds court.

1. Half-beast Human (2002) → Golden Armor (2006)

Since early 2024, Chou has replaced the Warcraft III-inspired Half-beast Human with Golden Armor as his opener. The latter is the theme song of his 2006 Chinese wuxia film Curse Of The Golden Flower. It combines Chinese rock with street rap, while its lyrics depict an epic battlefield, where the smell of death fills the air. Both are powerful battle cries, but the newer number relies more heavily on Chinese traditional instruments, a defining trait of Chou’s music.

He is raised on a platform from beneath the stage to a height, while a pair of glowing wings is lowered from the ceiling, allowing him to appear as an angelic warrior, poised for the fight.

2. Broken Strings (2003) → Not Good Enough For You (2007) or Won’t Cry (2019)

Song No.3, which Chou performs while holding onto an incandescent mic stand, has also had a shake-up over the years to keep things fresh.

Broken Strings may be replaced by the guilt-ridden R&B ballad Not Good Enough For You, whose lyrics go: “I didn’t give you the consideration I should have... I don’t deserve your beauty.”

Or, he may opt for Won’t Cry, a collaboration with Taiwanese singer-songwriter Ashin. Fun fact: This poignant number features a short melody line from Suddenly Missing You So Bad (2008), a well-known track by Ashin’s rock band Mayday.

3. You Are The Firework I Missed (2022) → The Final Battle (2002)

Not every new release becomes a hit. Perhaps that is why You Are The Firework I Missed seems to have been dropped shortly after Chou’s last performance in the Lion City in 2022. In its place is The Final Battle, which Chou composed the melody for.

Not many know that it pays tribute to the star’s friendship with long-time Taiwanese pal and personal trainer Will Liu, who once stood by Chou when the latter suffered from ankylosing spondylitis, a genetic arthritic condition that causes inflammation in the joints and ligaments in the spine. Liu encouraged Chou to exercise more, which improved the singer’s condition. The pair were also each other’s best man at their weddings.

Dressed in a peach and red coat, Chou is expected to perform this track while tickling the ivories on a heavily ornamented grand piano.

4. Give Me The Time Of One Song (2008) → Floral Sea (2008)

R&B love song Give Me The Time Of One Song is among Chou’s more popular numbers, but he swopped it out for the lesser-known, sentimental Floral Sea, which is also performed on the piano.

After Chou founded record label and artiste management agency JVR Music with his manager JR Yang and Taiwanese lyricist Vincent Fang in 2007, he invited employees at the new label to submit lyrics for an original song.

Chou eventually settled on those by colleagues Ku Hsiao-li, who is Fang’s wife, and Huang Ling-chia. Both are credited as lyricists on Floral Sea, which is on Chou’s 2008 album Capricorn.

5. Love Before AD (2001) → Cute Girl (2000)

Chou’s long-time fans will welcome changing Love Before AD to Cute Girl, the lead single of his debut album Jay (2000). With simple and direct lyrics, the R&B number positioned him as a breath of fresh air among other songwriters who were composing overwrought ballads at the time.

It is expected to be the first song in a jukebox-themed segment of the concert that looks back at his hits.

6. Say Love You (2003) → Rice Field (2008)