Lots of controversy has been swirling around the promotional video for Jess Lee’s 煎熬 - the 10-minute long sexually-explicit, violent clip has garnered over 2 million views on Youtube since it  was first posted 2 weeks ago. You have to wonder whether Lee herself had any say in the decision to attach her name and face to something as opinion-dividing as this, but I suppose that Warner Taiwan is really determined to generate enough publicity to make Jess a success and if means ruffling a few conservative feathers up then so be it…?

感謝愛人 (Gan Xie Ai Ren) is the Malaysian lass’s first release since her truimph on popular Taiwanese reality competition One Million Star in 2010 - we all know she can sing the hell out of any song you throw at her, but what use is an angelic voice if the material is weak? And that is a major problem I have with this album, and Chinese-language releases in general.

Lack of variety seems to be a given - in the dull world of Mandopop where snooze-inducing ballads rule the day, there is indeed very little on Gan Xie Ai Ren that engages the listener’s attention. Mournful song follows mournful song follows mournful song, eventually lulling one into an eternal slumber - if you were searching for a cure for insomnia, this might just do the trick.

At the very least, you can watch the video for 煎熬 to see what the fuss is all about - see the shorter version here, and the original one here.