Heroes of Earth
Encyclopedia
Heroes of Earth is American
-Taiwanese
R&B Mandopop
singer-songwriter
Leehom Wang's eleventh Mandarin studio album. It was released on 30 December 2005 by Sony Music Taiwan
.
Since Wang's debut, this album is the most successful, shipping more than 1,000,000 copies within ten days of release.The album peaked at number one on Taiwan's G-Music Top 20 Charts for 6 weeks. and charted for 23 weeks.
instead of the Chinese ethnic minority music he had used in Shangri-La .
In this album, Wang also collaborated with numerous other artists such as Chinese-American rapper Jin
, Mayday's
Ashin, opera singer Li Yan, as well as Korean artists Rain and J-Lim
. He named the album Heroes of Earth to represent all the heroes he has collaborated with in this album .
The track, "Kiss Goodbye" won one of the Top 10 Songs of the Year and the album won Longest Number 1 Album at the 2007 HITO Radio Music Awards presented by Taiwanese radio station Hit FM.
The album was awarded one of the Top 10 Selling Mandarin Albums of the Year at the 2006 IFPI Hong Kong Album Sales Awards, presented by the Hong Kong branch of IFPI. It is the third best selling album in Taiwan with 140,000 copies sold in 2006.
The background of this song is based on the story behind The Peony Pavilion
, an old Chinese play written by Tang Xianzu
in the Ming Dynasty
Wang gave tapes of this play to Ashin of Mayday, who later wrote the lyrics . Wang also wrote the rap lyrics which can be heard at the end of the song . He rapped 295 words in 50 seconds . The song is performed with ancient kunqu
music.
2. Mistake in the Flower Fields （花田錯）
The song integrates Peking Opera and modern R&B
music. It features an er-hu solo and a singing style that imitates Peking Opera, and the title is a reference to a well-known story in Peking Opera .
3. Heroes of Earth （蓋世英雄）
Not only did Wang invite the popular Chinese American rapper Jin
to rap in the song, he also invited the famous Chinese opera singer Li Yan . Heavy Peking Opera and kunqu tactics are used in the song, as well as an electric guitar
solo by Wang. Jin raps in both English and Cantonese in the song.
5. The Perfect Interaction （完美的互動）
Wang invited popular Korean singers Rain and Lim Jeong Hee
(J-Lim) to be featured in the song. The song begins with a Spanish guitar solo and contains lyrics in Mandarin
, Korean
, and English
. This was also Rain's first Chinese song . Although Rain's voice is featured in this song, he did not record it at the same time as Wang and Lim—Rain recorded first, Wang and Lim later . Sony BMG and Wang invited Rain to be featured in the music video as well, but he was unable to participate, and therefore only Wang and Lim were featured in the video.
10. Because Love is in the Heart （愛因為在心中）
This was written, composed, and produced by a Leehom Wang's fanclub in China as a gift for his 29th birthday . Wang was touched by his fans' warmth and therefore added a little of his own voice in the song and included it in his album.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
-Taiwanese
Taiwanese people
Taiwanese people may refer to individuals who either claim or are imputed cultural identity focused on the island of Taiwan and/or Taiwan Area which have been governed by the Republic of China since 1945...
R&B Mandopop
Mandopop
Mandopop is a colloquial abbreviation for "Mandarin popular music." It is categorized as a subgenre of commercial Chinese-language music within C-pop. Mandopop was the first variety of popular music in Chinese to establish itself as a viable industry. As the name implies, Mandopop features songs...
singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
Leehom Wang's eleventh Mandarin studio album. It was released on 30 December 2005 by Sony Music Taiwan
Sony Music Entertainment
Sony Music Entertainment ' is the second-largest global recorded music company of the "big four" record companies and is controlled by Sony Corporation of America, the United States subsidiary of Japan's Sony Corporation....
.
Since Wang's debut, this album is the most successful, shipping more than 1,000,000 copies within ten days of release.The album peaked at number one on Taiwan's G-Music Top 20 Charts for 6 weeks. and charted for 23 weeks.
About the album
In this album, Wang continued to experiment with "chinked-out", the musical genre he had invented for his previous album, Shangri-La. This time he incorporated ancient Chinese Peking Opera and kunquKunqu
Kunqu , also known as Kunju , Kun opera or Kunqu Opera, is one of the oldest extant forms of Chinese opera. It evolved from the Kunshan melody, and dominated Chinese theatre from the 16th to the 18th centuries. The style originated in the Wu cultural area...
instead of the Chinese ethnic minority music he had used in Shangri-La .
In this album, Wang also collaborated with numerous other artists such as Chinese-American rapper Jin
Jin (rapper)
Jin Au-Yeung , who performs under the stage name MC Jin, is a Hong Kong hip hop rapper, songwriter, and actor. Growing up in the Miami, Florida area, and later living in New York City, he decided to reside permanently in his motherland, Hong Kong...
, Mayday's
Wu Yue Tian
Mayday , is a Taiwanese alternative rock band that was formed in the late 1990s with five members, Ashin , Monster and Stone , Masa and Guan You ....
Ashin, opera singer Li Yan, as well as Korean artists Rain and J-Lim
Lim Jeong Hee
Lim Jeong-Hee is a South Korean R&B and Pop artist that debuted in 2005 under JYP Entertainment. One of her notable performances in 2005 was the 5th Pattaya Music Festival in Thailand, which helped promote and expose her to the foreign music industry...
. He named the album Heroes of Earth to represent all the heroes he has collaborated with in this album .
Reception
The track "花田錯" (Mistake in the Flower Fields) was nominated for Top 10 Gold Songs at the Hong Kong TVB8 Awards, presented by television station TVB8, in 2006.The track, "Kiss Goodbye" won one of the Top 10 Songs of the Year and the album won Longest Number 1 Album at the 2007 HITO Radio Music Awards presented by Taiwanese radio station Hit FM.
The album was awarded one of the Top 10 Selling Mandarin Albums of the Year at the 2006 IFPI Hong Kong Album Sales Awards, presented by the Hong Kong branch of IFPI. It is the third best selling album in Taiwan with 140,000 copies sold in 2006.
Track listing
- 在梅邊 Beside the Plum Blossoms (Zai Mei Bian)
- 花田錯 Mistake in the Flower Fields (Hua Tian Cuo)
- 蓋世英雄 Heroes of Earth (Gai Shi Ying Xiong) (featuring MC JinJin (rapper)Jin Au-Yeung , who performs under the stage name MC Jin, is a Hong Kong hip hop rapper, songwriter, and actor. Growing up in the Miami, Florida area, and later living in New York City, he decided to reside permanently in his motherland, Hong Kong...
) - Kiss Goodbye
- 完美的互動 The Perfect Interaction (Wan Mei De Hu Dong) (featuring Rain and Lim Jeong-heeLim Jeong HeeLim Jeong-Hee is a South Korean R&B and Pop artist that debuted in 2005 under JYP Entertainment. One of her notable performances in 2005 was the 5th Pattaya Music Festival in Thailand, which helped promote and expose her to the foreign music industry...
) - 大城小愛 Big City, Small Love (Da Cheng Xiao Ai)
- 第一個清晨 The First Morning (Di Yi Ge Qing Chen)
- 哥兒們 Homies (Ge-Er Men)
- 讓開 Move Over (Rang Kai)
- 愛 因為在心中 Because Love is in the Heart (Ai, Yin Wei Zai Xin Zhong)
About the music
1. Beside the Plum Blossoms （在梅邊）The background of this song is based on the story behind The Peony Pavilion
The Peony Pavilion
The Peony Pavilion is a play written by Tang Xianzu in the Ming Dynasty and first performed in 1598 at the Pavilion of Prince Teng. One of Tang's "Four Dreams", it has traditionally been performed as a Kunqu opera, but Chuan and Gan opera versions also exist...
, an old Chinese play written by Tang Xianzu
Tang Xianzu
Tang Xianzu , courtesy name Yireng , was a Chinese playwright of the Ming Dynasty.Tang was a native of Linchuan, Jiangxi and his career as an official consisted principally of low-level positions. He successfully participated in the Provincial examinations at the age of 21 and at the imperial...
in the Ming Dynasty
Ming Dynasty
The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
Wang gave tapes of this play to Ashin of Mayday, who later wrote the lyrics . Wang also wrote the rap lyrics which can be heard at the end of the song . He rapped 295 words in 50 seconds . The song is performed with ancient kunqu
Kunqu
Kunqu , also known as Kunju , Kun opera or Kunqu Opera, is one of the oldest extant forms of Chinese opera. It evolved from the Kunshan melody, and dominated Chinese theatre from the 16th to the 18th centuries. The style originated in the Wu cultural area...
music.
2. Mistake in the Flower Fields （花田錯）
The song integrates Peking Opera and modern R&B
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
music. It features an er-hu solo and a singing style that imitates Peking Opera, and the title is a reference to a well-known story in Peking Opera .
3. Heroes of Earth （蓋世英雄）
Not only did Wang invite the popular Chinese American rapper Jin
Jin (rapper)
Jin Au-Yeung , who performs under the stage name MC Jin, is a Hong Kong hip hop rapper, songwriter, and actor. Growing up in the Miami, Florida area, and later living in New York City, he decided to reside permanently in his motherland, Hong Kong...
to rap in the song, he also invited the famous Chinese opera singer Li Yan . Heavy Peking Opera and kunqu tactics are used in the song, as well as an electric guitar
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
solo by Wang. Jin raps in both English and Cantonese in the song.
5. The Perfect Interaction （完美的互動）
Wang invited popular Korean singers Rain and Lim Jeong Hee
Lim Jeong Hee
Lim Jeong-Hee is a South Korean R&B and Pop artist that debuted in 2005 under JYP Entertainment. One of her notable performances in 2005 was the 5th Pattaya Music Festival in Thailand, which helped promote and expose her to the foreign music industry...
(J-Lim) to be featured in the song. The song begins with a Spanish guitar solo and contains lyrics in Mandarin
Standard Mandarin
Standard Chinese or Modern Standard Chinese, also known as Mandarin or Putonghua, is the official language of the People's Republic of China and Republic of China , and is one of the four official languages of Singapore....
, Korean
Korean language
Korean is the official language of the country Korea, in both South and North. It is also one of the two official languages in the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture in People's Republic of China. There are about 78 million Korean speakers worldwide. In the 15th century, a national writing...
, and English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
. This was also Rain's first Chinese song . Although Rain's voice is featured in this song, he did not record it at the same time as Wang and Lim—Rain recorded first, Wang and Lim later . Sony BMG and Wang invited Rain to be featured in the music video as well, but he was unable to participate, and therefore only Wang and Lim were featured in the video.
10. Because Love is in the Heart （愛因為在心中）
This was written, composed, and produced by a Leehom Wang's fanclub in China as a gift for his 29th birthday . Wang was touched by his fans' warmth and therefore added a little of his own voice in the song and included it in his album.
World tour
After releasing Heroes of the Earth, Wang performed an international tour, called the Heroes of Earth World Tour (蓋世英雄 巡迴演唱會). The tour included the following concerts:| Date | Location | Venue | Special Guests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11-12 March 2006 | Taipei Taipei Taipei City is the capital of the Republic of China and the central city of the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Situated at the northern tip of the island, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean... , Taiwan Taiwan Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following... |
Taipei Arena Taipei Arena Taipei Arena is an indoor sporting arena located in Taipei, Taiwan. Built in 2005, the large multi-purpose stadium can accommodate major international sport events such as ice skating, ice hockey, gymnastics, handball, basketball, tennis, badminton, table tennis, indoor soccer, boxing, judo,... |
Westlife Westlife Westlife are an Irish boy band established on 3 July 1998. They are to disband in 2012. The group's line-up was Nicky Byrne, Kian Egan, Mark Feehily, Shane Filan, and Brian McFadden . The group are the only act in British and Irish history to have their first seven singles peak at number one... , Mayday Wu Yue Tian Mayday , is a Taiwanese alternative rock band that was formed in the late 1990s with five members, Ashin , Monster and Stone , Masa and Guan You .... |
| 18 April 2006 | Aichi, Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south... |
Aichi Kousei-Nenkin Hall | |
| 19 April 2006 | Osaka Osaka is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe... , Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south... |
Osaka Kousei-Nenkin Hall | |
| 21 April 2006 | Tokyo Tokyo , ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family... , Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south... |
NHK Hall | |
| 12 August 2006 | Shanghai Shanghai Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010... , PRC People's Republic of China China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres... |
Shanghai Stadium Shanghai Stadium The Shanghai Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Shanghai, China. It is currently used mostly for football matches.The stadium was built in 1997 when the 8th National Games of the People's Republic of China was held in Shanghai. It can hold about 80,000 people, so it is also called the "80,000... |
Alan Ke |
| 25-26 August 2006 | Kowloon Kowloon Kowloon is an urban area in Hong Kong comprising the Kowloon Peninsula and New Kowloon. It is bordered by the Lei Yue Mun strait in the east, Mei Foo Sun Chuen and Stonecutter's Island in the west, Tate's Cairn and Lion Rock in the north, and Victoria Harbour in the south. It had a population of... , Hong Kong SAR |
Hong Kong Coliseum Hong Kong Coliseum Hong Kong Coliseum is a multi-purpose indoor arena, in Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong.It was built by the Urban Council and inaugurated on 27 April 1983.... |
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Singapore Indoor Stadium Singapore Indoor Stadium Singapore Indoor Stadium is an indoor sports arena, located in Kallang, Singapore.It was completed in 1989 and was officially opened by the, then, prime minister Lee Kuan Yew, on 31 December 1989. The building was built at a cost of S$ 90 million... |
Alan Ke |
| 24-25 February 2007 | Uncasville Uncasville, Connecticut Uncasville is an area in the town of Montville, Connecticut. The area traditionally known as Uncasville is a village in southeastern Montville, at the mouth of the Oxoboxo River... , Connecticut Connecticut Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately... , U.S. United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
Mohegan Sun Arena Mohegan Sun Arena The Mohegan Sun Arena is a 10,000 seat multi-purpose arena in Uncasville, Connecticut located inside Mohegan Sun. The arena facility features of configurable exhibition space and a clear span... |
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| 4 March 2007 | Kuala Lumpur Kuala Lumpur Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million... , Malaysia |
Bukit Jalil National Stadium | JJ Lin JJ Lin JJ Lin is a Singaporean Mandopop Singer-songwriter, Composer and Actor based in Taiwan. JJ Lin is managed by Ocean Butterflies. Lin won Best New Artist for his work on his debut album Music Voyager at the 15th Golden Melody Awards in 2004.... |
| 6 October 2007 | Nanjing Nanjing ' is the capital of Jiangsu province in China and has a prominent place in Chinese history and culture, having been the capital of China on several occasions... , China China Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture... |
Wutaishan Sports Center Wutaishan Sports Center Wutaishan Sports Center is a sports center in Nanjing, China, It was established in 1952 and it was one of the oldest and most advanced stadiums in early time of People's Republic of China.It is home to the Wutaishan Stadium.-External links:... |
Elva Hsiao Elva Hsiao Elva Hsiao, also known as Elva Siu, was born on 24 August 1979. She is a Taiwanese Mandopop singer.-Biography:She was educated at John Casablanca's College in Vancouver, British Columbia. She is fluent in both written and spoken English. While in Vancouver, she attended the New Talent Singing... |
| 22 December 2007 | Las Vegas Las Vegas Strip The Las Vegas Strip is an approximately stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard in Clark County, Nevada; adjacent to, but outside the city limits of Las Vegas proper. The Strip lies within the unincorporated townships of Paradise and Winchester... , Nevada Nevada Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its... |
MGM Grand Garden Arena | |
| 23 December 2007 | San Francisco, California California California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area... |
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| 11 January 2008 | Jakarta Jakarta Jakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Officially known as the Special Capital Territory of Jakarta, it is located on the northwest coast of Java, has an area of , and a population of 9,580,000. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre... , Indonesia Indonesia Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an... |
Sands Mangga Dua Square | Idol Divo |
Charts
| Release | Chart | Peak Position | Chart Run |
|---|---|---|---|
| December 30, 2005 | G-music Top 20 | 1 | 23 weeks |
Singles
| Song | Chart | Peak Position | Chart Run |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mistake in the Flower Fields | Hito Chinese Charts | 1 | 1 week |
| Kiss Goodbye | Hito Chinese Charts | 1 | 2 weeks |
| The Perfect Interaction | Hito Chinese Charts | 1 | 1 week |
| Big City, Small Love | Hito Chinese Charts | 1 | 2 weeks |
| Heroes of Earth | Hito Chinese Charts | 4 | 1 week |
| Beside the Plum Blossoms | Hito Chinese Charts | 3 | 2 weeks |
| The First Morning | Hito Chinese Charts | 2 | 6 weeks |