In Li Min's era, "internationalization" was not yet pejorative

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Yellow millet

Twenty years after Leslie Cheung's early exit, Li Min also died of depression, leaving fans not only with sighs but also with a blow.

Li Min's songs represent everything bright and sunny in the Chinese entertainment industry, as soon as she leaves, how can we not feel that the sky is dark? She left so many works that gave people strength and joy, and it is like a mourning to revisit them from now on.

Li Min has brought a whirlwind to the Chinese music scene since her debut, and Taiwanese producer Wang Weizhong once said that before her, the jade girls in the Chinese music scene just stood on the pile and sang.

Her ability to sing and dance, American pop singing, including bold shapes, inspired later Chinese singing and dancing divas such as Siu Yaxuan and Jolin Tsai.

It is she who gives Chinese music fans a concept of the ability and image of all-round idol stars.

"Kangxi is coming"

Li Min said that he grew up listening to European and American pop music in the 80s and 90s, returned to Hong Kong after high school to participate in the "wireless" rookie singing competition, and sang the famous episode "Run To You" from the movie "Bodyguard" starring Whitney Houston.

But R&B singing and English songs are not suitable stepping stones in the Chinese music scene, and when she released a Chinese record in Taiwan, she was asked by producers to change her singing tone and rely on the common Chinese pop singing style.

Fortunately, the eighteen-year-old insisted that this was her characteristic, and she had a particularly successful "Min-style singing voice" that was later localized.

Di Da Di Suggestive album

After joining Sony Records, under the creation of producer Yao Qian, Li Min tried Western-style Chinese dance music on the one hand, and performed Chinese lyric songs with the main melody in a singing style influenced by European and American singers on the other hand. While her singing style has been recognized by the market, her styling and dance continue to create topics.

"Sexy" and "electric buttocks" are all part of her idol packaging, and she does not refuse promotional labels such as "Asian Mariah Carey" and "Asian Jennifer Lopez", after all, there are few singers in Asia who are qualified to be compared with international superstars.

However, Li Min is also very insistent that although these people are her idols, her style is unique.

Since then, Li Min has actually sought defeat alone in the Chinese music scene and sat in the best position between East and West.

People who prefer European and American pop music will notice her singing and dancing prowess, playing with mainstream elements such as R&B and hip-hop. Those who prefer Chinese pop music cannot ignore her quality timbre and ability to navigate lyrical songs.

"Di Da Di", "Good Mood" and "365 Days of Thinking of You" are not only her own masterpieces, but also enough to make a name in the history of Chinese pop.

Several career milestones she ushered in at the turn of the century were related to the positioning of East and West.

She first acted as the voice of the protagonist in the Taiwanese version of Disney's animation "Mulan" and sang the theme song of the Chinese version. Later, he was invited by Michael Jackson to South Korea as a guest at a charity concert, representing Asian female singers.

Although she began her entry into the international music scene by releasing English records at the suggestion of Julio Iglesias, the Prince of Spanish Love Songs, it was the Chinese film "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" that brought her to the international stage.

The song "A Love Before Time" (Chinese version "Moonlight Lover"), which was later nominated for the Oscar for Best Song, appeared in front of her at the end of the production of the album "Promise".

The album was set in Li Min's hip hop period, with the title track "So Crazy" in collaboration with Singaporean musician Chan Yu Yan, and another collaboration with Jay Chou, "Dao Ma Dan", which is now a classic, and most of the songs on the album have strong rap elements.

And "Moonlight Lover" obviously took the lyrical route, and Li Min was initially worried that the style was incompatible with the other songs on the album. In the end, she was persuaded by her mother to take the song, only to know that it was "the theme song of a kung fu movie".

Li Min Oscar performance scene

No one would have imagined that Ang Lee's film would break through cultural barriers, gain unprecedented international recognition, and become a phenomenal example of reverse cultural transmission.

Li Min also did not expect that he would have the opportunity to sing this song at the Oscars, becoming the first Chinese singer to perform at the Oscars.

Looking at this live performance today, the martial arts dance beauty that was too strong has long been outdated, but Li Min's stable performance and the red dress that integrates the elements of the cheongsam are still classic.

Later, Li Min also wore this robe in the final round of the fourth season of the music complex "I am a singer", reproducing the glory of the year and winning the championship in one fell swoop.

"I Am a Singer" final

Li Min has often been asked since she became popular, you look so sunny, what is the secret of adjusting your mood. She always emphasizes first that no one is easy and life is difficult. At that time, neither the interviewer nor the audience thought about what she was referring to, because her laughter was so infectious and her thinking direction was so positive.

Yao Qian, who has worked with Li Min for many years, later said in an interview: "She is foreign and open on the surface, but in fact she is a very sensitive person at heart."

Later we learned that she suffered an unexplained loss of voice after the peak of "Moonlight Lover", and she had difficulty speaking, let alone singing. We also learned from the second sister who took care of her life that she is a person who is never willing to lose control and show weakness in front of outsiders. "So I'm going to stay with her so she can talk to," the second sister explained.

Li Min's final Vlog records his surgery and recovery process

Now looking at some old interviews, we may be able to see the dark side behind Li Min's sunny image with hindsight.

Since she was a child, she has loved to "play the ghost and play the horse", making her mother and sisters happy, and reporting good news but not worry. When I first came to Taiwan for development, I was bitter and tired, and I often worried that I didn't have a job, and I never complained to my family, "because I felt that the entertainment industry seemed to be supposed to endure hardships", until I fainted with an illness.

She participated in charity events to make children with cancer happy, but she went home and collapsed, thinking that she could not help these children if she did not continue her medical studies. As the eldest in the family, she does not know as much as her sisters about her mother's hard work in pulling her three children alone, but she cries when asked about her mother's past during interviews.

Although she is very confident in her singing and dancing skills, she has always had an objective understanding, such as feeling that "Dao Ma Dan" itself is well written, and other people should sing it just as well.

She watched the video of her performance just to be able to pick out the fault and improve it next time. She would rather fans think that she is busy falling in love and getting married and slow down the speed of the song, and did not disclose the loss of voice. We also recently learned about her leg problems and depression.

Li Min's state has remained good over the years, and she is amazing in various music variety shows, whether resident or cameo.

Several new songs released last year are also very likely to restart the music career, and there are so many singers who grew up listening to her songs, at least there are many people who want to cooperate with her. However, "after many classic songs, the eyes have gone in a flash".

Li Min left a message to fans at the last moment, "I will work harder."

Over the years, more and more people have learned how vulnerable we are to mental illness and how futile our efforts are. Enthusiasm has nothing to do with happiness, and cheerfulness does not mean positive. Many of us, like Li Min, tried our best.

Li Min's final voice message to the fans who care about her

Li Min recalled that the starting point of her singing career was to participate in singing competitions in Hong Kong, and she often emphasized that Leslie Cheung and Anita Mui also participated in TV singing competitions to debut. Now they are all gone. Every time the kings and queens leave, they leave a crater in the hearts of music fans that is difficult to fill, and we always can't believe it, and we don't have time to thank you.

Thank you Li Min, thank you for the song, thank you people. I hope more people remember the era when "internationalization" was still a good thing.