Di-Dar

Di-Dar
Studio album by
Faye Wong
Released22 December 1995
Recorded1995
GenrePop
Length42:58
LanguageCantonese
LabelCinepoly
Faye Wong chronology
One Person Playing Two Roles
(1995) 		Di-Dar
(1995) 		Fuzao
(1996)

Di-Dar is the ninth Cantonese studio album by Chinese recording artist Faye Wong, released on 22 December 1995, through Cinepoly. The album marked a shift from Wong's earlier style as she incorporated British psychedelic rock and ragga into her work, showcasing her evolving alternative musical influences.[1] Di-dar featured compositions by Wong with arrangements by her then-husband Dou Wei, production by Zhang Yadong and lyrics by Lin Xi.[2]

The album was both a critical and commercial success, selling 1.5 million copies across Asia;[1] with its title track "Di-dar" and "Ambiguous" (曖昧) becoming well-known songs.[3] Di-dar peaked at number one in Hong Kong according to the IFPI and Billboard magazine.[4]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Pitchfork7.9/10[5]

Di-Dar ranked at number 27 in Ming Pao Weekly's list of "40 Classic Cantopop Albums of the Last 40 Years" published in October 2008. Music journalist Fung Lai-Chee described it as "the best psychedelic and best-selling avant-garde work in Cantonese pop, with songs that are self-centred, ignoring market and others' work. Abstruse, obscure and mysterious."

In a 2023 review of four reissued Wong albums (Please Myself to Fuzao) by Pitchfork, Michael Hong called it Wong's "finest Cantonese album" and "more atmospheric, almost psychedelic" than her previous work.[6]

Track listing

Di-Dar – Standard edition
No.TitleLength
1."Di-Dar"2:21
2."Vacation" (假期; Gaa Kei)3:55
3."Stray" (迷路; Mai Lou)5:06
4."Ambiguous" (曖昧; Oi Mui)4:43
5."Maybe" (或者; Waak Ze)4:29
6."I Think" (我想; Ngo Seung)3:38
7."Enjoyment" (享受; Hoeng Sau)5:10
8."One Half" (一半; Yat Bun)4:27
9."Untitled" (無題; Mou Tai)4:21
10."Comet" (流星; Liu Xing)4:40
Total length:42:50
Di-Dar – Japanese edition bonus track
No.TitleLength
1."One Person Playing Two Roles" (一人分飾兩角; Yat Yun Fun Sik Leung Gok)4:45
Total length:4:45

Charts

Chart (1996) Peak
position
Hong Kong Albums (IFPI)[7] 1

Sales and certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Hong Kong (IFPI Hong Kong)[8] 3× Platinum 150,000*
Summaries
Asia — 1,500,000[1]

* Sales figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Region Release date Label Format(s)
Hong Kong 22 December 1995 Cinepoly Records
Taiwan 1996 Linfair Records CD
China 1996 Jindian Audio and Video
  • CD
  • cassette
Japan 25 February 1996 Polydor CD
26 September 1997 CD (reissue)
Hong Kong 7 May 2003 Cinepoly Records DSD
9 September 2004 SACD
26 October 2010 Universal Music Hong Kong CD (Golden Disc Anniversary Series)
12 November 2020 CD (24K Gold series)
15 December 2021 LP (ARS series)
Japan 27 September 2023 Universal Music Japan LP

References

  1. ^ a b c Lee, Alan (20 February 2016). "What's really killing Cantopop". EJ Insight. Hong Kong Economic Journal. Archived from the original on 25 February 2016. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  2. ^ Chow, Vivienne (7 October 2013). "Faye Wong and the love songs that are the story of her life". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  3. ^ Zhu, Yaowei (January 2017). Hong Kong cantopop : a concise history. Hong Kong. ISBN 978-9888390588. OCLC 962015863.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  4. ^ "Billboard Hits of the World". Billboard. Vol. 108. New York, N.Y.: Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 20 January 1996. p. 62. ISSN 0006-2510.
  5. ^ "Faye Wong: Faye Wong: 讨好自己 Please Myself / 菲靡靡之音 Decadent Sound of Faye / Di-Dar / 浮躁 Fuzao". Pitchfork. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  6. ^ Hong, Michael (28 October 2023). "讨好自己 Please Myself / 菲靡靡之音 Decadent Sound of Faye / Di-Dar / 浮躁 Restless". Pitchfork. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  7. ^ "Hits of the World Charts". Billboard. 3 February 1996. Retrieved 5 April 2024 – via Google Books.
  8. ^ "历史上的今天1969年8月8日中国流行音乐天后王菲出生" [Today in History August 8, 1969 Chinese pop music queen Faye Wong was born]. Sina (in Chinese). 21 September 2021. Retrieved 22 July 2024.


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