TAIPEI – Mandopop superstar Jay Chou is bringing a little magic into viewers’ lives with his Netflix show “J-Style Trip.”
Part travelogue, part magic performance, the show has Chou diving into adventures around the world with his A-lister friends.
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“Magic is actually like music. It is a universal language,” Chou told The Associated Press in Taiwan recently.
Chou and his friends take their magic tricks everywhere – from Pompidou in Paris to a local food court in Singapore – taking homebound viewers on virtual trips amid pandemic shutdowns.
“I wanted to show the warmness and friendliness of people around the world, and how people connect with each other in different ways,” Chou said.
Each episode features a special guest like Taiwanese singer Jam Hsiao, Singaporean singer Wayne Lim Junjie, better known as JJ Lin, and classical pianist Lang Lang.
Chou’s especially excited about Lang Lang’s upcoming appearance. “Lang Lang, in fact, is a very humorous and really fun person,” Chou said of the classical superstar who has a whopping 15 million followers on his social media.
He couldn’t resist giving a sneak peek, revealing that Lang Lang will show up in hip-hop attire and fake mustache to surprise people.
Meanwhile, the singer-songwriter has another surprise in stored for his fans.
“I haven’t released any albums for a very long time. That’s because I have been spending more time with my family,” said Chou, who got married in 2015 and has two children.
Chou recently updated his Instagram with a picture of piano painting by German artist Albert Oehlen.
“I’ve started producing,” the caption said, with a piano emoji. Chou confirmed that he’s working on new songs. “I know my fans are excited. Seems like everyone’s been waiting for a long time,” Chou said.
“Many people think my past songs are great and can’t be surpassed," Chou said. He thinks his songs, albeit similar in some ways, cannot be compared because people project their own “memories” to each track.
With more than 10 albums, Chou, who describes himself as “workaholic,” is still leveling up.
“I always feel like only I can outperform myself!”
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Associated Press journalist Taijing Wu contributed to this report.