Yin Yin
Derrick Hoh Wei Jian from the first season of Project Superstar (PSS 1) has just cut his debut solo album Unclassified (Wu Fa Gui Lei).
It has since been three years from his last appearance in PSS 1. However, fans have not forgotten about him and this shows up in the album sales figure. Within the first day of its release on D-Day (which is known as Derrick’s Day, on 30 July), fans swiped the first batch of all 2000 albums off the shelves. Currently Unclassified is ranked the highest-selling album on the sales chart in various CD outlets, including HMV, CD Rama and Sembawang.
UrbanWire thinks it is a smart move to launch “Unclassified” as the first single in the album. Derrick explains that this song possesses the feeling and attitude that he wants to portray. This groovy track captures your attention immediately with its infectious beats and it’s bound to keep you moving along from the first time you hear it. However, some may find this song and its dance moves similar to what Show Luo did in his previous albums such as Show Your Dance and SPESHOW (compare Derrick’s MV vs. Show’s MV & MV2 ).
Despite the comparisons, Derrick says, “I feel that style and looks are just packaging. The most important thing is still music, and the fact that I love singing.”
Second single “Knock-Out Love” continues to keep the beat up with drums. It’s hard not to sing along with Derrick when you hear this song, especially when it comes to the chorus – “Knock-Out Love with me hey oh, stop day dreaming hey oh, fall in love with me now hey oh oh oh”. In addition to the catchy lyrics, there’s also a saucy MV of this single to accompany, which was shot in Taiwan by famous director Kuang Sheng who had directed other MVs for Jay Chou & Jolin Tsai.
In the MV, Derrick is seen frolicking with two female dancers. However, the scenes of the threesome in a car have been removed to maintain Derrick’s healthy image. But fans need not be disappointed. As part of a promotional gimmick, Warner Music Singapore has uploaded a 15-second teaser of the MV on YouTube and promises that if the number of views hits 5000 in two weeks, Derrick will personally upload the censored clips! Derrick clarified, “But still within limits of course, my image is still most important!”
(Update: The number of views for the teaser MV had over 5000 hits within the stipulated time frame and as promised, the original MV has been uploaded on YouTube! Check it out here!)
The tempo slows down in the moving ballad “Overhead Bridge, Underground Pass”. The track title tells of two extreme different locations in a city and this is used as a metaphor to portray the differences between two persons after a relationship. This sad romantic number talks about the guilt a guy feels when after a breakup. The song guarantees to get all the girls swooning. Although the instrumentation makes it a very radio-friendly listen, the restriction imposed on his voice makes the song sound ordinary and forgettable in comparison to the rest of his songs.
In comparison, Derrick delivers a more mellow, sorrowful and almost heart-wrenching interpretation in “Can’t Let Go” making his rumoured break-up with his girlfriend believable. This sentimental side of him was what captured many fans’ hearts in PSS 1.
“Pronunciation” adds colours to the album and brings Derrick’s cheeky persona to life again. This self-penned song by Derrick talks about how he felt during PSS 1 when the judges commented on his poor pronunciation. He recalled having to recite a Mandarin tongue twister taught by Quan Yifeng in which he did badly, getting his inspiration for this song. This song stands out from the rest as it has a very playful, happy feel that works well for him. It could be pure coincidence, but this song reminds UrbanWire of Kenji Wu’s “Big Tongue” (Da She Tou).
Derrick’s identity comes out well in his rendition of “I Believe”, which is the cover of “Mideoyo” by Korean band Dong Bang Shin Ki(DBSK). This soothing song makes a good, relaxing listen and could easily top radio charts.
“Anti Clockwise” was pleasantly surprising with it captivating melody and the usage of nylon guitar gave it a unique feel that’s different from other tracks. Derrick’s voice seems to sound raspier and more sensual here as well – it’s good effort and displays a new side of him. This song possesses some slight jazzy quality that makes you want to sway to the music, or simply enjoy it with a glass of wine on a quiet night.
The album ends off with “Croatia Sky”, another self-penned single by Derrick. This song displayed his impeccable vocal abilities and sheer talent in delivering compelling performances.
And there you have it, eleven tracks performed by our very own homegrown superstar Derrick Hoh. This scrawny singing teen who ignited flames of adoration in adolescent girls in PSS 1 has now grown up and is fast becoming a music star. Apart from the fact that he needs to work on a stronger musical identity, he is well on the road to success.
UrbanWire gives Unclassified 4 out of 5 stars.
Unclassified is now available in leading CD outlets island wide.