"Shouldn't Be" (

Chinese Chinese may refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people identified with China, through nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **Han Chinese, East Asian ethnic group native to China. **'' Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic ...

: 不該; ''Bù Gāi'') is a song by Taiwanese recording artists

Jay Chou Jay Chou Chieh-lun ( zh, s=周杰伦, t=周杰倫, first=t, p=Zhōu Jiélún; born 18 January 1979) is a Taiwanese singer-songwriter, actor, director, and businessman. Regarded as one of the most influential artists in the Chinese-speaking worl ...

and

A-Mei Kulilay Amit (; born 9 August 1972), better known by her stage name A-Mei, is a Taiwanese singer and record producer of Puyuma descent. Born as Amit Kulilay in eastern Taiwan, she made her debut in 1996. A leading figure of the Mandopop music ...

. It was first released on June 17, 2016, for digital consumption as the lead single for Chou's fourteenth studio album, '' Jay Chou's Bedtime Stories'' (2016), under JVR Music. The duet was written by Chou's frequent collaborator Vincent Fang, whilst production was handled by Chou. "Shouldn't Be" serves as the opening theme for the Chinese television drama ''

Ice Fantasy ''Ice Fantasy'' () is a Chinese epic fantasy television drama based on Guo Jingming's bestselling novel, ''City of Fantasy''. The drama was produced by Shanghai Youhug Media, directed by Ju Jue Liang, and stars Feng Shaofeng, Victoria Song, Ma ...

'' (2016), which was broadcast by

Hunan Broadcasting System Hunan Broadcasting System (HBS) () formerly known as Golden Eagle Broadcasting System (GBS), is China's second biggest State media, state-owned television network after China Central Television (CCTV). The television network is owned by the Huna ...

. The song was included on the drama's official soundtrack. Musically, "Shouldn't Be" is a

pop ballad A sentimental ballad is an emotional style of music that often deals with romantic and intimate relationships, and to a lesser extent, loneliness, death, war, drug abuse, politics and religion, usually in a poignant but solemn manner. Ballads ...

that incorporates the use of

synthesizers A synthesizer (also synthesiser or synth) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis and ...

in the

post-chorus In music, particularly Western popular music, a post-chorus (or postchorus) is a section that appears after the chorus. The term can be used generically for any section that comes after a chorus, but more often refers to a section that has similar c ...

. Its production utilizes instrumentations of the piano, violin, and drums, while its lyrical content discusses pain associated with lost love and the separation of lovers. The song received positive reviews from

music critics Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on ...

, who praised the vocal performance of both singers as well as the production of the track. Commercially, the song charted at number 19 on the Singapore Regional chart in 2018. An accompanying music video for "Shouldn't Be" features actor Edison Huang cloning himself in an attempt to remain with his lover, while Chou and A-Mei sing the track amid a futuristic set. During Chou's

The Invincible World Tour The Invincible World Tour ( Chinese: 地表最強世界巡迴演唱會) was the seventh concert tour by Taiwanese recording artist Jay Chou, held in support of his fourteenth studio album '' Jay Chou's Bedtime Stories'' (2016). The tour began in ...

in October 2017, A-Mei and Chou delivered a performance of the song; A-Mei surprised the audience by appearing at Chou's final show in Taipei, where both artists performed "Shouldn't Be".

Background and release

Jay Chou and

have previously expressed interest in working with each other for years, as both artists have crossed paths numerous times at different concerts and events. Despite their frequent joint performances, Chou felt that their collaborations were limited to these events. This led him to create the song "Shouldn't Be", a special homage to their friendship. While composing the duet, Chou paid particular attention to ensuring the compatibility of both artists' vocal ranges. He also aimed for the melody to build up to a powerful crescendo.

Music video

The music video of the song features actor Edison Huang as the lead character, with Chou and A-Mei performing the song on a futuristic set throughout the video. Talking about the filming process, A-Mei commented, "When I was shooting from the back, I wanted to tease Jay Chou. I wanted to make a face or something, but when I saw how devoted he was, so I couldn't bear to make a face!" Jay Chou also expressed similar remarks, saying that they were both too serious and devoted, so he eventually gave up. The narrative of the music video sees the male lead cloning himself. He reminisces about the romantic moments he shared with the female lead. After his death, the heartbroken woman attempts to find love again. However, when the clone of the male lead reappears, he discovers that his lover has already moved on, is married, and has children.

Accolades

At the

Global Chinese Golden Chart Awards The Global Chinese Golden Chart Awards () is a music awards founded by China National Radio China National Radio (CNR; ) is the national radio network of China, headquartered in Beijing. CNR forms the national radio service of the state-owned ...

Background and release

Music video

Accolades

Charts

Weekly charts

Release history

References