''Too Softhearted'' (
Chinese: 心太軟;
pinyin
Hanyu Pinyin, or simply pinyin, officially the Chinese Phonetic Alphabet, is the most common romanization system for Standard Chinese. ''Hanyu'' () literally means 'Han Chinese, Han language'—that is, the Chinese language—while ''pinyin' ...
: ''Xīn Tài Ruǎn''), is the fifth studio album by Taiwanese recording artist
Richie Jen
Richie Jen Hsien-chi (, born 23 June 1966), also known as Richie Ren, is a Taiwanese singer and actor. He graduated from the Chinese Culture University's physical education department.
Jen debuted in December 1990 with the studio album ''Ask ...
, released on December 24, 1996, via
Rock Records
The Rock Records Co., Ltd. () commonly known as Rock Records (), is a record label based in Taipei, Taiwan. Founded in the 1980s as the Rock Music Publishing (滾石有聲出版社; ) by Tuan Chung-tan and Tuan Chung-i, It is the largest record ...
. The album spawned the titular track as the lead single. Musically, the album incorporates a range of musical styles such as R&B, pop, disco and flamenco.
A major commercial success, ''Too Softhearted'' sold over 1 million copies in mainland China and over 2.3 million copies across Asia. It is one of the
best-selling albums in China in terms of physical sales. When accounting for unofficial sales of the album, it is claimed that the album sold over 26 million copies in China.
Background and release
''Too Softhearted'' was released through Rock Records on December 24, 1996. Jen had initially decided that he would abandon his career as a singer and pursue a profession in sports journalism if the album did not perform well.
This was because it was the last chance given to him by his record company.
The album subsequently saw large amounts of success and won the singer various accolades.
The titular single was one of the most popular songs in China following its release and became one of Jen's signature songs.
Composition
The album was recorded at studios in Taipei and Los Angeles. The lyrics of the single "Too Softhearted" depicts Jen's sentiments of heartbreak. It was written and produced by Taiwanese musician Johnny Chen and arranged by Christopher Troy. The track "5151" incorporates free and rhythmic reggae while "I Love You" (Dance version) is characterized as a bouncy funk number. "The Bell Hanging on the Ivy" samples the
flamenco
Flamenco () is an art form based on the various folkloric music traditions of southern Spain, developed within the Gitanos, gitano subculture of the region of Andalusia, and also having historical presence in Extremadura and Region of Murcia, ...
dance-pop song "
Macarena
"Macarena" is a song by Spanish pop duo Los del Río, originally recorded for their 1993 album '' A mí me gusta''. A dance remix by the electropop group Fangoria was a success in Spain, and a soundalike cover version by Los del Mar became ...
" (1993) and contains Spanish verses interspersed throughout the track.
Commercial performance
''Too Softhearted'' experienced major commercial success in Asia upon its release. The album is claimed to have sold over 26 million copies in mainland China, making it one of the best-selling albums of all time in the country. However, the lack of official statistics have made authenticating the claim difficult;
Jen himself later stated in an interview that legitimate sales of the album stood at over 1 million copies in mainland China, and 2.3 million copies throughout Asia.
Initially, the album received lukewarm reception in Taiwan; however, its sales surged following its widespread popularity in China, eventually leading to sales of approximately 600,000 copies in the territory.
Awards
Track listing
Charts
Weekly charts
Sales
References
{{reflist
1996 albums
Mandarin-language albums