JayChouChieh-lunisahugemusicalphenomenoninhishomecountryofTaiwanandacrossChina,HongKong,SingaporeandMalaysia.Forthosewhodon’tknow,heisresponsiblefordefininganewstyleofmusiccalledChineseR‘n’B－anAsianversionofAmericanRhythmandBlues.Hehasbeenhaileda‘small,heavenlyKing’bymusiccritics,andtheHongKongmedialovehim.‘Chouisdefinitelysettingmusicaltrends,’declaredtheMingPaoWeekly.Atjusttwenty-fouryearsofage,Chou’sachievementshavebeenincredible.Hisfirstthreealbumssoldmillions.In2003,hewasvotedFavouriteArtist(Taiwan)atMTV’sAsianMusicAwards.Thesameyear,healsoperformedinLasVegasbeforeanaudienceof10,000people.Hisimageisnowbeingusedinallsortsofadvertisementsformajorcompanies,includingPepsiandPCCW.However,theroadtosuccesshasbeenlongandhardforChou.Asaboy,nooneeverthoughthewouldbefamous.Hewasalwayspainfullyshyathighschool.‘Ithoughthewasdumb,’sayshisformerteacher,EllenHsu,whoassumedhehadalearningdisability.Choudidn’tbothertostudyhardandoftenavoidedschool,butheplayedthepianoconstantly.‘Chouwassensitivetomusicbeforehecouldwalk,’remembershismother,YehHui-meh.Chou’sluckybreakcameafterplayingthepianoontheTaiwaneseTVshow,SuperNewTalentKing.‘Ireallywasn’timpressed,’sayscelebrityhost,JackyWu.‘Hewassoshy,soquiet.Ithoughthewasretarded.’Thefriendsingingwithhimwas‘lousy’too.YetwhenWulookedatthemusicalscore,hewasamazed.‘Itwascomplexandverywelldone,’hesays.WuemployedChouastheresidentcomposerathisAlfaMusicstudioinTaipei.Fortwoyears,Chouseldomlefttheseventhfloorapartment.Hespentallhistimelearningtowritesongsforothermusicacts,fuelledbyfriedchickenandnoodles.Duringthistime,ChouwrotehitsongsforthelikesofPowerStationandValenHsu.Then,in2000,thenewmanagerofAlfaMusicdecidedtolaunchChouasasingerinhisownfight.Hisdebutalbum,Jay,wasanovernightsuccess.Atfirst,WuwasdoubtfulofthedecisiontoturnJayintoapopstar.‘Ididn’tthinkChoucouldmakeitasanentertainer,becausehe’snotsohandsome,’hesays.Withhislong,thinnoseandweakchin,ChoulooksunlikethehandsomeboywondersintheAsianmusicindustry.However,althoughtheseotherstarsmaybegood-looking,mostofthemhavelittlemusicaltalentcomparedwithChou.Thisissomethingthatthesingerisawareof.‘Evenwhenmyfemalefansapproachme,theydon’ttellmethatI’mhandsome.Theytellmetheylikemymusic,’saysChou.‘It’smymusicthathascharmedthem.’Quitesimply,Chou’smusicmakeshimstandrightoutfromthepack.Criticspraisehissongsasoriginalandheartfelt.‘Itismymagic,’saysChou.Hebelievesthatmusicshouldalwaysbechanging.Likeasponge,heabsorbsdifferentstyles,experimentingwithWesternandEasternmelodiesandinstruments.Asaresult,ChouhasbecomeaninspirationformanyotherartistsinAsia.NowMandarinrapperslikeChouarespringingupeverywhere.Despitehissuccess,Chouhaskepthisfeetfirmlyontheground.Heismostcomfortableinjeansandasweatshirt,andpreferslivinginhisfamilyhometoanyluxurydowntownapartment.Heisstillshyandfeelsuncomfortablewithhisheartthrobrole.Hehasevengrownhisfringeoverhiseyes,sothathecannotseehisarmyoffansstaringathim.