Fairy Tale (Michael Wong album)

Fairy Tale (Chinese: 童話; pinyin: Tóng Huà) is the third solo album by Malaysian singer Michael Wong, released on 21 January 2005.

History

Wong's previous two albums, Michael's First Album and Ray of Light, stirred up a fan base but did not make much ground in terms of record sales. His fans had to wait another two years before Wong finally launched his third album, Fairy Tale. After rejecting the first few songs he listed himself for the album with his sense of perfection, Wong eventually re-selected some songs himself and finally rooted for his ten favourite songs to be cut into the album, of which six were composed by himself. His two years of work paid off when this album immediately attained success, and became critically acclaimed as Wong's best-selling album.

Title song

The first single from this album, also called Fairy Tale, was composed by himself. Wong, who is more of a composer and hardly wrote lyrics, asked about 30 lyricists for suggestions for this particular song. After finally adding a finishing touch to the song with lyrics he wrote himself, he then left it to be arranged and produced by the experienced Japanese producer, Taichi Nakamura. Fairy Tale is considered by many fans as Wong's strongest single. It became number one at the Baidu 500 immediately after it was released in January 2005, making it to the top of the download counter for 15 weeks. The single is arguably the most successful Chinese language song in the 21st Century. As of 2007 it is still among the top in the karaoke charts. Wong became the first Malaysian to win four main awards in the Chinese music scene's biggest award show, the Hong Kong TVB8 Golden Music Awards on 3 December 2005. He won Best Composition, Best Composer/Artist, Top Ten Songs of the Year, and Best of the Year's Top 10 Songs.

The music video accompanying Fairy Tale has been the subject of heated debate. It pictures Wong playing the song at a concert, transmitted to a girl in a hospital bed by phone. Intermittent flashbacks during the song reveal that she had a nosebleed, then collapsed. It is most likely she was suffering from lung cancer. At the conclusion of the video, she dies, and a voice-over says "When the whole world ignored me, only you never left me alone." There has been debate over whether or not Fairy Tale was based on a true story.

Track listing

1. "Intro"
2. "童話" (Tóng Huà; Fairy Tale)
3. "天堂" (Tiāntáng; Heaven)
4. "少年" (Shàonián; Teenager)
5. "手機留言" (Shǒu Jī Liú Yan; Cellphone Voice Message)
6. "向左走向右走" (Xiàng Zuǒ Zǒu Xiàng Yoù Zǒu; Turn Left Turn Right)
7. "一點光一點亮" (Yī Diǎn Guāng Yī Diǎn Liàng; Little Light, Little Bright)
8. "期限" (Qī Xiàn; Deadline)
9. "海邊" (Hǎi Biān; Beside the Sea)
10. "妹妹" (Mèimèi; Little Sister)
11. "記得我愛你" (Jì de Wǒ Ài Nǐ; Remember I Love You)
12. "The End"

Bonus MV VCD

1. Fairy Tale 童話
2. The First Time 第一次
3. Sadness Subway 傷心地鐵
4. Christmas in 2999 2999年的聖誕節
5. As if nothing had happened 若無其事

Cover versions

• Hong Kong singer Charlene Choi, part of the Cantopop duo Twins, sang a cover version of this song in Cantonese
• Singaporean pop singer Aliff Aziz sang a cover version in Malay titled Cinta Arjuna.
• Cambodian singer Sokun Nisa sang a cover of the song in Khmer called Srok Trik Pneak Pel kom Pong Nhor Nhim.
• Japanese singer Kousuke Atari sang a cover version in Japanese.