The Evolution of Chinese Popular Music

Ya-Hui Cheng examines the emergence of popular music genres ? jazz, rock, and hip-hop ? in Chinese society, covering the social underpinnings that shaped the development of popular music in China and Taiwan, from imperialism to westernization and from modernization to globalization. The political sensitivities across the strait have long eclipsed the discussion of these shared sonic intimacies. It was not until the rise of the digital age, when entertainment programs from China and Taiwan reached social media on a global scale, that audiences realized the existence of this sonic reciprocation. Analyzing Chinese pentatonicism and popular songs published from 1927 to the present, this book discusses structural elements in Chinese popular music to show how they aligned closely with Chinese folk traditions. While the influences from Western genres are inevitable under the phenomenon of globalization, Chinese songwriters utilized these Western inspirations to modernize their musical traditions. It is a sensitivity for exhibiting cultural identities that enabled popular music to present a unique Chinese global image while transcending political discord and unifying mass cultures across the strait.

"Cheng?s book is an essential resource for scholars seeking profound insights into the historical development of Chinese popular music and its significance
on a global scale. It conducts an archeological study of sounds, society and
modernity during particular periods of mainland China and Taiwan?s modern histories. The book offers a comprehensive overview of the evolution of Chinese popular
music over the past nearly 100 years, taking into consideration various factors such
as reform of the political system, improving cross-strait relations and the collision
and fusion of Chinese and Western cultures. In addition, the book is valuable for
music theory researchers interested in the continuation of Chinese classical music
and opera in modern popular music. Written in accessible language with clear structure, precise terminology and extensive references, it is also suitable for a general audience interested in Chinese popular music studies."

Nianyi, Ling, Book Review, European Journal of Cultural Studies (2024)

"The Evolution of Chinese Popular Music: Modernization and Globalization, 1927 to the Present stands out by holistically addressing the hundred-year history of Chinese popular music. Full of carefully researched observations on music, lyrics, performers, composers, and historical and contemporary currents, it also fills a clear niche by focusing on the music-theoretical content of these repertories. The book will engage a broad cross-section of readerships, from popular music studies to musicology and Asian studies, and is sure to enjoy a lengthy shelf-life as a central reference in the field of Chinese popular music studies."

Dr Lijuan Qian, Senior Lecturer at University College Cork, the author of The Tolerated Mainstream: Chinese Popular Music in the 1980s (Guilin: Guangxi Normal University Press, 2016).