Please Myself
| Please Myself | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | December 20, 1994 | |||
| Recorded | 1994 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 42:01 | |||
| Label | Cinepoly | |||
| Faye Wong chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Alternate cover | ||||
Please Myself,[2][3] also translated as Ingratiate Oneself[4] (Cantonese: 討好自己; Tou2 hou2 zi6 gei2 Jyutping), is the eighth Cantonese studio album by Chinese recording artist Faye Wong. Using the stage name Shirley Wong (王靖雯; Wong Ching Man), the album was released on December 20, 1994, under Cinepoly.
Background and release[edit]
Cinepoly Records released this album in December, only a few months after her highly influential alternative music Cantonese album Random Thoughts and her second Mandarin album Sky. It did not match them in terms of commercial success. The album was released with three different album covers.
Composition[edit]
Faye Wong composed the songs "Ingratiate Oneself" and "Exit" herself, and these continued her move into alternative music. The remaining songs were more conventional in genre. The lyrics are all in Cantonese except for "Exit" in Mandarin. She spoke rather than sang the words to this song, so that it is sometimes described as a rap. Somewhat pessimistic in outlook, it was not popular with all her fans. Nevertheless, it was a hit single, along with the title track, "Honeymoon" and the ballad "Brink of Love and Pain". "Being Criminal" is a cover of "Here's Where the Story Ends" by the Sundays. "Sky Doesn't Change, Earth Changes" is the Cantonese version of "Amaranthine" (不變, Bù Biàn) on her Mandarin album Sky.
Critical reception[edit]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Pitchfork | 7.4/10[5] |
In a 2023 review of four reissued Wong albums (Please Myself to Fuzao) by Pitchfork, Michael Hong wrote that the album "sharpened [Wong's] artistic identity" and most of the album consists of a "palette of dazzling dream pop and fond adoration".[1]
Track listing[edit]
- 討好自己 (Tou hou zigei) – "Please Myself" – 3:17
- 蜜月期 (Mat jyut kei) – "Honeymoon" – 4:14
- 為非作歹 (Wai fei zok daai) – "Being Criminal" – 4:07
- 我怕 (Ngo pa) – "I Fear" – 4:01
- 出路 (Chūlù) – "Exit" – 4:01
- 平凡最浪漫 (Pingfaan zeoi longmaan) – "Simplicity Is Most Romantic" – 4:24
- 飄 (Piu) – "Float" – 3:54
- 愛與痛的邊緣 (Oi jyu tung dik binjyun) – "Brink of Love and Pain" – 4:35
- 背影 (Bui jing) – "Shadow of Your Back" (or "Silhouette") – 4:50
- 天不變地變 (Tin bat bin dei bin) – "Sky Invariably Changes" – 4:51
Japanese edition bonus tracks
- 流非飛 (60's Version) – 4:03
- 不再兒嬉 (Rock Version) – 4:02
Charts[edit]
| Chart (1995) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Hong Kong Albums (IFPI)[6] | 2 |
References[edit]
- ^ a b Hong, Michael (October 28, 2023). "讨好自己 Please Myself / 菲靡靡之音 Decadent Sound of Faye / Di-Dar / 浮躁 Restless". Pitchfork. Retrieved October 28, 2023.
- ^ Billboard - 1995 1 28 "FAYE WONG TO PLEASE MYSELF cinepoly"
- ^ Shane Homan Access All Eras: Tribute Bands and Global Pop Culture 2006-p228 "Faye Wong (1993) No Regrets. Hong Kong: Cinepoly. Faye Wong (1994) Mystery. Hong Kong: Decca/Cinepoly. Faye Wong (1994) Random Thoughts. Hong Kong: Cinepoly. Faye Wong (1994) Please Myself. Hong Kong: Cinepoly."
- ^ Maximum rocknroll No.191 1999 "Faye Wong "Di Dar" TP $4 Faye Wong "Ingratiate Oneself" TP S4"
- ^ "Faye Wong: Faye Wong: 讨好自己 Please Myself / 菲靡靡之音 Decadent Sound of Faye / Di-Dar / 浮躁 Fuzao". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2023-10-28.
- ^ "Hits of the World Charts". Billboard. 1995-01-28. Retrieved 5 April 2024 – via Google Books.
External links[edit]
- Ingratiate Oneself summary and translated lyrics
- Ingratiate Oneself / Toe Ho Ji Gei summary at another extensive fan site
