Message in a Bottle: Lyrical Laments and Emotional Expression in Mandopop

Author(s)

Marc L. Moskowitz, University of South Carolina - ColumbiaFollow

Document Type

Article

Subject Area(s)

Anthropology

Abstract

This article explores the ubiquitous themes of loneliness, isolation and anomie in Mandopop (Mandarin Chinese language pop music). This is not to imply that people in the PRC and Taiwan are lonelier than people from other countries but, rather, that being human they experience these emotions. What is distinctive here is that Mandopop becomes a primary conduit to express feelings that are sanctioned in daily speech. The article addresses these concerns and uses in-depth interviews in Shanghai and Taipei to find out why Mandopop's themes of loneliness and isolation are so resonant to its fans.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

https://doi.org/10.1017/S0305741008000428

Publication Info

Published in The China Quarterly, Volume 194, 2008, pages 365-379.

Rights

© The China Quarterly 2008, Cambridge University Press.

APA Citation

Moskowitz, M. (2008). Message in a Bottle: Lyrical Laments and Emotional Expression in Mandopop. The China Quarterly, 194, 365–379. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0305741008000428