In tune with the times

During the process, Li Tai-hsiang played and sang while repeatedly reading Sanmao's lyrics and simultaneously composing the melody while making changes to the score. Hu assisted him by sharpening his pencil and serving tea. When Li Taihsiang was halfway through writing the song, he asked Hu to sing it out loud.

"Even today, when I hear this song, it evokes a flood of memories from that era, with numerous faces and familiar scenes flashing in my mind," Hu says, explaining why he chose to perform that song.

In the early 1980s, the establishment of the two record companies, Rock Records and UFO Records marked the beginning of Taiwan's pop music industry. Tayu Lo, as a representative singer-songwriter of this period, integrated a strong realist style into his music, fusing Western rock spirit with Chinese culture to offer listeners a refreshing perspective on social issues through music.

In the 1990s, the Taiwan pop music scene entered a prosperous golden age, during which the local music industry became more mature and countless high-quality music works and new artists emerged. Many singers from Hong Kong and Southeast Asia were drawn to the island to pursue their careers.

Following the turn of the millennium, the immensely talented singer-songwriter Jay Chou emerged on the scene, showcasing his unique blend of cultural influences, while pushing musical boundaries through the incorporation of a diverse range of genres, including classical, folk, hip-hop, blues, rap and rock. Chou's debut ushered in a new era of artistic expression and creative diversity within the Chinese pop industry.

Since 2010, the local music scene has entered a phase of advocating individualistic expression, with indie music becoming a trendy music genre.