Amit (album)

At the 19th Golden Melody Awards on July 5, 2008, A-Mei brought her "Amit" performance style to the big stage for the first time with pop punk music.^[1] The album Amit was developed over a period of 834 days and reportedly cost NT$30 million to produce.^[2] It was promoted as a reinvention of the singer’s artistic identity, with “Amit” representing a new persona and the concept of “Amei – Music Is Transformed.”^[2] The album marked a deliberate departure from A-Mei’s established pop-ballad style and her long‑standing commercial image.^[2] Prior to Amit, critics noted that her releases had become increasingly formulaic, contributing to aesthetic fatigue within Mandopop.^[2] In response, A-Mei and her team sought to dismantle the stylistic conventions that had defined her earlier work, including sentimental pop ballads, polished idol aesthetics, and rigid corporate positioning.^[2] Amit incorporates elements of rock, alternative music, and indigenous Puyuma folk traditions. The album features prominent band arrangements, heavy guitar textures, and electronic noise influences.^[2] The recording process was intense: she and producer Adia worked from scratch, selecting from over 100 songs and shaping a rock‑leaning sound.^[3] According to Taiwanese media reports, around midnight on May 5, 2009, A-Mei wrapped up recording her new album under the name "Amit."^[3]

As for the behind-the-scenes production team, the record company invited many musicians, including Sodagreen band lead singer Wu Qing-feng, music creator Andrew Chen, lyricist Daryl Yao, and A-Mei's manager Isaac Chen, to participate in the creation and production of the album.^[4] In addition, the album not only includes the songs that A-Mei composed under the name "Amit," but also includes the works of A-Mei's mother.^[4]

The concept of Amit explores A-Mei's multifaceted personality.^[4] The songs express the singer's evolving perspectives on life, including her exploration of life's purpose, her stance on LGBTQ+ rights, as well as women's rights.^[4] Observers have noted that the album offers a glimpse into the aspects of A-Mei's life that are not usually visible to the public eye, thereby providing a platform for expressing her thoughts and emotions.^[4] Primarily a rock record, Amit utilizes various styles including punk, heavy metal, R&B with both electric and acoustic guitar instrumentations.^[4]

"Straight Up" is a heavy metal rock song that expresses Amit's musical personality and attitude. "Double Cross" is a heavy rock song that describes the female consciousness very clearly. "Split" depicts split images to construct a dual personality monologue. ^[5] "Disappear" is a composition of similar style which was penned by Wu Qing-feng, drawing inspiration from A-Mei's interviews about the death of her father. The final version that was included on the album, in contrast, is more lucid and gentle.^[6] "Depressed" realistically presents the sexual ecology of urban men and women.^[7]

"Weight of the Soul" is a melancholic song that depicts the struggle and helplessness of the soul. "Bold For My Love" is an electronic rock song sung in Taiwanese Hokkien. "OK" is a hysterical rock song; the recording crew treated the recording studio as a party, singing and recording randomly, and playing casually. "Dreams You Can Hear" is an inspirational song that serves as the theme for the 2009 Summer Deaflympics; the version included on the album only contains guitar strumming and humming. The album's title track features aboriginal chanting.^[7] "Rainbow" is a pop rock number that has been recognized as a LGBT anthem in Asia following the album's release. Its lyrics describe how the singer overcomes a failed relationship with the support of her friend.^[8][5]

The standard version of Amit was released in digital formats on June 26, 2009. In Taiwan, the physical CD was distributed in two versions: a white limited edition and a black limited edition. The CD was made available in China beginning on August 5. A sensory upgraded edition was made available in Taiwan on August 21, which contains a new DVD and a new track titled "Sorrowful Regret". A Hong Kong special edition was released on September 18, which contains a new track titled "Cong Cin Si Gu Mung".

On the album cover of Amit, A-Mei is shown sporting blood orange colored hair and is seen sitting on a leather red chair, designed by BD Barcelona. The chair, worth NT$430,000, takes inspiration from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) musicals that were produced after the roaring 1920s era.^[4]

The music video for “Double Cross” was directed by Bill Chia.^[9] The video includes scenes of kidnapping, S&M‑themed styling, and assassination, and elements such as the narrow slits in the set were criticized for being sexually suggestive.^[10][11] The music video for "Split" cost NT$2 million and was directed by Bill Chia.^[12][13] The music video for "Disappear" was directed by Bill Chia was filmed on the grassland, with a blue sky, green grass, and a gentle breeze.^[14] A-Mei stood in the wilderness, and countless English letters flew out of the open book. Fans with sharp eyes even managed to identify the words "DAD," "DIED," and "MISS," which corresponded to A-Mei's feelings of missing her deceased father.^[15] The music video for "Depressed" was directed by Bill Chia and features a scene of a man and woman having sex completely naked, with only the key areas highlighted with light spots that move around in sync with their movements.^[16][17]

The music video for “Bold For My Love” was filmed in a minimalist, fashion‑forward style, creating a sharp contrast with the traditional image of Taiwanese‑language songs and highlighting Amit’s unique sense of alternative fashion; the video also incorporates Romanized lyrics through visual compositing.^[18] In the video, A-Mei appears in two distinctive looks: one is a red wide‑sleeved dress by Rei Kawakubo, paired with a punk‑inspired hairstyle; the other is a white suit with a black cut‑out long skirt, matched with a gold punk short haircut.^[19] In 2021, A-Mei released the official music video for "Rainbow" in 1080p HD; the music video combined live concert footage with aerial shots, showcasing a diverse crowd and featuring a giant rainbow flag.^[20]