Capricorn (Jay Chou album)

The album's title is derived from a homophone meaning both magic and Capricorn in Chinese, the latter of which is Chou's astrological sign. The overarching theme of the album revolves around magic and playing card suits. The album's visuals consist of Chou embodying a knight on a playing card as well as a joker.^[2]

"Rice Field" premiered on radio stations in Taiwan on 22 September 2008. Similar to Chou's preceding albums such as November's Chopin and On the Run!, the tracks from Capricorn were prematurely leaked on various websites prior to the official release.^[3] Consequently, the record company decided to postpone the intended release date of Capricorn from 9 October to 14 October 2008.

The album's tracks blend elements of hip-hop and folk music.^[5] The lead single, "Rice Field", draws inspiration from Chou's nostalgic childhood memories. It depicts the plight of contemporary city dwellers, burdened by societal and life pressures, and their growing desire to retreat to a simpler, rural existence. Chou intended to illustrate an idyllic countryside setting, running barefoot through fields, stealing fruits, and carefree childhood play.^[4] "The Promised Love" is an emotionally charged ballad that depicts pain associated with break up. It utilizes piano chords intertwined with instrumentals from the violin, cello, and drums.^[4]

On year-end charts in Taiwan, "Rice Field", "Give Me the Time of a Song", and "The Promised Love", were ranked at number 3, number 17, and number 56, respectively, on 2008's Hit FM Top 100 Singles of the Year chart.^[6][7]

The production of the music videos for "Magician" and “Uncle Jocker" involved over 15 dancers including dance troupes, jazz musicians, and stunt performers from various countries such as Russia. Behind-the-scenes footage of "The Promised Love" depicts Chou inviting actress Andrea Chen to star as the female lead. The music video for "Give Me the Time of a Song" featured actress Jenna Wang in the lead female role. In April 2008, Chou rented the presidential suite of the InterContinental Hotel in Hong Kong for the production of its music video. Additionally, a Pagani Zonda F, a high-performance sports car also known as "Ghost Son", was utilized for filming sequences in the city's historic streets.

In preparation for the "Snake Dance" music video, Chou underwent specialized training to perfect the dance moves.^[8] The video for "Dragon Knight" was set in a fantasy realm set a century into the future, in a world filled with bizarre creatures and mechanical behemoths locked in combat. Amidst the steel and concrete landscape, love remained the sole unchanging element. The video's artistic direction, cinematography, lighting design, sound effects, special effects, and post-production were all handled by Chou. The set utilized a circular clock, a grand hall, and an elongated corridor that fused the aesthetics of a city with classical Gothic architecture.^[9]

At the 20th Golden Melody Awards, the album was nominated for eight awards, winning Best mandarin Male Singer, Song of the Year for "Rice Field", and Best Music Video for "Magician".^[10]