Too Softhearted

Too Softhearted was released through Rock Records on December 24, 1996. Jen had initially decided that he would abandon his career as a singer and pursue a profession in sports journalism if the album did not perform well.^[1] This was because it was the last chance given to him by his record company.

The album subsequently saw large amounts of success and won the singer various accolades.^[1] The titular single was one of the most popular songs in China following its release and became one of Jen's signature songs.^[2]

The album was recorded at studios in Taipei and Los Angeles. The lyrics of the single "Too Softhearted" depicts Jen's sentiments of heartbreak. It was written and produced by Taiwanese musician Johnny Chen and arranged by Christopher Troy. The track "5151" incorporates free and rhythmic reggae while "I Love You" (Dance version) is characterized as a bouncy funk number. "The Bell Hanging on the Ivy" samples the flamenco dance-pop song "Macarena" (1993) and contains Spanish verses interspersed throughout the track.^[3]

Too Softhearted experienced major commercial success in Asia upon its release. The album is claimed to have sold over 26 million copies in mainland China, making it one of the best-selling albums of all time in the country. However, the lack of official statistics have made authenticating the claim difficult;^[4] Jen himself later stated in an interview that legitimate sales of the album stood at over 1 million copies in mainland China, and 2.3 million copies throughout Asia.^[4][5] Initially, the album received lukewarm reception in Taiwan; however, its sales surged following its widespread popularity in China, eventually leading to sales of approximately 600,000 copies in the territory.^[4]