Magic (Jolin Tsai song)
2003 single by Jolin Tsai
"Magic"
Single by Jolin Tsai
from the album Magic
LanguageMandarin
ReleasedFebruary 19, 2003 (2003-02-19)
Studio
GenrePop
Length3:46
LabelSony
Composers
LyricistIssac Chen
ProducerBing Wang
Jolin Tsai singles chronology
"The Spirit of Knight"
(2002) 		"Magic"
(2003) 		"Warriors in Peace"
(2003)
Music video
"Magic" on YouTube

"Magic" (Chinese: 看我72變; pinyin: Kàn wǒ qī shí èr biàn) is a song by Taiwanese singer Jolin Tsai, featured on her fifth studio album Magic (2003). The track was written by Issac Chen, Edward Chan, and Charles Lee, and produced by Bing Wang. It also served as the theme song for the online game Asgard and was released as a single on February 19, 2003, by Sony.[1]

Background

On September 16, 2002, Tsai revealed that she had completed recording five songs for her upcoming album and would soon continue working on additional material.[2] On December 7, 2002, media outlets reported that the album was expected to be released in January 2003.[3] A listening session organized by Sony on February 12, 2003, invited music professionals like Jamie Hsueh, Paula Ma, and John Yuan to review the new material and discuss the promotional sequence of the songs.[4] The following day, reports confirmed that the album's release date was set for March 7, 2003.[5]

Composition

"Magic" opens with a mysterious and playful prelude, featuring synthesized sounds designed to mimic the traditional Chinese sanxian. Combining elements of disco and hip-hop, the track presents a dynamic rhythm and a strong dance appeal.[6]

Music video

The music video for "Magic" was directed by Kuang Sheng and had a production budget of NT$2 million. It featured detailed computer-generated imagery, with characters from the online game Asgard replacing traditional background dancers and appearing alongside Tsai.[7] The choreography, created by Rambo Lan, focused on intricate hand movements to create a magical and illusion-like visual effect. Tsai appears in four distinct looks in the video: a printed jumpsuit, a cowboy-inspired outfit, a casual equestrian ensemble, and a punk-style costume.[6]

Commercial performance

"Magic" ranked first on UFO Radio's Top 100 Hits of the Year chart on December 26, 2003. On January 12, 2004, it was listed at number 24 on Hit FM Top 100 Singles of 2003.[8]

Critical reception

Tencent News described "Magic" as the defining track of Tsai's early 2000s career, noting that it helped establish her signature dance-pop sound and played a significant role in shaping the contemporary C-pop music scene.[9]

Live performances

Tsai performed "Magic" on March 8, 2003, on TTV's variety show Variety Flagship.[10] She later performed the song at the 14th Golden Melody Awards on August 2, 2003,[11] and on Hunan TV's Music Continued on August 13, 2003.[12] On October 10, 2003, she performed it at the Believe in Taiwan Party,[13] followed by an appearance at the China Anji Huangpu River Source Ecological Culture Festival on November 2, 2003.[14] Tsai also included "Magic" in her performances at the 2003 Asia Super Stars Anti Piracy Concert on November 15, 2003,[15] and the Star Storm Concert on November 30, 2003.[16]

Credits and personnel

  • Rashid Lo – guitar
  • Paula Ma – backing vocals
  • Bing Wang – rapping
  • Sean Chen – recording engineering
  • Johnny – recording engineering
  • M.E Studio – recording studio
  • Morgan Studio – recording studio
  • Dave Yang – mixing engineering
  • Life Studio – mixing studio

Release history

Release dates and formats for "Magic"
Region Date Format(s) Distributor
Taiwan February 19, 2003 Radio airplay Sony

References

  1. ^ Tsai, 蔡依林 Jolin, 看我72变 (in Chinese (China)), retrieved 2025-10-05
  2. ^ 葉, 文正 (2002-09-16). "公主許願藏秘密 好朋友沒送禮只說生日快樂". 大成報.
  3. ^ "网易娱乐频道--蔡依林明年新专辑"情订"陆毅". ent.163.com. Archived from the original on 2002-12-07. Retrieved 2025-10-05.
  4. ^ "蔡依林将推新专辑 多变风格打造实力偶像(附图)". ent.sina.com.cn. Retrieved 2025-10-05.
  5. ^ "蔡依林将推新专辑 多变风格打造实力偶像(附图)". ent.sina.com.cn. Retrieved 2025-10-05.
  6. ^ a b "蔡依林『看我72變』專輯". 銀河網路電台. Archived from the original on 2020-07-12. Retrieved 2025-10-05.
  7. ^ iNEWS超級特派員. "» jolin七十二變，征服全台電玩迷的心！". iNEWS銀河娛樂新聞 (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Retrieved 2025-10-05.
  8. ^ "年度百首單曲". www.hitoradio.com. Retrieved 2025-10-05.
  9. ^ "17年前的今天，蔡依林凭借《看我72变》绝地反杀，从少女晋升天后_腾讯新闻". new.qq.com (in Chinese (China)). Archived from the original on 2021-10-17. Retrieved 2025-10-05.
  10. ^ "蔡依林自曝恋爱史：十八岁时初吻被夺走(附图)". ent.sina.com.cn. Retrieved 2025-10-05.
  11. ^ "台湾第14届金曲奖颁奖典礼今晚举行 星光灿烂(图)". news.sina.com.cn. Retrieved 2025-10-05.
  12. ^ 挚爱燕儿. "《音乐不断歌友会》2003年蔡依林【看我72变现场演绎】_哔哩哔哩_bilibili". www.bilibili.com (in Simplified Chinese). Retrieved 2025-10-05.
  13. ^ "蔡依林News勁唱鬥陣掀高潮｜蘋果新聞網｜蘋果日報". AppleDaily (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Archived from the original on 2022-07-19. Retrieved 2025-10-05.
  14. ^ 岁月炒冷饭. "2003.11.2 蔡依林中国安吉黄浦江源生态文化节演出_哔哩哔哩_bilibili". www.bilibili.com (in Simplified Chinese). Retrieved 2025-10-05.
  15. ^ "组图："亚洲巨星反盗版演唱会"在上海举行". ent.sina.com.cn. Retrieved 2025-10-05.
  16. ^ "组图：蔡依林阿杜放歌广州"明星风暴"演唱会". ent.sina.com.cn. Retrieved 2025-10-05.
  • "Magic" (Live at the 14th Golden Melody Awards) on YouTube
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