Secret Original Movie Soundtrack (Japan Version)

Some people say that the best film scores are those you don't notice, and the rule applies very well here. For a film where music itself plays such a large role (the characters all go or teach at a music school), most of the score is not very memorable while watching Secret. For a pop composer, Jay Chou makes a fairly smooth transition from pop songs to instrumentals, eschewing catchy choruses and verses for elegant piano-heavy tracks. Except for a few key moments in the film where the music happens to be the most memorable aspect - the piano battle (Track 5) and the Jay-Rain piano duet (Track 6) - the Secret Original Soundtrack balances suitability with quality. In other words, most of the instrumentals from the film don't particularly stand out when watching the film, but one can definitely sense the effort put into it when only listening to the soundtrack.

It might surprise a few people, but Jay actually didn't play the piano in most of the instrumental tracks on this soundtrack. While he did write many of the tracks, he actually only played the piano in two of them - "Rain Lu" (Track 15) and The Swan (Track 16). Writing many of these tracks (15, to be precise) is an impressive feat in itself, but it's even more impressive that Jay was able to shed his usual beat-driven signature Western-Chinese hybrid pop style to match the film's subdued English countryside atmosphere. However, it would seem appropriate for Jay to actually play the piano himself on these songs, especially considering that his character in the film is supposed to be some kind of piano genius.

Fans who actually want to hear Jay shouldn't abandon hope. The pop star does contribute several pop songs that appear in the film. The two songs from the prom scene - "Don't Cry For Me, Girls" (Track 11) by lyricist Huang Jun Lang and "The Sunny-Day Doll" (Track 12) by newcomer Chiang Yu Chen - are effective when considering the context of the scene they appear in. Especially unique is "Girls", a rare rock-and-roll effort from Jay that proves he isn't trapped in his own style. But for maximum Jay presence, title song "Unspeakable Secret" (Track 25) sung by Jay himself is your pick. Combining his usual style of ballad with a dash of British rock influence, "Secret" honestly is no breakthrough in his discography; the arrangement and the melody are more Mayday than Keane, but the song is nevertheless the usual rock-solid Jay Chou-style ballad, even if it doesn't match the tone of the film.

Quite frankly, I was not a big fan of Secret the film. Nevertheless, the score happens to be one of the few good things about it. By achieving that precarious balance where the score suits the film without calling attention to itself, Jay has proven that he is more than just a pop artist, but a true musician. The Secret Original Soundtrack is worth checking out, even if it's just to prove wrong the naysayers that doubt Jay's musical abilities.

by Kevin Ma