Sarah Chen

Sarah Chen released her first single at the age of nine in 1967 with Seven-Star Records (七星唱片). She entered the professional music scene in the late 1970s with several record labels, including Big Ocean Records (大三洋唱片; 1976–1978) and (; 1979–1982). Subsequently, she signed with EMI Studios Singapore (1982–1989) and later with Rock Records (1990–1998). Chen retired from public life following her final album release in 1998. Chen explored various music genres such as Taiwan MinYao (), Mandopop, Pop Music, and R&B. She is considered a critical link in Taiwan's music history, bridging the traditional Taiwan folk songs of the 1970s with the emerging Mandopop scene of the 1990s. Her 1989 album Talk to You, Listen to You () was the first to achieve one million sales in Taiwan. During the late 1980s and 1990s, Chen was known as the "voice of urban women" through her music. She was multilingual, recording tracks in Mandarin, English, Taiwanese, Cantonese, and Japanese. Chen contributed to theme songs for various movies and TV series, including the award-winning "Red Dust" (; 27th Golden Horse Award) and "Samsui Women" (; 2007 Singapore Television Top 5 Original Theme Songs Colleagues described her voice as a rare combination of being clean yet surprisingly powerful. Wong noted that Sarah Chen's rendition of the theme song for the film Green Snake made this song one of his finest works, its enduring popularity surpassing the film itself. == Career timeline ==

Sarah Chen's music career spanned four decades, from the 1960s to the 1990s. Her collaboration with composers of various styles and her openness to exploring new musical directions She also released an English album in 1978. A notable album from this period was Sunset Follows Me Home () in 1982. The title track was a career breakthrough. making her the 5th female singer to receive this award. Chen collaborated with producers like Jonathan Lee and Bobby Chen under the Artists and Repertoire (A&R) approach. Reflecting on this period during a TV interview in the mid-1990s, Sarah Chen recounted an encounter with a fan on the street, who tearfully embraced her, telling her, "You sang the words of my heart!" Award-Winning Years with Rock Records (1990–1992) From 1990 to 1992, Chen continued her success with individual music awards and the extensive effort invested in producing her first R&B album consumed three years. In the early 1990s, Sarah Chen fell ill after taking a harmful weight-loss drug that was then popular in Taiwan. Despite health concerns, she released A Lifetime of Waiting (, 1990), which won her the Golden Melody Best Female Artist Award, and Be Wise, Be Easy (, 1991). In her 1992 appearance on Voice of Han, Chen discussed the origin of the title track for Be Wise, Be Easy, composed by her friend, the singer and composer (). The song served as a gentle admonition and reminder for Chen to prioritize her well-being. Chen also produced popular duets and theme songs for films and TV series. Her duet with Jackie Chan, "So Transparent is My Heart" (), won the duo the Best Mandarin Song Award at the 1992 RTHK Top 10 Gold Songs Awards. Chen also sang the theme song for Red Dust (1990), capturing the universal wish to be carefree. Career Wrap-Up (1992–1998) Between 1992 and 1998, Chen released five albums. ''Sarah Chen's Taiwanese Album'' (, 1992) featured Chen's rendition of traditional Taiwanese songs. Chen described this album as her endeavor to preserve the cultural significance of traditional Taiwanese songs through her own interpretations. The Dearest of Sarah (, 1994) was a compilation of songs that were dearest to Chen, featuring both new songs and her major hits such as "Dream to Awakening", "Red Dust", and "The Mundane World". Forever (, 1995), Taiwan's first R&B album, After her final album and her mother's unexpected passing in 1998, Chen withdrew from public life. == Legacy ==

A Letter to Sarah and Peer Evaluation In an attempt to bring Sarah Chen back into the entertainment industry, her former colleagues at Rock Records appeared in a documentary titled A Letter to Sarah (), The documentary highlighted Chen's naturally beautiful voice, which required minimal modification, a sentiment echoed by renowned musician Lo Ta-yu. Rock Records released some of Chen's live concert recordings as official versions, such as the 1992 Rock Records China concert featuring the song "Questions about Love" (), to rival the quality of studio recordings. Singer Wakin Chau Chen's musical repertoire was not confined to a single genre; Role as the "Voice of Urban Women" Sarah Chen gained widespread recognition as the "voice of urban women" () Decades after her retirement, Chen's songs have continued to receive awards, including: • In 2007, "Samsui Women" (, 1986) was awarded Top 5 Theme Songs for the past 25 years at the inaugural Singapore Mediacorp 8 Chinese Drama 25 Years. • From 2014 to 2019, Chen's songs were voted into "The Top 1000 Mandarin Hits of All Time" list by listeners of UFM100.3 . • In 2018, Sarah Chen was voted one of the "Top 10 Mandarin Hits Female Artists of All Time" () by listeners of 96.3 Hao FM. • In 2019, listeners of FM96.3 in Singapore voted Chen's songs into top four in four categories: • "So Transparent is My Heart " won 2nd place in "Classic Duets "; • "Sunset Follows me Home " won 3rd place in "Taiwan Ballad/MinYao " • "Dream Awakening " won 4th place in "Best of 80s 80" • "Is it Right to Love You? " won 4th place in "Top 90s 90". Retirement and Final Interview Sarah Chen was among the few Taiwanese singers who quietly exited the entertainment industry. In her final public radio interview in 2003 with Matilda Tao, Chen expressed interest in a potential return but acknowledged complications in her life needing attention first. Her continued interest in music echoed her earlier interviews before retirement. During a 1992 radio interview with ICN Chinese American Voice, Chen, who had faced immense pressure and health issues, She elaborated on her passion for music since a very young age and her belief that music permeated every corner of people's lives. Chen hoped that her songs could offer a few minutes of solace amidst life's challenges. she did not make a comeback. She declined Lee's emotional plea to reemerge at a 2006 concert in her hometown and was notably absent from Rock Records' 30-year anniversary celebration in 2010. Similarly, she did not participate in the re-recording of "Happy Paradise" in 2021, despite the return of many original singers. == Personal life ==

Born in Taipei, Sarah Chen was the fourth child in a family of four sisters and one brother. She maintained strictly professional relationships with her male colleagues Chen expressed her wish for gender equality and personal space in marriage, acknowledging that in the male-dominated Taiwanese culture, finding a "Mr. Right" who would respect her wishes was unlikely. In her final phone interview in 2003, Chen indicated that she remained single. ==Discography==

Sarah Chen recorded approximately 420 songs in her career, including 4 English albums featuring primarily cover songs and about 30 Mandarin albums and several singles. Her original solo albums include the following. • (1973) • (1976) • (1977) • (1977) • (1978) • (1978; English) • (1979) • (1979) • (1980) • (1980) • (1981) • (1982) • Love is Her Name (1982) • (1983) • (1983) • The Right to Sing (EMI; 1983; English) • (1984) • (1984/1985) • (1985) • (1986) • Samsui Women (1986) • (1987) • Miracle of Love (EMI/Rock Records; 1987; English) • (1988) • (1988) • Hold Me Now (EMI/Rock Records; 1988; English) • (1989) • (1990) • (1991) • (1992; Taiwanese) • The Dearest of Sarah (1994) • Forever (1995) • Forever, Sarah (1995) • Paradise Lost (1998) ==References==