First Experience by Jason Chan

Having just landed a seven-figure recording deal with Sony, great things are expected of Jason Chan. Chan has an impressive voice which shines through on his debut album of ballads. He sings with just the right emotions, never exaggerating or underplaying the feelings in the songs.

With big names such as Mark Lui and Chan Man-tak contributing songs, First Experience is sure to be a karaoke hit. The first track, Stubborn, a cover version of the theme song from popular Japanese TV drama 1 Litre of Tears, has already been a big hit. Broken Connection is another highlight. The track tugs at the heartstrings, with its sad but powerful melody and its tale of the sorrow and bitterness of a faded love. But the music is simplistic and there is little variety between songs. All the tracks are slow, sentimental love songs and typical Canto-pop ballads that sound similar. What's more, the last three numbers are just cover versions of the first three tracks. It's not a bad debut, but Chan will have to work hard and explore a wider range of musical genres if he wants to maintain his popularity.