“A song to listen to with eyes closed” – This was the feeling after hearing “No Filter” for the first time; the music video was then released, followed by the words: “Feel with your heart, and definitely do not close your eyes.”
Japanese trendsetter Hiroshi Fujiwara and Taiwanese powerhouse singer JJ Lin collaborated on the latest song “Filterless,” which was recently released. The song combines the styles of Shoegazing rock and Dream Pop, bringing a fresh and unexpected sound. However, what makes the song even more talked about is the music video featuring the queen Shu Qi, showcasing her “goddess” charm from start to finish. Not exaggerating, Shu Qi’s performance elevates the song completely.
Although this time he changed his image as the “godfather of fashion,” the collaboration between the first-time collaborator Hiroshi Fujiwara and JJ Lin in arranging music is full of topics. What is even more unexpected is that the actress Shu Qi, who rarely appears in music videos, can present a completely different feeling and image, showing a beautiful posture. Under JJ’s lazy and affectionate voice, she completely interprets the pure and gentle beauty of the song. Although blessed with the title of “goddess,” it takes extra effort to present Shu Qi’s beauty in such a gentle musical sense – if she were to overly or strongly goddessify Shu Qi, it would definitely ruin the essence of “Unfiltered.” Therefore, the production of the MV for “Unfiltered” this time invited the top director Huang Zhongping to personally direct.
Experienced director Huang Zhongping is very skilled in the use of light and shadow, emphasizes the use of color, and advocates for minimalism. His works often depict the current state of the protagonists, allowing the emotions of the music video to be completely released through a “emotional blackmail” technique. In addition to his filming style, before each shoot, Director Huang Zhongping often listens repeatedly to the song, digesting all the elements he needs, and most importantly, he will definitely study the characters to ensure that he understands the personal traits of the music video’s protagonist before and during the shoot. “Because everyone has a different understanding of images, you have to guide them in different ways to enter the atmosphere you want,” Director Huang Zhongping once said.
In this shoot, Shu Qi puts aside her usual stylish and cool image, opting for a pure white chiffon dress and an oversized white shirt, becoming a genuine girl-next-door. JJ Lin revealed that in this MV, filters were deliberately used to “contrast” the theme of the song “No Filter,” hence the entire MV is accompanied by yellow and green filters, as well as props with blood red and purple filter paper. Pay close attention, the colors of the filter paper actually match Shu Qi’s slightly flushed makeup, and this contrast, along with director Yellow Zhongping’s use of natural light, further enhances Shu Qi’s facial features.
If you pay attention, the MV is shot entirely in slow motion, with some double exposure effects, which perfectly complement the psychedelic style of the song. Moreover, there are multiple close-up shots inserted, deliberately magnifying Shu Qi’s facial features, movements, and expressions, especially her most sensual lips, vacant gaze, and staring into the camera, completely capturing Shu Qi’s most beautiful moment, just right.
I am not a fan of Shu Qi, but I have seen a few of her classic works, from the beginning of “Viva Erotica”, “Lucky Star”, “Storm Riders”, to “Three Times”, “If You Are the One”, and then “True Legend”, “The Assassin”, etc., plus occasionally seeing her in the fashion category, my mind has finally recorded the changes of the goddess in different stages. Before watching the MV “No Filter”, the impression of Shu Qi was that of a goddess who has experienced a lot, endured setbacks and blows, matured with life experiences – knowing that she quietly married Feng Delun, I often feel her enjoying that happiness in the reports. However, after just 3 minutes and 40 seconds, the impression in my mind seems to have been rewritten again: I never thought of putting away the sweet girl next door, but instead she is so attractive; I never thought that Shu Qi, at 44, with a light makeup, would be so attractive and charming in this hazy atmosphere.
