Jay Chou Chieh-lun is a huge musical phenomenon in his home country of Taiwan and across China, Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia. For those who don’t know, he is responsible for defining a new style of music called Chinese R ‘n’ B － an Asian version of American Rhythm and Blues. He has been hailed a ‘small, heavenly King’ by music critics, and the Hong Kong media love him. ‘Chou is definitely setting musical trends,’ declared the Ming Pao Weekly. At just twenty-four years of age, Chou’s achievements have been incredible. His first three albums sold millions. In 2003, he was voted Favourite Artist (Taiwan) at MTV’s Asian Music Awards. The same year, he also performed in Las Vegas before an audience of 10,000 people. His image is now being used in all sorts of advertisements for major companies, including Pepsi and PCCW.However, the road to success has been long and hard for Chou. As a boy, no one ever thought he would be famous. He was always painfully shy at high school. ‘I thought he was dumb,’ says his former teacher, Ellen Hsu, who assumed he had a learning disability. Chou didn’t bother to study hard and often avoided school, but he played the piano constantly. ‘Chou was sensitive to music before he could walk,’ remembers his mother, Yeh Hui-meh.Chou’s lucky break came after playing the piano on the Taiwanese TV show, Super New Talent King. ‘I really wasn’t impressed,’ says celebrity host, Jacky Wu. ‘He was so shy, so quiet. I thought he was retarded.’ The friend singing with him was ‘lousy’ too. Yet when Wu looked at the musical score, he was amazed. ‘It was complex and very well done,’ he says. Wu employed Chou as the resident composer at his Alfa Music studio in Taipei. For two years, Chou seldom left the seventh floor apartment. He spent all his time learning to write songs for other music acts, fuelled by fried chicken and noodles. During this time, Chou wrote hit songs for the likes of PowerStation and Valen Hsu. Then, in 2000, the new manager of Alfa Music decided to launch Chou as a singer in his own fight. His debut album, Jay, was an overnight success.At first, Wu was doubtful of the decision to turn Jay into a pop star. ‘I didn’t think Chou could make it as an entertainer, because he’s not so handsome,’ he says. With his long, thin nose and weak chin, Chou looks unlike the handsome boy wonders in the Asian music industry. However, although these other stars may be good-looking, most of them have little musical talent compared with Chou. This is something that the singer is aware of. ‘Even when my female fans approach me, they don’t tell me that I’m handsome. They tell me they like my music,’ says Chou. ‘It’s my music that has charmed them.’Quite simply, Chou’s music makes him stand right out from the pack. Critics praise his songs as original and heartfelt. ‘It is my magic,’ says Chou. He believes that music should always be changing. Like a sponge, he absorbs different styles, experimenting with Western and Eastern melodies and instruments. As a result, Chou has become an inspiration for many other artists in Asia. Now Mandarin rappers like Chou are springing up everywhere.Despite his success, Chou has kept his feet firmly on the ground. He is most comfortable in jeans and a sweatshirt, and prefers living in his family home to any luxury downtown apartment. He is still shy and feels uncomfortable with his heartthrob role. He has even grown his fringe over his eyes, so that he cannot see his army of fans staring at him.