Jay Chou releases lavish music video to accompany hit new album

Pop superstar Jay Chou debuted his new music video at a premiere in Taipei on March 24 and released his new album "Children of the Sun" the next day, with both going viral online and showing his dominance in the Mandopop world.

Pop singer Jay Chou poses at the premiere of his music video for "Children of the Sun" and press conference for his new album in Taipei, March 24, 2026.[Photo courtesy of Universal Music Group]

The much-anticipated music video, directed by Outerspace Leo, portrays Chou as a detective and vampire hunter wandering through 30 world-famous paintings to crack cases. The notable paintings include "The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp" by Rembrandt van Rijn (1632), "The Death of Marat" by Jacques-Louis David (1793), "Ophelia" by John Everett Millais (1851-1852), "The Kiss" by Gustav Klimt (1907-1908) and "Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear and Pipe" by Vincent van Gogh (1889).

Universal Music Group, which distributes his music globally, shared that the video, made in the form of a Hollywood-quality short film, cost more than 20 million yuan and took two years and three months to create, setting a record as the most expensive music video in the Chinese music industry. The cost and time were driven largely by post-production from Weta Workshop, which oversaw the visual design and creative coordination to make the striking visual effects and allow every vivid detail of the paintings to come alive.

"Children of the Sun" fuses rock and classical styles, blending Western art, gothic aesthetics and pop music, proving Chou still maintains a high degree of passion and ambition in music creation, with Vincent Fang's lyrics closely connecting to the visuals and incorporating classic elements from paintings.

At the end of the video, a line appears: "Within every heart lies a dark side. One must choose to live with or vanquish it." This is a theme he wanted to convey.

"The song was originally called 'I Am the Light.' Jacky Cheung sent me branded 'Children of the Sun' mangoes as a gift during my concerts in Hong Kong. I thought the blessing was meaningful, so I used it as the song title, hoping this positive energy can dispel the darkness in everyone's hearts," he said at the music video premiere and press conference, which was livestreamed and also broadcast in two other theaters holding premiere events in Beijing and Shanghai.

Chou then went further to reveal the new song will be the opening track for his upcoming concert tour.

"I hope everyone can practice the new songs and sing along," he said of his future tour, which may last two to three years and will incorporate his new songs.

On March 25, Jay Chou's 13-track new album "Children of the Sun" was officially released across various digital platforms, selling more than 2.5 million digital units by March 27, equaling more than 100 million yuan in sales, with physical album presales also surpassing 100,000 copies, according to statistics available from Chou's JVR Music International and various music platforms.

The singer mentioned at the press conference that he wrote a special song for his young daughter, something he previously did for his other two children. It turned out to be "Princess Daughter," which has emerged as a favorite on the album among critics and fans.

Chou also released a second music video on March 26, transforming into his favorite "detective" character to track down the mastermind behind the theft of a gold bar.

The cover art for Jay Chou's new album "Children of the Sun." [Photo courtesy of Universal Music Group]

Lucian Grainge, chairman and CEO of Universal Music Group, recorded a video message for Jay Chou, highlighting the excitement surrounding the release of his album. "You have this incredibly successful, historic, rich career and your entire music, creation and output," he said. "We are incredibly proud to be your partners and for you to be part of the UMG family."

One of the things that Chou is extremely motivated about, Grainge said, is to see how they can broaden his audience and appeal in other markets. "I want you to rest assured that is something that we're taking extremely seriously. Music with the internet has allowed us to imagine different things and different opportunities in different communities all around the world, and I see you really at the forefront of what we try to achieve."