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🇹🇼 Taiwan /Culture & Society

Singer Who Once Surpassed 10 Million Views Returns After Five Years: “I’m a Failed Artist”

From Liberty Times · () Chinese

Translated from Chinese and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources Context piece
  • Taiwanese rapper Lee Jemy returned after a five-year hiatus with an album titled “I’m a Failed Artist.”
  • He said success after “I’m Alive” led him to lose his sense of direction and question whether he belonged in the entertainment industry.
  • A launch exhibition displayed original oil paintings from the album, with nine works sold to fans for a total of NT$100,000.

Lee Jemy once watched the music video for “I’m Alive,” his collaboration with senior artist Chen Hsin-yueh, surpass 10 million views. Five years later, the rapper has returned with a striking album title: “I’m a Failed Artist.”

The title reflects a period in which Lee gradually lost himself after briefly enjoying the glamour that followed the song’s success. He began questioning whether he was suited to being an artist at all.

After taking time to reflect, Lee said, “I discovered that honestly admitting to myself, without editing anything out, that I had ‘failed’ actually gave me redemption.”

He introduced the new music through a limited exhibition that combined the songs with the original oil paintings used in the album’s booklet. Fans bought nine of the works for a combined NT$100,000. Lee said the exhibition directly echoed the album’s central theme: an album sale represents the commercial packaging on the outside, while its songs, lyrics and paintings are works of art. The paintings, he added, may be sold as commercial objects, but each one carries his most precious emotional expression.

I discovered that honestly admitting to myself, without editing anything out, that I had ‘failed’ actually gave me redemption.

— Lee JemyThe rapper explained why he chose the provocative title for his comeback album.
About this summary

Originally published by Liberty Times in Chinese. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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