MUSIC REVIEW: No Protection - Justin Lo

Until today, I didn't really understand the hype surrounding Justin Lo in Hong Kong. His first album, Justin, sold like hot-cakes in Hong Kong, though I always thought that his singing was a bit over the top. Yes, "Good Guy" did have a very catchy tune and was a very challenging song technically, which Justin did manage to pull it off very well. However, I found his first album dragging on a bit after a few listens.

He recently had a sell-out concert in Hong Kong Coliseum, which is very unusual for a newcomer. Two days before his concert, he released his second album "No Protection".

Based on first impression alone, this follow-up album is a nice surprise. The styles of the songs are more varied, breaking away from the mould of classic cantopop love ballads, and Justin's singing comes across as more natural. The first track was an old recording of Justin's singing while he was a kid - not exactly an innovative concept but it did show his talent in singing even at a young age. The second song "Battling Against the Spoilt Rich Kids" had a nice upbeat tempo, though the use of the cartoon-ish chorus could be a bit annoying after a few listens. Track 5 "Dream Girl" has a nice simple arrangement to give it a lounge music feel, and with Justin's singing, it seems to have worked magic. Track 6 "Volar" is a dance track but unfortunately it could have easily been a Justin Timberlake rather than a Justin Lo track - Did Mark Lui and Justin Lo just tried to copy the style of someone else, rather than coming up with their own sound? Track 11 "You'll Shine Again" is the English version of "I'm Not A Good Guy" (Track 2 off the first album). Here's the music video of the original Chinese version:



On the whole, "No Protection" certainly has established Justin Lo as a talented singer-songwriter. Whether his music or this album will have a lasting effect or not, I have no idea. However, this guy is talented and can definitely sing well live - have a look at this news report about his One Good Show concert at Hong Kong Coliseum: