Pouring life into words

Yao Qian is best known for adding delicate emotions to his song lyrics. His decades of experience as a lyricist shine in every work.

For listeners curious about the development of his sensitivity, his new book Sense It offers a glimpse into his creative process and collection of Yao’s recent magazine and newspaper pieces.

  Yao Qian/Photos provided by Guangxi Normal University Press

Productive lyricist

Although columns sound ordinary compared to the life of a lyricist, Sense It offers plenty of insight into Yao’s creative process.

At his best, Yao achieves a level that transcends merely heartwarming words – one no other writer can match.

Yao is a man of many careers: Taiwanese pop lyricist, writer, producer, music manager, former head of DJ and SONY Records and general manager of EMI and Virgin Records.

Today, he is the multimedia general manager of Music Nation Ursa Major. He has successfully managed many pop artists, such as the Taiwanese divas Elva Hsiao, Rene Liu and CoCo Lee. His lyric credits include some 600 songs.

Yao’s wit, intelligence, sensitivity and emotional appeal have a haunting quality, and Sense It explores the writer’s deft rhymes, inventive imagery, emotional turbulence and witty solutions for bringing new life to stale genres.