Sarah Chen Memory Gate Journal

 「陈淑桦记忆的门」期刊

July 15，2025 issue  ｜ Past Issues 前期

Mandopop divas Julie Sue and Sarah Chen were frenemies for much of their careers in the 1980s and 90s. Though they shared similar paths, they arrived at very different destinations. Here, we compare the careers of these two singers.

On similarities: First, both began by performing English songs and endured a long period before achieving fame. Second, their breakthroughs came around the same time, 1983, followed by the release of about 20 albums each over the next 15 years. Third, both won the Golden Bell Award for Best Female Singer just two years apart: Chen in 1985, Sue in 1987.

Fourth, both singers set aside their authentic selves to take on musical personas. Sue adopted the image of a cool, untouchable iron woman, though in reality she was quite down-to-earth. She even avoided public appearances at times to maintain this image. Chen initially presented as a gentle, graceful young woman, and later as a sophisticated urban woman, but neither image captured her sharp intellect and strong sense of independence. Finally, both ended their careers around 1998.

Now onto some differences: First, they worked under different labels. Second, while Sue’s major hits came early, Chen’s arrived later, earning her two Golden Melody Awards for Best Female Singer in the 1990s. Third, Sue was widely recognized for her success, while Chen’s achievements were often misattributed to her male collaborators.

Specifically, Sue’s career narrative focused entirely on herself. No one questioned her credit for “Papa, Can You Hear Me Sing” (搭错车）or “Follow Your Feelings” （跟着感觉走). There were no narratives of Sue being transformed, fulfilling someone else’s dream, or songwriters speculating about her personality. In contrast, after building a successful career in her 20s, Chen gradually lost control over her career narrative. Her credit for “Dream to Awakening” （梦醒时分）was contested. She was portrayed as someone transformed, as fulfilling another’s dream, and some songwriters even went on camera to discuss her personality. In the end, Sue received the Golden Melody Lifetime Achievement Award, while Chen quietly left the music industry.

What set their paths apart, given that they were contemporaries? While we may never know for sure, two differences stand out. First, for much of her career, Sue was married to someone in the entertainment industry. This may have protected her from personal-professional boundary issues. In contrast, Chen remained single, working in an industry where personal and professional lines were often blurred. She did not appear to have adequate workplace protection from the power differentials that could spill over to her personal life and vice versa.

Second, Sue’s musical persona, an untouchable woman who urged people to follow their feelings, paired with her explosive vocals, gave her an aura of invincibility that likely shielded her from societal attacks. By contrast, Chen’s gentle persona, themes of lost love, and feminine vocal style conveyed a greater sense of vulnerability. Despite her own strength, resilience, and wisdom, Sarah Chen was more exposed to male-dominated workplace dynamics reinforced by society.

Despite this, Sarah Chen’s musical legacy has been widely recognized by songwriters like Lo Ta-Yu, James Wong, and Joseph Ye, as well as by singers like Emil Wakin Chou and Tarcy Su, and musicians like Huang Yun-Ling and Ding Xiao-Wen.

Thank you, Julie Sue and Sarah Chen, for enriching our lives with your music.

Past Issues

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