JJ Lin: From M.E To Myself

I was in Indonesia when JJ Lin first released the concept pictures for this album. My reaction? Confused. I showed those pictures of him in the water to my friend and none of us understood what he was trying to convey.

Then the album name was revealed and we couldn't stop laughing. "Anjir ini koko maunya apa sih narsis banget"

Maybe because I don't read Chinese, I didn't know M.E was Meta Enigma. I thought he was being very cheesy with suitable title track and all that... Well, I must say I learned everything from here. I am glad she posted everything in English!

JJ Lin released Twilight as the first track and I instantly bought it after listening to the preview. It is soooo good. Nothing compared to Brave New World (that's a flop, everyone). The full length album was released on Christmas and yes, I bought it without thinking twice. I was kinda disappointed with too many non-song tracks (instrument, talking with friend etc). But again, this is waaaaay better than Genesis and overall, I love it!

Let's talk about the physical album.
My friend joked saying that JJ Lin is trying to sell headphone instead of album... Well I could say I agree to some extent because I was curious about how good this 3D album would be with 'suitable' headphone. After all, the design looks cute too. And he packages CD with HEADPHONE which totally make sense, unlike Indonesians who package CD with CHICKEN... CHICKEN, saudara-saudara. Yes, you go to KFC to eat chicken while buying CD or buy CD while eating chicken.

Then on December 5, I got the email from "임준걸 한국팬클럽" or JJ Federation Korea that they gonna organize bulk purchase for Korean fans. This album got two versions. I was going to try translating the Korean version until I found the English one on JJ Federation Overseas page.

• JJ Lin Experimental Debut Album “From M.E. To Myself” – Headphone Limited Edition

- 2 CDs
- SMG x JJ Lin Headphone designed and tuned by JJ personally
- Protective Headphone Bag
- JJ’s Autograph

• JJ Lin Experimental Debut Album “From M.E. To Myself” – Documentary Edition 2CD + BD

- 2 CDs
- Blue Ray Disc
- Music director JJ Lin documentary on Album Recording
- Five MVs
- JJ Lin interview to share the experience or 3D recording.
- JJ’s Autograph

Okay the above list was very clear but I didn't know until TODAY, the day I unbox my CD and rechecked my email for this post, that Korea bulk purchase is also signed by JJ......... Due to my lacking Korean skill, I didn't know what '임준걸 친필 싸인' suppose to mean.

The email was written all in Korean :( Check what they wrote here on the website if you're curious. The reason why I pointed this out because I was really in dilemma whether to buy from Korea or Indonesia due to this sign-thingy. I thought the limit of Korean bulk purchase would be 8th December 11 PM while actually it was 11 AM... I found this out at 6 PM and freaked out, fearing that I would miss the chance to try my headphone. On the very same day at 4 PM, the Indonesian fanclub announced that they also organizing bulk purchase WITH sign. I thought it'd be favorable to buy from Indonesia since I didn't know the Korean one would also be signed.

The Indonesian one is actually more expensive (HUGE difference - thanks to our customs), gonna take longer (like 30-45 DAYS difference) and I won't be able to try the headphone until Summer. But as expected, I always lose my mind when it comes to my favorite singer.

So I emailed the Korean fanclub, asking if I could still place my order. Unlike in Indonesia while you order first and transfer later, the system here ask you to pay first while placing your order. Luckily, the fanclub replied that I can still order and they'd wait for me. I literally run to ATM as soon as I read the email. OMG Koko, things I would do for you...

Credit to my greed, I still order the second version from Indonesian fanclub. If its not for the 'sign misunderstanding', I'd definitely order both from Korea, man.

I did not regret buying both... I just felt like I could've make a better choice, sigh.

Moving on to MY CD.
Kuddos to EMS and close proximity between Taiwan and Korea, the album was received only 4 days after shipping. It was TOO fast.

JJ Lin From M.E To Myself packaging

My first impression was... "As expected, JJ Lin. Looks more like a new headset rather than new album"

I thought the CD Cover was light blue gradation, like on the picture above. But actually it was dark blue and the gradation comes from the white cover inside.

my baby

I was still clueless at this part. "Ah okay, no sign"

Then I opened the album, trying to look for the CD....

JJ Lin signed CD

TADAAAA! Here comes the unexpected surprise. I kinda compared his sign to Kpop guys' signature with complicated lines, curves and the habit of writing the owner's name on it. If you think Kpop is more exclusive.... No la, this guy is better because he is kind enough to sign for the worldwide buyers instead of just 100 lucky fans who probably bought 1000 albums.

I took out the headphone and its actually cuter than the picture! I wish it has black version too. :D

The quality is quiet good, I tried to listen to Lost 'n Found album and I am satisfied. Someone in the fanclub sait that it's worth about 7000 TWD. Nice bid, right? :)))  But I dislike the leather pouch tho. It feels fragile and scratchy... (maksudnya gampang kecakar dan ngelupas)

As for the overall worth, I would be 100000x happier if Lost 'n Found was packaged like this. I found that Lost 'n Found is still JJ Lin's greatest album. Lost 'n Found packaging was the most long-lasting one too, I guess. Talking about crappy packaging, I also purchased both versions of Stories Untold and the packaging was rather fragile and the size was very odd. The older albums are all standard except for Sixology (who gave the idea of the cover and the bulky box set?!). Maybe keep it simple is the best way to do it.

This is definitely more like a ranting rather than album review. Anyway, let's wait for JJ Lin's 2016 album! This guy is still relevant and productive, baby!