Sarah Chen Memory Gate Journal

 「陈淑桦记忆的门」期刊

July 15，2025 ｜ 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.

敌对的朋友：陈淑桦和苏芮

华语歌坛天后苏芮和陈淑桦，在八九十年代的大部分职业生涯中是敌对的朋友。她们的职业道路虽有相似之处，最终却走向了截然不同的终点。本文比较这两位歌手的职业道路。

先看相似之处。第一，她们都以演唱英文歌起步，成名之前都经历了很长一段时间。第二，她们的突破大约出现在同一时期，即1983年前后，此后十五年间各自发行了约二十张专辑。第三，两人相隔两年先后获得金钟奖最佳女歌手奖：陈淑桦在1985年，苏芮在1987年。

第四，两位歌手都为了塑造音乐形象，放弃了一部分真实的自我。苏芮的形象是冷酷、不可触及的铁女子，而现实中的她其实非常平易近人，甚至为了维持这个形象，有时会避免公开露面。陈淑桦早年以清纯、温柔的年轻女子形象出现，职业中后期则成了成熟的都市女子，但这两个形象都没能捕捉到她敏锐的智慧和很强的独立性。最后，两人都在1998年前后结束了歌唱生涯。

再看不同之处。首先，她们属于不同的唱片公司。其次，苏芮的代表作出现在职业早期，而陈淑桦的代表作出现在职业中后期，并使她在九十年代两度获得金曲奖最佳女歌手奖。更重要的是，苏芮的成就得到了广泛的认可，而陈淑桦的成就却常常被错误地归功于与她合作的男性同事。

苏芮的职业叙事完全围绕她本人。没有人质疑她在〈搭错车〉或〈跟着感觉走〉中的功劳；没有人说她被转型、实现了别人的梦想，也没有为她写歌的人去揣测她的性格。相比之下，陈淑桦在二十多岁时已经建立了成功的事业，此后却逐渐失去了对自身职业叙事的掌控。她在〈梦醒时分〉中的功劳受到质疑；她被描绘成被转型的人、实现了别人梦想的人；一些为她写歌的人甚至在纪录片的镜头前谈论她的性格。最终，苏芮获得了金曲奖特别贡献奖，而陈淑桦则悄然离开了乐坛。

同一时代的两位歌手，为何走上如此不同的道路？我们也许永远无法确知，但有两点差异十分明显。其一，苏芮在职业生涯的大部分时间里已婚，丈夫也在娱乐圈工作。这或许为她提供了一种保护，使个人与职业之间的界限比较分明。陈淑桦则一直单身，而她所在的行业里，个人与职业的界限常常模糊不清——并非她自己界限不清，而是身边的人没有把界限划清楚。她似乎缺乏足够的职场保护。

其二，苏芮的音乐形象是一个不可触及、号召大家“跟着感觉走”的女子，再加上她爆发力十足的嗓音，给人一种无法战胜的气场，这很可能使她免受社会上的攻击。相比之下，陈淑桦温柔的形象、以失恋为主题的歌曲，以及女性化的嗓音，传达出更多的脆弱感。尽管她本人坚强、有韧性、充满智慧，却更容易受到由社会所强化的、男性主导的职场风气的影响。

尽管如此，陈淑桦的音乐成就依然得到了广泛的认可。推崇她的有罗大佑、黄霑、叶佳修等词曲作者，周华健、苏慧伦等歌手，以及黄韵玲、丁晓雯等音乐人。

谢谢你们，苏芮和陈淑桦，用音乐丰富了我们的生活。