| Play World Tour | |
| Type: | live |
| Artist: | Jolin Tsai |
| Cover: | Jolin Tsai Play World Tour Live Album Cover.jpg |
| Venue: | Taipei Arena (Taipei, Taiwan) |
| Genre: | Pop |
| Prev Title: | Play |
| Prev Year: | 2014 |
| Next Title: | Ugly Beauty |
| Next Year: | 2018 |
Play World Tour is a live video album by Taiwanese singer Jolin Tsai, released on January 30, 2018, by Warner and Eternal. The album includes live performances from her Play World Tour concert held at Taipei Arena in Taipei, Taiwan, from May 22 to May 25, 2015. It also features four documentary shorts as well as one behind-the-scenes video.[1]
The album was released exclusively in Taiwan in physical format and was the best-selling video album in Taiwan for 2018.[2] [3] [4]
On May 22, 2015, Tsai's fourth concert tour, the Play World Tour, kicked off at Taipei Arena in Taipei, Taiwan.[5] On November 17, 2015, Tsai's official fan page on Sina Weibo announced that the live footage for the tour had been completed. During the International Music Summit in Shanghai on September 30, 2016, Tsai revealed that there were no immediate plans to release a live video album for the tour. However, on December 4, 2016, at the 10th Migu Music Awards, Tsai announced that, in response to fan requests, she would begin preparations for the live video album, though she mentioned that post-production would take time.
On April 11, 2017, Tsai's studio confirmed via Sina Weibo that the album had completed its rough cut. On October 30, 2017, Sam Chen, the General Manager of Warner Greater China, revealed on Facebook that the album was expected to be released in December of the same year and would include a Blu-ray version, marking Tsai's first Blu-ray release. On December 12, 2017, media outlets reported that the album was scheduled for release in January 2018.[6]
On December 23, 2017, Warner announced that pre-orders for the album would begin on January 3, 2018, with the official release scheduled for January 30, 2018. The album includes live performances from Tsai's Play World Tour held at Taipei Arena in Taipei, Taiwan, from May 22 to May 25, 2015. Additionally, it features four documentary shorts directed by Hou Chi-jan and Gavin Lin for the Play World Tour and a behind-the-scenes video of the tour. The album was directed by Leo Hsu, with post-production handled by 3 Aqua Entertainment. Warner revealed that the content was filmed using 26 ground and aerial cameras, with over 400 hours of footage edited into the final product. Tsai personally supervised the post-production process three times.
On January 2, 2018, Tsai held an album launch event at the Lihpao Land in Taichung, Taiwan, costing NT$5 million to organize, and was broadcast live using 10 ground and aerial cameras.[7] On January 28, 2018, she hosted the Double Play Fan Meeting at the Taipei International Convention Center, with a cost of NT$2 million for the event.[8] The album content premiered on Line TV on January 29, 2018.[9] On February 6, 2018, it was made available on Migu Music and Tencent Video.[10] [11]
The album was released in physical format exclusively in Taiwan. It achieved success on local music charts, ranking number one on weekly sales charts for video albums at retailers such as Books.com.tw, Eslite, Kuang Nan, Chia Chyun Record, G-Music, Five Music, and PChome.[12] In 2018, it topped the year-end video album sales charts on Books.com.tw, Kuang Nan, and Five Music, and ranked number seven at Chia Chyun Records. Additionally, the album secured the number two position on YesAsia's 2018 year-end video album sales chart.[13]
PlayMusic's music critic Felix gave the album a rating of 4/5 and described it as "another iconic work by Taiwan's pop diva Jolin Tsai. From the costumes, stage, to the choreography, everything is refreshing and showcases the high quality of Mandarin pop music, raising even greater anticipation for Tsai's future works." He also noted, "Beyond entertainment, Play World Tour also pays attention to musicality. Tsai's live vocal performance has significantly improved compared to her previous albums. Her breath control is more stable, and her expression, rhythm, and emotion are more vivid and natural in her voice. Whether performing upbeat or slow songs, she is much more at ease, exuding greater confidence in her movements. Musically, all the songs have been re-arranged, giving the entire performance a more cohesive and smooth flow."[14]
The following is the track listing for the Blu-ray version, while the DVD version is divided into two discs, one for tracks 1 to 21 and one for tracks 22 to 34.
Live Shooting Crew:
Behind the scenes:
Others:
| Region | Date | Format(s) | Distributor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Various | January 30, 2018 | Eternal | |
| Taiwan | Blu-ray | Warner | |
| 2DVD |