Taiwanese pop music, also known as T-pop, refers to commercially produced pop music originating in Taiwan or performed by Taiwanese artists and groups.
Terminology Taiwanese pop is an umbrella term that includes several genres and musical traditions associated with Taiwan’s popular music industry. These include Mandopop, Taigipop, Campus folk song, Taiwanese hip hop, Taiwanese Indigenous pop music, and Taiwanese rock.
The term is not limited to songs performed in a single language. Taiwanese pop music may be sung in Taiwanese Mandarin, Taiwanese Hokkien, Hakka, Indigenous Taiwanese languages, Japanese, or other languages used by Taiwanese artists. It generally refers to pop music produced in Taiwan or associated with Taiwan's music industry.
History
Origins under Japanese rule
Commercial popular music first developed in Taiwan during the period of Japanese rule (1895–1945). Many early recordings were performed in Taiwanese Hokkien.
One of the earliest commercially released Taiwanese popular songs was , issued in 1929. Sung by Chiu-chan, the recording combined elements of Taiwanese opera with Western orchestral accompaniment. In 1932, singer Sun-sun recorded a promotional song connected to the film The Peach Girl, which became widely known in Taiwan.
In 1933, Taiwan—Our Beautiful Island was released by Columbia Records. The song was written by activist and arranged by Okuyama Teikichi. This song, along with "Call for Taiwan's Autonomy" is one of Tshuà Pôe-hué's well-known works.
During this period, record companies such as Nippon Columbia and Victor Records expanded Taiwan’s music market. Producers promoted songs through films and live performances, while composers and singers including Teng Yu-hsien, Lee Lim-chhiu, Sun-sun, and became prominent figures in the industry.
Songs such as Bāng Chhun-hong and The Torment of a Flower became widely known across Taiwan.
Many musicians active during this era had received Japanese-language education and were influenced by both Japanese and Western musical styles. Some writers and composers also used music to express local Taiwanese identity.
Following the outbreak of the Second Sino-Japanese War in 1937, restrictions on non-Japanese-language music increased. Songs were rewritten for wartime propaganda, and the music industry was further disrupted during the Pacific War by shortages, economic difficulties, and bombing campaigns. This period ended after the transfer of Taiwan to the Republic of China in 1945.
1950s–1960s: Martial law and censorship
After the February 28 incident and the beginning of martial law, the Kuomintang government promoted Mandarin Chinese and restricted the public use of Japanese and many local Taiwanese languages.
During this period, Mandarin-language popular music became dominant in Taiwan. Many songs were influenced by Japanese enka, reflecting the country's earlier cultural connections with Japan. Popular songs of the era included Mandarin adaptations of Japanese melodies.
Taiwanese Hokkien-language songs continued to exist but faced broadcasting restrictions. In the 1960s, television stations were reportedly limited in the number of Taiwanese-language songs they could air each day.
Singers including , Yao Su-jung, and gained popularity in Taiwan and other Chinese-speaking communities. Songs such as Green Island Serenade became associated with the era.
Political censorship also affected the music industry. Some songs were banned because authorities considered their themes politically sensitive.
1970s–1980s: Campus folk movement
During the 1970s, Taiwan saw the rise of the Campus folk song movement. The genre emerged among university students and was influenced by the American folk music revival.
Campus folk songs typically featured acoustic instruments such as guitar and piano, with lyrics focusing on youth, daily life, literature, and cultural identity. The movement reflected broader social changes in Taiwan following its withdrawal from the United Nations in 1971.
Artists associated with the movement included Lo Ta-yu, Chyi Yu, and Hou Dejian.
At the same time, singers such as Teresa Teng and Fong Fei-fei became major figures in Taiwanese popular music. Teng’s 1977 recording of The Moon Represents My Heart became one of the best-known Chinese-language songs of the period. Many of Teng's songs were influenced by the Japanese Enka style.
Many Taiwanese performers during the 1970s and 1980s recorded music in both Mandarin and Taigi.
During this period, Taiwan's first Hakkapop song was released in 1981 by Tu Minheng . Following this, a number of prominent Hakka music labels began to emerge in Taiwan, including Hanxing Communications (), Lung Ko Culture (), and Jisheng Film and Television. However, despite the growth of the genre, limited experimentation in musical style meant that much of the audience remained older, and the genre's popularity continued to be concentrated mainly in Hakka-speaking communities within Taiwan.
1980s: Post-martial law changes Following the lifting of martial law in 1987, restrictions on Taiwanese-language media and cultural expression were eased.
The music industry diversified during the late 1980s and early 1990s. Musicians increasingly addressed social issues and incorporated a wider range of styles, including rock, hip hop, and folk influences.
In 1989, Blacklist Studio released Song of Madness, often regarded as one of the first albums to combine Taiwanese-language lyrics with contemporary rock and hip hop influences. In 1990, Lim Giong released Marching Forward, which became associated with the New Taiwanese Song movement, wherein the songs reflected the social situation of the time as well as opening new possibilities for Taiwanese language music.
At the same time, Hakka-language popular music also gained greater visibility through performers including Sheng-Chih Wu and Min-Heng Tu.
Artists such as Jody Chiang, Chris Hung, , Stella Chang, and Fei Yu-ching remained prominent in Taiwanese-language popular music during this period.
1990s: Expansion and diversification In the 1990s, Taiwan became one of the largest centers of the music industry in Asia. The country was the second largest music industry in Asia, in 1998 and 1999, after Japan, before falling to fourth in 2002 due to piracy. Piracy has caused domestic repertoire as a proportion of the market to fall to 50%, in 2001, from an all-time high of around 70%, in the 1990s.
In 1993, the Taiwanese government formally allowed broader broadcasting in languages other than Mandarin, contributing to greater linguistic diversity in popular music.
Taiwanese hip hop also emerged during this period. One of the earliest commercially successful acts was L.A. Boyz, whose music mixed rap with dance-pop and Taiwanese cultural references.
Independent music scenes expanded during the 1990s, alongside the mainstream pop industry. In the mid-1990s, Taiwan became the center of one of the largest music industries in Asia. Sales of recorded music in Taiwan peaked in 1997, when sales reached US$442.3 million, but by 2008, revenue declined sharply to US$51 million, due to piracy and illegal downloads. Foreign songs began to dominate local repertoire for the first time in the mid-2000s.
2000s–2010s: Expansion
During the 2000s, Taiwan continued to produce commercially successful Mandarin-language artists with audiences across East Asia and Southeast Asia.
Pop groups and singers including S.H.E, Fahrenheit, Lala Hsu, Yoga Lin, and Aska Yang emerged through television talent competitions and entertainment programs.
Taiwan's indie music scene also expanded significantly during this period. Bands such as Mayday and Sodagreen became widely known.
During the 2000s, under Chen Shui-bian's presidency, Hakkapop reflourished alongside the rise of the Hakka movement in Taiwan. The Democratic Progressive Party government expanded official support for Hakka culture through the establishment of the Hakka Affairs Council and related local government agencies.CYCnews The council promoted Hakka-language pop music through concerts, competitions, and media initiatives, including the launch of a Hakka television channel.http://www.hichannel.hinet.net/api/play.jsp?id=6829 The Golden Melody Awards later introduced Hakka music categories, helping increase the visibility of the genre. As Taiwanese internet users grew, Hakka pop music were able to reach wider and younger audiences across the nation.
Starting from the 2000s, Taiwanese society began to place more emphasis on ethnic culture and local characteristics, resulting in Indigenous Taiwanese musicians gaining greater visibility in mainstream music. Artists including Suming, Abao, and Sangpuy incorporated Indigenous languages and musical traditions into pop, folk, electronic, and R&B styles.
The Taiwanese music industry experienced major financial changes during the digital era. Revenue from physical album sales declined from NT$12.33 billion (US$409 million) in 1997 to NT$1.64 billion in 2012. This led record companies to place greater emphasis on concerts, endorsements, and digital platforms.
2020s In the 2020s, artists including Jay Chou, Jolin Tsai, and JJ Lin remained among the most-streamed Taiwanese performers internationally.
In 2020, Abao won Album of the Year and Song of the Year at the Golden Melody Awards for her Paiwan-language album Kinakaian. It marked the first time an Indigenous-language release received the ceremony's top honors.
Streaming services and social media platforms have continued to influence how Taiwanese music is distributed and promoted domestically and internationally.
Characteristics Taiwanese pop music has incorporated influences from Chinese, Japanese, Taiwanese, Indigenous Taiwanese, and Western musical traditions throughout its development.
Early Taiwanese popular songs were strongly influenced by Japanese enka during the Japanese colonial period. From the 1960s onward, electric guitars and Western-style arrangements became increasingly common. During the campus folk era of the 1970s and 1980s, acoustic instrumentation and singer-songwriter styles became prominent.
Contemporary Taiwanese pop music includes a wide range of styles, including R&B, hip hop, electronic music, ballads, rock, and dance-pop.
Taiwanese pop is also notable for its multilingual character. Songs may be performed in Mandarin, Taiwanese Hokkien, Hakka, Indigenous languages, Japanese, or English.
Industry
Record labels Major Taiwanese record labels and music companies have included Rock Records, HIM International Music, Avex Taiwan, B'in Music, and Linfair Records.
International distribution Taiwanese pop music is distributed internationally through digital platforms, physical releases, concerts, and overseas Chinese-speaking communities.
Taiwanese music has maintained audiences in regions including China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, North America, and Australia.
Charts The G-Music Chart is one of Taiwan's best-known music charts. It began publication in 2005 and tracks physical music sales in Taiwan.
Awards Major Taiwanese music awards include: Golden Melody Awards Hito Music Awards
The Recording Industry Foundation in Taiwan previously issued gold and platinum certifications for music recordings.
Festivals
Taiwan hosts numerous music festivals featuring pop, indie, rock, jazz, and Indigenous music. These include: