Love Is Calling Me

Love Is Calling Me (2019) represents a pivotal moment in Joanna Wang's discography, where her fascination with vintage aesthetics and theatrical storytelling fully merged with her Mandopop roots. The album is a curated collection of covers originally made famous by icons like Teresa Teng and various Showa-era Japanese artists. Recorded with a focus on cinematic orchestration, the album won the Golden Melody Award for Best Vocal Album, cementing Wang's reputation as a visionary interpreter rather than just a singer. The production is notable for its use of period-accurate arrangements, featuring sweeping strings and dramatic percussion that evoke the 'Grand Pop' style of the 1970s. By including both Mandarin and Japanese versions of several tracks, Wang highlights the cross-cultural exchange that defined the era's music. It stands as her most cohesive tribute to the past, delivered with a modern, slightly surrealist edge.