TAIWAN  June 22, 2007 (Credits to The Electric New Paper Source)

When she won big at the recent Golden Melody Awards, Taiwanese pop princess Jolin Tsai thanked her detractors for attacking her and pushing her to work harder. 

Maybe they heard her. Now, they are out again at full force to slam her unexpected - and to some, undeserved - triumph.

Singaporean sales manager Jim Tan,33, said: 'It's obvious that the Taiwanese just want to crown their little princess, but this is an award for the best vocalist and not the most popular.'

A media and fan backlash has followed since Jolin snagged two of the biggest awards at the Chinese version of the Grammys held in Taipei last Saturday, alongside other controversial winners.

Jolin beat strong competitors like A-mei and Penny Tai to win the Best Mandarin Female Singer award.

Her duet with David Tao, Marry Me Today, was named the Song Of The Year - another shocker.

Jolin, 27, also emerged the Most Popular Female Singer in a new audience-voted category that was introduced this year.

Explaining her Best Mandarin Female Singer win, chief judge Liu Yawen said she stood out for her 'all-rounded' appeal and hard work over the years, reported Taiwan's United Daily News.

But not all quarters are convinced. The reason is simple.

Jolin was one of the weaker vocalists nominated for Best Mandarin Female Singer this year, in comparison with fellow nominees Sandy Lam, A-mei, Penny Tai, Angela Chang and JyotsnaPeng.

Since Jolin's debut in 1999, she has been better known for her dance-pop appeal and her penchant for drawing flak.

Still, she proved herself worthy of her Dancing Diva label by pulling off all sorts of gravity-defying stunts during her concert tour last year.

But to win an award that has earned its credibility by acknowledging the strongest female vocalists in the past 17 years, from Stella Chang to Shunza, Faye Wong, A-mei, Stefanie Sun and last year's Tanya Chua?

An online poll conducted earlier by United Daily News asked voters: 'Who do you think is the strongest of the Best Mandarin Female Singer nominees?'

POOR SHOWING

Jolin was the lowest scorer with a dismal 2 per cent of the 25,090 votes, as opposed to Sandy's 54.5 per cent and A-mei's 29 per cent.

Jolin was also not the popular choice in pre-award predictions by industry bigwigs, including renowned songwriters Lin Qiuli (he picked Penny) and Liu Tianjian (A-mei).

Some critics say Jolin's win represents a paradigm shift in the Golden Melody Awards, which is organized annually by Taiwan's Government Information Office.

It seems the judges - a mix of 33 academics and industry experts - are now leaning towards giving younger singers more credit.

But that has not stopped Taiwan's Liberty Times from lambasting the judging panel for its 'unconvincing' rationale in rewarding Jolin.

Internet forums are also abuzz with netizens expressing disbelief at Jolin's surprise win.

One netizen going by the name of whoandwho wrote in Chinese on Taiwan's G Music forum: 'Jolin Tsai has her strengths, but there are many others out there with greater lung power, attitude, creativity and international appeal... It's really hard to believe that she has surpassed all of them.'

Other disgruntled netizens lashed out at how Jolin had lip-synched through her opening performance during the award ceremony, and how it lacked conviction.

But her manager has jumped out to explain that Jolin has already proven her vocal prowess during her concerts, and she was asked not to sing live because the organizers were concerned that her fire stunts may compromise the sound quality.

In Singapore, industry experts are divided in their views.

Radio 1003's deejay-cum-assistant program manager Lim Leng Kee and Ocean Butterflies' manager for marketing and artiste management Yvonne See both agreed that Jolin shines for her all-rounded talent and hard work.

Ms Lim said: 'Jolin can't measure up to A-mei or Sandy in terms of vocal techniques, but few can beat her when it comes to being all-rounded and hardworking.

'She is constantly making breakthroughs, and her pop appeal has surpassed even Jay Chou. Her music and performance always wow.'

Ms See added that Jolin is hardworking to the point of obsession.

She cited how the singer sticks to a strict oil-free diet and puts in extra hours to master dancing to make up for her lack of a natural groove.

But others find this argument flawed.

Mr James Kang, marketing director of Warner Music, said: 'Jolin has indeed improved a lot from her early days, but she's still not the best vocalist around.

OTHERS MORE DESERVING

'Since this is an award for the best vocalist, there are others more deserving than her.'

My Paper journalist Cheryl Loh argued that hard work is not a good criteria because other nominees are equally hardworking.

But Jolin has an obvious edge over the rest because her efforts manifest in eye-popping dance sequences that gain massive media coverage due to her pop status.

'The judges are clearly rewarding Jolin for her hard work, but I can't agree with that,' said Ms Loh.

'Is it fair? Do Penny Tai's songwriting efforts and A-mei's efforts at reinventing herself pale in comparison? Jolin's efforts at dancing are just more visible, while other singers' hard work get neglected.'

But, it remains to be seen if this new round of Jolin bashing will continue to propel her forward, or break her down. 

Jolin Tsai wins at Golden Melody Awards