How Jolin Tsai’s ‘Pleasure’ Finally Came Together, According to the British Producer Who Made It

By Faye Bradley

Faye Bradley

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The secret to Jolin Tsai‘s most celebrated albums, according to British producer Richard Craker, has less to do with technique than with trust – and a willingness to sit with uncertainty until the music finds its shape.

The final conference of the 2026 Golden Melody Festival in Taiwan, held ahead of the Golden Melody Awards, and moderated by Kuang-ping Tso, president of Kouhei Production, brought Craker – founder of Karma Sounds Ltd. and the producer behind Jolin Tsai’s “Ugly Beauty” and “Pleasure” – into conversation about his international career, his philosophy of creativity, and what it will take for Mandopop to find its footing on the world stage. Tsai would go on to win awards at the ceremony, including Album of the Year for “Pleasure” and Best Mandarin Female Singer on Saturday evening.

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