- Source: Marry Me Today
"Marry Me Today" (Chinese: 今天妳要嫁給我) is a song by Taiwanese singers David Tao and Jolin Tsai. It was written by David Tao and Wawa Chen, and produced by David Tao. It was first included in Tao's fifth studio album, Beautiful, and was released as a single by ECentury on August 17, 2006. The following year, the song won Song of the Year at the 18th Golden Melody Awards.
Background and release
On July 16, 2006, Tao announced that his new album was set to be released and would focus on a romantic theme. On July 21, 2006, staff from EMI confirmed that Tao's album Beautiful would feature a duet with Tsai. On August 4, 2006, Beautiful was officially released, and it included the duet "Marry Me Today" with Tsai.
On the same day, Tao and Tsai filmed the music video for the song at Grace Hill in Neihu District and Maze Garden in Xinsheng Park, Zhongshan District, Taipei. The music video, directed by Tony Lin, was released on August 17, 2006. "Marry Me Today" topped the Hit FM Top 100 Singles of 2006 in Taiwan.
Writing and recording
"Marry Me Today" blends a catchy folk melody with a cheerful harmonica accompaniment, incorporating the "Wedding March" and laughter, which symbolizes a happy family, into the song. The lyrics cleverly use the imagery of the changing seasons to depict the sweet journey from love to marriage, while also adapting a wedding officiant's vows into a rap section.
On August 20, 2006, Tao explained in an interview with Southern Metropolis Daily: "When I first wrote 'Marry Me Today', it wasn't initially intended as a duet. I had sung the entire song myself. Later, when I was writing the lyrics, I knew I wanted the song to be about marriage. I thought, what if I invite a female singer to sing a section, and I sing a section, then we both sing the chorus together, with the rap part resembling the words of a wedding officiant? Would that make the song more dimensional and interesting? So, I transformed the song into a duet. Originally, I didn't intend to ask Jolin Tsai, but in the end, I chose her—not to cater to the label's promotion, but because it felt right. If that were the case, I would have been strongly opposed to it. The reason I chose Jolin is because our age difference represents two different generations. She's in her twenties, and I'm in my thirties. Our different perspectives on marriage made the song feel especially meaningful and relatable."
Critical reception
China News Service's music critic Chi Chao commented: "'Marry Me Today' maintains David Tao's consistent strength in composition, proving to be another pop masterpiece." China News Service's music critic Tian Gua Mu Yang Quan praised: "David Tao and Jolin Tsai's duet 'Marry Me Today' combines a Jiangnan folk melody with American rhythms, creating a perfectly crafted romantic atmosphere."
Huashang Morning Post's music critic Xue Yuan described the song as: "David Tao and Jolin Tsai, a collaboration between a singer-songwriter and an idol singer, create an eternal vow. The man and woman playfully weave joyful melodies in a light-hearted R&B setting, while the rap section during the interlude becomes a testament to happiness. The clever insertion of 'Wedding March' at the end concludes this romantic journey."
3C Music website stated: "Jolin Tsai's voice in the featuring of 'Marry Me Today' is unremarkable, but the song benefits from its clever arrangement. The rap section, which transforms the priest's vows into lyrics, fits well within the overall composition." Sohu Entertainment's music critic Ai Di Ren remarked: "'Marry Me Today' is the album's biggest commercial weapon. The collaboration with Jolin Tsai, a singer-songwriter paired with an artist, would not typically spark much musical innovation. It's simply a combination designed to stimulate the market, and ultimately, this type of collaboration is more about star power and entertainment spectacle rather than musical substance."
Accolades
The song received several accolades, including Top 10 Mandarin Songs of the Year at the 2006 Canadian Chinese Pop Music Awards, Top 10 Mandarin Songs and Most Loved Song by Listeners at the 2007 Hito Music Awards, Most Popular Duet Song at the 1st Family Music Awards, Best Song of the Year at the 2006 Music Radio China Top Chart Awards, Top 10 Singles of 2006 honored by Chinese Musicians Exchange Association, Song of the Year at the 18th Golden Melody Awards, Most Popular Duet Song at the 7th Global Chinese Music Awards, and Best Selling Duet Song of the Year at the 2007 Migu Music Awards.
Live performances
On February 3, 2007, Tao and Tsai performed the song "Marry Me Today" together at the 2007 Hito Music Awards. The following day, on February 4, 2007, they also performed the song at the Windows Vista Wow Concert. On February 17, the duo appeared on CCTV New Year's Gala, where they once again performed "Marry Me Today". On April 26, 2007, they performed the song at the 2nd Expo Central China Concert.
On June 29, 2007, they performed the song at the 2006 Music Radio China Top Chart Awards. On January 11, 2008, Tao and Tsai performed the song at the M Conference. On April 28, 2008, they appeared at the 4th China International Cartoon & Animation Festival Opening Ceremony and performed "Marry Me Today". The singers continued to perform the song at various other events in the following years.
Anecdote
In the 2016 United States presidential election, Donald Trump was elected as president. Following his victory, some netizens referenced the lyrics of the song "Marry Me Today", specifically the line "DT in the house". The "DT" (initials of David Tao) was humorously reinterpreted by netizens as referring to Donald Trump, leading to jokes that Tsai, who co-performed the song, was a "prophet". Some online commentators playfully suggested, "We always knew Trump would win the U.S. election, after all, the mysterious power from the East, Jolin Tsai, had predicted it: DT (Donald Trump) in the house (White House)."
Personnel
David Tao – instrumental performance and arrangement
Dino Soldo – harmonica
Andrew Chu – recording engineer
Firehouse Recording Studios – recording studio
Platinum Recording Studios – recording studio
Milton Gufierrez Ruezga – recording assistant
Jen Fei-hsiang – recording assistant
Roberts Lo – recording assistant
Edward Yee – recording assistant
Mick Guzaski – mixing engineer
Barking Doctor Recording – mixing studio
Tom Bender – mixing assistant
Release history
References
See also
"Marry Me Today" (Live at 2007 CCTV New Year's Gala) on YouTube