# Opus 12

Opus 12 (Chinese: 12新作; pinyin: Shí èr xīn zuò) is the twelfth studio album by Taiwanese singer-songwriter Jay Chou, released on 28 December 2012 by JVR Music. The album was nominated for four Golden Melody Awards.

## Release and promotion

On 5 December 2012, the album's lead single "Hong-Chen Inn" premiered on Hit FM. Chou had previously performed an erhu solo from the song during The World Tour in 2007, which later evolved into "Hong-Chen Inn". On the same day, "Ming Ming Jiu," the album's second single, premiered on Beijing Music Radio.
The album was made available for pre-order starting 12 December 2012, and was distributed in several formats: a "Hardcover Edition" and a "Limited USB Edition" (with a "Paperback Edition" also available). On 24 December, a Hit FM press conference revealed all 12 songs on the album. It was announced that these songs would debut on Hit FM on 27 December, the day before the album's release. During the album release press conference that same day, Chou announced that pre-orders had surpassed 200,000 copies.

### Album cover

The cover of Opus 12 resembles that of Chou's previous album Capricorn (2008) and features an oil painting background. In the image, Chou is seen wearing a black see-through outfit and riding a mythical unicorn.

## Critical reception

Some critics felt that Opus 12 "offered a fresh sense of novelty," while others felt that "the production felt formulaic, making the overall direction of the album predictable." Despite these mixed reviews, several critics selected "A Larger Cello" as the standout track of the album.

## Commercial performance

"Hong-Chen Inn" and "Ming Ming Jiu" reached the top of the charts on iTunes in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, and Malaysia, as well as Baidu Music, Kugou Music, Xiami Music, and Yinyue Tai in China.

## Music videos

JVR Music released behind-the-scenes footage of the "Hong-Chen Inn" music video on its official YouTube channel on 10 December 2012, with the full version following on 11 December. The video stars Darren from Wave Brothers and Gülnezer Bextiyar, with Chou lip-syncing as a storyteller. It was filmed at the Huairou Studio in Beijing. The inn's plaque in the video was written by Vincent Fang, the song's lyricist.
Fang Wenshan wrote the lyrics for "Ming Ming Jiu" based on Chou's connotations of Scotland, including elements such as seagulls, bagpipes, and medieval Edinburgh. Chou filmed his scenes in Scotland. The video for "Big Ben" stars Liang Xinyi and Chou as a couple going through a breakup. It was filmed in London, including at the Big Ben.

## Track listing

All music is composed by Jay Chou.

## Awards

Awards and nominations :
| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result |
| 2013 | Golden Melody Awards | Best Mandarin Album | Opus 12 | Nominated |
| 2013 | Golden Melody Awards | Best Mandarin Male Singer | Jay Chou for Opus 12 | Nominated |
| 2013 | Golden Melody Awards | Best Album Producer | Jay Chou for Opus 12 | Nominated |
| 2013 | Golden Melody Awards | Best Musical Arranger | Huang Yuxun for "A Larger Cello" | Nominated |

## Sales and certifications

| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
| Singapore (RIAS) | Platinum | 10,000$^*$ |
| Taiwan | — | 65,000 |
| $^*$ Sales figures based on certification alone. |||