| "Shouldn't Be" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Jay Chou and A-Mei | ||||
| from the album Jay Chou's Bedtime Stories | ||||
| Released | June 17, 2016 | |||
| Recorded | 2016 | |||
| Genre | Pop | |||
| Length | 4:50 | |||
| Label | JVR Music | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Vincent Fang | |||
| Producer(s) | Jay Chou | |||
| Jay Chou singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| A-Mei singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "Shouldn't Be" on YouTube | ||||
"Shouldn't Be" (Chinese: 不該; Bù Gāi) is a song by Taiwanese recording artists Jay Chou and A-Mei. It was first released on June 17, 2016, for digital consumption as the lead single for Chou's fourteenth studio album, Jay Chou's Bedtime Stories (2016), under JVR Music. The duet was written by Chou's frequent collaborator Vincent Fang, whilst production was handled by Chou. "Shouldn't Be" serves as the opening theme for the Chinese television drama Ice Fantasy (2016), which was broadcast by Hunan Broadcasting System. The song was included on the drama's official soundtrack.
Musically, "Shouldn't Be" is a pop ballad that incorporates the use of synthesizers in the post-chorus. Its production utilizes instrumentations of the piano, violin, and drums, while its lyrical content discusses pain associated with lost love and the separation of lovers. The song received positive reviews from music critics, who praised the vocal performance of both singers as well as the production of the track.
Commercially, the song charted at number 19 on the Singapore Regional chart in 2018. An accompanying music video for "Shouldn't Be" features actor Edison Huang cloning himself in an attempt to remain with his lover, while Chou and A-Mei sing the track amid a futuristic set. During Chou's The Invincible World Tour in October 2017, A-Mei and Chou delivered a performance of the song; A-Mei surprised the audience by appearing at Chou's final show in Taipei, where both artists performed "Shouldn't Be".