Mondays are always hard…
Yu Haoming and Wei Chen performed Jacky Cheung’s “Blessing” as a duet on Lushan Earthquake Relief Concert, which aired live on Sichuan TV this weeks.
This Week’s New Releases
Jane Zhang continues her football (soccer for us Americans lol) fandom by singing the theme for the Chinese Super League.
Green Rose is the first single to be released by Liang Jiajie, a relatively newcomer, since signing with his record company. The song is telling the girl, who has recently had her heart broken, that he loves her and is willing to heal her. It’s interesting to note that green rose “signifies self respect and well being… renewal and re-birth… new beginnings, fresh endeavours and the very essence of life.” (squidoo)
Peng Tan created “The Beautiful Mountain” during this travels.
Yasushi Akimoto, the brain behind the uber popular Jpop girl idol/theater group AKB48, is branching into the Mainland market with the formation of SNH48. The two transfers/leaders, Miyazawa Sae and Suzuki Mariya, are unable to obtain work visa to perform with the rest of the group. With an average age of 18 among the 26 members (the youngest being only 15) they need someone with experience to be able to help them on stage and off. On a somewhat related note, maybe the “no work visa for Japanese performers” is the reason why RTA Teens, with its two Japanese members, have been on indefinite hiatus.
“Ge Is Already In Love With You” is a hip-hop song from Liu Yuanlong (AKA Rock Cat). I don’t know if the person in the dance break is him but the song is actually a very good song if you ignore his face. Maybe it’s because he looks like a 50+ year old man, and he’s asking “me” to call him Ge that I find slightly creepy.
“Ring” is a track off of Chen Xiang‘s new EP Flow. This song has the potential to be made into such a perfectly heartbreaking MV or even a Micro-film.
This Week in Performances
X-Factor China was canceled this week, along with other weekend variety programs on HNTV, to use the air time for earthquake relief news and updates. However, Legend of Songs (SDTV) and Mama Mia (SMG) continues as scheduled on their respective channels. Legend of Songs invites different music legends to the show each week, and contestants (new generation of singers) are expected to perform covers in front of the original performers to be judged. This week’s guest is Cantopop singer Sally Yeh (潇洒走一回 Live a Dashing Life). The Super Diva competition, currently in its second season, gives mothers who’ve given up their musical pursue for their family and child a second chance to see their dreams come true. This week’s episode features the stronger singers performing duets with the “weaker” singer to help revive them in the competition.
The first to perform on Legend of Songs this week is Wang Xi (王晰), alumni of Liaoning School of Arts and the winner of the Chinese Golden Bell Contest in 2011. He performed “Tell You My Love” a popular song off of Sally Yeh album A Women’s Weakness from 1994. Wang Xi has such a deep voice that turned it a confession into a seduction deeply emotional song. Make sure to watch the video until the end for a Sally Yeh/Wang Xi duet.
Yuan Yawei (The Voice of China) performed “Once Upon a Heartache“. It’s so much fun to watch her perform because not only does the girl have a great voice but she knows how to captivate the audience through her whole performance. This has to be my favorite performance from this episode of Legend of Songs.
Despite the fact that An Minjie is one who placed Wu Yao into the elimination round, the judge placed the pair together for Wu Yao’s revival round. The pair performed “Drunken Tango” which was originally performed by Power Station.
Lu An, who reunited with her son after years of pursuing her dream, is hoping to revive the hard working and dedicated Xu Jie. The two mothers performed a touching dedication to all the mothers with “Mother in the Candlelight” originally performed by Mao Amin. What do you guys think? Did this version touch you as much as Yu Quan‘s version on I Am a Singer?
This Week’s Relevant OSTs
Supergirl Yang Yang (female) singing the theme song for Genius vs. Muggles. The upcoming drama, starring Lu Hong (HZGG) and Jiang Ruijia (Gong 2), will begin airing on HNTV this week.
Yang Mi and Hawick Lau singing the theme song to their new drama Bright Midsummer Day. This Hawick-produced drama took over the timeslot from Our Love on JSTV last week and is currently on its 10th episode.
Oldies But Goodies
In remembrance of Sita Chan, who died from a tragic car accident last week. Her last MV Reserve was released this week.
[SJZGloria, lightronger, fountainpark723, wahahatv, Jia Yun, 分享受, SMG, hongjie1001, Yan Zhang)]
Did anyone see this? The little kid from Waking Up Love not only dance, act but sings now too lol
Is this Eric-Z the same Eric as the “(robot voice) Eric production~” Eric?
I forgot the name of that song and is there also a version with instrumentals?
Thank you.
Partially found the version with instrumentals,
http://www.yinyuetai.com/video/553559
i prefere this one, guess my taste is a bit greedy, i want and singing and instrumentals xD
lol at your comments on Rock Cat’s song.
so this is one of those MVs where they should’ve hired actor/actresses to star in.
I was wondering, isn’t there a law in China prohibiting people under a certain age to have a contract and be performing live on tv on a regular basis? There’s one in my Monaco, Italy, and France and probably in many developed countries in Europe. And were those two japanese girls prohibited visas because of that Diaoyo/Senkaku island dispute?
Diaoyu* excuse me. xD
“Article 15 of the Labor Law prohibits an employer to recruit minors under the age of sixteen, with exception made for institutions of literature, art, physical culture, and special crafts which may recruit minors through investigation and approval of the government authorities, and must guarantee the minors’ rights to compulsory education.” (http://www.loc.gov/law/help/child-rights/china.php)
That being said, I think its difficult to enforce Child Labor Laws in China. Does a elementary kid working on the family farm or helping with the farming count as child labor? How about the child helping his street vendor parents? I think the child entertainers are much better protected because they are company assets and the government (and netizens) can easily check to make sure they’re following the law.
I guess this is why the Chinese members in EXO-M is older then the K members; Tao’s 20 and should be in college, but since college isn’t compulsory SM doesn’t have to pay a fine to making him miss school. SNH48 only performs at night, so the girls are probably only going to school during the mandatory hours. I wonder how the absence/attendance thing work in China.
There’s an exception for family related work, as is common in most places.
http://www.gov.cn/gongbao/content/2003/content_62261.htm
“《禁止使用童工规定》第二条依据劳动法有关规定，对原规定使用童工的主体进一步予以明确，排除了不满16周岁的未成年人从事家庭劳动、家务劳动等未形成劳动关系的劳动”
On the subject of reality singing shows… is it just me, or do a lot of contestants get recycled through different programs? 妈妈咪呀, for example… last season’s winner was on The Voice of China (super disappointed that she didn’t get through then, by the way). China’s Got Talent contestants seem to get their breaks on CCTV before DragonTV, too, like 潘倩倩. I know it’s not uncommon for aspiring singers to audition a lot, but it seems to happen remarkably often in a country with such a huge talent pool…
I don’t think it has anything to do with how large the talent pool is. There are a lot people with talents but lack the self confidence or big enough dream to force themselves on stage to be judged over and over by strangers.
That the aspiring singers try so hard is a virtue.