Bye bye, Harlem. We won’t miss your sleeveless tees. Oh, those sleeveless tees…

There have been reports of fake Voice of China auditions taking place in parts of Northeast China, where hopeful singers were charged a fee to perform before a panel of equally fake “producers.” The scam was apparently incredibly realistic, with official Voice of China and sponsorship logos adorning the set and promotional materials, and even a replica of the iconic “V” hand statue. The real producers of the show issued a reminder that Voice of China auditions are always free to enter.

Already registered for The Voice of China 2014 auditions? No? Well, why not?
Online registrations for the upcoming Voice of China season opened earlier this month. If your excuse for not signing up is that you were too busy waiting for the I Am A Singer finale, but were so disappointed by its execution that you lost faith in reality singing contests altogether… then you’re excused. For everyone else, get your applications in. More details below.

The third season of the top-rated singing show is scouring for new mentors after the departure of Harlem Yu. Hong Kong megastar Andy Lau reportedly declined the RMB30 million (US$4.8 million) offer to fill the swivel chair, citing scheduling conflicts with filming Huayi Brothers’ next movie, Lost and Lonely 失孤. Wang Leehom, with concerts, film promotions and an album release later this year, also turned down the role. Rumours now suggest Taiwanese industry veteran Jonathan Lee is in talks to replace Harlem.

Need motivation to audition for The Voice? Yao Beina, second-season contestant and “Let It Go” singer, commands appearance fees in the seven-figures (RMB1,000,000 = US$160,000). And she didn’t even make it into the finals, so how about that. If you want to be the next her, here’s what you have to do:

First, create a CV which includes your basic information, contact details, and a recent photo. Chinese CVs often include details that might seem unusual in other parts of the world. Basic information should include your name, age, marital status, weight and height. The rest of the document, minus the photo, shouldn’t be too different to what you’re used to in terms of education and work experience.

Secondly, record 3-5 cover songs. One song should show off your vocal skills, while the other recordings should highlight your emotional depth. Your voice must not be edited or altered in any way.

Once you have all that, email the lot to one of the following addresses:

thevoice2014@163.com
thevoiceno1@163.com
canxingzhizuo@126.com

Some potential candidates have reported their email submissions bouncing back from full inboxes. If that happens to you, try the next one. And there you have it!

Ah, I like singing competitions~ we should have a singing competition of our own! Maybe with a small prize for the winner. What do you think?