Tag Archives: Chyi Chin

The Voice of China: Oh my goodness, we’re two weeks behind!

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Did you miss having a recap last week? The week before? No? Why not? This is quality stuff.

Did you miss having a recap last week? The week before? No? Why not? This is quality stuff.

This is a recap of the third episode of The Voice of China season three. Yes, I know, I know, we’re up to episode five now. But if you’ve seen episode four, then you’ve probably been disappointed by it and will want to come back and relive episode three. Tada!
Don’t worry. Recaps for episodes four and five will be coming soon.

Let’s begin with the extra segment streaming on The Voice website featuring Zhao Wanting 趙婉婷 and Voice of China alumni, Ding Ding 丁丁 and Huang He 黄鹤, dancing with a team of cheerleaders to a Zac Efron song from High School Musical 3. It’s every bit as bad as it sounds.

The trio appear on My Youth Octave 我的青春高八度, which has been described as the Chinese version of Glee. That’s every bit as bad as it sounds, too. The girls then transition into I.O.I.O by S.H.E, which is a cover of a Bee Gees song funnily enough. It looks like they’re lipsyncing, but I think they were dubbed over for broadcast because they just aren’t very good.

Yay, useless two-minute musical number is over. Now onto the real show.

Chen Bing 陈冰
24, Beijing
Eternal Summer 盛夏光年 by Mayday

The first contestant of the episode is actually quite pretty, which means all four judges will probably turn for her regardless of her singing. Maybe it’s the 320p resolution, but her mother looks ridiculously young. Her father, on the other hand, looks like the dry-cleaner who altered my coat when I lived in Korea. He did a really good job of it, so if you’re ever in the Gangnam area and need a coat tailored, let me know. Still, I wouldn’t have been surprised if they had said her father was her boyfriend and her mother was her sister.

As it turns out, Chen Bing is actually a really good rock singer. I was just thinking the other day that I would like to hear a Chinese singer sing Alone by Heart, the second-greatest girl band in history after Destiny’s Child. I hope she sings that in the next round. All four judges turn for her. She gets a standing ovation, the first of the season. Continue reading →

The Voice of China: YouTube stars, Kpop stars, and too many Chyi Chin songs

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I know, I know. I was supposed to have this recap posted days ago.

Robynn & Kendy audition for The Voice of China. I know, I know. I was supposed to have this recap up days ago.

Just in case we haven’t been paying attention, the beginning of the episode introduces all the judges (again), listing some of their professional accomplishments with short sound bites from them about what they want to achieve. It’s all pretty standard, and none of it is especially remarkable, except for the fact that Chyi Chin doesn’t seem to have aged in 25 years. That’s not to say he doesn’t look his age of 54. Just that he looked 54 back in 1988.
Other than that, this episode jumps straight into the first audition.

This post is the second in a series of weekly recaps for The Voice of China. Review the first episode here.

Qin Xiaolin 秦晓林
19, Anyang, Henan
Fire 火 by A-mei

We jump straight into the first audition. No cute back-story here. What’s up with that? Maybe this contestant is really unlikable and nothing about her is endearing to the audience. The band plays a harder, rockier version of A-mei’s Fire. Oh, our auditionee has a really husky voice. She looks and sounds like chain-smoking lumberjack. I guess this is why they didn’t give her a proper introduction; her speaking voice would have given away the surprise. Her top notes actually resonate really well.

All the male judges turn for her. Wang Feng smiles. “You’re on fire.”
“From now on, you have a new nickname,” Yang Kun says. “Do you know what it is?”
“What is it?” she asks.
“Volcano girl!” Yang Kun replies enthusiastically. “Volcano” in Chinese is literally fire mountain, so Yang Kun just made a pun. It’s not a very good pun. “Her voice sounds like a volcano eruption,” Yang Kun explains to Na Ying.
“Her throat is full of fire.” Na Ying says.
“Ngraahahaaah,” adds Yang Kun. I don’t know what that’s meant to be.
Yang Kun asks if she was born with her voice or if it developed later on.
“I was born with this way,” she says. “I inherited it from my mother and grandmother. My mom is a Chinese opera singer. My grandfather has a really loud voice. I grew up in the east side of town. And every day I’d go to the west side to play at my classmate’s house. My grandmother would call out from one side to call me back for dinner.”
“Ryahaahaaaah!” Yang Kun responds. Continue reading →

The Voice of China returns for season three

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This is the first time that I've written something 3,000 words long since graduating from college.

This is the first time that I’ve written something 3,000-words-long since graduating from college.

No A-mei or Harlem this year, but The Voice of China 中国好声音 comes back big with a new judge, an old judge, and a fresh batch of talent. The season three Voice premiere saw the introduction of first-time mentor, Taiwanese singer-songwriter Chyi Chin 齐秦, replacing Harlem Yu, and the return of Yang Kun who replaced A-mei (who replaced Yang Kun the year before). The mentor lineup now stands as:

  • Na Ying 那英
  • Wang Feng 汪峰
  • Yang Kun 杨坤
  • Chyi Chin 齐秦

With the addition of Chyi Chin, the judging panel now becomes 50% Manchu, much like the Qing Grand Council in the 18th century. The more you know.
Chyi Chin is a strange choice. He wasn’t especially popular on I Am A Singer. I would have liked Coco Lee. Speaking of whom, have you registered for auditions for Chinese Idol yet?

This post is the first in a series of weekly recaps for The Voice of China. Review the second episode here.

If you you’re the type of Voice viewer who only occasionally watches clips of performances, feel free to skip ahead for the videos.

The episode begins with Na Ying walking on stage, singing fellow mentor Wang Feng’s Braveheart 勇敢的心. Her placard-wielding teenage entourage seems a little bit lost and not at all excited to be on TV. In contrast, when fans get this close to The Voice UK judges, crotches get grabbed.
Yang Kun is the second judge to make an appearance, transitioning the medley into Chyi Chin’s Heartless Rain, Heartless You 无情的雨无情的你. Wang Feng then appears to sing Na Ying’s The Day Doesn’t Understand the Dark of Night 白天不懂夜的黑. I am sensing a trend here. If the next mentor sings a Yang Kun song, I am going to reward myself with a doughnut. Wang Feng is singing for a long time compared to the others before him.
Finally, Chyi Chin takes the stage with Yang Kun’s The Moon Can Represent My Heart 月亮可以代表我的心. I think I’ll go for cinnamon. The other judges, having taken their seats, tap their buzzers and swivel around to choose Chyi Chin, welcoming him into the fold. Ah, yes, very symbolic and creative. All four judges return to the stage and finish off with Braveheart.

Liu Zhijia 刘至佳
19, Chonqing
Girl On Fire by Alicia Keys

This university student kicks off the very first audition of the year with the introduction to the Black Eyed Peas’ Let’s Get It Started. It’s similar to Laure Shang’s performance on I Am A Singer. She then begins to rap an unknown song before finally settling on Girl On Fire. Liu half-yodels, half-grunts the Alicia Keys’ number, sounding a bit like the lovechild of Christina Aguilera and Shakira. Her voice is strong, but lacks control. All judges except Na Ying turn for her. Continue reading →