Taiwan Today

It was an incongruous sight when a chubby young Taiwanese man began singing American pop star Whitney Houston’s hit I Will Always Love You in a rousing “female” falsetto on a local television talent show on April 2 this year. But as his singing soared across the audience, listeners quickly began to realize that what they were hearing was an impeccable, virtually note-for-note rendition of Houston’s song. When the singer finished, the audience sat in stunned silence for a moment, then erupted in thunderous applause. As his turn on stage came to an end, it was clear that Lin Yu-chun, a 24-year-old Taiwanese singer, had not only blown away the audience, but also the show’s panel of judges. An Internet-age Cinderella story thus began unfolding, one that has gone on to become an inspiring example for every singer in Taiwan who dreams of becoming a star.

Formerly a part-time worker at a musical instrument shop in Taipei who earned a monthly salary of NT$15,000 (US$470), Lin became an overnight Internet sensation after a video of his resounding performance on One Million Stars, a local reality TV singing competition, was posted on the video-sharing website YouTube on April 6. The clip quickly went viral, chalking up more than 4.5 million views on YouTube within a mere five days. Even though the unlikely star eventually lost out to a One Million Stars finalist, his story received worldwide media coverage from influential outlets such as CNN, The New York Times, USA Today, the BBC, The Daily Mail and Agence France-Presse (AFP), to name just a few. Many in the media noted that his amazing performance recalled the way Britain’s Susan Boyle, another formerly unknown and somewhat unlikely performer, rose to international stardom after auditioning for Britain’s Got Talent with her version of I Dreamed A Dream from the musical Les Miserables last year. Britain’s Daily Telegraph even went so far as to dub Lin “Taiwan’s answer to Susan Boyle.”

In the month following the clip’s release, Lin was invited to Los Angeles twice to appear on popular talk shows. He also performed at a Taiwan Day promotion at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, where his renditions of several well-known tunes wowed audience members. “I’m shocked that I could attract so much attention,” Lin told AFP in an interview in April this year. “I’m really moved and happy that people like my rendition of Whitney’s song. I’ve loved singing since I was a little kid, and I feel like I’m dreaming now. I hope I can pursue a career in singing.”

Lin made his third trip in six months to the United States in August this year, when he appeared as a guest on America’s Got Talent. A repeat performance of I Will Always Love You resulted in another standing ovation, leading one judge to quip that the Taiwanese singer had performed the song better than Houston herself.

Like Lin, many of today’s newer entertainers are not products of the star-making machinery that has created generations of handsome movie heartthrobs and gorgeous pop divas, as the last 10 years have seen the rising popularity of reality TV worldwide, in which ordinary people serve as the main protagonists instead of professional actors and performers. Furthermore, although talent shows have long been a television programming staple, today many of them have taken on reality TV characteristics because one contestant is eliminated each episode, and because there is strong interaction between the contestants and judges.

Well known international examples of reality TV talent competitions include American Idol, Dancing with the Stars and America’s Got Talent in the United States, as well as Pop Idol, Britain’s Got Talent and X Factor in the United Kingdom. In recent years, TV stations across Taiwan have also recognized that reality shows attract viewers and make money, and today there is no shortage of such programs on the small screen. One Million Stars, a televised singing competition aired by Taiwan-based China Television (CTV), is one of the most striking examples. The aim of the show is to gather young people who have demonstrated singing talent in order to find those that have the highest likelihood of becoming superstars. During its debut season in the first half of 2007, One Million Stars quickly became one of Taiwan’s top-rated entertainment programs. The show’s final episode at the end of each season has also often set viewing records.

“One Million Stars stands out among similar programs because it features spectacular audio-visual effects, a very witty hostess with a genial personality and five professional judges who not only evaluate the contestants’ performances, but also help sharpen their singing skills,” says Lin Fu-mei, a professor in the Department of Communications Management at Shih Hsin University in Taipei. “Because the show has developed a reputation for professionalism and quality, it’s looked at as an effective showcase for new singing talent. It’s also increasingly seen as a vehicle for turning hopefuls into popular stars.”

Each season of One Million Stars starts with a preliminary pool of approximately 100 candidates. A competition is held prior to the first episode that results in the elimination of around 50 of these hopefuls. The initial show of the season is frenetic, with each of the remaining 50 candidates performing for up to 90 seconds. The contestants then must complete different singing tasks on subsequent shows, with one to two eliminated each week. Through months of such singing challenges and elimination rounds, the aspirants’ rapture, hugs and tears can be seen vividly as they rejoice or cry over each other’s triumphs or failures. Every season wraps up with the selection of a winner, who takes home the grand prize of at least NT$1 million (US$31,250), as well as a recording contract.

“The success of One Million Stars comes partly from the contenders’ genuine outpouring of emotion, which can really strike a chord with the audience,” says Hsieh Chi-jen, dean of the National Defense University’s Department of Journalism. “It’s surprising to see that many participants develop strong bonds with each other, even as they engage in fierce competition. By appealing to the basic human quest for truth and the need for genuineness, the show has skillfully brought these youngsters’ dreams, hopes and friendships before the viewers.”

Standout participants in reality TV talent shows around the world can receive heavy publicity in newspapers and magazines, as well as on radio stations and the Internet, giving rise to a growing trend that sees fans placing them on an equal footing with traditional pop artists. Not surprisingly, the record sales and media ubiquity of the shows’ finalists often rival those of successful pop stars, at least for a period of time.

In Taiwan, the efficacy of reality TV talent shows in creating new stars has also been impressive. In the past few years, former contestants such as Yoga Lin, Jam Hsiao, Rachel Liang, Yuming Lai, Jane Huang and Hsu Chia-ying have gone on to win nominations in various categories at Taiwan’s Golden Melody Awards, one of the major annual music events in the Chinese-speaking world. Albums released by these singers have also remained hot sellers on Taiwan’s pop charts.

“It’s amazing to see how this TV genre has turned ‘nobodies’ into instant celebrities,” Hsieh says. “The public wants to see something different, something original or unusual. In fact, the more outrageous, terrible or funny the performance, the better the ratings.”

“The popularity of reality TV also implies that anyone, including you or I, could turn into ‘somebody’—we just need to tap our undiscovered talent,” Hsieh says. “Viewers can obtain satisfaction by connecting with ‘the real’ in reality TV. Contestants are often seen as being ‘authentic’ because of their everyday background. If those ordinary people can become TV stars, it makes us believe that almost anyone could do the same.”

Legendary Caveman

Of the top 10 finalists selected at the end of each of the show’s seasons—collectively referred to as the Million Star Gang—Aska Yang, 32, nicknamed “Caveman” for his rugged appearance, has undoubtedly become one of the biggest legends. As a contestant on the show during its first season, he soon captured nationwide attention with his powerful and soulful voice, as well as with his ability to leave his audiences teary-eyed. A local television station even described him as a “future star created within a mere 77 days.” Having emerged as one of the top six finalists, he quit the competition before the season ended after reports began to surface that he was older than 24, which was the show’s age limit for contestants at the time.

“Me, Aska Yang, a mere nobody but with an ambition to conquer the world with my voice … Sometimes I feel a song is beautiful only when the singer interprets it passionately, just like telling his or her own life story,” Yang wrote on his blog.

In one way, the Aska craze is similar to that surrounding Lin Yu-chun. Yang’s performances on One Million Stars became massive hits on YouTube during the first season of the show. In 2007, Yang was also ranked No. 1 for seven consecutive weeks in the Yahoo! Taiwan Most Famous Person rankings, with a huge gap over the second-place contender. In addition, his debut solo album outsold all others on Taiwan’s charts in the first half of 2008. Yang’s voice has also conquered other ethnic Chinese markets. He won five awards at Singapore’s Golden Melody Awards in 2008, for example, and three more at the Singapore Entertainment Awards in 2009.

“He excels at adding a special feeling to his songs, which are very soothing. They can inspire the mind and warm the heart of music lovers,” says Johnny Yin, chairman of the Association of Music Workers in Taiwan. Yin knows what he is talking about, having won the best Mandarin male singer category three times at Taiwan’s Golden Melody Awards, a record that has yet to be broken in the institution’s 21-year history. He was also the convener of the jury for this year’s Golden Melody Awards.

In the eyes of many music critics, however, Hsu Chia-ying, 26, who sings under the name Lala Hsu, is likely to become known as the brightest star of all in the Million Star Gang. A former nurse, Hsu was crowned champion at the end of the third season of One Million Stars. Her debut album, for which she penned, composed and sang all of the songs, garnered six nominations at this year’s Golden Melody Awards, including the prestigious categories of best song, best Mandarin album and best composer. Although she did not win any of those awards, she was selected as newcomer of the year, as many had expected.

Cool and Original

“Lala is awesome because she can write and sing in various genres,” says Fred Chen, who is chief creative officer of the Oh!Ya Neo-media Corp. as well as a well-known writer, lyricist and radio host. “She has even combined Taiwanese folk opera with pop music in her songs, which is really cool and highly original.” Chen was the convener of the jury for last year’s Golden Melody Awards.

Johnny Yin, meanwhile, remains more impressed with Hsu’s unique sound. “Lala has a resonant and honest voice, and her songs are very pleasant to the ear,” he says. “They have an after-effect of staying in the listener’s mind.”

Following in the footsteps of predecessors Aska Yang and Lala Hsu, Lin Yu-chun is just the latest One Million Stars veteran to win a measure of fame. Although excitement has risen in the local media about the possibility of Lin going on to become a long-term international star, he still has a long way to go to reach that goal, media experts and music critics have said. “An artist looking for sustained popularity in today’s highly competitive entertainment world has to work hard to become a versatile, all-around performer,” says National Defense University’s Hsieh Chi-jen. “The audience’s interest can be just a passing fad, and they can lose interest if all you can do is sing.”

Professor Lin Fu-mei of Shih Hsin University suggests that Lin Yu-chun explore the possibility of singing something more “Taiwanese” in order to boost his career. “Why not combine Taiwanese aboriginal songs with pop music?” the academic asks. “People around the world are generally fond of hearing something different. By combining aboriginal and pop music, he may be able to attract more fans at home and abroad.”

Many have attributed Lin Yu-chun’s newfound fame to the sharp contrast between his angelic voice and somewhat homely appearance. Fred Chen agrees with that view, adding that the singer’s plumpness is one of his star qualities and should remain unchanged. “He shouldn’t slim down, or people might not recognize him,” Chen says. “Instead, to pave the way for a lasting career as a professional performer, he has to learn to sing in more genres. With his ability, it’s OK to sing a pop song in a girlish falsetto in English, but how about using his mother tongue in other styles? There’s still room for improvement in his performance.”

Johnny Yin believes that Lin Yu-chun will have to focus on obtaining good songs to maintain his career. “Like almost all the other contestants, Lin sang cover versions on the shows,” Yin says. “Although he’s been praised for injecting his individual style into the covers, in order to win further acclaim he’s going to have to choose songs that really fit him well. The best oldies but goodies always remind us of the great singers who performed them. They are the real superstars.”

YouTube and reality talent show stars shine brightly for a time, but what happens when the shows end, or when newer videos are inevitably released? How do such stars ensure that their fame is more than just a flash in the pan? Lala Hsu, for one, is not shying away from that challenge. “I’m looking forward to being here again to share similar honors with you in five years or even 10 years,” Hsu said upon accepting the best newcomer trophy at the Taipei Arena, the venue for the 21st Golden Melody Awards. “I hope to pursue music as my life career, instead of fading from your memory as time goes by. Actually, what will become of us in 10 years’ time depends on how much effort we’re planning to make now to carve out our own future.”

Lin Yu-chun is also aware that long-term dedication is required to sustain a singing career these days. “Every time when I stumble and fall, I feel that the gods are always there to pick me up and open a door for me, even though what’s behind the door is not a sweet dream but someone who’s willing to show me how to realize it,” he wrote on his official website. “With all the hardships I’ve experienced, I will continue to cherish what I have now and work even harder.”

Write to Dennis Chang at dennis0602@mail.gio.gov.tw