Singaporean singer Kit Chan's voice stirs debate

Kit Chan, one of Singapore's most established singers, lost out on I Am a Singer, a popular Chinese celebrity singing reality TV contest. Photo provided to China Daily

Singaporean star confident despite mixed reception at TV singing show

From the moment it was announced that Singaporean singer Kit Chan came in last in the debut of the third season of I Am a Singer, a popular celebrity singing reality contest by Hunan Satellite TV Station, a fierce debate stirred up online. The controversy raged further when Chan became the first contestant to be ousted on the show early this month.

Han Hong, a veteran Chinese singer-songwriter, who is a contestant on the show, said that she was shocked to know Chan was out and she described Chan's performance as "subtle and incomparable".

The show's director, Hong Tao, even shed tears when Chan left the show, saying that "she has won hearts of China's music fans".

According to Chinese media reports, music critic Deng Ke, who attended the second live performance of the show, said Chan was off-key while performing Hong Kong singer Jacky Cheung's Heart Cut by a Knife.

Chan's management said that wasn't so, but the 42-year-old songstress, who has been away from the spotlight of China's music scene for a long time, could take comfort in the fact that her Chinese fans are still giving her plenty of support.

Some netizens wrote earlier that Chan's singing touched their hearts, even though she didn't perform the high-pitched vocals that are usually favored by TV competition judges. Some said the result could have been due in part to Chan's long hiatus from China and thus some unfamiliarity for the audience.

"I am well aware that I have no established fan base in China, so I really had nothing to prove. Starting at ground zero, every new person I make a connection with through my performance is one more music fan won. What have I got to lose?" Chan says.

"I believe that good singing is not only about belting high and loud notes, and while the 500 voters don't agree with me, there are evidently many who do. I am performing for the millions who are watching this show from far-off and diverse places－and it's always fun to present an alternative view, isn't it?" she adds.