Harlem's team is said to be the best amongst the four, which results in one of the most heartbreaking and best episodes of the history of VOC and SING!CHINA! Harlem knows how to pick songs very very very well and doesn't give two hoots about appearance, making this a super entertaining episode. How will Harlem make his choice to eliminate five of his beloved students out of ten? The round-up and details here:
Here you can watch the entire SING CHINA Season 1 Episode 8.
This time, Harlem seeks out his good friend Mavis Fan to be his guest judge with him. Prancing around the stage in Indian garb, she sings one of Harlem's best songs - 快乐Song! Is it just me or is it misappropriation of other cultures and cringeworthy to watch?
Harlem jumps onstage mid-song, and he is really one of those artistes that never grow old, and his voice is still the same old 情非得已 voice. The feels.
吉克皓 (Ji Ke Hao) vs 阿克江-阿依丁 (A Ke Jiang A Yi Ding)
Ji Ke Hao sings 旋木, a song from one of my favourite artistes Faye Wong. HARLEM KNOWS HOW TO CHOOSE SONGS, HANDS DOWN. He almost changed the entire song to fit his style, with a happy, beautiful, mystical and soothing twist. He incorporated some of his tribal traditional elements. He really improved a lot. With him being the opening, he instantly raised the bar of the competition single-handedly. It is almost as if he is telling the rest of the judges: you guys ain't got nothing on us Harlem team! Goosebumps-raising performance without even trying to do it with fanciful high tones, but simply by being himself. It will be an uphill task for A Ke Jiang to beat him. Harlem claps proudly at the end of his performance.
A Ke Jiang has an interesting start to his performance that nobody ever did before: a Samsung ringtone permeates the entire space. Everyone is dead silent - they listen as the phone is picked up. It's A Ke Jiang's father on the line, asking how he has been. A Ke Jiang's voice comes over the intercom, saying that he just set up his own music studio. His father replies angrily that making music cannot be a career. He sings "除非是你的温柔不做别的追求" as the opening line instead of the usual for 让我一次爱个够, before launching into a rap about his arduous journey to pursue his music dream. It is very futiristic and thrilling to watch him sing.
It's impressive, and I already cannot decide who I prefer more already!!! Can they have a 双选 for this pair, please? They are definitely better than many others of Top 5 from the other teams...!!! The atmosphere in the theatre is electrifyinggg. These two contestants have provided the show two performances that is worth replay, replay and replay.
Editor: Ji Ke Hao, but I like A Ke Jiang a lot too.
Mavis Fan: A Ke Jiang
Harlem: Ji Ke Hao
Watch out for Ji Ke Hao, he is ready to slay anything coming his way!
姚希 (Yao Xi) vs 李瑞轩 (Li Rui Xuan)
Remember this Chongqing Shantou girl, Yao Xi, that gave 小苹果 a new spin in her blind auditions? She is now going for another viral song - 青春修炼手册 （~左手右手一个慢动作~). Just like her counterparts, she improved tremendously, much more relaxed than before which stretched her potential much more! Such a wonderful performance, that really tug at your heartstrings despite being a happy cheerful song! She added a 听妈妈的话 rap in the middle.
Li Rui Xuan sings a less mainstream song by Eason Chan, 谢谢侬. He starts off with a relatively flatter start but he snaps right into action in the chorus which forces you to watch him! I am in awe by Harlem's magic touch. At least for the first 4 contestants, he managed to guide them to have their own style and yet also you can tell there's a bit of Harlem in it.
Na Ying mentioned that Yao Xi flirting with Rui Xuan in the middle caused Rui Xuan to pale in comparison in terms of stage presence. Harlem defends him, saying he is like a sloth, and has very slow response and might respond to Yao only when they reached backstage.
Editor: Yao Xi
Mavis Fan: Yao Xi
Harlem: Yao Xi
王闯 (Wang Chuang) vs 吴映香 (Wu Ying Xiang)
Wang Chuang sings 忘记拥抱. Guess everyone knows this - espeically after A-lin made it famous. It is a difficult song to sing particularly because A-lin already made it amazing. Previously she also sang a song by A-lin 过不去. Wang Chuang begins flatly again, but right before the chorus, she interjects a bit of her own way of singing. I didn't find it particularly impressive like the previous performances. There was no surprise element in it at all, I find that it is too safe and didn't outdo A-lin's version.
![中國新歌聲 SING CHINA, Top 5 of Harlem Team (Ep 8)]( "中國新歌聲 SING CHINA, Top 5 of Harlem Team (Ep 8)")
Wu Ying Xiang, a Chinese based in Brazil, sings 秋天别来. Although she is as unsurprisingly safe as Wang Chuang, I do prefer her voice because it's sweeter and more pleasing. Again, she reminds me of Japanese pop singers. However, she seems a bit nervous throughout her performance and that affected her potential.
Editor: Wu Ying Xiang
Wu Ying Xiang, a Chinese based in Brazil, sings 秋天别来. Although she is as unsurprisingly safe as Wang Chuang, I do prefer her voice because it's sweeter and more pleasing. Again, she reminds me of Japanese pop singers. However, she seems a bit nervous throughout her performance and that affected her potential.
Editor: Wu Ying Xiang
Mavis Fan: Neutral
Harlem: Wang Chuang
![中國新歌聲 SING CHINA, Top 5 of Harlem Team (Ep 8)]( "中國新歌聲 SING CHINA, Top 5 of Harlem Team (Ep 8)")
![中國新歌聲 SING CHINA, Top 5 of Harlem Team (Ep 8)]( "中國新歌聲 SING CHINA, Top 5 of Harlem Team (Ep 8)")
I have been looking forward to Zhao Xiao Xi ever since his blind auditions!!! He performs a super high energy 花田错 by Mandopop king Wang Lee-hom! It almost as if he has an Uptown Funk and Prince bone in him every song he sings! I couldn't help but move along with him as he sings this totally.
Editor: Zhao Xiao Xi
Harlem: Wang Chuang
赵小熙 (Zhao Xiao Xi) vs 付豪 (Fu Hao)
Fu Hao sings sings 东风破, a song by Jay Chou. Resuming the Harlem-sque style from Ji Ke Hao and A Ke Jiang's PK, Fu Hao interjects Can't Feel My Face by The Weeknd, in the middle of a electric guitar filled 东风破, driving the crowd wild! He does it again and again. So characteristic of Harlem. I love this version of 东风破 certainly and it looks like even Jay Chou is impressed.
I have been looking forward to Zhao Xiao Xi ever since his blind auditions!!! He performs a super high energy 花田错 by Mandopop king Wang Lee-hom! It almost as if he has an Uptown Funk and Prince bone in him every song he sings! I couldn't help but move along with him as he sings this totally.
Editor: Zhao Xiao Xi
Mavis Fan: Zhao Xiao Xi
Harlem: Zhao Xiao Xi
Harlem: Zhao Xiao Xi
杨美娜 (Yang Mei Na) vs 官灵芝 (Guan Lingzhi)
The oldest candidate in Harlem's team is Guan Lingzhi. She sings 给自己的歌 by Jonathan Lee, and notably she has the most powerful voice of all, channelling Mariah Carey vibes. This accomplished singer received the 23rd Golden Melody Awards for Best Hakka Singer before, and stuns the crowd with her rich voice and the extremely emotional feels behind it.
As the closing performance, Yang Mei Na finishes off with a powerful 当. This song is a song from the famous Return of the Pearl Princess OST, but Yang Mei Na gives it a rock-N-roll twist to it, I love her performance so much, Imma gonna include it in my gym playlist! She is really very good.
Editor: Yang Mei Na
Mavis Fan: Neutral
Harlem: Yang Mei Na
Harlem: Yang Mei Na
Guan Lingzhi leaves graciously, with the most gracious leaving speech ever.
With this, the top 5 contestants of Jay Chou's team is finalized:
Ji Ke Hao
Yao Xi
Wang Chuang
Zhao Xiao Xi
Yang Mei Na
My guess for Harlem's top: Ji Ke Hao
With this, the top 5 contestants of Jay Chou's team is finalized:
Ji Ke Hao
Yao Xi
Wang Chuang
Zhao Xiao Xi
Yang Mei Na
My guess for Harlem's top: Ji Ke Hao
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