Has Taiwan found the new Susan Boyle?
April 7, 2010 12:44 PM Subscribe
In the past few years Paul Potts, Susan Boyle and Andrew Johnston have surprised Britain (and the world) with their moving vocal performances on 'Britain's Got Talent.' And now Lin Yu Chun, a Taiwanese boy has won a $1 million prize and a recording contract for his performance of Whitney Houston's 'I Will Always Love You" on the karaoke TV program 'Super Star Avenue.'
I just saw a clip of that guy in a post on ONTD without any context, I just figured it was old and I never heard about it. Dude is great.
posted by dead cousin ted at 12:48 PM on April 7, 2010
posted by dead cousin ted at 12:48 PM on April 7, 2010
Great singing, but the echo on his voice is crazy psychedelic with headphones.
posted by SNACKeR at 12:50 PM on April 7, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by SNACKeR at 12:50 PM on April 7, 2010 [1 favorite]
I'm guessing the Taiwanese kid learned the song phonetically as dragging out the "always" in the belt-it-out parts seems like kind of an odd choice of phrasing. Not to knock a impressive performance.
posted by GuyZero at 12:56 PM on April 7, 2010
posted by GuyZero at 12:56 PM on April 7, 2010
Poor Dolly Parton. Long ago, Whitney Houston kidnapped and brutalized a perfectly sweet little song, and now, after many years of cruel exploitation, the world considers it Whitney's song.
I'm sure Dolly cries herself to sleep every night on the mountain of money she's made off the publishing rights.
posted by Atom Eyes at 1:05 PM on April 7, 2010 [3 favorites]
I'm sure Dolly cries herself to sleep every night on the mountain of money she's made off the publishing rights.
posted by Atom Eyes at 1:05 PM on April 7, 2010 [3 favorites]
Don't forget the Filipino who rocked out "Faithfully."
Maybe it's time to stop assuming people are going to suck when they step on stage?
posted by moviehawk at 1:06 PM on April 7, 2010
Maybe it's time to stop assuming people are going to suck when they step on stage?
posted by moviehawk at 1:06 PM on April 7, 2010
Poor Dolly Parton.
I know. She had to take a job in the secretarial pool back in the 80's.
posted by GuyZero at 1:08 PM on April 7, 2010 [3 favorites]
I know. She had to take a job in the secretarial pool back in the 80's.
posted by GuyZero at 1:08 PM on April 7, 2010 [3 favorites]
Maybe it's time to stop assuming people are going to suck when they step on stage?
Sucking is, however, the statistically safe assumption.
posted by GuyZero at 1:09 PM on April 7, 2010 [2 favorites]
Sucking is, however, the statistically safe assumption.
posted by GuyZero at 1:09 PM on April 7, 2010 [2 favorites]
Two things strike me here: he has an absolutely amazing voice, and it must be tough as hell to learn to sing in other languages. His phrasing is so close to Whitney's that it's almost eerie; he sounds like he's mimicking her as exactly as he can, as opposed to putting his own spin on it.
He does a damn fine job of it, but I wish we shared a common language, so that I could hear his interpretation of the music he's singing. I can't understand him singing in Chinese, and he doesn't appear to speak English, so it'll either be gibberish to me or mimicry by him. It's such a shame not to be able to really hear him at his best.
posted by Malor at 2:06 PM on April 7, 2010 [1 favorite]
He does a damn fine job of it, but I wish we shared a common language, so that I could hear his interpretation of the music he's singing. I can't understand him singing in Chinese, and he doesn't appear to speak English, so it'll either be gibberish to me or mimicry by him. It's such a shame not to be able to really hear him at his best.
posted by Malor at 2:06 PM on April 7, 2010 [1 favorite]
Wow, mimicry or not, that is really phenomenal. The guy reminds me of Nick Pitera for his ability to belt out the high notes. (Nick Pitera also sang this song once but I think Lin Yu Chun takes the prize here.)
posted by The Winsome Parker Lewis at 2:14 PM on April 7, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by The Winsome Parker Lewis at 2:14 PM on April 7, 2010 [1 favorite]
Does ANYONE else hate hate hate that sort of histrionic "singing"? I mean, seriously, it gives me douche chills.
posted by newfers at 2:15 PM on April 7, 2010 [3 favorites]
posted by newfers at 2:15 PM on April 7, 2010 [3 favorites]
Dolly's performance very nearly redeems an otherwise quite unimpressive film.
By the way, I knew a fellow who was in the film. He said that on the first day of filming, Dolly Parton pulled up in a limo, stepped out, stood in front of the assembled cast, and said "All right, boys, look at them now, because this is the only chance I'm going to give you." She then stood there for a minute, and then got back into the limo and drove away, and nobody ogled her for the rest of the picture. At least, nobody ogled her conspicuously.
posted by Astro Zombie at 2:19 PM on April 7, 2010 [3 favorites]
By the way, I knew a fellow who was in the film. He said that on the first day of filming, Dolly Parton pulled up in a limo, stepped out, stood in front of the assembled cast, and said "All right, boys, look at them now, because this is the only chance I'm going to give you." She then stood there for a minute, and then got back into the limo and drove away, and nobody ogled her for the rest of the picture. At least, nobody ogled her conspicuously.
posted by Astro Zombie at 2:19 PM on April 7, 2010 [3 favorites]
Dammit. Ten months later, I think I'm doing fine, and then watching/listening to Dolly sing this song on Youtube makes me break down and lose it at my desk at work.
posted by mrbill at 2:22 PM on April 7, 2010
posted by mrbill at 2:22 PM on April 7, 2010
Insta-celebrities, all. Their prizes should have been singing training to hone their raw talent. Instead, it's money, instant fame and - more importantly for the Simon Cowells of this world - some hastily knocked out albums while they're all hyped up and momentarily famous to get that money rolling in while it's there for the taking.
I'll stick to listening to the professionals who have worked hard for their achievements, thanks.
posted by idiomatika at 2:24 PM on April 7, 2010 [1 favorite]
I'll stick to listening to the professionals who have worked hard for their achievements, thanks.
posted by idiomatika at 2:24 PM on April 7, 2010 [1 favorite]
im with you, newfers. that singing full of vocal tricks like extended vibrato, falsetto, up and down pitch changes, all of it makes me yell at the TV. soulless! and it always makes me think of this.
posted by Mach5 at 2:24 PM on April 7, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by Mach5 at 2:24 PM on April 7, 2010 [1 favorite]
Whoa, always love the hammy drama vibe from reality TV show hosts around the world.
Also: This kid's hair is, I think, just there to taunt all the other kids. And that has got to hurt.
posted by circular at 2:24 PM on April 7, 2010
Also: This kid's hair is, I think, just there to taunt all the other kids. And that has got to hurt.
posted by circular at 2:24 PM on April 7, 2010
His phrasing is so close to Whitney's that it's almost eerie; he sounds like he's mimicking her as exactly as he can, as opposed to putting his own spin on it. ~Malor
This. Eerily "accurate".
posted by flippant at 2:37 PM on April 7, 2010
This. Eerily "accurate".
posted by flippant at 2:37 PM on April 7, 2010
I didn't care for the arrangement, and, quite frankly, it was a bit pageanty.
Seriously, though, to echo Atom Eyes - a sweet and wistful song of lost love written and recorded by Dolly Parton became the inescapable, bombastic, melodramatic mega-hit from the leather-lunged W. Houston, and now, well, this is just weird.
posted by longsleeves at 2:42 PM on April 7, 2010
Seriously, though, to echo Atom Eyes - a sweet and wistful song of lost love written and recorded by Dolly Parton became the inescapable, bombastic, melodramatic mega-hit from the leather-lunged W. Houston, and now, well, this is just weird.
posted by longsleeves at 2:42 PM on April 7, 2010
When I watched this, I kept thinking, this kid's voice is going to change some day, some day soon, and then what? Poor kid.
posted by jabberjaw at 2:58 PM on April 7, 2010
posted by jabberjaw at 2:58 PM on April 7, 2010
Maybe Lin Yu Chun should step in for the ailing Houston who has recently canceled a number of European tour dates due to a respiratory infection.
And crack.
posted by bpm140 at 3:09 PM on April 7, 2010
And crack.
posted by bpm140 at 3:09 PM on April 7, 2010
Maybe I've heard too many people sing this song too well, or at least this well, but honestly I don't think it's that great of a vocal performance. He sounds eerily like WhiHo for a man, but not eerily like her in general, and if he has any astounding vocal talent of his own it's not shining through.
It's not as bad as 1994 Miss Arkansas' "And I Am Telling You", but it's not like orders of magnitude better.
posted by hermitosis at 3:42 PM on April 7, 2010
It's not as bad as 1994 Miss Arkansas' "And I Am Telling You", but it's not like orders of magnitude better.
posted by hermitosis at 3:42 PM on April 7, 2010
When I watched this, I kept thinking, this kid's voice is going to change some day, some day soon, and then what? Poor kid.
Yeah, my first thought was "what happens when he hits puberty?"
posted by Forktine at 3:49 PM on April 7, 2010
Yeah, my first thought was "what happens when he hits puberty?"
posted by Forktine at 3:49 PM on April 7, 2010
Notice how you've never seen Lin Yu Chun and Whitney Houston in the same room together? Just sayin'.
posted by HP LaserJet P10006 at 3:50 PM on April 7, 2010
posted by HP LaserJet P10006 at 3:50 PM on April 7, 2010
Wow, I never cared for this song and I was amazed. Tears came to my eyes. I hate it when that happens. I feel ridiculous. I don't even like that song. It's just the way he sings it, I guess. Pretty crazy.
posted by anniecat at 4:42 PM on April 7, 2010
posted by anniecat at 4:42 PM on April 7, 2010
There's a singer called Paul Potts? What's his band, the Red Camaros?
posted by Kirk Grim at 4:58 PM on April 7, 2010
posted by Kirk Grim at 4:58 PM on April 7, 2010
Mach5, thanks - glad to have one like-minded advocate here!
posted by newfers at 5:22 PM on April 7, 2010
posted by newfers at 5:22 PM on April 7, 2010
> Does ANYONE else hate hate hate that sort of histrionic "singing"?
*raises hand*
Melisma is like icing on a cake; a little bit is just fine, but too much and you're left with a goopy, sugary mess.
posted by The Card Cheat at 5:24 PM on April 7, 2010 [1 favorite]
*raises hand*
Melisma is like icing on a cake; a little bit is just fine, but too much and you're left with a goopy, sugary mess.
posted by The Card Cheat at 5:24 PM on April 7, 2010 [1 favorite]
This reminds me of something I noticed with opera tenors.
When I listen to Pavarotti singing the string of coupled high C notes in Ah! Mes Amis...Pour Mon Âme, his voice drops smoothly between and connects the two notes, but other tenors I've heard singing the same piece tend to clip them -- there is a definite gap between the notes that I find awkward, unnatural and forced.
While this boy mimics Houston, he cannot match her smooth transitions, but he's certainly not terrible in the grand scheme of things.
posted by bwg at 6:13 PM on April 7, 2010
When I listen to Pavarotti singing the string of coupled high C notes in Ah! Mes Amis...Pour Mon Âme, his voice drops smoothly between and connects the two notes, but other tenors I've heard singing the same piece tend to clip them -- there is a definite gap between the notes that I find awkward, unnatural and forced.
While this boy mimics Houston, he cannot match her smooth transitions, but he's certainly not terrible in the grand scheme of things.
posted by bwg at 6:13 PM on April 7, 2010
This article claims he is actually 24 years old, not exactly a "young boy". Can that be right? I can't find any other mentions of his age.
posted by ericost at 10:55 PM on April 7, 2010
posted by ericost at 10:55 PM on April 7, 2010
Come on, guys, lay off the snark.
This is one of those simple, good things that makes me forget about suppressed helicopter kill footage, Thailand unrest, tea party idiots, Rio floods and cancelled proms for just a few moments.
posted by Sutekh at 11:38 PM on April 7, 2010 [1 favorite]
This is one of those simple, good things that makes me forget about suppressed helicopter kill footage, Thailand unrest, tea party idiots, Rio floods and cancelled proms for just a few moments.
posted by Sutekh at 11:38 PM on April 7, 2010 [1 favorite]
It is indeed a great performance, but I find myself wondering what is going to happen when his voice breaks at puberty?
posted by empatterson at 2:05 AM on April 11, 2010
posted by empatterson at 2:05 AM on April 11, 2010
« Older “What’s a gay Wolverine fan to do?” | The Whitewash Newer »
This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
posted by ericb at 12:46 PM on April 7, 2010