Yow Chang Jing Kicks Off 'Singer' in Second Place, Harlem Yu Sadly Eliminated: 'Worth It'

"Singer 2026" kicked off its live broadcast on the 22nd, and Malaysian singer Yow Chang Jing delivered a stunning performance right from the start! With his song "Are You the Adult You Wanted to Be", he took 2nd place overall, just behind veteran diva Chyi Yu. The 64-year-old musical maverick Harlem Yu, performing his signature song "Love You All at Once" with a completely different arrangement, drew polarized reviews and was unfortunately eliminated in the first episode. Deep into the night, Harlem Yu posted on Weibo, expressing his feelings in 24 words and saying his one-day trip to Changsha was "worth it"!

The launch of "Singer 2026" was broadcast live on the evening of the 22nd. Malaysian singer Yow Chang Jing took the stage with his representative piece "Are You the Adult You Wanted to Be" and won second place overall! Host Na Ying exclaimed, "This is exactly the young voice we've been wanting to hear." She also told Yow Chang Jing, "I hope you continue in music, and become the adult you wish to be." Chyi Yu performed "Olive Tree" with her ethereal vocals, and secured 1st place.

Na Ying and Yow Chang Jing actually have some history together. When Na Ying participated in "Singer 2024", she chose to sing Yow Chang Jing's songs "Night with a Star" and "See You Then". However, tonight was the first time the two actually met in person. Na Ying shared a funny story, recalling that when she looked for a top Chinese songwriter to write a song for her, she was told to wait—"Ahead of you is a singer named 'Yow Chang Jing', and I thought, who's that?" After hearing Yow Chang Jing perform live, she was full of praise, saying his voice is very powerful, and the emotion in his songs is a perfect fit for him.

Additionally, 68-year-old Chyi Yu won the championship with "Olive Tree" and her airy voice; Harlem Yu, with his signature song "Love You All at Once", was sadly eliminated.

Harlem Yu performed "Love You All at Once" this time, presenting it with a completely different arrangement. Online commenters analyzed that he adopted a Citypop style, slower and more sentimental than the original. Some thought his arrangement was clever and suited his current vocals—more so than struggling to hit high notes. Others felt this song is too much of a classic, and fans couldn't get into the rearranged melody. Moreover, the sound quality of "Singer 2026" was subpar this time, and the new, slower style made the audience lose patience and interest, resulting in him ranking last and being eliminated.

Harlem Yu did not participate in the post-show interviews. Late at night, he posted on Weibo: "A day trip to Changsha! To keep doing the music I love and have you hear it! Worth it!" In these brief 24 words, the music maverick expresses his carefree love for music. Fans flocked to the comments to show their support, with some saying, "Most people there were fans of other singers, and it was all about voting strategy," while others criticized, "The on-site judges just don't get good music." Many fans even called for Harlem Yu to simply hold a concert instead.

In the end, Chyi Yu took the crown, Yow Chang Jing came 2nd, Hu Yanbin 3rd, Dou Jingtong 4th, Albert Stanaj 5th, Eric Chou 6th, and Zhang Bichen 7th. Wei Ruxuan came in 8th, while Harlem Yu, with a smile, said: "No worries, nothing much to say, that's it, just a day trip. That's life."

"Forced to change songs before elimination"—Backstage conversation aired live

Also, during the waiting time on the show, Harlem Yu and Wei Ruxuan chatted backstage about how the songs they had originally prepared for the contest were switched last-minute by the production team. Since the live broadcast hadn't cut the backstage audio, their entire conversation was inadvertently aired, which immediately sparked heated discussion among viewers. Many netizens began to question whether the show had "manipulated the rules" or if there was a "dark side" involved.

Source: Apple News, United Daily News