In the latest episode of 'Singer 2025', veteran Taiwanese vocalist Terry Lin made a comeback with his performance of 'Too Hard to Sing.' Unexpectedly, some netizens criticized him for 'singing without emotion.' On the 19th, unable to hold back, he fired back on his official page with a passionate 1237-word response: 'Some people try to invalidate all my efforts with just a light comment online—"Terry Lin has no emotion in his singing",' and questioned, 'Must it be ostentatious?'
Lin stated that 'Too Hard to Sing' has always been one of the songs he most wanted to perform this season on 'Singer.' It’s not only because the melody is novel and the vocal challenge is high, but more importantly, the lyrics resonate with him, saying things he has often mulled over during his singing career but rarely brought up. For example, the opening line: 'How careful must I be to avoid being corrupted by the vulgar?'
He explained that, in his standards, what he calls 'vulgar' refers to songs with unoriginal melodies and empty, tasteless, stacked lyrics. As a 'pop singer,' of course he wants his songs to be widely appreciated, but where exactly is the line between 'elegant' and 'vulgar'? Who is qualified to draw that line?
Lin pointed out that throughout his 30-plus-year singing career, every song he performs has never been just about those 3 to 5 minutes on stage. He wrote: 'In the process of crafting a song, I always scrutinize every line and word, asking myself how each can truly convey the emotion I wish to express. How to arrange it, how to sing it, how to be sincere and frank, to make it even better? Because “less is bland, more is cloying.” It is truly ‘too hard to sing’ a song that is not overdone, not boring, not vulgar, not detached!'
He explained that, in his standards, what he calls 'vulgar' refers to songs with unoriginal melodies and empty, tasteless, stacked lyrics. As a 'pop singer,' of course he wants his songs to be widely appreciated, but where exactly is the line between 'elegant' and 'vulgar'? Who is qualified to draw that line?
Lin pointed out that throughout his 30-plus-year singing career, every song he performs has never been just about those 3 to 5 minutes on stage. He wrote: 'In the process of crafting a song, I always scrutinize every line and word, asking myself how each can truly convey the emotion I wish to express. How to arrange it, how to sing it, how to be sincere and frank, to make it even better? Because “less is bland, more is cloying.” It is truly ‘too hard to sing’ a song that is not overdone, not boring, not vulgar, not detached!'
He emphasized that he has put much effort into developing various vocal resonances and singing techniques, practicing until he can use them at will: 'But interestingly, when I finally manage to make my singing seem effortless, some people try to invalidate all that hard work with a casual comment online—“Terry Lin sings without emotion.”'
This moved him to ask, 'Is it because people can’t hear my breathing? Or because I try to make my transitions between chest and head voice seamless? Does it really have to be “more hoarse, more forceful, more dramatic, more runs, crying out” to be considered emotional?!' Lin added that his singing career has already entered its fourth decade, and he constantly reflects: 'What kind of singer do I want to be? Especially when the lyrics keep repeating “Must it be ostentatious? My heart has struggled, too.”'
Lin lamented that with the rise of the internet, many people want to play music critic, but he only wants to return to his true self: 'Since external factors are too complicated to calculate, I can only turn to purity and authenticity. What I truly care about is how many works I can leave behind on this stage. Whatever the competition format—that’s just the rules set by others. When it comes to elimination, the only thing that bothers me is that I’ll get to sing fewer songs. So now, I just want to enjoy singing. As for whether you like me or not, that’s your freedom. Everyone here, feel free to comment as you wish!'
This moved him to ask, 'Is it because people can’t hear my breathing? Or because I try to make my transitions between chest and head voice seamless? Does it really have to be “more hoarse, more forceful, more dramatic, more runs, crying out” to be considered emotional?!' Lin added that his singing career has already entered its fourth decade, and he constantly reflects: 'What kind of singer do I want to be? Especially when the lyrics keep repeating “Must it be ostentatious? My heart has struggled, too.”'
Lin lamented that with the rise of the internet, many people want to play music critic, but he only wants to return to his true self: 'Since external factors are too complicated to calculate, I can only turn to purity and authenticity. What I truly care about is how many works I can leave behind on this stage. Whatever the competition format—that’s just the rules set by others. When it comes to elimination, the only thing that bothers me is that I’ll get to sing fewer songs. So now, I just want to enjoy singing. As for whether you like me or not, that’s your freedom. Everyone here, feel free to comment as you wish!'