“Singer 2020: The Prime” - Singing Talent Show Contest
In February 2020, Hua Chenyu participated in Hunan TV’s singing talent show contest “Singer 2020: The Prime”, and won the championship (AKA King of Singers).
1. About the show
All the singers invited to this years’s show were young people who were at the peak of their careers, so there were no rules and it was okay for them to sing their original songs. And MISIA, a female singer from Japan, also participated.
EP1 was scheduled to be broadcast on January 31st, but the broadcast date was changed to February 7th in order to prioritize COVID-19 news programs.
Not only was it postponed, but starting from EP3 on February 27th, the singers began recording in their respective contries and cities to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
The 500 audience judges did not need to go to the venue, but watched the live broadcast and voted online at their respective homes. This was the first time in the show’s eight-year history.
2. Playlist
“Singer 2020” Full Version:
Hua’s Performances:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXgUykwqp2GR73RS98XVMx9CNif0ohgdv
3. Detailed information about each episode
EP1
February 7, 2020
Repertoire: Jackdaw Boy (寒鸦少年)
Original Singer: Hua ChenyuRanking: 1
EP2
February 14, 2020
Repertoire: Bullfight (斗牛)
Original Singer: Hua ChenyuRanking: 1
EP3
February 21, 2020
Repertoire: You Have To Believe This Is Not the Last Day (你要相信这不是最后一天)
Original Singer: Hua ChenyuRanking: 2
A charity song to support people who have been severely affected by COVID19. This work reflects Hua’s strong feelings towards Wuhan, where he spent time in high school and university and was considered as his second hometown.
In this episode, this song was released for the first time.
At the end of the song, several celebrities each offered words of comfort and encouragement in their local dialects.
EP4
February 28, 2020
Repertoire: Contra in the Wild (荒野魂斗罗)
Original Singer: Hua ChenyuRanking: 3
To accommodate studio live broadcasts without an audience, Hua tried the Unplugged format. Together with his best friend Zuo Li, he stayed up all night to complete the rearrangement.
EP5
March 6, 2020
Repertoire: Us (我们)
Original Singer: Eason ChanRanking: 1
Hua tried another new method of camera movement. By keeping the camera facing his face, he evoked the feeling of a face-to-face conversation.
In a backstage interview, Hua said, “This is a song for the person I lost a long time ago, and I will never sing it again.”
EP6
March 13, 2020
Repertoire: God Tree (神树)
Original Singer: Hua ChenyuRanking: 5
Hua was wearing an all-black outfit.
This song uses a minimalist and cold style to outline a doomsday scene of complete silence, tsunamis and landslides. Perhaps it’s this superior look down that alienates the audience.
EP7
March 20, 2020
Repertoire: Arrival (降临)
Original Singer: Hua ChenyuRanking: 6
A song that follows God Tree (神树). A chant that feels like new life is starting to sprout in the destroyed earth. First released at Mars Concert 2018 on September 8, 2018.
Huahua apparently knows that both “God Tree (/04-06-godtree/)” and “Arrival” are not the type of songs for the competition. However, he insists on singing these songs because his purpose of returning to the Singer stage is not to get the first place in every episode. He wants to show the audience of his growth over the past two years, including the changes in his mentality and his perception of this world, which are all reflected in his music compositions.
The clothes this time were all white, which formed a cycle of Yin Yang and Tai-Chi with the all black in the previous episode.
EP8
March 27, 2020
Repertoire: New World (新世界)
Original Singer: Hua ChenyuRanking: 3
An original song created based on the cover song Shouts (呐喊) that was performed on “Singer 2018”.
EP9
April 3, 2020
Repertoire: I’m Here AKA I Really Want to Love This World (好想爱这个世界啊)
Original Singer: Hua ChenyuRanking: 2
A work that calls for a better understanding of the feelings of depressive disorder patients.
First released at Mars Concert 2019 on November 16, 2019.
EP10
April 10, 2020
Repertoire: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (强迫症)
Original Singer: Hua ChenyuRanking: 1
Due to the program’s self-regulation, the title of the song was changed from “Madhouse (疯人院)” to “Obsessive Compulsive Disorder”.
This song was first released at [Mars Concert 2019] on November 15, 2019.
If the concert version was a carnival of a group of madmen, then this version was a monologue of a lonely madman on a stage without an audience.
EP11 Finals
April 24, 2020
Round 1
Repertoire: West Gate Youth (西门少年)
Support Guest & Original Singer: Chris LeeRanking: Reached the Round 2
Hua and senior singer Chris Lee, who debuted 15 years ago from the same series of musical talent competition, performed Lee’s famous song “West Gate Youth (西门少年)” together.
Round 2
Repertoire: Gotham (歌谭)
Original Singer: Hua ChenyuRanking: Champion
Due to the program’s self-regulation, the title of the song was changed from “Seven Personalities (七重人格)” to “Gotham”.
This song was first released at [Mars Concert 2019] on November 17, 2019.
During the performance, Hua’s black cloak was removed to reveal a blood-red suit punctured with dense arrows.
