On October 4th, Li Yugang, a well-known singer from mainland China, appeared as a special guest at singer Xu Song’s concert in Suzhou. Together, they performed a duet of the song “Drunk New Imperial Concubine”. However, during the performance, Li Yugang interacted multiple times with the audience, even letting the audience sing the chorus of the song, which led to some criticism about “avoiding high notes”.
Regarding the controversy sparked by only singing “8 words” at Xu Song’s concert, on October 5th, Li Yugang posted a video on Weibo explaining that the purpose of his performance was to create a lively atmosphere and interact more with everyone present. He said, “This song is one of my signature works, and I am very familiar with it. However, if today’s performance did not meet everyone’s expectations and satisfaction, I apologize sincerely.”
Li Yugang promised that he will sing a 10-minute version of “Drunk New Imperial Concubine” at an upcoming concert and invited everyone to come and listen live.
At 46 years old, Li Yugang rose to fame with his appearance on the talent show “Super Star Avenue”. He is particularly skilled in cross-dressing performances, combining traditional opera and artistic elements in his singing style. In his early years, he sang classic songs like “National Beauty” and “Drunk New Imperial Concubine” using a female Beijing opera voice and dressing in ancient costumes. He often played dual roles himself and seamlessly switched from a male voice to a female voice.