Hong Kong singer Faye Wong, 55, made a comeback on the CCTV Spring Festival Gala after a hiatus of 7 years. On that night, she wore a white long dress and sang a song titled “What the World Has Given Me.” Reports mentioned that her new song touched numerous audience members. However, what puzzled the audience was why she appeared teary-eyed while performing, and why she needed assistance to leave the backstage, wrapped in a thick blanket with a pale and exhausted look.
According to mainland media reports, Faye Wong performed “What the World Has Given Me” during the CCTV Spring Festival Gala live broadcast. Her ethereal voice, as always, immediately captivated the fans and trended on Weibo with keywords like “Faye Wong’s voice is invincible.” Some netizens commented that it seemed like lip-syncing, as CCTV is known for not having live performances, but many praised Faye Wong as the queen of music.
On the second day of the Lunar New Year, a neighbor, singer Black Ni, revealed that Faye Wong’s parents and her older brother Wang Ge, who was two years older, had passed away. Currently, she only has two daughters, and Black Ni described Faye Wong as a kind child from a kind family, asking everyone to be kind with their words and actions.
NetEase, a Chinese media outlet, reported that even two days after the Spring Festival Gala live broadcast, Faye Wong’s performance did not break the internet. Critics raised controversy over her sincere bowing gesture on stage, with some questioning if it was genuine or staged, amid the ongoing lip-syncing criticisms of the Gala performances.
In addition, a critic using the pseudonym “Vocal Theory” continuously criticized lip-syncing on the Spring Festival Gala, with Faye Wong becoming a prime target. Although not directly named, the description of a “female singer bowing with hands clasped” clearly pointed to Faye Wong, as she was the only one to display such gesture during that night.
Black Ni not only urged netizens to treat Faye Wong kindly but also revealed that Faye Wong experienced emotional fluctuations during her performance, possibly related to the last lyrics of the song, “Those who have gone far, I wish them peace.” It is speculated that Faye Wong was thinking about her deceased loved ones while performing, as she bowed and clasped her hands together. Black Ni believed that Faye Wong might have been thinking about her family, now described as an orphan without her parents.
Some netizens expressed sympathy and remarked on the decreasing population in China, as Faye Wong’s family of four has lost three members. Videos released by netizens after the Spring Festival Gala showed Faye Wong leaving the stage with assistance, wrapped in a thick blanket, initially smiling but then appearing fatigued and pale.
Faye Wong, who has been through two marriages and has two daughters, Dou Jingtong and Li Yan, has maintained a low profile in recent years, rarely appearing in the public eye. This Lunar New Year, she was positioned as a significant highlight of the CCTV Spring Festival Gala, aiming to attract a broader audience. However, some netizens couldn’t help but reflect on the passage of time, commenting on Faye Wong’s aging appearance and their own aging process.