The mainland Chinese singing competition show “Singer 2024” (referred to as “Singer 5”) that aired on the 10th has been constantly making headlines, especially for its use of live and unedited competition format, which left many contestants nervous even before taking the stage. Na Ying, who has been in the industry for over 40 years, admitted to feeling immense pressure and even had an emotional breakdown before the competition began.
Na Ying has recently been appearing on another variety show called “Cute Detectives 2024.” On the 17th, behind-the-scenes footage released by the show’s official account showed Na Ying chatting with celebrities like Huang Zitao and Xu Zhisheng during breaks to vent and relieve stress.
In the video, Na Ying tells Huang Zitao, “I’m going to report to ‘Singer,’ it’s live, you know?” Huang Zitao reacts with astonishment, exclaiming, “That’s intense!” Na Ying sighs and helplessly says, “Right now, we are all falling apart, sigh!”
Xu Zhisheng, who rose to fame from “Talk Show Convention,” immediately comes over to encourage Na Ying, but she remains anxious, saying, “Anyone can make mistakes, the pressure is immense.” She further expresses that especially singing covers this time will be somewhat challenging, as even before her first time on stage, she felt weak in the legs, showing signs of nervousness repeatedly.
This season of “Singer” differs from past recordings as it is the first time it is being broadcast live, presenting the contestants’ real-time performances to the audience. Through the voting of 500 on-site viewers and 500 international online judges, the results of the first episode showed that American R&B singer Chante Moore and Canadian singer Faouzia Ouihya, who excel in the R&B style, took the top two spots. Since Na Ying secured the third position, mainland netizens humorously mocked “Singer 2024” as “Na Ying’s Adventure Against Foreigners.”
Though Na Ying gave a normal performance, her nervous demeanor compared to the foreign singers’ ease on stage has led to her trending on Weibo multiple times. As the two foreign singers invited ranked higher, mainland netizens have become passionate, rushing to the Weibo posts of powerhouse singers, urging them to “Defend the national pride.”
On the evening of the 17th, “Singer 5” aired its second episode, where in addition to the original lineup of Na Ying, Angelababy, Wang Su Long, Hailai Amu, rock band Second Hand Roses, American singer Chante Moore, and Moroccan-Canadian singer Faouzia, Huang Xuan and the Chinese band “Hangai Band” joined the competition.
The top three in this round were champion Faouzia, runner-up Na Ying, and third place Chante Moore. Taiwanese singer Angelababy and the Chinese band “Second Hand Roses” were eliminated due to their poor overall rankings in the two episodes.