Singer 2024 Program Sparks Controversy, Singer Allegedly Forgets to Turn Off Microphone, Exposing Behind-the-Scenes Secrets

In mainland China, the controversial “dark box operations” frequently exposed in TV talent shows have been a topic of debate. Recently, the music talent show “Singer 2024” broadcasted on Hunan TV revealed an incident of “singer forgetting to turn off the microphone, exposing a hidden truth”, sparking public attention and discussion.

On the evening of July 26, the live finale of “Singer 2024” on Hunan TV concluded with Na Ying ultimately crowned as this season’s “Singing King”. The battle for the title this year adopted a group stage format instead of the more anticipated “wheel battle” in previous years. In the group stage, seven contestants were divided into three groups for a knockout competition to determine the ultimate “Singing King”.

According to reports from the Beijing Daily, the drawn grouping sequence revealed that the contestants were Hai Laiam – Fan Xiya, Sun Nan – Tan Weiwei, Xiang Timo, Na Ying, and Wang Sulong in one group. As the competition progressed, Faouzia Ouihya (Fan Xiya) and Chinese singers Sun Nan and Na Ying secured their spots in the finals.

During the second round of the competition, Fan Xiya’s performance of “RIP, love” showcased her control of high notes with an exotic Arabic twist, earning her acclaim. Last year, Fan Xiya was recognized in Forbes Middle East’s “30 Under 30 Entertainment Industry Elite” list. Despite her strong performance, Fan Xiya ultimately finished fourth in the competition, with Na Ying claiming the title of “Singing King”.

Following the announcement of the results, some netizens expressed skepticism. Criticisms included remarks such as, “The most unbelievable scandal in history, constantly lingered at the bottom, only occasionally reaching the top three! Being off-key or forgetting lyrics can still secure the Singing King title! Fooling the audience for months.” Trending topics like “musical competitions turning emotional” and “Dimash forgets to turn off the microphone” emerged on social media.

In the “Singer” competition, Kazakh male singer Dimash Kudaibergen performed the popular song “Lose Control” to support Xiang Timo. Dimash previously participated in the “Singer” program in 2017. Reports revealed that during a backstage livestream of the show, Dimash forgot to turn off his microphone and mistakenly whispered to Fan Xiya, “They said it must be a Chinese singer for you.”

This inadvertent action sparked a major controversy. In response, the “Singer” program team issued a statement on July 27 emphasizing the importance of truth and transparency in music competitions. The following evening, Dimash posted a video clarifying that his actual words were “Must be a Chinese singer for you” and not “Chinese singer before you”.

The voting system of “Singer” relies on the judging panel to select the season’s Singing King through votes, with each judge’s decision being crucial. However, the live vote count is not publicly disclosed, which may contribute to the lack of transparency and controversies surrounding the competition results.

Television talent shows in China have long been a subject of dispute. The late Chinese singer CoCo, who participated as a mentor on the music talent show “China’s Good Voice 2022” aired on Zhejiang TV last year, criticized the unfair competition format of the show. Zhejiang Radio and Television Group issued a public letter promising a thorough investigation into the matter. With the incident escalating, a majority of Chinese netizens supported CoCo’s stance, demanding the show to stop airing and expressing anger towards the production team and related entities, leading to repercussions felt by mentors like Na Ying who were involved in the show.