Jay Chou's virtual concerts attract over 70 million fans

Two concerts by pop icon Jay Chou were re-screened through online platforms under Tencent Music Entertainment Group, including QQ Music, Kugou and WeChat, attracting over 70 million viewers in total.

Screened during the weekend from May 20 to 21, the concerts, taken from Chou's 2012 Ferris Wheel tour and 2019 Strongest on the Surface tour, won applause from nostalgic fans, especially amid the coronavirus pandemic when clubs, bars and outdoor music festivals are forced to close.

Chou has been enjoying a large fan base in Asia ever since he released his debut album Jay in 2000. The singer-songwriter hasn't released any new albums since 2016, except for Mojito, a single that he released in June 2020. Many of his fans have been anticipating for his new album for years.

This is not the first time for an online concert to go viral in China. In December 2021, Irish boy band Westlife held their first virtual concert through Chinese social media platform WeChat and attracted 27.9 million viewers. A 4K remaster of the late Hong Kong singer Leslie Cheung's 2000 Passion Tour concert, released in April, earned more than 17 million views. Also in April, veteran rock musician Cui Jian launched his first virtual concert, attracting more than 40 million people.

Though virtual concerts cannot replace live shows that provide immersive viewing experiences and interactions, music lovers find online concerts as a great way to entertain themselves, especially those who are under quarantine during this difficult time.