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China has got no Susan Boyle

(China Daily)
Updated: 2009-06-09 09:26

Would someone like Susan Boyle make money in today's Chinese music market? Producer Yang Jiasong is not that optimistic.

"You cannot judge whether a singer is successful or not merely by the number of albums he or she can sell," he says. "It is also about their ability to get offers to appear in TV commercials, series and films. Someone like Boyle may have many people wanting to buy her albums but I worry about her marketability in other fields, which favor good looks more."

But Song Ke, CEO of Taihe Rye Music Co, disagrees.

"I'd be optimistic about a singer's prospects if we had someone who sang really well and had his or her own unique personality," he says.

"They could be the face of products targeting their own groups in the audience and could get suitable roles in TV or films as long as they are popular enough. Look at Wang Baoqiang (a plain-looking construction worker-turned actor) - he is now promoting a budget car."

The selection process for this year's show has been changed in a way that Tan thinks will hinder the birth of a new Boyle.

The industry regulator, the State Administration of Radio, TV and Film, has ordered the cancellation of the short message voting session, an important pusher of the show's popularity in previous seasons. One widely speculated reason is that in former contests some wealthy contestants used this feature to gain an unfair advantage.

"The judges' opinion will be more important this year," says Tan, a 10-year veteran of TV and film industry. "On the face of it the show will be more professional but the truth is that organizers will find it easier to influence the results, by influencing the judges in various ways. And, of course, the organizers will choose those who they think will make big money."

Li won't comment on it and declares only that the show cares a lot about viewers' opinions. "It is indeed a pity," he says. "We have tried to include online surveys and never stop thinking of other ways to learn what the mass audience wants."

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