Jessie J's win on Chinese TV show: A cultural and commercial success

It indeed surprised many people when Jessie J popped up on the show. The Daily Mail said she was a guest. The BBC likened the program to the "X Factor." But neither of these were correct. "Singer" is not a talent show for amateurs. The competition is open to professional singers only, and some of the contestants are already famous nationwide. Every week, professional singers compete on the same stage, and the studio audience votes to eliminate one of them. Before Jessie J, more than 10 foreign singers had participated in the show, but they were all from Asian countries. So, many people wondered, why would Jessie J, as the hit-making British pop star and youngest judge on "The Voice U.K.," choose to compete on a Chinese TV show so far from home?

After Jessie J won the competition, she wrote a long post on Instagram in which she used the words "unexpected," "incredible," "amazing" and "magical" to describe her feelings over the past three and half months in China.

But while audiences and media worldwide were surprised by the singer's appearance on the show, Jessie J found that she was in for a few surprises of her own.

Jessie J: I hear it (Chinese music) in so many different elements now because I've heard different genres of Chinese music. So for me that was a huge eye-opening experience. Xinnianhao. (Happy New Year.) It's a very proud culture that's very heavily set on tradition. Gongxifacai. (May you be prosperous.) Hongbaonalai. (Give me gift money.) I feel so grateful that I was given this opportunity to spark some kind of gap between two cultures.

Besides breaking down cultural barriers, Jessie J has also gained enormous popularity in China and other Asian countries. Her last album was not selling well, so there were guesses that she joined the show for money.

This makes some sense. China's music market is flourishing. Last year, sales of Taylor Swift's new album reached 5 million yuan, equivalent to over US$789,000, in seven days after it was released in China on QQ Music, a music streaming and download service in the country. It's only natural that Jessie J, as a pop singer, wants to have her music heard by more people. Her respect for the stage and the audience, as well as her professional competence, deserves applause.

Jessie J: I feel like my personality, more so than my voice, has been accepted, which is really important to me.

At the same time, Jessie J's huge number of fans worldwide have helped increase the popularity of "Singer" overseas. Because of this show, more people outside the country have begun to follow Chinese music and musicians. This is a success both in terms of cultural exchange and commerce. Getting closer to each other is a good start of a new friendship.

China Mosaic
http://www.china.org.cn/video/node_7230027.htm

Jessie J's win on Chinese TV show: A cultural and commercial success
http://www.china.org.cn/video/2018-05/04/content_51114640.htm  

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