Mandopop star Jay Chou is still facing backlash days after his recent concerts in Singapore left many of his fans unsatisfied.
Chou performed two concerts at the Singapore National Stadium over the weekend as part of his Carnival World Tour. It seems plenty of those who attended came away less than impressed, with many complaining about the bad sound system, faulty lightsticks and even Chou’s singing.
“Can [notice] jay’s voice affected by [a] sore throat. […] We looking [for] “quality” but not “quantity” of voices. Lol 😂anyway very lousy and worse concert ever,” Esther Lim wrote on Facebook, referring to Chou bringing on some of his friends (who you might recognize from Chou’s Netflix series J-Style Trip) as guests to sing with him on stage.
One major problem that stood out to concertgoers was the lightsticks that were given out for free at the concert. They complained that the sticks, which came with batteries, didn’t work while others said they didn’t even receive them at all.
One user said only three out of 10 lightsticks among their group worked.
“The light stick already dampened our mood especially when we see others could light up but not ours. […] It’s not about we could still change [the] battery when we get home but it’s at the very moment we want it to use at Jay concert!!!” Huayching Chock wrote.
Concertgoers also accused the organizers of reusing the lightsticks from Chou’s concert in 2020.
@tanshushu18 Worried that your lightstick for jaychou’s carnival concert run out of battery? Here’s how to replace it. You need 3 x AAA battery. #jaychou #jaychouworldtour2022 #jaychoucarnivalworldtour2022 #jaychousingaporeconcert2022 #jaychouconcertlightstick ♬ Jay Chou – 本草纲目 (XING KONG Dubstep Flip) (AKA. Pleasant Holiday Travel) – XING KONG
The backlash was big enough that concert organizer G.H.Y Culture & Media released a statement yesterday apologizing for the quality of the lightsticks.
“We hear your feedback regarding the complimentary lightsticks that were given out at the concert and we are sorry that these lightsticks did not come up to your expectations,” they wrote.
The organizer denied that the lightsticks were recycled from Chou’s previous concert in 2020 and said that the “20” imprinted on them was meant to reflect the Carnival World Tour theme honoring his 20 plus years in music.
Regarding the issue with the batteries, G.H.Y said the faulty ones might have been due to them being used in the “repeated rehearsals” prior to the concert. They suggested that fans could still use the lightsticks by replacing the batteries.
They apologized again and said they will “strive to do better.”
G.H.Y Culture & Media has not immediately responded to Coconuts’ request for further comment.
Still, some weren’t convinced with their explanations and called them out.
“This excuse is so lame. I have my pictures from his 2020 concert and the lightstick is EXACTLY the same. Didn’t reuse? Please. So many of them had faded words,” Alphonsus Neo wrote in the comments.
Not just the lightsticks
The bad sound system was another major complaint. The large venue apparently drowned out Chou’s singing, making his voice soft and muffled.
Concertgoers also nitpicked the 43-year-old’s performance directly, with some alleging he couldn’t hit his high notes.
“Went for the 1st day concert.. was very disappointed with the sound system. Totally cannot hear what Jay is singing. The music is more loud [than] Jay,” Jenny Wee wrote.
Some also complained that the random magic show and fireworks segments inserted into the concert were unnecessary padding[s] considering the cost of tickets, which started at S$218.
“Very Disappointing! Jay Chou didn’t perform and sing well. The guest sing better than him…that’s right, we’re here for jay chou concert but not magic show or somebody else concert,” Asher Ang Shao Kai wrote.
Leave Jay Chou alone
Despite the flood of negative comments on his socials after the concert, Chou posted videos and photos from the performance and thanked fans for their “high” enthusiasm.
Die-hard fans came to Chou’s defense. One said he didn’t have any issues with the concert and even wept at one point while another told everyone to not “compare” singers in their 20s to those in their 40s. Another said that he “really tried his best.”
Celebrity friends Felicia Chin, Zoe Tay and Shane Pow shared photos and videos of themselves enjoying the concert.
This is not the first time Chou dealt with backlash over one of his concerts. Over 1,800 fans petitioned for a refund in 2016 over complaints that the singer’s performance at the Singapore Sports Hub had serious sound issues.
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