HIS distinctive voice overwhelmed R&B Friday night as Chen Chusheng was crowned “Super Boy” at the “Happy Boy” singing contest organized by Hunan TV.
Chen, 26, from Hainan Province but currently living in Shenzhen, prevailed over R&B singer Su Xing, 23, of Xi’an, Shaanxi Province, after a triumphant performance Friday that wowed the show’s judges and viewers who gave him a record 3.318 million votes.
“Dad, I love you, and I’d like to thank all the people who gave me their support and voted for me. And many thanks to all the judges, too,” Chen said.
Chen, who began singing in Shenzhen pubs when he was 19, is apparently unfazed by waves of emotion. His deep eyes appear to gaze far into the distance. He smiles, but only mildly. He looks a bit shy, but is quite masculine. He is particularly good at singing love songs. But his love songs are mainly about the hardships and coldness of city life and a strong will in the face of setbacks.
About two months ago, Chen first auditioned in Xi’an singing his original song “Girl,” which took him into the next round. The judges were impressed with his distinctive vocal and instrumental ability.
During the three-hour final, Chen and Su sang six songs independently and both of them performed well.
Wu Zhoutong, one of the judges of the contest, said: “Su is a star. But Chen’s voice is so special that he lends most love songs a crisp, heavenly note. He sings slowly, yet his voice penetrates. He is a star, singing from the bottom of his heart.”
Taiwan-based songwriter and singer Moo Kai-yin, another judge, expressed his feelings by saying Chen delivered his songs simply and powerfully and said he would like to support him for the rest of his life.
“Chen is an awesome singer,” said Shen Lihui, also a judge for the night. “He is perfect.”