Favorite Songs At the Moment: “Diamonds” and “Let Her Go”

Don’t know about anyone else, but Youtube song covers introduce me to most of my new favorites. Youtube should be your default source for new mainstream music, indie music, and originals. I didn’t even know about Diamonds (even though it was popular apparently…) and of course would never have checked out British-indie ballad from Passenger called “Let Her Go” if it wasn’t for these awesome covers.
Melina’s cover of Rihanna’s catchy “Diamonds” (this reminds me of “Airplanes” by B.O.B)
Tyler Ward’s cover of Passenger’s “Let Her Go, a soothing and above all, meaningful ballad
what have you been listening to this week? Share in the comments 😀
Best of this year’s Super Boy performances (videos)

Been covering China’s Super Boy singing competition on Underrated Gems, introduction to Super Boys – Top 20 – Top 10. Too lazy to catch up on the show? From the competition so far, these 8 performances were the highlights for me.
Most infectious: Yu Tian performs “Zi You Zi Zai” In less than one minute – Everyone get a ‘beautiful high’. No drugs involved 😉
What a story! Unique points for this guy: Wang Jing, performs “I Can CHUA”
Can you not tear up after hearing this? I broke my replay button. (just kid! there’s no replay button on laptop, silly) Liu Junyu brings us a Meteor Garden favorite “The Love You Want” Read More…
The torturous battle for China’s top 20 singers & predictions who will be the winners
Why Chinese singing competitions are a gamble. You toss out the pretty boys but then groom the ones who are left into “idol singers”. Since the Top 20 finalists are already determined, I will tell you 10 contestants who I predict will win in this year’s Super Boy. In less than 22 hours, we will see how many of my predictions came true.

Can you spot your favorites who made the top20?
My Predictions for Top 10 Are (bolded are ones I personally hope will get in):
- 华晨宇 Hua Chenyu
- 宋伟 Song Wei
- 于湉 Yu Tian
- 贾盛强 Jia Sheng Qiang
- 宁桓宇 Ning Huanyu
- 白举纲 Bai Jugang
- 王启 Wang Qi
- 张阳阳 Zhang Yang Yang
- 欧豪 Ou Hao
- 范世琦 Fan Shiqi
By the way, the 10 finalists will be determined on July 26th! Mark your calendars if you think you’ll be tuning in (curiousity kills the cat).
Here are my favorites out of all the contestants (some who have already been eliminated and some are in the finalists):
于朦胧, 刘俊宇,王博文, 王晶, 范世琦, 马晨, 谢彬彬, 魏一宁,杨洋,魏帅, 华晨宇, 何天宇












10 Contemporary Chinese Singers To Know (Part 1 out of 2)
If you’re interested in contemporary Chinese music but don’t know where to start, get ready to meet some of our favorite music artists here at UnderratedGems.
1. JJ lin
Lin Jun Jie, more known as JJ lin, is a big name across Asia, alongside the likes of Jay Chou and Wang Lee Hom. Singaporean Mandopop singer-songwriter, composer, and actor. Don’t miss Never Learn, which brings a fistful of emotion to the table. Practice Love was dedicated to victims of SilkAir Flight MI185 crash in 1997, and animated music video for it was breathtaking. Cao Cao is an upbeat, catchy song about a hero from The Three Kingdoms (era of Chinese history).
2. Xian Zi
Xianzi became famous among internet composers in Guangdong province. In 2005, she was discovered by a Taiwanese producer and became a singer. In 2006, Xianzi sang a famous duet called “Bu De Bu Ai ” with singer Will Pan. Looking for a slower-paced, moving ballad? Tian Zhen is an emotional roller-coaster. And, if you’re into rock music, you may want to try Ni Feng de Qiang Wei 逆風的薔薇. Besides these songs, I highly recommend googling Xianzi – she has so many good songs (JJ Lin too!), you almost cannot go wrong.
3. Wei Chen
Chinese pop singer and actor, who rose to fame through Super Boy, a televised singing competitions. He is best known through his album “Disparate” and his role as Ye Shuo on Meteor Shower. Dust 埃尘 is a gorgeous (seductive) piece that displays Wei Chen’s wide range of vocal ability and talents in kpop dancing.
4. Jasmine Leong
Leong is a Malaysian-Chinese singer who is a well-known name throughout Asia. Leong, known as “the Queen of Love Songs”, is famous for Read More…
Cantopop: “once said” by Shiga Lin
Shiga Lin is a Hong Kong model and actress whose starred in HK film Lan Kwai Fong 喜愛夜蒲. For non-Chinese speakers, this is in fact a cantonese song, which I haven’t featured before on this site (usually focused on mandarin-chinese songs) since I barely listen to cantopop. The music video, called Once Said, has already amassed over 1 million hits within a three month period. Soothing and rich in meaning, Shiga’s new song can rival her already popular english ballad I’m Still Loving You, which was on Lan Kwai Fong’s OST. Really great singer if you are looking for cantonese songs.
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