Bystanders initially thought the pregnant woman had “fainted”, only to be shocked later by news reports that she was actually in labour. - Photo: Xiaohongshu
KUALA LUMPUR: Social media has been buzzing about a devoted fan of “King of Mandopop” Jay Chou, who gave birth during his recent concert in Malaysia.
On October 26, multiple witnesses took to social media to report that a fan of the Taiwanese musician gave birth to a baby girl while waiting to enter the Bukit Jalil Stadium in Kuala Lumpur.
A Malaysian fan, who shared a video from the scene under the account @Angel_1125 on Douyin, initially thought the woman “fainted”, but was shocked to learn from news reports that she was in labour at the venue.
In another video, fellow fans waiting for the concert were seen cheering around the new mother, exclaiming: “It’s born!”
“The baby was eager to hear Jay Chou’s music with her own ears,” one user quipped.
“The first song the baby heard was ‘Listen to Mother’,” another joked, referencing Chou’s song dedicated to his mother, Yeh Hui-mei.
“She must be very devoted to Jay Chou to attend his concert so close to her due date, but that can be quite risky,” a third commented.
A colleague of the father, a Chinese cook working at a Sichuan restaurant in Malaysia, reported that the mother, a Malaysian local, and her newborn daughter were in good health.
The father, Peng Jian, told the Malaysian newspaper China Press that they have already chosen a name for their daughter, although he did not disclose it.
He added that he did not take the advice of online observers who suggested naming her after Chou.
Peng expressed that they would love to attend another Chou concert if he holds one in Malaysia again.
The 45-year-old superstar has maintained immense popularity in the Mandarin-speaking world since his debut in 2000.
His latest album, Greatest Works of Art, released in 2022, was an instant success, amassing more than 150 million streams within just eight hours of its release, six years after his previous album.
According to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, the album was the world’s bestselling album that year, surpassing those by Blackpink, BTS, and Taylor Swift. Chou was also recognised as Spotify’s top Mandopop artist in 2022 and 2023.
His ongoing Carnival World Tour marks the star’s seventh major tour. It began in 2019, faced a hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and resumed in December 2022.
The tour has already spanned Asia, Australia, and Europe.
On a lighter note, Chou’s immense popularity has even aided police efforts against crime.
In 2018, a man wanted for embezzlement travelled with his girlfriend from Guangzhou in southern China to southeastern Fuzhou to attend Chou’s concert, only to be arrested in their hotel room before the show.
The man later revealed he had been a fan of Chou for over 10 years and pleaded with the police to let him attend the concert before being taken into custody. His request was denied. - South China Morning Post
