Malaysian singer Vanessa Reynauld will return to China once 'Sing! China' goes back on air. Photo: Chan Tak Kong/The Star
For those familiar with the Chinese reality show Sing! China, formerly known as The Voice Of China, getting all four coaches to turn their chairs to you in the blind auditions can be challenging.
However, this was a feat Malaysian singer Vanessa Reynauld achieved in the eighth and latest season of the show (The popular talent show has been plagued with controversy lately but more on this later).
During the blind auditions, Reynauld left the coaching panel awestruck after performing her rendition of Riding The Wind.
The mentors – Emil Chou, Joker Xue, Wilber Pan and Henry Lau – even suggested that her version outshined the original, sung by Taiwanese singer David Huang.
While each was eager to include her in their respective teams, Reynauld chose Chou as her coach, saying that she hopes to improve her singing skills by learning from the popular artiste himself.
Although the singer easily won the heart of all four mentors, the path leading up to that moment was rocky.
It all started when a producer from China reached out to Reynauld after clips of her singing went viral on Douyin, the Chinese counterpart of TikTok.
“She messaged me asking if I was interested in joining Sing! China this year. However, I only saw the message three months later in April as I wasn’t aware Douyin had a message column.
“I thought I was a little too late, but I had nothing to lose so I decided to reply.
“Fortunately, they were able to squeeze me into the last session of the online audition with the producers of the show,” she told StarLifestyle in an interview in Kuala Lumpur recently.
The 22-year-old added that preparation for Sing! China took two months, with the actual filming starting in the first week of July.
She spent the entire month of May recording demos of Chinese songs sent by the show’s producers and practised with vocal coaches in China for the whole of June.
Reynauld belts out a song on 'Sing! China'. Photos: Handout
“The producers wanted to see how long I would take to learn a new song, my pronunciation of the words and how I perform a Chinese song.
“I had to learn one new song every day and then go to the studio the next day to sing in front of the producers,” she said.
Always one to appreciate even the smallest achievements, Reynauld regarded advancing through auditions in such a huge competition as a privilege.
However, she admitted that contending on the global stage brought about considerable pressure.
“There’s always that worry about forgetting lines, being compared, receiving unfavourable comments from the coaches and so on.
“But it is this type of competitive environment that really gives a good learning experience,” she said.
Making her mark
Cheeky, confident and brimming with energy, Reynauld has a strong presence both off and on the stage.
The Klang-born powerhouse is of Indian-Chinese parentage, with a mix of French from her father’s side.
Citing Grammy-winning singer Whitney Houston as her biggest musical inspiration, Reynauld said it has always been her biggest dream to become a globally recognised singer.
Despite having a knack for sports like taekwondo and track and field during her school years, pursuing a career in music was something that “felt right”.
“I started singing as a hobby when I was four and discovered my talent after joining a singing competition when I was 12.
“From there, I knew that I didn’t want to let my talent go to waste, so I started practising and honing my skills.
“I was lucky to develop a passion in pursuing music at a young age, and I feel grateful to have a full-time job I love because not everyone has the opportunity to turn their hobby into a career,” she said.
Reynauld kickstarted her music career in 2015 after placing fourth in the third season of local singing contest, Ceria Popstar.
The talented artiste made waves abroad in 2016 after clinching a silver medal in China’s Water Cube Cup singing contest.
She also finished first runner-up in The Masked Singer Malaysia in 2020.
Last January, Reynauld was featured on the New York Times Square digital billboard in the United States as part of Spotify’s Equal campaign – which aims to foster equity for women in music globally.
Reynauld appears on the New York Times Square digital billboard in the United States.
She added another feather to her cap in September 2022 after winning the Best New Artiste prize at Anugerah Industri Muzik 23 (AIM23) for her song, Buat Ku Sempurna.
The singer also had the opportunity to perform with Canadian rock band Simple Plan during its concert at Zepp Kuala Lumpur in March this year.
Reynauld has released multiple singles since her debut including Putus, Demi Cinta and Andai Itu Takdirnya.
Her latest single, IGAU, tells the story of a woman who yearns for a partner capable of providing love and happiness for eternity.
Sing! China in trouble
Sing! China marks a significant milestone for Reynauld.
In fact, her audition clip has garnered many positive comments from netizens on Weibo – who cheered for her victory in the competition.
However, Reynauld’s journey in Sing! China is currently put on hold as the show has been suspended.
This happened after claims of alleged mistreatment of the late pop diva Coco Lee by the show’s crew.
In July, a leaked audio clip purportedly of Lee claiming she was “humiliated” and “bullied” on the show made its rounds on the Internet.
The Hong Kong-American singer, who died at 48 on July 5, was one of the mentors on the programme last year.
In the nine-minute recording, Lee could be heard questioning why a contestant with higher marks was eliminated while another with lower marks was given a second chance.
Coco Lee claimed she was mistreated during her time as a coach on 'Sing! China'. Photo: Sing! China/Weibo
After speaking out against the show’s “unfair system”, Lee claimed that she was threatened by the crew to have security guards remove her from stage.
She added that a woman grabbed her shirt and tried to pull her offstage too.
In the audio clip, Lee – who went for surgery early February to treat a defect in her left leg – also claimed that the production team initially agreed to her request for her mentee, Wang Zepeng, to accompany her onstage during the last day of filming as she couldn’t stand on her feet for too long.
However, the crew reportedly cued Wang to walk away from Lee during the actual filming of the show in October 2022, causing the pop diva to collapse on stage.
Sing! China’s production team addressed the claims in a statement on Aug 17, saying that the viral audio clip was edited with malicious intent, and that it disrespected the late singer and damaged the show’s reputation.
On Aug 20, Zhejiang Media Group acknowledged that the programme may have fallen short of viewers’ expectations and said it would investigate the issues raised.
The broadcaster later announced on Aug 25 that it would temporarily suspend Sing! China due to the ongoing investigations into the issues raised by viewers and netizens regarding the show.
Despite the circumstances, Reynauld’s publicist confirmed with StarLifestyle that the singer does not plan on withdrawing and will return to China once the programme goes back on air.
The spokesperson added that even though Sing! China is temporarily suspended, Reynauld will continue with her vocal training.
Journey to self-love
Aside from singing, Reynauld enjoys cooking, sharing comedic content on her social media accounts and watching fashion and beauty content.
“Although I love doing my own makeup and painting my nails, I wouldn’t consider myself to be a girly kind of woman.
“I still prefer wearing baggy clothes and sneakers. Like you would be lucky to catch me in a dress,” she said with a laugh.
Despite the confident image she projects on social media and during our interview, Reynauld – who studied at a Chinese primary school – revealed that she used to struggle with loving herself and fitting in.
Despite the confident image she portrays, Reynauld reveals that she once struggled with loving herself. Photo: Vanessa Reynauld/Instagram“Back then, not many non-Chinese would go to a Chinese school, so people were not really accepting of those who looked different.
“I was afraid to go to school because of the bullying, ridicule... people just couldn’t see me as a normal human being,” she lamented, adding that she would mask her feelings by “being loud”.
Fast-forward to her high school years, the singer decided to break the cycle of self-criticism – saying that she got tired of complaining about her hair, body and dark complexion.
She added that she used to find solace in watching videos of young women who resembled her and were confident and comfortable in their own skin.
“That was when I decided that I wanted to be as carefree as them, so I changed my mindset.
“Over time, I learned to accept that the way I look is beautiful too. I also learned to appreciate that everyone in this world is unique.
“No one is like the other, and that’s what makes all of us special. I am special,” she said.
Although Reynauld still receives mean comments from Internet trolls about her appearance from time to time, she said that she’s less affected by it now.
Of who has shaped her into the resilient woman she is today, the singer credited her family.
“I am strong because of my family. My brother (Christopher) is a special boy. He has Down syndrome. He’s totally dependent, so I am the one who takes care of him daily.
“Christopher is the true love of our family. He made me feel perfect,” she said in an Instagram post last January.
As for her advice for someone struggling to love themselves, Reynauld told StarLifestyle that it was important to learn to accept their flaws as no one was perfect.
“If that insecurity is something you can change, then you can try fixing it if it is eating you up.
“But I honestly feel that even after you have overcome these insecurities, it may come back to haunt you in the future and the struggle to perfection continues.
“If you learn to accept yourself for the way you are, nothing others say can ruin your day, so chin up!”
Embracing opportunities
Reynauld’s positive outlook in life is indeed admirable.
Rather than paying attention to negativity, she is choosing to focus on her music career. Presently, the singer is keen on building a stronger fanbase for herself.
When asked if she has an interest to further her career in China, Reynauld said she is keeping her options open.
“I have thought about developing (a career) there, but I also value my career in Malaysia.
“I have been trying my hardest to penetrate the Malaysian industry, and I have gotten some results out of it so I will continue to pursue a career here.
“But I’m not closing any other doors. If there are opportunities in China, I will consider it. For now, it’s important for me to build a strong fanbase in Malaysia,” she said.
