Music Recs: Hua Chenyu
May. 1st, 2021 01:13 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
forestsofpineSince getting into CDramas like Nirvana in Fire, Word of Honor, and The Untamed during lockdown last year, I've also been exploring more Chinese music. I started out mostly with drama soundtracks, but more recently YouTube's algorithm has been sending me clips from different Chinese singing shows and competitions.
One of the singers I've become a fan of as a result is Hua Chenyu, called Hua Hua by his fans. I thought it would be fun to write a post sharing some of the different songs and performances I've enjoyed. He has a great voice and amazing stage presence in live performances, and I especially enjoy how he blends different genres of music in his original songs and arrangements.
Quick caveat: I'm an American who doesn't speak any Chinese except the small handful of words I've picked up from CDramas, so I've done my best to find accurate information, but please let me know if you notice any mistakes.
⚠ for flashing lights, strobes, and other visual triggers in many of the videos shared below
My Favorite Singer 2018 Performances
Hua Chenyu was a competitor in Singer 2018, a Chinese singing competition show where he ultimately won second place.
平凡之路 - Ordinary Path
This is a cover of a song by Pu Shu. It's a lovely, moving performance of a beautiful song.
Here's the same performance with Eng subs
I also really like Pu Shu's original version of this song:
我管你 - I Don't Care
Like many of Hua Chenyu's original songs, this song is about the importance of believing in yourself.
Here's a music video version with English subs.
双节棍 - Nunchucks
This is a cover of a rap song by Jay Chou. Hua Chenyu's arrangement blends multiple styles, including rap, rock, and even Chinese opera. It's incredibly creative and a really fun performance.
Here's the same performance with English subs
易燃易爆炸 - Super Explosive
I've also seen the title of this song translated as "Flammable and Explosive". This choice of performance was a last minute change because Hua Chenyu learned of the death of the lyricist Shang Mengdi and chose to perform her song dressed in black as a tribute to her. The lyrics were unfortunately slightly censored and changed for this performance, but the raw emotion is still clear. The song is from a female POV and is about the soul-crushing and contradictory expectations placed on women.
He originally performed the uncensored version of the song in The Next, another singing competition he participated in, about which more below. Here's that performance, with English subs.
假行僧 - Fake Monk
This is an arrangement of a classic song by Cui Jian. It's an unusual and powerful performance that expresses the pain of loneliness and depression.
Here is a version with English subtitles and some additional content in which he talks about his inspiration for the arrangement and why the song is so important to him:
齐天 - Equal To Heaven
This is one of Hua Chenyu's original songs. It is the theme song for a movie called Wu Kong and has an epic feel to it.
Here's the same performance with English subs
My Favorite Singer 2020 Performances
Hua Hua returned to Singer for Singer 2020 and won first place, the first returning singer to do so.
寒鸦少年 - The Jackdaw Boy
The Jackdaw Boy was written by Hua Chenyu as the theme song for a drama that seems to have multiple translations of the title. Wikipedia has it listed as Battle Through the Heavens.
Here's a studio version of the same song, with English subtitles.
斗牛 - Bullfighting
This is a really hard-hitting, powerful, and philosophical song that makes me wish I knew Chinese to fully appreciate the lyrics and read more about his inspiration in writing it. It seems like the kind of song you can listen to 100 times and still find something new. I like his plea to "Pay tribute to and respect all lives regardless of stature" and his ending declaration: "Following our kind nature – it’s the last pride and chance of the victory of mankind"
⚠ for clips of real Spanish bullfights
Here is a music video version with English subs. ⚠ for stylized scenes of bullfighting and graphic descriptions of violence
好想愛這個世界啊 - I Really Want to Love This World
This is QUITE the contrast with the previous song in style - a lovely and sad but hopeful song about trying to overcome loneliness, depression, and suicidal thoughts
Another performance of the song, with English subs
强迫症 - Madhouse
A catchy tune with emotional lyrics, dealing again with mental health
Another performance, with English subs
More Favorite Performances
齐天大圣 - Great Sage Equal of Heaven
This song comes from a show called The Next, where Hua Chenyu participated as a celebrity mentor in 2016 and 2017. Aspiring singers could assign a song to a celebrity mentor and challenge them to perform it with just 24 hours to prepare. Hua Chenyu did so well that his opponents started to give him harder and harder music to arrange. "My Skateboard Shoes", based on a viral song, is probably the best known of his performances in the show, but for this challenge, he was assigned the wordless theme song of a 1980s tv drama called Journey To Heaven (aka The Monkey King), and this is the result (with English subtitles):
Fellow Word of Honor fans may be interested to learn that Zhang Zhehan, who played Zhou Zishu in the drama, performed an impromptu duet of the chorus together with Hua Chenyu in March 2021:
Again, I don't speak Chinese, but by comparing the subtitles from Hua Chenyu's original performance, I think the lyrics they sing are these:
Who has not fallen in love with freedom?
Who has not climbed the high tower alone?
Who has not sacrificed for dreams?
Who has not walked in solitude?
Boldly I wreck havoc in Heaven's Palace
I am just afraid you would rather watch the sky in tears
Than stride ahead with your head held high
I'm not sure if the choice of song to perform was connected to Zhang Zhehan's character in the drama or not, but those are honestly some pretty great lyrics for both Zhou Zishu and Wen Kexing at different points in Word of Honor.
Update: Nov 2021
Hua Chenyu recently released an official live video of his song "飛行模式", which is usually translated as "Airplane Mode" or "Flight Mode". I really liked it!
Other Resources
When I was starting to become a fan, I found this post by Rose from Wretched and Divine that shared information about his performances in Singer 2018. It was really helpful as a starting point for me to begin to explore more of his music, so I'm sharing the link for anyone reading this post as well. Rose has several other posts about Hua Hua on her blog, including Superstar Spotlight: Hua Chenyu and Top 4 华晨宇 Hua Chenyu Song Arrangements.
Here are some other useful links to explore more:
Happy listening!
One of the singers I've become a fan of as a result is Hua Chenyu, called Hua Hua by his fans. I thought it would be fun to write a post sharing some of the different songs and performances I've enjoyed. He has a great voice and amazing stage presence in live performances, and I especially enjoy how he blends different genres of music in his original songs and arrangements.
Quick caveat: I'm an American who doesn't speak any Chinese except the small handful of words I've picked up from CDramas, so I've done my best to find accurate information, but please let me know if you notice any mistakes.
⚠ for flashing lights, strobes, and other visual triggers in many of the videos shared below
My Favorite Singer 2018 Performances
Hua Chenyu was a competitor in Singer 2018, a Chinese singing competition show where he ultimately won second place.
平凡之路 - Ordinary Path
This is a cover of a song by Pu Shu. It's a lovely, moving performance of a beautiful song.
Here's the same performance with Eng subs
I also really like Pu Shu's original version of this song:
我管你 - I Don't Care
Like many of Hua Chenyu's original songs, this song is about the importance of believing in yourself.
Here's a music video version with English subs.
双节棍 - Nunchucks
This is a cover of a rap song by Jay Chou. Hua Chenyu's arrangement blends multiple styles, including rap, rock, and even Chinese opera. It's incredibly creative and a really fun performance.
Here's the same performance with English subs
易燃易爆炸 - Super Explosive
I've also seen the title of this song translated as "Flammable and Explosive". This choice of performance was a last minute change because Hua Chenyu learned of the death of the lyricist Shang Mengdi and chose to perform her song dressed in black as a tribute to her. The lyrics were unfortunately slightly censored and changed for this performance, but the raw emotion is still clear. The song is from a female POV and is about the soul-crushing and contradictory expectations placed on women.
He originally performed the uncensored version of the song in The Next, another singing competition he participated in, about which more below. Here's that performance, with English subs.
假行僧 - Fake Monk
This is an arrangement of a classic song by Cui Jian. It's an unusual and powerful performance that expresses the pain of loneliness and depression.
Here is a version with English subtitles and some additional content in which he talks about his inspiration for the arrangement and why the song is so important to him:
齐天 - Equal To Heaven
This is one of Hua Chenyu's original songs. It is the theme song for a movie called Wu Kong and has an epic feel to it.
Here's the same performance with English subs
My Favorite Singer 2020 Performances
Hua Hua returned to Singer for Singer 2020 and won first place, the first returning singer to do so.
寒鸦少年 - The Jackdaw Boy
The Jackdaw Boy was written by Hua Chenyu as the theme song for a drama that seems to have multiple translations of the title. Wikipedia has it listed as Battle Through the Heavens.
Here's a studio version of the same song, with English subtitles.
斗牛 - Bullfighting
This is a really hard-hitting, powerful, and philosophical song that makes me wish I knew Chinese to fully appreciate the lyrics and read more about his inspiration in writing it. It seems like the kind of song you can listen to 100 times and still find something new. I like his plea to "Pay tribute to and respect all lives regardless of stature" and his ending declaration: "Following our kind nature – it’s the last pride and chance of the victory of mankind"
⚠ for clips of real Spanish bullfights
Here is a music video version with English subs. ⚠ for stylized scenes of bullfighting and graphic descriptions of violence
好想愛這個世界啊 - I Really Want to Love This World
This is QUITE the contrast with the previous song in style - a lovely and sad but hopeful song about trying to overcome loneliness, depression, and suicidal thoughts
Another performance of the song, with English subs
强迫症 - Madhouse
A catchy tune with emotional lyrics, dealing again with mental health
Another performance, with English subs
More Favorite Performances
齐天大圣 - Great Sage Equal of Heaven
This song comes from a show called The Next, where Hua Chenyu participated as a celebrity mentor in 2016 and 2017. Aspiring singers could assign a song to a celebrity mentor and challenge them to perform it with just 24 hours to prepare. Hua Chenyu did so well that his opponents started to give him harder and harder music to arrange. "My Skateboard Shoes", based on a viral song, is probably the best known of his performances in the show, but for this challenge, he was assigned the wordless theme song of a 1980s tv drama called Journey To Heaven (aka The Monkey King), and this is the result (with English subtitles):
Fellow Word of Honor fans may be interested to learn that Zhang Zhehan, who played Zhou Zishu in the drama, performed an impromptu duet of the chorus together with Hua Chenyu in March 2021:
Again, I don't speak Chinese, but by comparing the subtitles from Hua Chenyu's original performance, I think the lyrics they sing are these:
Who has not fallen in love with freedom?
Who has not climbed the high tower alone?
Who has not sacrificed for dreams?
Who has not walked in solitude?
Boldly I wreck havoc in Heaven's Palace
I am just afraid you would rather watch the sky in tears
Than stride ahead with your head held high
I'm not sure if the choice of song to perform was connected to Zhang Zhehan's character in the drama or not, but those are honestly some pretty great lyrics for both Zhou Zishu and Wen Kexing at different points in Word of Honor.
Update: Nov 2021
Hua Chenyu recently released an official live video of his song "飛行模式", which is usually translated as "Airplane Mode" or "Flight Mode". I really liked it!
Other Resources
When I was starting to become a fan, I found this post by Rose from Wretched and Divine that shared information about his performances in Singer 2018. It was really helpful as a starting point for me to begin to explore more of his music, so I'm sharing the link for anyone reading this post as well. Rose has several other posts about Hua Hua on her blog, including Superstar Spotlight: Hua Chenyu and Top 4 华晨宇 Hua Chenyu Song Arrangements.
Here are some other useful links to explore more:
Happy listening!
