One week after announcing she was cancer-free, British pop star Jessie J performed on the Chinese singing competition Singer on May 29, belting out Frank Sinatra's My Way and her new song California, with lyrics adapted to reference Changsha, the host city. The singer, whose real name is Jessica Cornish, told her 821,600 Weibo followers that returning to China was 'nostalgic' and that being widely recognised and loved meant more than people could imagine.
Cornish first broke into the Chinese market in 2018 when she won Singer, a show that can attract over 20 billion views per episode. Since then, the Chinese recorded music market has risen from seventh to fourth globally, overtaking Germany, thanks to a crackdown on illegal streaming and growing demand from digitally-savvy young fans. 'I just think in life you should go where you're celebrated and I feel so celebrated there,' Cornish told the Guardian.
Other Western acts are following suit, though the bar has been raised since the pandemic. Alex Taggart, founder of music consultancy Isle Of, noted that with foreign artists unable to enter China during Covid, the domestic industry raised its game, making it harder for international acts to succeed. Westlife, which has performed in China over 20 times, impressed fans by singing a Mandarin cover of The Ordinary Road in 2023 and performing at the Spring Festival Gala to over 650 million viewers.
Charli XCX also won over Chinese fans by collaborating with electronic musician Howie Lee on a Mandarin version of her hit Boys. Taggart attributes the appeal of artists like Jessie J and Westlife to their ballad style and vocal prowess, which Chinese audiences particularly value. 'They love somebody with pipes,' he said. Cornish echoed this, saying she appreciates how Chinese audiences respect and celebrate voices and technique.
