A new King of Songs is born! "Those Days • These Songs" Singing Contest Season 2, hosted by Fairchild TV and co-organized by Talentvision TV, Fairchild Radio AM1430, and PLEM, was successfully held on June 26. No. 6, David Ruan, won the judges' favour with his "Soul Ballad" and "Small Town Girl" performances, securing the championship! The first and second runners-up were won by No. 10, Daniel Dai, and No. 9, Rachel Wong. Daniel also received the Golden Voice Award.
The event invited esteemed music professionals as judges: famous composer, Mr. William Hu, well-known musician, Mr. Evan Choi, and famous singing Teacher, Mr. Hill Jiang; Mr. Alexis Yam, C.A., served as the official auditor for the competition. Additionally, the experienced duo of famous TV and radio hosts Chung Ming Poon and River Lee as masters of ceremonies, added extra flair to the show.
Champion David Ruan showed great prowess. Specializing in R&B, he performed Hins Cheung's "Soul Ballad" in the first round, capturing the feeling of hope with the accompaniment of a beautiful saxophone melody. After advancing to the top 5, he became even more relaxed and confident, delivering a masterful performance of David Tao's "Small Town Girl," effortlessly transitioning between falsetto and chest voice, filled with rhythm and groove, leaving a lasting impression.
Runner-up Daniel Dai took the stage last in the second round of the Top Five battle, performing Stefanie Sun's "Against the Light", his voice echoing the lyrics, "Facing hope, against the light, feeling the place where love exists," filled with love and warmth, even prompting the audience to join in a chorus, earning him the Golden Voice Award. Third place Rachel Wong made it to the Top Five with the fresh, girlish song "Lemon Tree" by Tarcy Su. In the second round, she drastically changed her style, singing Jacky Cheung's "Only Want to Walk with You for Life," transitioning from a girl-next-door to a deeply affectionate lover, mastering different styles effortlessly.
The final was divided into two rounds. After the first round, where 10 contestants competed, the judges eliminated half of them based on their performances, the revival battle was thrilling! After the judges announced No. 6 David Ruan, No. 7 Danny Lo, No. 9 Rachel Wong, and No.10 Daniel Dai were advancing to the top 5, the remaining six contestants had to compete for the final spot by performing designated songs "The Longest Movie" or "New Endless Love" in a gender-swapped performance style. Eventually, Contestant No. 1 David Shao won the judges' favour and successfully advanced.
The audience was taken on a nostalgic journey. The event invited five past winners of the New Talent Singing Awards—Winona Xu (2004 Winner),Patrick Lau (2005 Winner), Kenneth Wu (2007 Winner), Emily Hui (2012 Winner),and Bob Zhao (2014 Winner)—to perform the opening medley with the 10 contestants, sparking a blend of old and new talents. They also delivered two inspiring songs, encouraging all dream chasers. Besides winners, other finalists also brought classic hits, including"Beginning → Now" (by No.1 David Shao), “Shirley Yamaguchi” (by No.2Chris Wong), “Ardently Love” (by No.3 Jeffery Chow), “Thanks to Him" (byNo.4 Elaine Cheung & Arielle Chor), "Bad Romance" (by No.5 DoraLin), “Crescent Moon” (by No.7 Danny Lo) and “Born to be wild” (by No.8 Alvis Kwok). Three guest performers, music producer Laird Zhou and new-generation award-winning singers Jimmy Hsu and Lil' Kool, delivered "In the Name of the Father," "By the Sea," "All I Ask," and the new song "Layla," taking the audience on a musical journey spanning three decades.
Thanks to the strong support from all the sponsors, the "Those Days• These Songs" Singing Contest Season 2 was successfully held. For those who missed the exciting live atmosphere, please tune in to Fairchild TV and Television TV for the broadcast:
FTV 1 | July 7 | Sunday | 9 PM
FTV 2 | July 14 | Sunday | 8 PM EST |5 PM PST
TTV | July 27 | Saturday | 5:20 PM EST| 8:30 PM PST