Fans of the now-defunct TV talent show Happy Sunday (快樂星期天) had to wait three years for the arrival of their messiah. But it was worth it.
The show’s champion, William Wei Li-an (韋禮安) aka WeiBird, made a splash this June with the release of his Wei Li-an Debut Eponymous Original Album (韋禮安首張同名全創作專輯).
Wei — who performs his first stadium shows next weekend in Taipei and the following weekend in Taichung — possesses an impressive pedigree (he graduated from National Taiwan University), matinee idol looks and talent to spare as a singer and songwriter. He wows his fans with a smoldering charm reminiscent of Wang Lee-hom (王力宏), his down-to-earth persona and the fact that he writes his own songs, all of which help him stand out in a Mando-pop landscape populated by overly polished, self-promoting idol singers with suave dance moves.
“I’m a singer, not an entertainer,” Wei said in a phone interview on Tuesday. “People usually don’t recognize me on the street. It’s good that my career and life are separate.”
Much of Wei’s charm derives from the fact that he is a bashful, self-effacing star who is quick to flash an awkward smile.
“The most unforgettable thing in life is that I suffered from an acne problem for six years and didn’t dare to go out of the door,” he laughed. “I channeled my energy into singing and found comfort in music.”
“I’m pretty shy and don’t usually approach people. I don’t even go to out too much unless friends ask me,” he said.
But he’s propelled by an impeccable melodic drive. For his debut album, Wei crafted a pop opus by waxing poetic about love and the meaning of life. The album’s lead single, Yes or No (有沒有), is an irresistibly catchy tale of unrequited love.
“I wrote this song in college when I realized my love for a girl was not reciprocated. This song is about unspoken feelings,” Wei said. “[It] simply flew out of me in a few days.”
Wei isn’t considered a vocal powerhouse, but he’s a better singer at live performances than he is on his recordings, as he showed when he delivered a ravishing rendition of Blue Eyes (藍眼睛) at label partner Angela Chang’s (張紹涵) concert last month.
Wei performs at the Taipei International Convention Center (台北國際會議中心) next Saturday and at Taichung’s Chung Hsing University Huisun Auditorium (台中中興大學惠蓀堂) on Sept. 25. The set list will include covers of songs by Mando-pop/R ’n’ B star Khalil Fong (方大同) and veteran crooner Fei Yu-ching (費玉清).
The Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS) told legislators last week that because the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) are continuing to block next year’s budget from passing, the nation could lose 1.5 percent of its GDP growth next year. According to the DGBAS report, officials presented to the legislature, the 2026 budget proposal includes NT$299.2 billion in funding for new projects and funding increases for various government functions. This funding only becomes available when the legislature approves it. The DGBAS estimates that every NT$10 billion in government money not spent shaves 0.05 percent off
Dec. 29 to Jan. 4 Like the Taoist Baode Temple (保德宮) featured in last week’s column, there’s little at first glance to suggest that Taipei’s Independence Presbyterian Church in Xinbeitou (自立長老會新北投教會) has Indigenous roots. One hint is a small sign on the facade reading “Ketagalan Presbyterian Mission Association” — Ketagalan being an collective term for the Pingpu (plains Indigenous) groups who once inhabited much of northern Taiwan. Inside, a display on the back wall introduces the congregation’s founder Pan Shui-tu (潘水土), a member of the Pingpu settlement of Kipatauw, and provides information about the Ketagalan and their early involvement with Christianity. Most
The People’s Republic of China (PRC) was out in force in the Taiwan Strait this week, threatening Taiwan with live-fire exercises, aircraft incursions and tedious claims to ownership. The reaction to the PRC’s blockade and decapitation strike exercises offer numerous lessons, if only we are willing to be taught. Reading the commentary on PRC behavior is like reading Bible interpretation across a range of Christian denominations: the text is recast to mean what the interpreter wants it to mean. Many PRC believers contended that the drills, obviously scheduled in advance, were aimed at the recent arms offer to Taiwan by the
It is a soulful folk song, filled with feeling and history: A love-stricken young man tells God about his hopes and dreams of happiness. Generations of Uighurs, the Turkic ethnic minority in China’s Xinjiang region, have played it at parties and weddings. But today, if they download it, play it or share it online, they risk ending up in prison. Besh pede, a popular Uighur folk ballad, is among dozens of Uighur-language songs that have been deemed “problematic” by Xinjiang authorities, according to a recording of a meeting held by police and other local officials in the historic city of Kashgar in
RSS