A 24-year-old Taiwanese student with a red bow tie and a voice that could rival Whitney Houston's is taking the world by storm.
Lin Yu-chun's (林育群) pitch-perfect rendition of Whitney Houston’s hit I Will Always Love You on Taiwan’s pop idol competition One Million Star (超級星光大道) has gone viral online with almost half a million hits on YouTube and international media attention.
“Has Taiwan found the new Susan Boyle?” CNN asked. “Even if you’ve never heard his name before, you may be about to get familiar with Lin Yu Chun.”
PHOTO: CNA
The aspiring singer first stunned competition judges last month with a rousing edition of Amazing Grace during his first performance on the TV show. With last week's performance he is now favorite to win the show's NT$1 million (US$31,500) grand prize.
Comparisons have also been drawn between Lin and Susan Boyle — a Scottish singer who achieved international stardom after auditioning for Britain's Got Talent. UK newspaper the Daily Telegraph called Lin “Taiwan's answer to Susan Boyle,” while Australian daily the Herald Sun said Lin could steal “Susan Boyle's crown as this year's most unexpected musical superstar.”
However, it was unclear how the upcoming star is handling his newfound fame. He posted on his blog yesterday that he was “extremely happy but yet terrified.”
“How do I describe how I am feeling? Oh my God!” Lin wrote. “I am just too lucky ... I cannot calm down.”
Some Internet users have also jokingly said that Lin should replace Houston on the European leg of her world tour, which has been pushed back following medical complications.
The 46 year-old pop star disappointed fans in Australia after she appeared exhausted and paused for breaks during a recent tour.
In a posting on his blog Lin describes himself as a “huge, huge fan of Whitney,” and said that he could not believe international media outlets were comparing the two of them.
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said it expected to issue a sea warning for Typhoon Fung-Wong tomorrow, which it said would possibly make landfall near central Taiwan. As of 2am yesterday, Fung-Wong was about 1,760km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, moving west-northwest at 26kph. It is forecast to reach Luzon in the northern Philippines by tomorrow, the CWA said. After entering the South China Sea, Typhoon Fung-Wong is likely to turn northward toward Taiwan, CWA forecaster Chang Chun-yao (張峻堯) said, adding that it would likely make landfall near central Taiwan. The CWA expects to issue a land
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said it is expected to issue a sea warning for Typhoon Fung-wong this afternoon and a land warning tomorrow. As of 1pm, the storm was about 1,070km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, and was moving west-northwest at 28 to 32kph, according to CWA data. The storm had a radius of 250km, with maximum sustained winds of 173kph and gusts reaching 209kph, the CWA added. The storm is forecast to pass near Luzon in the Philippines before entering the South China Sea and potentially turning northward toward Taiwan, the CWA said. CWA forecaster Chang Chun-yao (張峻堯) said
PREPARATION: Ferry lines and flights were canceled ahead of only the second storm to hit the nation in November, while many areas canceled classes and work Authorities yesterday evacuated more than 3,000 people ahead of approaching Tropical Storm Fung-wong, which is expected to make landfall between Kaohsiung and Pingtung County this evening. Fung-wong was yesterday morning downgraded from a typhoon to a tropical storm as it approached the nation’s southwest coast, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said, as it issued a land alert for the storm. The alert applies to residents in Tainan, Kaohsiung, Pingtung and Taitung counties, and the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春). As of press time last night, Taichung, Tainan, Kaohsiung, and Yilan, Miaoli, Changhua, Yunlin, Pingtung and Penghu counties, as well as Chiayi city and county had
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday issued a sea alert for Typhoon Fung-wong (鳳凰) as it threatened vessels operating in waters off the Pratas Islands (Dongsha Islands, 東沙群島), the Bashi Channel and south of the Taiwan Strait. A land alert is expected to be announced some time between late last night and early this morning, the CWA said. As of press time last night, Taoyuan, as well as Yilan, Hualien and Penghu counties had declared today a typhoon day, canceling work and classes. Except for a few select districts in Taipei and New Taipei City, all other areas and city
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