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.
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