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Leaked Audio Clip of Deceased Pop Star Coco Lee Denouncing ‘Sing! China’ Sparks Anger on Chinese Social Media

The leaked Coco Lee recording has been dominating online discussions, with one related hashtag receiving over 2,6 billion (!) views on Weibo.

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A leaked audio recording of the late superstar Coco Lee discussing her negative experiences with Chinese talent show Sing! China (中国好声音/The Voice of China) has become the no 1 searched topic on Weibo these days. The accusations against the popular show have shaken up China’s entertainment circles and the online condemnation of ethical standards in the industry also has offline consequences.

Coco Lee (李玟), an iconic Hong Kong-born pop star who had been active in the music industry for nearly three decades, tragically ended her own life on July 5th of this year. Her passing unveiled her previously hidden struggle with depression, exposing a more vulnerable side to her glamorous and impeccable image. Later, public discussions about Coco Lee focused on her marriage and family situation.

That is until this week, when a troubling audio clip featuring Coco Lee was exposed in which the singer accused the production team of talent show Sing! China (a revamped editon of The Voice of China), alleging mistreatment. This revelation has sparked public discontent and reshaped public perceptions of both the singer and the show.

The 9-minute-long audio recording surfaced on Weibo on August 17, originating from undisclosed sources. It presented a candid and emotionally charged narrative of Coco Lee’s experiences as a mentor/judge on the talent show.

Sing! China (中国好声音) is a music competition show broadcasted by Zhejiang TV (浙江卫视) and produced by Star (CM) Holdings Ltd. It is the Chinese version of the international reality television singing competition franchise The Voice, based on the reality singing show The Voice of Holland.

Not long after Coco Lee’s passing, fans raised concerns about the alleged unpleasant experiences Coco had with Sing! China and its production team back in 2022, during the recording of the seventh season. This included a fall that resulted in a leg injury, which further exacerbated Coco Lee’s already declining mental and physical health condition.

The leaked recording of Coco Lee’s experiences on the show primarily covers several points:

◼︎ First, while she was secretly battling breast cancer, Coco Lee chose to participate in The Voice of China to support young music enthusiasts. She joined without even knowing what the exact compensation would be.

◼︎ Coco Lee disagreed with the show’s competition format, which eliminated contestants without assigning scores. She advocated for fairness but faced resistance from the program. The production team allegedly even physically confronted her, grabbing her clothes, and a director’s assistant threatened her to leave immediately.

◼︎ Coco spoke out for contestant Fige (菲戈), who she thought faced unfair treatment. A video of her defending Fige circulated online, pressuring the production team to address the issue. They eventually gave Fige another chance in the show but demanded that Coco Lee would clarify on Weibo that there were no problems with the production team, attributing the issue to misunderstandings.

◼︎ On the final recording day of Sing! China on October 14th, despite Coco Lee’s declining health—complaining of numbness and loss of warmth in her left leg—she chose not to use a wheelchair or crutches. She wanted to maintain her appearance by wearing high heels. However, the production team denied her request to have guest artist Wang Zepeng stand by her side.

◼︎ Last, following the show’s airing, Coco Lee expressed deep disappointment. She felt as if her efforts and dedication were invisible, and her body had suffered for the sake of the show.

By now, the related Weibo hashtag “Leaked Recording of Coco Lee Denouncing ‘Voice of China’ Before her Death” (#李玟生前控诉中国好声音录音曝光#) has received a staggering 2,6 billion views.

After the recording was exposed, the production team behind Sing! China issued a late-night statement on August 17. The statement said:

“Recently, some self-media accounts have spread maliciously edited audio clips regarding Coco Lee denouncing ‘The Voice of China’ before her death, in 2022. This is disresprectful to the deceased and also seriously damages the show’s image. We strongly condemn it. As a coach on ‘Sing! China’ 2022, Ms. Coco Lee fully devoted herself to her work. Any misunderstandings that might have come up during the period have already been dealt with. Out of respect for the deceased, we won’t go into this matter too much and we will always remember her true dedication to the show. Let the deceased rest in peace!”

Statement by “Sing! China”

Although the talent show accused netizens of editing the audio recordings, Coco Lee’s own sister confirmed the authenticity of the recording. A related hashtag garned over 400 million views (#李玟姐姐称网传视频属实#).

 
Sending Ripples Through China’s Entertainment Sphere
 

By now, the Coco Lee audio clip has completely shaken up China’s entertainment circles and has been dominating social media platforms. Many Coco Lee fans, as well as regular netizens, have united in outrage over her alleged mistreatment.

Other Chinese celebrities have also voiced their support for Coco Lee. The hashtag “Celebrities Speaking Out for Coco Lee” (#为李玟发声的明星#) has garnered over 170 million views on Weibo by now. Respected Chinese stars such as Jin Xing (金星), Hang Hong (韩红), Yang Pei-an (杨培安) say they believe Coco Lee and hope for justice.

Following the viral spread of the clip, ‘Jammy’ Li Jiajie, a previous contestant on Sing! China, also expressed his solidarity with Coco Lee on Weibo and further condemned the show. He accused the program of engaging in practices such as position buying, enforcing extensive binding contracts, and showing disregard for rules and disrespect towards contestants.

The next morning, however, Li’s posts were removed and he suddenly issued a statement expressing that the comments he made were not actually “based on facts,” making apologies and asking netizens to refrain from spreading misinformation (#李嘉捷向好声音致歉#). If anything, Li’s words and their sudden disappearance caused more confusion and added fuel to the fire.

“This only further strenghthens my believe that Sing! China is rotten to the core,” a popular comment said.

 
Online Crusade Against Zhejiang TV
 

As public indignation grew, people started shifting the blame from the Sing! China show to the broadcaster behind the program, Zhejiang Television (浙江卫视), as well as producer Star Holdings (星空华文传媒).

Some netizens even coined the term “Murderer TV” (杀人卫视) to refer to Zhejiang TV, pointing out other disturbing incidents associated with this network’s reality shows.

As early as 2013, Zhejiang TV was condemned by netizens for “disregarding human life” after a young team assistant drowned during a training session for the show Celebrity Splash China.

One of the most notable cases mentioned is the tragic death of 35-year-old actor Godfrey Gao (高以翔) during the filming of the sports reality show Chase Me (追我吧) by Zhejiang TV in 2019. The Taiwanese-Canadian model and actor reportedly suffered a heart attack while on set. Afterward, the show faced criticism for pushing contestants to physical exhaustion and reportedly failing to implement proper safety measures – both factors allegedly contributing to Gao’s unexpected death.

The massive online critique on the TV station also has some potential offline consequences. On social media platforms such as Douban, netizens have compiled lists of sponsors for the upcoming 2023 Sing! China season, urging others to join them in boycotting them.

According to Bloomberg, producer Star Holdings witnessed a significant decline in its stock by 23%, marking the largest drop since the company’s listing in December. This decrease resulted in the eradication of approximately $1.5 billion in market value from the stock, which had surged to more than quadruple its initial value at its highest point.

Rather than solely targeting Zhejiang TV, some netizens have implicated the broader Chinese entertainment industry for putting too much pressure on the people working on their programs. They argue that the industry’s prioritization of viewership and profitability has seemingly contributed to the blurring of ethical boundaries across the sector, and netizens have collectively been calling for more transparency and fairness in China’s entertainment industry.

For now, people are demanding that Sing! China should stop airing until they have corrected their mistakes; Zhejiang TV should critically do a self-inspection and publicly disclose the results. Lastly, audiences are waiting for a public apology to Coco Lee from Sing! China, and an acknowledgement that those involved should be penalized.

Many believe that the truth will eventually always come to light. The fact that Coco Lee, from beyond her grave, managed to cause such a storm in the Chinese entertainment realm is yet another testament to her influence in China’s pop culture and her pursuit of justice within a profit-oriented industry. Weeks after her death, it is her voice that has managed to make a huge impact in China, and there is a hopeful sentiment that the current shock following the recording will bring about positive changes in the future.

By Ruixin Zhang and Manya Koetse

Part of featured image via Nextapple.com

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Stories that are authored by the What's on Weibo Team are the stories that multiple authors contributed to. Please check the names at the end of the articles to see who the authors are.

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China Celebs

Three Reasons Why Lipstick King’s ‘Eyebrow Pencil Gate’ Has Blown Up

From beauty guru to betrayal: why one livestream moment is shaking China’s internet.

Manya Koetse

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Li Jiaqi, also known as Austin Li the ‘Lipstick King,’ has become the focus of intense media attention in China over the past days.

The controversy began when the popular beauty influencer responded with apparent annoyance to a viewer’s comment about the high price of an eyebrow pencil. As a result, his fans began unfollowing him, netizens started scolding him, Chinese state criticized him, and the memes started flooding in.

Li Jiaqi’s tearful apology did not fix anything.

We reported about the incident here shortly after it went trending, and you can see the translated video of the moment here:

The incident may seem minor at first glance. Li was merely promoting Florasis brand (花西子) eyebrow pencils, and some viewers expressed their opinion that the pencils, priced at 79 yuan ($11), had become more expensive.

In response, Li displayed irritation, questioning, “Expensive how?” He went on to suggest that viewers should also reflect on their own efforts and whether they were working hard enough to get a salary increase.

But there is more to this incident than just an $11 pencil and an unsympathetic response.

 

#1 The King Who Forgot the People Who Crowned Him

 

The initial reaction of netizens to Li Jiaqi’s remarks during the September 10th livestream was characterized by a strong sense of anger and disappointment.

Although celebrities often face scrutiny when displaying signs of arrogance after their rise to fame, the position of Li Jiaqi in the wanghong (internet celebrity) scene has been especially unique. He initially worked as a beauty consultant for L’Oreal within a shopping mall before embarking on his livestreaming career through Alibaba’s Taobao platform.

In a time when consumers have access to thousands of makeup products across various price ranges, Li Jiaqi established himself as a trusted cosmetics expert. People relied on his expertise to recommend the right products at the right prices, and his practice of personally applying and showcasing various lipstick colors made him all the more popular. He soon garnered millions of online fans who started calling him the Lipstick King.

By 2018, he had already amassed a significant fortune of 10 million yuan ($1.53 million). Fast forward three years, and his wealth had ballooned to an astonishing 18.5 billion yuan ($2.5 billion).

Despite his growing wealth, Li continued to enjoy the support of his fans, who appreciated his honest assessments of products during live testing sessions. He was known for candidly informing viewers when a product wasn’t worth buying, and the story of his humble beginnings as a shop assistant played a major role in why people trusted him and wanted him to succeed.

However, his recent change in tone, where he no longer seemed considerate of viewers who might find an $11 brow pencil to be expensive, suggests that he may have lost touch with his own customer base. Some individuals perceive this shift as a form of actual “betrayal” (背叛), as if a close friend has turned their back on them.

The viral cartoon shows Li Jiaqi going from a friendly beggar to angry rat.

One cartoon shared on social media shows Li Jiaqi, with mouse ears, as he initially begs his online viewers for money. However, as he becomes more prosperous, the cartoon portrays him gradually growing arrogant and eventually scolding those who helped him rise to fame.

Many people accuse Li of being insincere, suggesting that he revealed his true colors during that short livestream moment. This is also one of the reasons why most commenters say they do not believe his tears during his apology video.

“He betrayed China’s working class,” one popular vlog suggested.

 

#2 Internet Celebrity Crossing the Lines

 

Another reason why the incident involving Li Jiaqi is causing such a storm is related to the media context in which Chinese (internet) celebrities operate and what is expected of them.

Whether you are an actor, singer, comedian, or a famous livestreamer/e-commerce influencer, Chinese celebrities and performers are seen as fulfilling an exemplary role in society, serving the people and the nation (Jeffrey & Xu 2023). This is why, as explained in the 2019 research report by Jonathan Sullivan and Séagh Kehoe, moral components play such a significant role in Chinese celebrity culture.

In today’s age of social media, the role of celebrities in society has evolved to become even more significant as they have a vast reach and profound influence that extends to countless people and industries.

Their powerful influence makes celebrities important tools for authorities to convey messages that align with their goals – and definitely not contradict them. Through the media and cultural industries, the state can exert a certain level of control within the symbolic economy in which celebrities operate, as discussed by Sullivan and Kehoe in their 2019 work (p. 242).

This control over celebrities’ actions became particularly evident in the case of Li Jiaqi in 2022, following the ‘cake tank incident’ (坦克蛋糕事件). This incident unfolded during one of his livestreams when Li Jiaqi and his co-host introduced a chocolate cake in the shape of a tank, with an assistant in the back mentioning something about the sound of shooting coming from a tank (“坦克突突”). This livestream took place on June 3rd, on the night before the 33rd anniversary of the crackdown on the Tiananmen protests.

While Li Jiaqi did not directly touch upon a politically sensitive issue with his controversial livestream, his actions were perceived as a disregard for customer loyalty and displayed an arrogance inconsistent with socialist core values. This behavior garnered criticism in a recent post by the state media outlet CCTV.

Post by CCTV condemning Li’s behavior.

Other state media outlets and official channels have joined in responding to the issue, amplifying the narrative of a conflict between the ‘common people’ and the ‘arrogant influencer.’

 

#3 Striking a Wrong Chord in Challenging Times

 

Lastly, Li Jiaqi’s controversial livestream moment also became especially big due to the specific words he said about people needing to reflect on their own work efforts if they cannot afford a $11 eyebrow pencil.

Various online discussions and some media, including CNN, are tying the backlash to young unemployment, tepid consumer spending, and the ongoing economic challenges faced by workers in China.

Since recent years, the term nèijuǎn (‘involution’, 内卷) has gained prominence when discussing the frustrations experienced by many young people in China. It serves as a concept to explain the social dynamics of China’s growing middle class who often find themselves stuck in a “rat race”; a highly competitive education and work environment, where everyone is continually intensifying their efforts to outperform one another, leading to this catch 22 situation where everyone appears to be caught in an unending cycle of exertion without substantial progress (read more here).

Weibo commenters note that, given China’s current employment situation and wage levels, hard work is not necessarily awarded with higher income. This context makes Li Jiaqi’s comments seem even more unnecessary and disconnected from the realities faced by his customers. One Shanghai surgeon responded to Li’s comments, saying that the fact that his salary has not increased over the last few year certainly is not because he is not working hard enough (#上海胸外科医生回应李佳琦言论#).

Some observers also recognize that Li, as an e-commerce professional, is, in a way, trapped in the same cycle of “inversion” where brands are continuously driving prices down to such low levels that consumers perceive it as the new normal. However, this pricing strategy may not be sustainable in the long run. (Ironically, some brands currently profiting from the controversy by promoting their own 79 yuan deals, suggesting their deal is much better than Li’s. Among them is the domestic brand Bee & Flower 蜂花, which is offering special skin care products sets for 79 yuan in light of the controversy.)

Many discussions therefore also revolve around the question of whether 79 yuan or $11 can be considered expensive for an eyebrow pencil, and opinions are divided. Some argue that people pay much more for skincare products, while others point out that if you were to weigh the actual quantity of pencil color, its price would surpass that of gold.

The incident has sparked discussions about the significance of 79 yuan in today’s times, under the hashtag “What is 79 yuan to normal people” (#79元对于普通人来说意味着什么#).

People have shared their perspectives, highlighting what this amount means in their daily lives. For some, it represents an entire day’s worth of home-cooked meals for a family. It exceeds the daily wages of certain workers, like street cleaners. Others equate it to the cost of 15 office lunches.

One netizen posts 79 yuan ($10.9) worth of groceries.

Amid all these discussions, it also becomes clear that many people are trying to live a frugal live in a time when their wages are not increasing, and that Li’s comments are just one reason to vent their frustrations about the situation they are in, In those regards, Li’s remarks really come at a wrong time, especially coming from a billionaire.

Will Li be able to continue his career after this?

Some are suggesting that it is time for Li to take some rest, speculating that Li’s behavior might stem from burn-out and mental issues. Others think that Li’s hardcore fans will remain loyal to their e-commerce idol.

For now, Li Jiaqi must tread carefully. He has already lost 1.3 million followers on his Weibo account. What’s even more challenging than regaining those one million followers is rebuilding the trust of his viewers.

Update: On September 19, the Florasis/Huaxizi brand finally apologized for its late response to the controversy, and the brand stated that the controversy provided an opportunity for them to listen to “the voice of their consumers.” Their decision to release a statement seemed fruitful: they gained 20,000 new followers in a night.

By Manya Koetse

with contributions by Miranda Barnes

Jeffreys, Elaine, and Jian Xu. 2023. “Governing China’s Celebrities.” Australian Institute of International Affairs, 18 May https://www.internationalaffairs.org.au/australianoutlook/governing-chinas-celebrities/ [12 Sep 2023].

Sullivan, Jonathan, and Séagh Kehoe. 2019. “Truth, Good and Beauty: The Politics of Celebrity in China.” The China Quarterly 237 (March): 241–256.

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China Brands, Marketing & Consumers

Eyebrow Pencil Gate: “Lipstick King” Li Jiaqi Loses 630,000 Fans In One Night

China’s famous beauty livestreamer Li Jiaqi is in hot water after his annoyed response about an $11 eyebrow pencil.

Manya Koetse

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Li Jiaqi is facing controversy for remarks he made during his recent e-commerce livestream. When viewers made comments about an eyebrow pencil being expensive, he lashed out and asked them if they worked hard enough. Due to his cold attitude and arrogant comments, the ‘lipstick king’ seems to have lost his crown.

Li Jiaqi is losing fans. That is according to a Weibo hashtag that went trending today (#李佳琦掉粉#), which highlights a significant drop of 630,000 Weibo followers in just 24 hours.

For those unfamiliar with Li Jiaqi (1992, English name Austin Li), he is one of China’s most renowned make-up influencers, also known as the “Lipstick King.” Previously a cosmetics salesman, Li has since risen to become one of China’s most celebrated livestreamers, setting numerous records along the way.

In 2018, he broke the Guinness World Record for “the most lipstick applications in 30 seconds.” He once sold 15000 lipsticks in 5 minutes, and also managed to apply 380 different lipsticks in another seven-hour live stream session. Li made international headlines in 2021 when he sold $1.9 billion in goods during a 12-hour-long promotion livestream for Alibaba’s shopping festival.

But now Li is in hot water because of an e-commerce livestream he did on Sunday, September 10th. When some viewers complained that the eyebrow pencil by Huaxi Zi (花西子), Florasis, seems to be getting more expensive (79 RMB, $10.9), Li vehemently defended the cosmetic brand. Seemingly annoyed with his viewers, he insisted that the product was reasonably priced, highlighting the brand’s use of high-quality ingredients and claiming it had not increased its prices for years.

In addition to this, Li began to lecture his audience, questioning whether they had made significant efforts to have received salary raises over the years (Literally: “Sometimes it’s because of yourself, if you haven’t seen a raise in so many years, did you work hard enough?” [“有的时候自己原因好吧。怎么多年了工资张没涨有没有认真工作”]). Even his assistant, next to him, seemed visibly uncomfortable when Li lashed out. We added some subtitled to this short fragment here.

Later on, Li appeared to recognize his mistake and suggested that people weren’t obligated to purchase the Florasis brand; instead, they could opt for a more affordable eyebrow pencil that he would be promoting later on.

This incident sparked major backlash from fans who voices their anger and disappointment, accusing Li of losing sight of his humble origins and owing everything to his viewers. Starting out by selling Maybelline makeup behind a shop counter, Li rose to prominence alongside the live e-commerce trend, amassing immense wealth thanks to his dedicated fans and viewers.

Why would he now alienate his viewers in such a way? Furthermore, many argued that the Florasis eyebrow pencil is undeniably expensive, with some even making comparisons to the cost of gold when measured by weight.

In the early morning of September 11, Li apologized on his Weibo account. He wrote that he felt disappointed in himself for responding the way he did. “As a livestream host I should send out positive energy, and learn to control my emotions,” he wrote.

Li Jiaqi apology on Weibo.

Later on, he issued an on-camera apology during a livestream. With tears in his eyes, he expressed heartfelt remorse for letting down so many people and acknowledged his mistakes. A related hashtag on Weibo soon got over 430 million clicks (#李佳琦哭着道歉#).

But many people do not appreciate his apologies. The top comment under his written apology post says: “You are making money out of ordinary people and now you turned around saying ordinary people are too poor,” while the most popular comment under the livestream apology said: “If I would earn 5 million yuan a day ($685k), my tears would be much more sincere than yours.”

This meme shows that many viewers do not feel moved by Li’s apologetic tears.

There are more angles to this story. Besides alienating his audience, others also feel he is not being completely transparant. As Li Jiaqi hinted during the livestream, he seems to have a very close relationship with the Florasis brand. Some reports even suggest that the commission rate for his endorsement of the Florasis brand, which was established in Hangzhou six years ago, may have been as high as 80%.

It is not the first time Li gets caught up in controversy. Last year, Li disappeared from China’s e-commerce channels for three months after one of his livestreams made references to shooting tanks. The ‘cake tank incident’ (坦克蛋糕事件) occurred on the night before June 4, the 33rd anniversary of the violent crackdown of the Tiananmen student demonstrations.

However, a notable distinction between that controversy and the current one lies in how his fans reacted. Despite the prior controversy, the majority of his supporters remained loyal to the beauty influencer, extending a warm welcome when he returned in September of 2022.

This time, many followers feel personally attacked by him. While Li Jiaqi defended the brow pencil price by suggesting that “domestic brands are struggling,” some commenters ask: “If domestic brands are struggling, don’t you think the people are also struggling?” (“国货难,国民难道就不难了吗?”)

Earlier this year, a casual remark made by Chinese actress Zhang Yuqi during a livestream also ignited discussions surrounding the stark disparity between the perspectives of celebrities and the financial realities experienced by ordinary individuals. During that promotional livestream, Zhang suggested that 699 yuan ($100) for a cashmere blanket was so cheap, saying: “I don’t even think I can buy a pair of socks with that amount.”

In response to this incident, some commenters mentioned that they could cover their food expenses for an entire month with that money. Many netizens remarked that some Chinese celebrities seem to not only live in a world where everything costs more, but they also seem to reside in a place where “poverty” is defined differently.

By Monday night, Li Jiaqi still had 29,8 million followers on Weibo, although some wondered how many of them were active and authentic Weibo users. Will Li be able to win back the favor of his fans? The numbers will tell.

By Manya Koetse and Miranda Barnes

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