TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Former Taipei mayor Eric Chu (朱立倫) released a music video on Monday (Nov. 3) that has received mixed reviews from netizens.
The former chairman of the Kuomintang (KMT) party paired up with Taichung legislator Yen Kuan-heng (顏寬恒) to create the magnum opus. The video, shot on the coast near the Taichung Power Plant, features both men sitting on concrete tetrapods while covering the well-known “Listen to the Sea” (聽海) by singer A-Mei (張惠妹).
According to Liberty Times, after hearing the politicians’ “extremely brave” vocals, several netizens could not contain their praise, describing how they, like the sea, shed tears at the end and saying “Now I understand why the sea is crying.”
Chu took a break from campaigning to shoot the music video with Yen when he visited Taichung on Monday. Sitting on the picturesque tetrapods, they took on the role of lovelorn young men and sang “Listen to the Sea” while wistfully stroking a building’s walls. Chu’s office released the video that very day.
Upon singing the last line, “Write me a letter, it will be our last meeting,” Yen opens a letter from Chu wishing him the best for the elections. Chu had been in Taichung drumming up support for KMT-nominated legislator Huang Sin-huei (黃馨慧) that morning.
Neither Chu nor Yen are professional singers, and their pitch, tone, and rhythm leave much to be desired, according to Liberty Times. Nevertheless, the video’s release has caused quite a stir.
Netizens posted a range of comments:
“This has given me the confidence to sing.”
“Pretty scary.”
“I can’t tell if the sound of crying is coming from the tetrapods or the sea.”
“The pitch makes all of Taiwan’s classic artists want to cry.”
“I only hear this song at protests.”
“This is abnormally bad.”
“I’m going to have nightmares tonight.”
Yen said that there are 28 coal-fired power plants across Taiwan, of which 65 percent are in the south-central region. He said a future KMT administration would change the existing DPP energy policy, reported China Times.
"Listen to the Sea" covered by Eric Chu and Yen Kuan-heng. (Eric Chu Youtube channel.)
