An influential Taiwanese rock band has recently faced controversy over allegations of lip-syncing during their most recent Chinese mainland tour.
Making its debut in 1997, Mayday has a massive following in China. Known for their upbeat rock anthems, tickets to their concerts often sell out within seconds.
The controversy began on November 30 when popular vlogger “Maitian Nongfu” posted a clip on the video-sharing platform Bilibili, in which he scrutinizes the audio from 12 songs Mayday performed in Shanghai on November 16.
He alleged that five of the songs were lip-synced, while one had a mix of live and pre-recorded vocals. The accusation quickly went viral, making it the top trending topic on Chinese social media in early December.
In response, the Shanghai Cultural and Tourism Bureau launched an investigation on December 4 to determine if lip-syncing had indeed occurred. On the same day, Mayday’s management company, B’in Music, strongly denied the accusation in a statement. The investigation is still ongoing as of December 10.
It’s important to note that in China, deceptive singing is strictly prohibited at commercial concerts. Violators may face a maximum fine of 100,000 yuan (US$14,000).
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