Chinese singer's unauthorized cover sparks controversy, former Taiwan president weighs in

A performance by Chinese singer Yang Kun from the 2019 show 'Singer 2019' has resurfaced, reigniting controversy over his unauthorized cover of the popular Taiwanese song 'Wanderer's Return' by the band EggPlant. The rendition, which saw Yang Kun alter the original Taiwanese Hokkien lyrics and sing in Mandarin, has been widely criticized for copyright infringement and perceived disrespect to the original work.

The issue first gained traction seven years ago when Yang Kun performed the song without explicit permission. EggPlant's lead singer, Huang Chi-bin, previously expressed his confusion, heartbreak, and helplessness over unauthorized adaptations and misrepresentations of their work. He noted that such instances were difficult to prevent.

Recently, netizens have shared clips of Yang Kun's performance, with one user on Threads humorously captioning it, "Yang Kun - Make the pig return, can't stand not listening for a day, feel bad for a whole day." This sparked further discussion, with many criticizing Yang Kun's pronunciation and adaptation. Even former Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian weighed in on Threads, stating that a version sung by politician Han Kuo-yu was more listenable than Yang Kun's rendition. Huang Chi-bin also responded to the renewed discussion, reiterating his stance against unauthorized adaptations and adding a sarcastic remark about the performance being "deservedly bad."