10 Chinese songs you should expand your KTV repertoire with

So you won't be sian that everyone picked the songs you wanted to sing.

Jonathan Lim| November 22, 08:27 PM

A year ago, we wrote a list of 16 Chinese KTV songs that defined the Chinese KTV experience in Singapore. Sure, those songs are classics everybody sings at each KTV session, but they are more than 10 years-old on average.

It's time to update your KTV repertoire with more current songs (released in the last five years) that people are belting out at your favourite KTV haunt:

1. The theme song from the Chinese pop cultural event of 2015: Hebe 田馥甄 - 小幸運

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If you have not watched Taiwanese movie Our Times (我的少女時代) you are clearly missing out on the biggest Chinese pop cultural event of 2015. Many compare it to another hit movie out of Taiwan - You are the Apple of My Eye (那些年,我們一起追的女孩) - and rightly so because both are awesome and capture the essence of teenage love and growth.

And since we mentioned the latter movie, here's its super popular theme song:

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2. The song that was made even more popular by G.E.M 邓紫棋: 五月天 - 你不是真正的快乐

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Songs by Mayday 五月天 are usually guaranteed hits (we are including one later in this list). This particular song was picked by G.E.M in the second season Chinese singing competition 我是歌手 (I am a Singer), where she had a legendary run of great performances which saw her coming in second.

As testament to her singing prowess, her rendition of the song has four times the number of views as the original.

 

3. The song so awesome it threatens to become a one-hit wonder: Grady 關喆 - 想你的夜

This one is for the lovelorn and heartbroken guys who want to belt something with loads of emotion. It was first performed by its singer/composer at 中国好声音 (The Voice of China) competition.

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It's so good that even Shila Amzah, the singing sensation from Malaysia, chose this as her debut song on 我是歌手.

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Do you have the iron lungs required for this song?

 

4. The song from the singer who went from living in the long shadows of A*Mei, Stefanie Sun, Jolin Tsai to overnight A-lister after taking part in 我是歌手: A-Lin - 給我一個理由忘記

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For many years, you've skipped past A-Lin's name to A*Mei's whenever you were searching for singers alphabetically. But not any more. After taking part in the singing competition, she showed everyone how much of a vocal powerhouse she is. The rest is history.

 

5. The song where you think about existing inside your 婶婶's (auntie) mind: 曲婉婷 - 我的歌声里

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A lovely song to listen to. Can't un-hear the pun now.

 

6. The song where the composer wrote it for someone else but ended up doing a better version of it himself years later: 五月天 - 洋蔥

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Mayday's Ashin wrote this song for Aska Yang in 2008 and another songstress Della丁噹 also did a cover in 2010. But the best version has to be Mayday's where Ashin and co. captured the essence of the song most accurately.

 

7. The two songs from the Channel 8 drama that signaled the TV station's journey back to producing enjoyable content: Serene Koong 龚芝怡 - 幸福不难

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And Tanya Chua 蔡健雅 - 十萬毫升淚水

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If you've not watched The Dream Makers (志在四方), you must watch it online before the sequel airs in December. The show was compelling, characters were well-developed and relatable, and the plot didn't have to rely on done-to-death quarreling/scream at the top of your lungs/rape scenes Channel 8 dramas seem to love in the last ten years.

 

8. The song from the singer who made you jealous that you can't mumble as beautifully: Jay Chou 周杰倫 - 算什麼男人

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15 years of slurring has not slowed Jay Chou down. And as a KTV fan, you shouldn't limit your repertoire of Jay Chou songs to only those produced before 2010.

 

9. The song with the most views on YouTube when you search "周杰倫" but the performer isn't him: 魏如昀 - 聽見下雨的聲音

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This song was written by Jay Chou to be used as the theme song for his long-time lyricist buddy Vincent Fang's movie. That's why it appears to have Jay Chou's name when you search for it on YouTube. The song has 48 million views whereas Jay Chou's highest view count video has 34 million.

If you prefer Jay Chou's version, he released it seven months ago:

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10. The song that you pick to let everyone have a good time at the KTV: 筷子兄弟 - 小苹果

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Easy to sing and super funny visuals, this is the type of gateway KTV song you would pick to get everyone loosened up for a good KTV session. Go master this song now.

But if you're a snob you can always rely on these older Grasshopper classics that get everyone going:

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