With @mayday's official Weibo announcing on April 24 that its high-profile "Back to That Day" tour in Beijing will be coming to the Bird's Nest, the news instantly ignited the enthusiasm of thousands of fans. However, this event is accompanied by not only endless anticipation and cheers, but also a lingering shadow - the lip-to-play turmoil that has been fermenting since December 2023 and has not been concluded after nearly five months of investigation. The controversy over the authenticity of Mayday's singing not only tested the credibility of the orchestra, but also sparked widespread discussion on social media, especially when people learned that Mayday would hold ten concerts in just two weeks, and they couldn't help but ask, "Can this intensity be real singing?"
In December last year, there was an uproar in the music industry over the suspected lip-syncing behavior at the Mayday concert. The reason is that a well-known music blogger professionally analyzed and publicly questioned Mayday's performance in a certain concert because of the overly accurate alignment of the audio track and the abnormal separation of vocals and accompaniment, suggesting that the orchestra may have used pre-recorded singing instead of live singing. As soon as these words came out, it was like throwing a stone into a lake, quickly stirring up a thousand waves.
In the face of strong attention and inquiries from the public and fans, Mayday and its agency did not give a clear response immediately, but chose to respond indirectly by releasing the time of the Paris concert and the full live broadcast commitment, trying to prove the orchestra's singing strength with practical actions. However, this move failed to calm public opinion, but deepened the speculation in the minds of some netizens that the standards of Mayday's domestic performances are different from those of foreign performances. Subsequently, although the Mayday brokerage company responded sideways that the Paris concert would be broadcast live to show its determination to sing, the suspicion of the domestic lip-syncing turmoil did not dissipate.
In the face of intensifying public pressure, the relevant regulatory authorities had to intervene in the investigation. After receiving the report, the law enforcement team of the Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism stated that it would conduct an in-depth review of the original video and audio materials of the Mayday Shanghai concert. However, despite the fact that nearly five months have passed, the results of the official investigation have not been released, and this long silence has sparked a new wave of skepticism and discontent. Some netizens believe that the protracted investigation may mean that the incident is more complex than expected, or that there are other factors that are difficult to disclose, while others speculate that the long silence may be waiting for an appropriate moment to ensure that the final announcement can not only answer public questions, but also minimize the impact on the Mayday brand and subsequent tours.
Mayday's Beijing Bird's Nest Concert is scheduled to be held for 10 consecutive performances from May 18th to June 1st, and such a high-intensity performance arrangement undoubtedly puts forward extremely high requirements for the physical strength, voice state and live performance stability of any singer or orchestra. In the context of the lip-synching turmoil that has not yet subsided, this intensive performance plan has undoubtedly aggravated the doubts of the outside world about whether Mayday can insist on real singing. Many netizens are worried that even if Mayday does have the strength to sing in real times, it is a huge challenge for the members to protect their voices, recover their physical fitness and manage their emotions by continuously performing high-quality live singing in such a short period of time.
Although the suspicion of lip-syncing has not yet dissipated, Mayday's huge fan base is still full of anticipation for the upcoming Beijing concert. Some of them believe in Mayday's professionalism and professional ethics, and believe that it is impossible for the orchestra to risk lip-syncing on such an important occasion, while others say that whether it is true or not, as long as they can experience the charm and atmosphere of Mayday's music in person, it is enough. However, it cannot be ignored that the turmoil has had an impact on the integrity system of the Chinese music industry, reminding the industry and the audience to remain highly vigilant about the authenticity of live performances, and calling on the regulatory authorities to strengthen the supervision mechanism to ensure that the rights and interests of consumers are not infringed.
The official announcement of Mayday's "Back to That Day" Bird's Nest Concert in Beijing has undoubtedly brought new opportunities and challenges to the orchestra. At a time when the lip-syncing turmoil is still unresolved, the feat of ten consecutive performances is not only a severe test of the orchestra's ability to sing, but also an important opportunity for the orchestra to rebuild its credibility and respond to doubts. At the same time, how Mayday responds to public concerns during the concert will be key to determining the reputation of the tour and the future direction of the orchestra.
In today's music industry, where live experience and fan interaction are increasingly emphasized, real singing is not only a basic requirement for the professionalism of artists, but also a respect for the love and trust of fans. Whether Mayday can stand up in this storm, break through doubts with strength, and conquer the 100,000 viewers of the Bird's Nest with sincere singing, time will tell.