American singer Chante Moore performs during the "Singer 2024," a hit show by Hunan TV and Mango TV, in Changsha, central China's Hunan Province, June 28, 2024. (Xinhua)
Arriving in China for a music competition in May, American singer Chante Moore was blown away by her soaring popularity in the Asian country within weeks.
美国歌手香缇莫今年五月来到中国，参加一档综艺节目的录制。仅仅几周后，她就发现自己在中国有了不小的知名度。
Whether it was in the gym, in a restaurant or on the street, she has been recognized by her new fans in the central Chinese city of Changsha. "That doesn't happen in America as often," said the 57-year-old vocalist, who rose to fame in the United States with her whistle tones and R&B songs.
在湖南省长沙市的健身房、餐馆和街头，香缇莫常被粉丝认出并请求合影。“我在美国都很少有这样的待遇。”她说。今年57岁的香缇莫早年凭借海豚音和节奏蓝调风格的演唱在美国乐坛成名。
Moroccan-Canadian singer Faouzia, a 23-year-old rising star in the Western musical circle, had a similar experience during her first trip to China.
23岁的摩洛哥裔加拿大籍歌手凡希亚是欧美音乐圈的后起之秀，她在第一次来到中国后也有着相似经历。
"When I first got here, it was very chill. But now, whenever I go to the mall, people always recognize me, even when I have sunglasses or a hood on," she said.
“我（五月）刚到这时，大家见到我都很‘冷静’。现在我每次去逛商场都会被认出来，即使我用太阳镜和兜帽把自己遮得严严实实。”凡希亚说。
Moore and Faouzia are currently in Changsha, participating in "Singer 2024," a hit show by Hunan TV and Mango TV. Every Friday, they compete with other established Chinese singers such as Na Ying and Wang Sulong in live-broadcast performances.
香缇莫与凡希亚正在长沙参加由湖南卫视和芒果TV出品的热门综艺节目《歌手2024》。每周五晚，她们与那英、汪苏泷等华语歌手同台，参加直播竞演。
Moroccan-Canadian singer Faouzia performs during the "Singer 2024," a hit show by Hunan TV and Mango TV, in Changsha, central China's Hunan Province, June 28, 2024. (Xinhua)
Since its debut on May 10, the show has been dubbed "Changsha's Grammy" for its strong international squad, which also included American pop star Adam Lambert as a guest artist in Week 3 and Kazakhstan vocalist Rukhiya as a challenger in Week 8.
自5月10日首播以来，由于国际歌手实力强劲，本季《歌手》被中国网友称为“长沙格莱美”。《歌手2024》还邀请了美国歌手亚当·兰伯特以及哈萨克斯坦歌手露西娅分别担任其中一周的“袭榜歌手”和“冲榜歌手”。
As the season's starting lineup, Moore and Faouzia are new to most Chinese viewers and the country's showbiz. Yet this has not stopped them from pocketing five weekly champions in the past eight weeks, voted by a panel of audience and online viewers.
对多数中国观众而言，作为本季节目首发阵容的香缇莫与凡希亚都是新面孔，但这丝毫不影响她们赢得大众听审的喜爱与选票。在过去的八期节目里，两位北美歌手共夺得五期周冠军。
In interviews with Xinhua, both singers said they were touched by the Chinese audience's cordial response.
在接受新华社采访时，香缇莫与凡希亚都惊叹于中国观众的热情，以及他们对外国歌手和外文歌曲的包容。
American singer Chante Moore receives an interview with Xinhua in Changsha, central China's Hunan Province, June 7, 2024. (Xinhua/Lin Jianjie)
"They're just open, loving and ready for you to sing," said Moore. "They don't discriminate a bit against one or the other. It seems that they want everyone to do well, and they connect with every song, and they're rooting for us."
香缇莫说：“他们（中国观众）坦诚、友爱，认真聆听你的演唱，毫无芥蒂。他们期待每个选手的出色表演，与每一首歌都能产生共鸣，而且还会为我们加油助威。”
"I've never felt like I was really touching so many people at once, and being in another country," she said. "To me, it feels like I'm beginning a whole another part of my career."
“我从没想过自己能一下子打动这么多听众，而且还是在另一个国家。我好像开启了职业生涯的新阶段。”
Faouzia, as the show's youngest singer, used translation tools to read the comments left by Chinese viewers. "They're very funny, loving and very kind. Everyone made me feel very welcomed here," she said.
作为节目里最年轻的歌手，凡希亚会使用翻译软件来阅读中国观众在社交媒体上的留言。“他们都好有趣！”她说，“中国观众非常友善、有爱，他们让我觉得自己在这里是受到欢迎的。”
Moroccan-Canadian singer Faouzia receives an interview with Xinhua in Changsha, central China's Hunan Province, June 7, 2024. (Xinhua/Lin Jianjie)
Hong Xiao, producer of "Singer 2024," said the international singers have far exceeded the expectations of the production team and viewers with their top-notch vocalization and consummate ease on stage.
《歌手2024》节目监制洪啸称赞本季外国歌手展现出了一流的演唱实力和对中国观众的诚意，认为他们的表现超越了节目组及观众的预期。
"Upon arrival, Chante Moore and Faouzia were relatively fresh faces in China and have been less burdened by fame. That's probably why they feel less nervous and anxious on the highly competitive stage," he said.
洪啸说，香缇莫与凡希亚初到中国时并不为中国观众所熟悉。“可能正因如此，即使在这么竞争激烈的舞台上，她们也很少紧张，更多的是松弛感。”
It is not the first time for the Singer show to make international singers feel beloved in China. In 2018, British pop singer Jessie J scooped the top spot of the contest. "I have never been made to feel more welcomed and loved as I have done here," she was quoted by the BBC as saying.
这并非《歌手》节目首次让外国歌手感受到中国观众的热情。2018年，英国流行歌手Jessie J夺得《歌手》总决赛冠军。“我从来没有像在这里那样，感受到如此受欢迎和被爱。”她曾对英国媒体表示。
This year, the international elements of Chinese shows again captivated public discussions. Another ongoing Chinese variety show "Riding the Wind 2024" features international stars such as French singer Joyce Jonathan, Vietnamese singer Suni and K-pop star Nicole Jung. The upcoming season of "Call Me by Fire" will also feature artists from countries including Japan, Thailand and Malaysia.
今年中国综艺节目中的国际元素再次引发热议。正在播出的另一档综艺节目《乘风2024》汇集了来自法国、美国、俄罗斯、越南、泰国的艺人，而即将上线的《披荆斩棘4》则有日本、泰国、马来西亚等国的艺人参与。
American pop star Adam Lambert performs during the "Singer 2024," a hit show by Hunan TV and Mango TV, in Changsha, central China's Hunan Province, May 25, 2024. (Xinhua)
Many such artists have ventured out of the studio to explore China. On China's social media platform Xiaohongshu, or Little Red Book, netizens posted photos of their encounters with Moore while she was strolling around Changsha's streets with her husband. Meanwhile, Faouzia shared her visits to Hong Kong and Beijing on X and Instagram.
在参与节目录制的间隙，许多国际艺人还忙里偷闲地游览中国、体验中国文化。在中国社交媒体“小红书”上，许多网友都发帖分享了自己街头偶遇香缇莫及其家人。与此同时，凡希亚也在海外社交媒体上发布了自己游览香港的经历。
"It is an encouraging trend that more Chinese variety shows are inviting performers from outside China, which not only makes the shows more international, but also builds a new channel for cultural exchanges," said Sun Jiashan, an associate professor with the Central Academy of Culture and Tourism Administration.
中央文化和旅游管理干部学院副研究员孙佳山说，越来越多中国本土综艺节目邀请外国人参与，不仅提高了节目自身的国际化程度，也让中外民间文化交流多了一个平台，这是非常好的趋势。
While gaining new fanship in China, the international celebrities also have the opportunity to experience China with their own eyes, said the researcher on TV, movie and cultural industries.
孙佳山还表示，在收获中国新粉丝的同时，这些国际名人也有机会亲身体验、亲眼看见真实的中国。
Kazakhstan vocalist Rukhiya performs during the "Singer 2024," a hit show by Hunan TV and Mango TV, in Changsha, central China's Hunan Province, June 28, 2024. (Xinhua)
Hong said the "Singer 2024" plans to invite more international singers as the season goes on. He expects the show to build a bridge for "musical and cultural exchanges that transcends languages and boundaries."
洪啸透露，《歌手2024》的后续节目还计划邀请更多外国歌手加入。他期待节目能够搭建起一座“跨越语言和界域进行音乐与文化交流”的桥梁。
Moore, who was encouraged by Jessie J before coming to China, now wants to convey the same message to other American singers: "Everyone I've met here has been kind. So come! Just come with an open heart."
“我遇到的每一个人都很友好。”香缇莫说，她在来中国前得到了Jessie J的鼓励，如今她也在推荐其他美国艺人来中国参加节目，“来中国吧！敞开你的胸怀！”
Faouzia said her experiences in China have expanded her musical horizons. "You're new to a lot of new people, so you have to work a little bit harder, and it makes you not as stagnant in your career and not as comfortable. It pushes you to a new height."
凡希亚表示，在中国的经历拓宽了她的音乐视野。“你会接触到很多新的人，所以你必须更努力一点，而这也会让你的职业生涯得到进步，不再囿于现状。它会把你推到一个新的高度。”
Last Friday, Faouzia wowed the audience with her first Chinese-language song at the show. Moore also placed the guzheng, or Chinese plucked zither, in her cover of Tina Turner's "The Best."
在上周五《歌手2024》新一期节目中，凡希亚首次演唱了中文歌曲，令观众惊叹不已。香缇莫则在她的英文演唱中加入了一段古筝伴奏。
"All the support I've got has been so incredible, and everyone has been so loving, and I just want to give them a thank you with the song, and to show them that I do really appreciate and care for them and the culture," said Faouzia.
“我得到的各种支持都是如此不可思议，见到的每个人都很有爱，我只想用这首歌来感谢他们，并告诉他们我真的很感谢大家，也真的很喜欢中国文化。”凡希亚说。