Image: Instagram/@kztandingan
KZ Tandigan’s evocative performance of A Great Big World’s “Say Something” earned her a fourth-place ranking on “Singer 2018”, bringing the audience to tears.
Though she only had a day to prepare for it, her rendition was enough to secure her position as a mainstay in the Chinese singing competition.
She also earned the admiration of the American musical duo themselves, which consists of singer-songwriters Ian Axel and Chad King.
Wow. @KZofficial. wow. https://t.co/rMBntvdP8X
— A Great Big World (@AGreatBigWorld) February 24, 2018
“Wow. @KZofficial. wow,” they wrote in a Twitter post with a video of Tandingan’s cover.
“Whoah. Thank you so much for appreciating,” the “X Factor Philippines” singer replied.
Tandingan captured the pain of a relationship slipping away as she repeatedly sang the lyrics, “Say something I’m giving up on you” through a range of emotions.
However, this wasn’t the original song she had been preparing. Just a day before the show, she was asked to do another song since her initial choice was not well-known among Chinese audiences, according to Tandingan’s agency Cornerstone Entertainment. The last-minute change also forced the agency to fly-in her guitarist for the performance.
“Say Something” happens to be a song from the audition which helped her charm her way into the contest. This time, it earned her a ticket to stay on the show.
The song was popularized by American artist Christina Aguilera when she recorded a duet with A Great Big World. JB
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