A popular Hong Kong music game show, “Sing Money,” is launching a special celebrity edition starting this Saturday, featuring prominent artists competing not for personal gain but to award significant cash prizes to home viewers. Opening the series is singer Julian Cheung (張與辰), a self-proclaimed superfan of the show, who admitted immediately feeling immense pressure to secure the maximum HK$30,000 jackpot for the audience.
The celebrity installments of “Sing Money,” hosted by Sammi (森美) and Eric Kwok (郭偉亮), are introducing a new dynamic where an artist’s success directly translates to the prize money available to viewers—potentially enough for a single audience member to claim the entire maximum amount. Cheung, known for his earnest performances, confessed that the stakes felt higher than his intensely scrutinized appearances on competitive programs like Midlife Sing & Shine!, particularly when monitoring the game’s score bar.
Star-Studded Jukebox Puts Vocal Skills to Test
Preparing for the transition into the Year of the Horse, the show is dedicating three consecutive episodes to the celebrity challenge. The format tests vocal accuracy and timing based on a randomly generated playlist. This week’s setlist, curated for Cheung, was revealed to be exceptionally difficult, comprising nearly 80% “master-level” artists, including two of the iconic “Four Heavenly Kings” of Canto-pop.
Cheung’s performance was reportedly dramatic and fully invested, mirroring the energetic approach of the show’s initial test player, Ng Yip-kwan. Official reports noted Cheung’s animated expressions—including exaggerated pouts and tongue-out reactions—and moments where he became so engrossed in the vocals that he ended up crouching down mid-song.
Prior to drawing his dedicated “Sing Plate” challenge, Cheung expressed anxiety about fast-tempo tracks, preferring ballads that allowed him more time to monitor the score bar and adjust his pitch. Irony struck immediately when his Level 1 song was revealed to be the up-tempo hit “Wild City,” eliciting a visible shock and panicked scratching of his head.
Familiarity Becomes a Hazard
Adding to the tension, Cheung drew “Love Is Simple,” a track he had previously performed during his time on Midlife Sing & Shine! 3. Initially thrilled by the familiar tune, his comfort proved to be a double-edged sword. According to show officials, the singer’s over-familiarity with the source material inadvertently led him to make a critical error, pushing him into the danger zone of the scoring system.
Despite the near-constant distraction of the on-screen accuracy meters, Cheung consciously balanced the technical demands with showmanship. He was lauded for maintaining emotional expression and engaging postures, often “countering the system” by deliberately deploying vibrato and powerful vocal delivery, even in tricky spots.
Ultimately, official aggregated results demonstrated Cheung’s formidable technical ability. Despite the unexpected challenges and moments of panic, one of his song attempts registered an impressive score of 96.2%, confirming his strong command over pitch and rhythm.
The three-episode celebrity challenge aims to generate excitement and reward loyal viewers ahead of the new lunar year. The success of Cheung and subsequent celebrity contestants will directly determine the total grand prize pool distributed to the audience, setting a charitable and entertaining precedent for the popular music marathon.
