2025 ASEAN Youth “Singing to Learn Chinese” Challenge Season Kicks Off Wang Yihao Guides You Through Tongue-Twisters' Twists and Turns

Break down language barriers with music and experience the beauty of Chinese through rhythm! The 2025 ASEAN Youth “Singing to Learn Chinese” Tongue Twister Challenge Season, hosted by the China-Foreign Languages Exchange and Cooperation Center and co-organized by Taihe Music Group, Singapore's Sea Butterfly Music, and Conch Music, has officially launched! This year's event introduces a fresh twist with the “Tongue Twister Rhythm” trend, featuring the brand-new original challenge song “Singing to Learn Chinese: A Thousand Words.” Lyrics by Yang Chengrong, music composed by Chen Mengqi and Chen Jiongshun, and passionately performed by Wang Yihao, leader of the M.I.C. boy group. This catchy tune grabs listeners' attention within 10 seconds, with a melody that sticks after just a few listens. The song features two challenge levels: the “Thousand Words Edition” (approximately two minutes, including three tongue twisters and singing sections) and the “Ten Thousand Words Edition” (over three minutes, featuring five tongue twisters and singing sections). This provides ASEAN youth participants with a broader platform to showcase their talents.

Building bridges of cultural exchange through music to foster mutual learning and inspiration among youth in China and the ten ASEAN nations hinges on crafting high-quality, highly shareable theme songs that instill cultural confidence. “Thousand Words in Song: Singing to Learn Chinese” features ingenious arrangements in phonetics and rhyming vocabulary, blending classic Chinese tongue twisters like “four is four, ten is ten” with contemporary pop music styles to seamlessly integrate Chinese rhythms and cadences. The creative team emphasized, “The threshold for transnational musical exchange lies in collaborative content creation, but the focal point must remain on the ‘people.’ The key is finding a performer deeply familiar with the phonetics and rhythms of tongue twisters who can also resonate with young audiences—Wang Yihao is an exceptional choice.”

Wang Yihao's group M.I.C, the first mainland Chinese boy band to perform at Beijing Workers' Stadium, was meticulously crafted by Taihe Music Group's Taihe Maitian label. Their debut immediately established a new benchmark for boy bands in the Chinese pop music scene. As M.I.C's leader, Wang Yihao has been actively involved in charitable initiatives like The Power of Charity, the Sunflower Charity Project under Love to Win, and the “Music Radio I Want to Go to School” charity roadshow. His passionate, youthful image of relentlessly pursuing dreams has resonated deeply with countless teenagers, igniting the shining aspirations of young students. From early group albums like “M.I.C” to film and TV OSTs such as “Beautiful Myth” and “Super Magic Century,” and on to solo albums including “No.1 Lover,” “Dowry,” and “TO U,” Wang Yihao's body of work not only showcases his diverse musical styles but also uniquely expresses the voices of young people and the spirit of the times. He incorporates electronic, hip-hop, rap, and other contemporary elements beloved by youth into his music, establishing a highly distinctive personal brand that has earned widespread recognition for its quality, popularity, and artistic merit. In recent years, while grounded as a singer-songwriter and musician, Wang Yihao has also garnered significant attention in the film and television industry. He has starred in numerous theatrical and online films, popular TV dramas, and web series. His lead role in the film “Spirit of Dance” allowed audiences to see beyond his “idol group” image and witness his extraordinary talent in acting and language performance. His role as lead vocalist for “Singing to Learn Chinese: Thousand Words” is both a well-deserved honor and a continuation of his ongoing commitment to advancing Mandarin pop music and cross-border musical exchange. Upon its release on major streaming platforms like QQ Music and NetEase Cloud Music, the track received overwhelming acclaim. Netizens enthusiastically praised: “If you can sing this song flawlessly, you're almost at the top-tier Mandarin proficiency level!” “Thousand Words and Phrases resonates through the melody~ Wang Yihao's voice fits it perfectly!!!” When tongue twisters break free from paper, Wang Yihao gives them wings through song. The intricate maneuvers of lips and teeth transform into graceful dance steps within the melody, preserving the authentic fun of linguistic play while infusing each syllable with musical color—like witnessing a sound-and-light spectacle of words."

This innovative initiative ingeniously breaks down language learning barriers, transforming Chinese study into a musical adventure brimming with surprises. Starting today, participants can visit the official event website (www.obmusic.com.sg/singandlearn) to download lyrics, backing tracks, and vocal guides for free, effortlessly embarking on a “sing-and-learn” journey through Chinese. Come join Wang Yihao as he guides you through the twists and turns of Chinese tongue twisters! Whether you sing solo or team up with friends, simply record a high-quality performance video for your chance to win fantastic prizes!