Beijing Blesses You (And Sings at You)
If you remember the exasperatingly catchy tune that was “Beijing Welcomes You” (北京欢迎你 Beijing Huanying Ni)，then be prepared for another song that will be sure to get stuck in your head. “Beijing Blesses You” (北京祝福你 Beijing Zhufu Ni) is the star-studded sequel to China’s 2008 Olympics-inspired musical extravaganza. There doesn’t seem to be a real purpose for “Beijing Blesses You” besides a musical passing of the torch to London, but why look a gift horse in the mouth?
Read on to see the new music video. Also see our comparisons between the two songs in terms of star power, lyrics, and more.
Beijing Blesses You (2012)
Beijing Welcomes You (2008)
The music video that accompanies “Beijing Blesses” is certainly reminiscent of the 2008 effort. There's the familiar rundown of Asian celebrities positioned in front of iconic Chinese landmarks, all whizzing by at breakneck pace. And the lyrics of both songs achieve a similar sentimentality. Is "Beijing Blesses You" a mere clone, or can it stand alone as its own "love to hate it, hate to love it" power ballad? Let's see how the songs stack up against one another.
Star Power:
"Beijing Blesses You" (BBY) appears to have 177 different celebrities taking part in the production. That number was reported by Jinghua News, but you're welcome to tally them up if you feel the need to double-check their stats.
"Beijing Welcomes You" (BWY) reportedly included 100 different celebrities.
Winner: BBY
Lyrics and Length:
BBY has some impressively cheesy lyrics. A sample: "Love, like the globe, turns round and round, and "Beijing blesses you ... encourages a new saga every day." Too bad there are only maybe ten original phrases, despite the length. And while the entire song lasts an unwarranted eight minutes, they seem to fill up half of that time repeating "Beijing blesses you," of which there are 34 mentions. The conclusion is literally that phrase sung 13 times in a row.
BWY repeats its title phrase only 20 times throughout the song. Standout lyrics include: "After a big hug, you'll feel close with us, and surely you will love this place," and "In the soil rich in traditions, we plant and hope everything we plant here leaves you with a great experience." We think BWY takes the cake here, despite coming in under seven minutes. Quality over quantity – even when the quality is questionable.
Winner: BWY
Landmarks:
BBY has nearly 100 famous landmarks in the background of its music video, according to the previously mentioned Jinghua News article. That's a landmark almost every five seconds.
BWY has only half that number. Which is really for the best, because even at this pace, our eyes get whiplash.
Winner: BBY
Brownie points:
BBY has a dance routine! One that may catch on with the insidious speed of the Macarena. It's simple, has few moves, and requires little exertion. Really, all you do is clasp your hands together and shake them in the air. So it's not so much a dance routine as one of those warm-up exercises you do before gym class.
BWY starts off on the right foot with a little girl singing. Aw, so cute! So precious! And brief, thank goodness. Let's bring in the real stars now, shall we?
Winner: BWY
In the end, the distinctions are fairly superficial. Both songs are certified earworms, brimming with patriotic pride. And Jackie Chan makes both ballads a winner in our book.
Photo: Chinanews.com, Ynet.com
