‘The Voice’ contestants allowed to sing in different languages

MM2 Entertainment, the producer of The Voice in Singapore and Malaysia, said the coming show’s contestants would be allowed to perform songs of different languages that showcase their best talents, and were only excluded from performing Chinese dialect songs, in compliance with Singapore’s broadcasting rules.

In a statement yesterday, the company said: “While we are heartened by the enthusiastic response following the announcement of The Voice, we have also received feedback asking about fluency in Mandarin as a requirement.

“In acquiring the format licence, each market needs to determine the specific language that will be used, and we announced a few months ago that we acquired the format licence to produce it in Mandarin.

“Accordingly, the ability of the contestants to communicate in Mandarin is a necessity for the production, as contestants are required to engage the judges extensively, including during the coaching sessions which are integral to the show.”

MM2 thanked Malaysians and Singaporeans for their support and feedback, and hoped to see many talented singers joining it, even though Mandarin may not be their most proficient language.