It’s only been a few days since Namewee dropped the music video to his latest song, “Beyond the Edge”, but the often controversial Malaysian rapper has already rubbed China the wrong way with it.

“Better to die fighting for freedom than be a prisoner for the rest of your life,” he also posted in the music video’s description on YouTube.

Mainland Chinese netizens have blasted him online for it and China has also taken the step of banning the song on Weibo, as confirmed by the singer himself on social media. He is, however, unperturbed, and merely stated that listeners are free to interpret it however they want. 

Meanwhile, Fu Jiu, who is well known for his ability to mimic the singing voice of Beyond’s late lead singer Wong Ka Kui and whom Namewee collaborated with for the new song, has issued an apology. Liberty Times reported that the Chinese singer’s management company stated that Fu Jiu will never perform the song for any occasion. 

Below is the music video for “Beyond the Edge”, if you haven’t seen it. Namewee has also posted the behind-the-scenes video on his YouTube yesterday.

Now that he’s returned to Malaysia from Taiwan and successfully undergone a 14-day quarantine to ensure he wasn’t COVID-19 positive, Namewee is back to doing what he does best: entertain.

The song, also known as “Boundless Oceans, Vast Skies”, was the Hong Kong band’s final song with their lead vocalist, the late Wong Ka Kui. 

Here’s the video if you haven’t seen it.

Not content with just singing the song, Namewee also promised to release a rap cover of it. This rap version will drop tomorrow, 11 April.

There’s been no teaser for the rap version so fans will just have to wait until tomorrow night to hear it. Judging by the comments left on his social media, many are anticipating the upcoming rap track.

Aside from making music as usual, Namewee has also recently done an Instagram Live with badminton star Datuk Wira Lee Chong Wei and has been doing charity work, providing medical necessities to 10 hospitals across Malaysia to aid them during the Movement Control Order (MC) that’s enforced by the government to curb the spread of COVID-19. 

(Photo source: Namewee’s Instagram)

It’s been almost four decades since Yip Sai Wing and Paul Wong debuted in popular Hong Kong rock band Beyond, but the love their fans have for them is still undoubtedly strong.

Performing to a packed crowd at Resorts World Genting’s Arena of Stars last weekend, after local Cantopop rocker Alex Chia opened the show for them, the duo hit the nostalgia button hard the moment they took the stage as they performed one of Beyond’s biggest hits, “Boundless Oceans, Vast Skies”.

Local Cantopop rocker Alex Chia was the opening act for Wing & Paul “Impulse” Live Concert in Malaysia.

The song, which became the last one to be performed by the late Wong Ka Kui, their leader who passed away after a game show mishap in 1993, moved many of the fans as they either silently filmed the performance with their smartphones or loudly sang along.

The duo didn’t waste time in between songs, getting right into it one after another, performing more hits such as “Yesterday’s Footprints”, “Loving You” and “Sad Song in the Midnight”.

Fittingly, for “Days in the Past”, seven of the stage’s nine screens (the biggest two on either side of the stage remained showing live feed of either Wing or Paul) displayed various photos of the band during their younger days, featuring their late leader as well as fellow former member, bassist Wong Ka Keung, the younger brother of Wong Ka Kui.

Paul flanked by his fellow guitarists.

It was only after “Breakthrough” that the duo took a breather, they had been belting out song after song for the past half hour plus. Saving their voices, they had not talked much except to greet their fans, thank them for being with them through the decades and to occasionally introduce whichever song they were singing next.

During the short intermission, a video played, showing the duo talking about their song “Road”, which they made in order to give hope and encouragement to their juniors in the music industry. They also said that it was a song that fans could easily sing along to or play on guitar.

True enough, when they came back on stage – this time Paul in a red and white striped sweater and Wing in a white vest over a black T-shirt – to perform “Road”, fans sang along to it.

One of their hardcore fans holding up a sign that said “I grew up listening to Beyond”.

The crowd didn’t sing along loudly all throughout the show, but they were obviously warming up their vocals because towards the end, the whole venue was starting to sound like a karaoke bar dialed up to 100, especially when songs like “AMANI” and “I Really Love You” – the latter which received the biggest reaction when it started playing – were performed. 

It was at last time to bid the fans goodbye and the duo did so by singing to them “Goodbye Ideal”.

So passionate were the fans, they called out encore before the band even left the stage. Of course, it took a few moments, with more shouts of encore and ecstatic screaming from fans, before the encore stage started.

Wing and Paul donned matching black shirts during the encore.

Wing appeared first for his drum solo, before Paul returned to the stage to perform “I’m Angry” together. After taking a group snapshot with their fans, who by now were mostly standing, even those who were in the terraced seating could be seen standing up and dancing around by now, the duo closed the show with “Glorious Years” and a repeat of their opening song, “Boundless Oceans, Vast Skies”.

Even though the band has been officially disbanded for more than a decade now, its influence remains strong and to this day is still known as Hong Kong’s most legendary rock band.

It’s time to get nostalgic with rock legends Yip Sai Wing and Paul Wong, who are heading to Malaysia this August to perform some of Beyond’s hits.

Date: 24 August 2019 (Saturday)

Time: 8.30pm

Venue: Arena of Stars, Resorts World Genting

Tickets, priced at RM720, RM560, RM440, RM320 and RM200 (all excluding RM4 processing fee), will go on sale from 11am, 7 June 2019.

The first 1,000 tickets sold will receive 10% Early Bird Discount. Meanwhile, Star Planet members who sign up on or before 3 June 2019 will get 15% off on up to 4 tickets.

Bookings can be made by calling 03-9223 3667 (Star Planet) / 03-9222 8811 (TicketCharge) / 03-2718 1118 (Genting). For more info, visit www.ticketcharge.com.my / www.rwgenting.com / www.starplanet.com.my.

As their concert poster tagline states, Yip Sai Wing and Paul Wong will be celebrating 36 years of legendary Beyond songs. They will be performing hits such as “Boundless Oceans, Vast Skies,” “The Glorious Years,” “Truly Love You,” “Never Doubt You” and “Like You”.

Beyond was a Hong Kong band the duo was part of. Formed in 1983 by drummer Yip, leader Wong Ka Kui, and Wong’s brother, bassist Wong Ka Keung, Paul joined the band two years later after lead guitarist Chan Sze On left.

The band started performing as a trio following their leader’s tragic death in 1993. In 2005, the band officially disbanded, and each member went on to pursue solo careers.