Jessie J Performs on Chinese TV One Week After Declaring Cancer Free

One week after announcing she was cancer free, Jessie J flew to China to perform for an audience of more than a billion people.

On 29 May the singer, whose real name is Jessica Cornish, sang Frank Sinatra’s My Way on the Chinese television show Singer. She also performed her new song California, changing the lyrics to name the host city of Changsha.

Cornish wrote on Weibo that returning to China felt nostalgic. “The fact that I’m still so widely recognised and loved by everyone means more to me than people can imagine,” she said. She told the Guardian she was instantly hooked on the country. “I just think in life you should go where you’re celebrated and I feel so celebrated there.”

One fan wrote on Weibo that in China “everyone thinks no one in the world can sing better than you.”

Cornish first appeared on Singer in 2018 and won the series. The show can draw more than 20 billion views for a single episode. Since then the Chinese recorded music market has risen from seventh to fourth largest in the world.

Alex Taggart, founder of the artist management firm Isle Of, said the pandemic raised the bar for foreign acts. “With no foreign artists able to come into China, the domestic music industry massively raised its game,” he said.

Irish band Westlife has performed in China more than 20 times. Member Shane Filan said the scale of support still amazes the group. In 2023 the band sang a Mandarin cover of Pu Shu’s The Ordinary Road in Wuhan. This year Westlife appeared at China’s Spring Festival Gala before more than 650 million viewers.

Charli xcx released a Mandarin version of her song Boys with Chinese producer Howie Lee.

Taggart said Chinese listeners prize melody and vocal ability. “They love somebody with pipes,” he said. Cornish said she enjoys how much Chinese audiences respect voices and technique.

She noted that rules on showing tattoos on television have tightened since 2018, forcing her to plan outfits that cover her ink.

In 2024 Ye performed a sold-out show in Hainan that reportedly generated 373 million yuan in tourism revenue. He later played in Shanghai. A music industry source said artists who speak out against the Chinese government face barriers, while explicit lyrics alone do not always block entry.

Katy Perry was reportedly barred from China after wearing a Taiwanese flag cape during a Taiwan concert but was later allowed to return for five sold-out shows in Shanghai.