Vivian Chow Urged To Retire After Old Clip Of Her Singing Off-Key Goes Viral

Once hailed as one of Cantopop’s most beloved stars of the 1990s, Vivian Chow, 58, has found herself back in the spotlight — and not for the best reasons.

A clip of the Hong Kong singer going off-key during her A Long And Lasting Love concert tour has made the rounds online, sparking heated debate among netizens.

While some expressed concern, others said it might be time for her to call it a day.

Though Vivian, nicknamed “Leader of Jade Girl Sect” for her squeaky-clean image, wrapped up her world tour in April this year, videos from her shows continue to circulate online.

In one clip, Vivian is seen performing Cantonese ballad ‘留恋’ (‘Lau Lyun’) and her vocals, well, weren’t exactly pitch-perfect.

Sharing the video on Threads, the original poster, who claimed to be a former industry insider, took aim at the organisers, writing: “The concert organisers and production team shouldn’t be unaware of the singer’s condition. There are always rehearsals before a concert — so what’s the real purpose? They’re not making money, and they’re seriously damaging the singer’s reputation.”

Cue a flood of brutally honest comments.

Some netizens called her performance “shockingly bad”, with remarks like: “My ears are bleeding,” “I can’t even recognise the song,” and “She was never really a singer, just selling her looks and the dream-girl fantasy.”

Others were even more direct, age-shaming her and urging her to retire gracefully.

“She looks really old now — time to retire,” wrote one netizen.

Another added: “People should know when to step back.”

Still, fans jumped to her defense, suggesting Vivian might have been under the weather that night.

Some speculated her vocal struggles could be lingering effects of COVID.

“She’s been like this since getting COVID. At least before we could still hear her sing in the past — her vocal cords are clearly damaged,” one fan wrote.

This isn’t the first time Vivian’s live singing has come under fire.

In 2023, clips of her “substandard” performance during her US concert also went viral, prompting similar pleas from fans to “preserve the beautiful image” she built over her four-decade career.

Interestingly, Vivian announced last year that she would retire from performing to spend more time with her cats and husband Joe Nieh.

It wouldn’t be her first goodbye either. She famously retired once before in 1997, at the peak of her career, after 11 years in showbiz.

In 2004, Vivian made her comeback with the release of her first book, My Cat Son Pal Chow.