ARTICLE
The Mandarin Version of 'Yellow' in 'Crazy Rich Asians' has a Heartwarming Story Behind it
By Flora / 21 Aug 2018 (Tuesday)
All thanks to director Jon M. Chu that we are blessed with this beautiful rendition of Coldplay’s ‘Yellow’, sung by 19-year-old Katherine Ho. The music featured in Crazy Rich Asians initially didn’t make the cut because Coldplay and Warner Bros. were concerned about the use of the song for the word ‘yellow’ could be interpreted as a racist slur, often a derogatory term to describe people of Chinese descent.
Titled ‘Liu Xing’, the song is getting a lot of attention online, ever since Crazy Rich Asians premiered in North America last week.
Director Chu said: “If we’re going to be called yellow, we’re going to make it beautiful.”
And beautiful it is.
The filmmaker wrote directly to Coldplay members Chris Martin, Guy Berryman, Jonny Buckland and Will Champion, telling them how much he loved the song and how it changed the meaning of the word ‘yellow’.
In the letter, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter, he stated:
“I remember seeing the music video in college for the first time on [MTV's] TRL. That oner shot with the sun rising was breathtaking for both my filmmaker and music-loving side. It immediately became an anthem for me and my friends and gave us a new sense of pride we never felt before.”
The heartfelt letter pretty much did the trick, as the band approved the song to be used in the film within 24 hours Chu sent it over.
Read the letter below.
Crazy Rich Asians sneaks InCinemas and opens 22nd August!
Check out photos of the crazy glamourous cast at the Singapore Red Carpet Premiere here!