Esther Yu became the center of widespread online mockery after an embarrassing vocal moment at her birthday fan meeting and mini concert titled Blossom, held on the evening of December 6 at the Huaxi Bio–Runbaiyan Center in Beijing. The event was highly anticipated, with all 10,000 tickets selling out within seconds. At its peak, 162,000 people reportedly competed for seats, creating a fierce ticket ratio of 1:16, with many fans still unable to secure tickets afterward.
During the event, Esther Yu treated fans to a lively music party, performing tracks from her THE9 days as well as songs from her 2024 album Spicy Honey. Visually, the actress-idol shined as expected, praised for her sweet image, glowing fair skin, and radiant appearance that made her stand out in the massive venue.
Her dance skills showed slight improvement compared to her THE9 era, but they still fell short of typical idol standards. However, the biggest controversy of the night centered on her vocals. Esther Yu once again sang in her trademark forced “baby voice,” which many described as overly nasal, strained, and unstable. While this style has become part of her quirky public persona, it did little to convince audiences of her technical singing ability.
Throughout the performance, viewers noticed that Esther Yu frequently lip-synced. In segments where she sang live, her voice reportedly cracked badly and went off-key, triggering waves of laughter and ridicule across social media. A clip capturing the exact moment her voice broke went viral almost immediately.
Public reaction after the show was deeply divided. Many viewers admitted that while Esther Yu is undeniably beautiful, her live singing remains weak, heavily dependent on pre-recorded backing tracks and prone to pitch issues. Some fans defended her, arguing that this was only a birthday fan meeting not a professional concert and that audiences should not be overly strict. Still, a large number of attendees expressed disappointment, feeling the live experience did not match the high ticket prices, even though her stage presence and visuals were widely praised.
Even before the event, controversy had already erupted over the ticket prices. Tickets ranged from 388 to 1,588 yuan (approximately $55 to $220), which many felt was excessively expensive for a birthday fan meeting. Shortly after official sales opened, the black market surged into action, with the cheapest 388-yuan tickets being resold for up to 9,000 yuan (over $1,200).
Many netizens argued that birthdays should be occasions for artists to give back to fans, but this pricing was on par with A-list concert tickets. On top of that, hotel packages tied to fan benefits were reportedly far more expensive than regular rates, adding extra costs for gifts and support items, further increasing the financial burden on fans.
The backlash grew even stronger when fans began comparing Esther Yu’s event with Zhao Lusi’s birthday celebration. At Zhao Lusi’s event, fans could receive free tickets simply by answering a few online questions and even enjoyed discounted hotel packages, breakfast, and transportation for just over 300 yuan. In contrast, Esther Yu’s high-priced fan meeting was seen as taking the opposite approach, leading many to question whether she was using her birthday as a way to generate extra profit.
Sources: K14