Late Malaysian Singer Queenzy Cheng sings for CNY thanks to AI

The unexpected passing of Malaysian star Queenzy Cheng at the age of 37 due to a brain aneurysm in November sent shockwaves through the region, particularly among her fans who admired her Chinese New Year music.

Although she never had the chance to record a song titled ‘Good Luck’ planned for release this year, a determined team of music producers—Deng Zhizhang, Chen Wenxi, and Xu Guowen—decided to bring the track to life using AI technology.

After nearly two months of effort, the trio successfully replicated Queenzy’s singing voice and created a corresponding music video. The team deemed the AI-produced vocals 80 per cent similar to Queenzy’s.

Guowen, who collaborated with the late singer, noted that the AI-generated voice sounded remarkably close to Queenzy, leading him to break down while listening to it in the recording studio.

Conveying festive blessings

Songwriter Leow Yee Xing, who envisioned Queenzy performing the song before composing it, expressed a hope that technology would effectively convey festive blessings to everyone.

The video director, Kiang HY, revealed that Queenzy had previously discussed the direction of the music video with him, expressing her desire to showcase unseen aspects of her life on social media.

Upon the video’s debut on YouTube, numerous netizens expressed how much they missed Queenzy. However, opinions were divided, with some finding the song and AI replication unsettling.

One user remarked on the peculiar sensation of hearing a voice that wasn’t hers, while others commended the production team for their efforts, expressing gratitude for still being able to hear Queenzy’s voice through the assistance of AI technology.

Started at a young age

Born Feb 26, 1986, in Perlis, Malaysia, Queenzy Cheng Koon Si was a beloved Malaysian actress and singer.

She started her musical journey at a young age, performing solo at five years old and releasing her first album at eight.

Earlier in her career, she briefly used the stage name “Queenz”.

Queenzy is known for her versatile talent, spanning classical music, musical theatre, pop, and especially popular Chinese New Year albums.