Wang Leehom lets his hair and beard grow

Taipei — During the Covid-10 pandemic, many men skipped having their hair cut and beards shaved. Stars like Wang Leehom, who has been known for his clean-cut image for most of his 25-year career, have also shunned scissors and razors. On Sunday (May 16), minutes before his 45th birthday, Wang Leehom uploaded a photo of himself with a shocking new look, with a thick beard and long hair that can be tied into braids.

“To be honest, I don’t even remember the last time I shaved… or got a haircut,” he wrote in the caption, adding the hashtag #birthdaybraids.

As for the facial hair, it is not new. In April, Blackie Chen gave the public a sneak peek of the scruffier Leehom on social media. Leehom was then compared to Hollywood star Keanu Reeves. But some fans asked the Taiwanese-American singer to shave off his beard. However, Leehom paid no heed and followed up by uploading more photos of himself with long hair and beard, according to 8days.sg.

Referring to his latest selfie, netizens said Leehom resembled a number of fellow bearded, dreadlocked figures, both real and fictional. One of the figures is Captain Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Caribbean. Some netizens said they had trouble recognising Leehom at first.

There were some netizens who think the star looks better with short hair and a clean-shaven face, with one less flattering comment pretty much accusing the handsome star of “letting himself go”.

A Facebook user told Leehom to read up on cultural appropriation and learn “why it’s harmful for [him] as a non-black person to be wearing box braids”.

Anyway, it appears that many netizens are awaiting the day when Leehom heads to the salon and comes out looking like his old self again./TISG