Music, honesty and a cross-cultural connection

Canadian musicians Jenn Beaupre — better known as Rozette — and JKAI never expected their "reaction" videos to go viral in China, a project they started almost three years ago.

In their videos, Rozette, who is a singer-songwriter and vocal coach, reacts to live performances by Chinese singers appearing on the nation's popular music shows. Her honest reactions, fresh perspectives, as well as sharp yet professional and humorous comments, have attracted millions of followers in China.

Born in Alberta, Canada, Rozette debuted as a singer about 20 years ago. With a diverse musical style blending elements of pop, soul and jazz, she earned acclaim with her powerful vocals, impressive stage performances and accomplished singing. JKAI, who plans the videos, has also been involved in the music industry for about two decades. He has written hundreds of songs that are licensed out to record labels, games, films and TV commercials across Asia.

Humbly describing themselves as "small players" in the industry, the two told China Daily that they started to create and post videos simply for fun and as an experiment. JKAI, who has Chinese origins, was curious about how his best friend Rozette, who knew little about China, would feel about the nation's music that he loves.

In their videos, they do little preparation or research about the song or singer they are to review, meaning that Rozette's reactions are natural, honest and spontaneous.

With her understanding of vocal skills and musical knowledge, she shares her instant feelings about the singer's performance, the song's production values, and even the singer's personality.

Such honesty is a key and unique feature valued by an audience seeking a refreshing view of China.

"I was so separated and distant from all of this music and culture from China at that time, which made it easier for me to say what I thought. This project gave me a very interesting and eventually fulfilling opportunity to use my skills as a musician, singer and vocal coach to view something with a blank slate," says Rozette.

Since starting, they have filmed around 800 videos, many of which remain unreleased. On the Chinese video-sharing platform Bilibili alone, their videos have attracted nearly 2.4 million followers and garnered over 630 million views. They were listed among Bilibili's top 100 content creators in 2024, and were presented with the Overseas Content Creator of the Year award at Bilibili 2025 UP100 on Jan 18.

However, as the popularity of their videos increased, there has been some controversy. Some people question their qualifications to comment on other singers, criticize their lack of preparation and research, and feel they don't understand Chinese music and culture. Fans of the singers they review can also be scathing when their idols are on the receiving end of Rozette's sometimes sharp comments.

Both Rozette and JKAI, however, are relaxed about the mixed opinions and are still determined to stick with their original plan of delivering genuine, honest and spontaneous reviews, instead asking their audience to "agree to disagree".

New opportunities have also opened for the pair as their videos have grown in popularity. Rozette has not only learned more about China and its music scene, but she has also had the chance to stand back on stage as a singer and directly connect with some of the artists she has critiqued.

Feeling grateful for these opportunities and honored to be celebrated far from their Canadian home, they appreciate Chinese audiences for their support, describing them as "curious, joyful, passionate and excited about music".

"When you're in the industry for 20 years, sometimes excitement can fade. But when I interact with the warm, kind and outwardly excited people (in China) who share the same love for music, I do love the (human) voice more. They give me energy and bring back the 14-year-old Rozette in me," says Rozette.

She believes her artistry has grown over the past two and a half years since they started creating the videos, as she watches other artists intently and hears new songs in a totally different language. She says the experience has made her much "richer" in culture, knowledge, experience, connection and curiosity.

There are also some singers who have made a lasting impression on her, namely Zhou Shen, Shan Yichun, Tan Weiwei, Faye Wong, Leehom Wang, David Tao, Jonathan Lee, JJ Lin, and Jess Lee.

"Every artist that I've seen is really special," says Rozette. "One of my goals is to find myself more inside a Mandarin song, and be able to confidently perform one onstage for the amazing people here."

With the universal language of music, they would also like to inspire audiences beyond their videos — as she said "Cheers to being human!" when receiving the award from Bilibili.

She told China Daily that she always likes to remind singers, and indeed everyone, that beautiful and touching sounds naturally live within their bodies and humanity. She advises them to be playful and focus on understanding who they truly are, without being distracted or worried about perceived flaws.

"Let down your guard, and be the most you can be," she says.

JKAI says that "being human" is of particular importance in the current era, with the emergence of "artists" and "singers" created with artificial intelligence. Both JKAI and Rozette feel it is their mission to remind people what "real" and raw human voices sound like, hoping to expose younger generations to the essential "humanness" underneath technologies.

"What makes us human is that we all have flaws. It is meaningful if we can even slightly change people's minds, help them stop looking for perfection, and eventually accept who they are as humans," JKAI says.