Currently Watching: See You Again
Source: Call Me By Fire Official Weibo
- Genres: Music, Variety Show, Survival Competition
- No. of Episodes: 12
Call Me By Fire is a highly anticipated music variety show in 2021. It turned out to be above my expectations. The artists, performances and their dorm scenes were amazing which I looked forward to every week. I hope this article will interest you in watching it and help you learn more about the show!
Warning: This article contains minor spoilers!
Introduction
Call Me By Fire is a Chinese music variety show where 33 male artists compete and face eliminations before the 17 final members form a new boy group. These artists have already been in the industry for a long time. There are actors, singers, dancers, pianists, and rappers.
These artists are given a limited amount of time to practice for the performances after forming groups to compete with one another. They are voted by the audiences and a group of professionals during their live performances. The groups which win will eventually merge to form the boy group of 17 members.
Artists
 | Source: Call Me By Fire Official Weibo |
 | Source: Call Me By Fire Official Weibo |
 | Source: Call Me By Fire Official Weibo |
 | From left to right: Zhang Qi, MC Jin, Li Yun Di, Owodog Zhuang Source: Call Me By Fire Official Weibo |
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 | Source: Call Me By Fire Official Weibo |
 | From left to right: Liu Jia, Li Xiang, Congo Pax, Bridge Source: Call Me By Fire Official Weibo |
What I like about this show
Source: Call Me By Fire Official Weibo
Format of the show: This show allowed experienced artists in different areas of the industry to come together and perform on stage. By collaborating with different people, they were able to present different types of music. This show also provided an opportunity for the less seen artists to have a stage to show the audience their capabilities. Other than attending practices to prepare for the performances, there were also random games and events throughout the show to help the artists mingle with one another.
Source: Call Me By Fire Official Weibo
Artists who participated: There were many familiar faces from my childhood, mainly the TVB actors, whom I grew up with while watching the Hong Kong dramas. Being able to see them all together on a show again was a delight. I was able to see their interactions which were rare as having them all on a show together seems like a dream previously. There were also singers and actors whom I have liked for a while. Hence, I was glad to see them exploring different areas, such as rapping and dancing.
Source: Call Me By Fire Official Weibo
In addition to the familiar faces, I was happy to see artists whom I had not heard of previously. I was able to learn more about them and discover their works through this show. It was a good opportunity for me to discover a wider variety of music. Furthermore, none of the artists who participated had a burden to maintain their image. Although I am unable to determine if they are being genuine, it seemed as if the artists were able to be themselves and joke around with one another. Hence, watching the show after a long day at work made me feel happier.
Source: Call Me By Fire Official Weibo
Performances: After separating into different groups, the artists have to bid for the songs they want to perform. However, this depends on the bidding amount that they have, which is based on their number of votes in the different performances. Hence, there were times when they received songs which they may not fancy as much. Yet, they still did their best in presenting impressive performances. By watching their practices, I could see the effort they put in, which makes me appreciate the performances even more. In addition, most of the artists tried out areas they were unfamiliar with previously which allowed me to see the different sides of them.
Source: Call Me By Fire Official Weibo
The groups also recomposed the songs they chose, which could have been risky should they not do a good job. However, most of them did a good job recomposing the songs. Despite them being different from the original version, it is safe to say that they did not ruin the song and it was nice to hear another version of the song. Most of the performances were amazing and their stage presence was very outstanding.
Source: Call Me By Fire Official Weibo
Atmosphere among the artists: Despite it being a survival variety show, where they were competing with one another, the artists still helped each other out to present splendid performances. Instead of being competitive, it was obvious that they put the quality of the performances above everything else. As an audience, it was very pleasant to see it as they respected the performances to be shown to us. As someone who dislikes a competitive and tense atmosphere, the friendly atmosphere draws me further into the show.
Source: Call Me By Fire Official Weibo
Although there were some conflicts in various parts of the show, I think that it is understandable as everyone has their own opinions and interpretations in the presentation of the songs. Furthermore, they are all experienced artists, hence making it more difficult to conclude on their definition of a good performance. However, they were all able to overcome their differences to present impressive performances to their best abilities.
Source: Call Me By Fire Official Weibo
Interactions among the artists: Though they are in the same industry, the artists were not familiar with one another before this show. It was an enjoyable ride as I saw the process of them being awkward to being playful friends. They mentioned several times that they felt as if they were in a university dorm, and their interactions portrayed that too. They are all very warm-hearted and have constantly encouraged one another throughout the show.
There were many funny moments throughout the show which made it very entertaining to watch. I often find myself looking forward to their interactions during their practices and in their dorm. Though it hurt to watch the eliminations, it was nice to see them still interacting with one another on social media. Their interactions in the show became more precious after knowing that they are still in contact outside the show.
Conclusion
In conclusion, this variety show has become one of my favourites and I know I will rewatch it in the future. Not only does it have amazing performances, the friendship among the artists also made it pleasurable. There are many friendships shown which I adore and love. In addition, there are also many side variety shows such as Afternoon Tea for Brothers, Definition 2021, and Boyhood. Through these shows, I was able to learn more about the artists as well as seeing them having fun together.
Have you watched this show yet? If not, what are you waiting for? Let me know your favourite performances in the comments!
