A Mandarin version of Coldplay's "Yellow," called "Liu Xing," is getting a lot of attention after it was featured in the box office hit Crazy Rich Asians.
The version, sung by 19-year-old Katherine Ho, is based off a cover popularized by a contestant on China's The Voice, according to The Washington Post. Ho herself is a former contestant of the NBC version of the reality singing competition.
According to Esquire, Crazy Rich Asians director Jon M. Chu revealed his initial request to use the song in the film was denied because Coldplay and Warner Bros. were concerned the use of the song could be interpreted as a racist slur.
“They were like, ‘Whoa, we can’t do that, what do you think people will say?’ And I told them, ‘Well, a white director couldn’t do it,'" he said.
Chu wrote a letter to Coldplay explaining how the color yellow had always had a negative connotation for him until he heard their song. The full letter was published by The Hollywood Reporter.
In the letter, Chu explains that hearing the song and watching the music video allowed him and his friends to "reclaim the color for ourselves."
The director said his request was approved within 24 hours of sending the letter.
Thumbnail image via Getty/Emma McIntyre.
