In a post-pandemic first, tickets for newly-added Taiwan dates of Mandopop star Eric Chou’s ‘How Have You Been’ Tour sold out in just 15 minutes after going on sale.
Chou will be performing on 8th and 9th August at the Taipei Arena, and on 5th and 6th September at the Kaohsiung Arena. These are set to be the first concerts held in the venues since Taiwan’s recovery from the coronavirus pandemic, and potentially the first post-pandemic arena shows globally.
In a record-breaking feat, tickets to all four shows sold out in just 15 minutes after going on sale at noon on 18th July. In response to his fans’ enthusiasm, Chou posted candid photos and videos to Instagram, expressing his gratitude and excitement.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CCxetYlJOdw/?igshid=1jn465ag6gyia
Chou added,
“I’ll continue to work out and practice hard to perform at my best!”
The sellout makes Chou the world’s first major musical artist to hold arena concerts since the pandemic began. Despite palpable uncertainty among touring artists amid the COVID-19 crisis, Chou’s initiative has seen immense support from his local fans, who – despite having to undergo additional verification and a longer ticketing process – sold out all four shows within 15 minutes of them going on sale. Chou noted that the enhanced process has been a blessing in disguise, as it has prevented ticket scalpers from purchasing access to the shows.
“I’d like to say a huge thank you to my fans.”
While waiting for the global crisis to blow over, the bilingual artist has released several music videos, including one for English track ‘In the Works’, as well as an acclaimed collaboration with Mandopop queen G.E.M. titled ‘Don’t Force It’.
Last December, he performed at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. While he was initially scheduled to play only one show, a second night in Singapore was added to the tour thanks to overwhelming demand for tickets.
Earlier this year, with the help of Benjamin Kheng, Narelle and Sezairi among other acts from all over Asia, Chou released a remake of his song ‘Forever Beautiful’, conveying a message of solidarity and support in these challenging times.
Proceeds from ‘Forever Beautiful: All for One Version’ will be donated to relief efforts by Han Hong Love Charity Foundation in China.
Chou held fan meetings in Taipei, Taichung and Kaohsiung, with the Taipei fan meeting streamed live via his YouTube channel. Chou also performed and interacted with fans live for YouTube Music Night, an event featuring the platform’s favourite artists, including those from the Mandopop sphere.
Now, fans attending the four shows on his arena tour can look forward to seeing Chou perform on a revolving stage, with revamped performances and an incredible new wardrobe.
Earlier this year, Eric Chou released the limited edition double album When We Were Young + Freedom, comprising 21 stylistically unique tracks from his fourth and fifth studio albums, which explore issues from every stage of life. Upon release, ‘When We Were Young’ hit #1 on over 50 charts worldwide.
In addition, Chou made his authorial debut with ‘Those Unspoken Words’, a collection of prose which has since seen four reprints thanks to overwhelming demand. Chou’s recent collaboration with Mandopop queen G.E.M. titled ‘Don’t Force It’ has also seen great success, with many dubbing it the next classic duet.
