Cai Chengyu has seen his music career grow quickly over the past two years. The singer performs at various events thanks to his increasing popularity among young audiences. [Photo provided to China Daily]

A singer's debut album is scheduled to be released ahead of his 23rd birthday, Chen Nan reports.

When Cai Chengyu appeared on Super Vocal, a talent show produced by Hunan Satellite TV for classically trained singers in 2018, he was still a student of the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, where he was trained to become a bel canto tenor. Little did he know then that he would be embarking on one of the most thrilling experiences of his career.

During the past two years, he has gained over 1 million followers on the micro-blogging platform Sina Weibo. He has performed at national galas, such as the Spring Festival Gala, one of the most-watched annual events in the country, as well as participating in several variety shows.

"It happened so fast－what I achieved and have now－that I am still learning with each project I am involved with," says Cai, who is pursuing his bachelor's degree at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music.

Cai is excited about releasing his debut album on Jan 15, which will feature six songs, before he turns 23 years old on Jan 17.

On Oct 30, the first song from the album, titled The Light Beyond, was released by Decca Records, part of the Universal Music Group. The song, which is a Mandarin version of an English song with the same title, is adapted from a 2013 musical, titled Lightseeker, written by award-winning Singaporean songwriter Dick Lee.

The Mandarin version of the song also features a performance of the Budapest Art Orchestra.

Cai also traveled to Ulaanqab in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region to shoot the music video for the song. With the beautiful scenery and his performance, Cai says he hopes it will be a fresh take on the song, using his classically trained voice to bring a romantic blend of classical and pop music to his audiences.

"Though I haven't watched the musical Lightseeker yet, I love the vibe of the music, which is full of hope and confidence," Cai says.