Li Ronghao vs Shan Yichun Music Copyright Controversy Explained

Controversy recently broke out after Chinese singer Li Ronghao, 40, took to social media to criticize Shan Yichun, 24, over a music copyright issue, with the latter later apologizing.

Li Ronghao Publicly Calls Out Shan Yichun

It all began when Li Ronghao publicly criticized Shan Yichun for performing her popular cover of his song “Li Bai” without permission during her March 28 concert. In a strongly worded social media post, the singer revealed that her team had previously requested to buy the rights to sing his song which he clearly and politely declined via email. Despite this, the performance still went ahead, something Li Ronghao described as “forcibly infringing on copyright.”

Li Ronghao did not mince words. Addressing Shan Yichun directly, he challenged, “Are you trying to get revenge? What exactly is this “grudge”? Do you want me to spell it out? Can you handle it? Are you sure you can handle it? Tell me.”

Li Ronghai revealed that her cover performance, which went viral when she first sang it on the reality show Singer last year, led to countless trending topics mocking him personally.

He Was a Mentor and She Was a Contestant on Sing! China

Shan Yichun’s modified rendition of “Li Bai” went viral in 2025. The adapted lyric added lines such as “Ru He Ne, You Neng Zen (如何呢 又能怎), adopting a “so what” attitude. Some felt it was a jab on Li Ronghao for not turning his chair during Sing! China, which dates back to five years ago. Li Ronghao was one of the mentors of 2020’s Sing! China Season 5, the show that launched the career of then 19-year-old student Shan Yichun who became the winner. She’s now among the top singers of the country, a feat not many have been able to achieve in such a short time.

“I Hope You Won’t Say You Didn’t Know,” He Said

The issue between the two quickly trended on the hot search. Shan Yichun initially responded with a brief apology, saying she had just come from rehearsal and would clarify the situation with her team and also cried during her concert. Her actions easily drew criticism because Li Ronghao had anticipated her response in his post saying, “I hope you won’t say you didn’t know, or that it was all your company’s doing, that doesn’t align with your usual “so what, what can anyone do about it” attitude. And don’t break down in tears during tonight’s performance to gain sympathy. After all, when you chose to infringe, you were confident. So show that confidence now..”

Apology and Accountability

Shan Yichun later issued a second, more detailed apology to Li Ronghao and the public, fully taking the blame. She said that she was indeed unaware that they hadn’t obtained rights, but acknowledged that she indeed performed “Li Bai” without authorization. She promised to stop performing the song, personally cover all copyright fees and compensation, and called on her fans to remain rational. She wrote, “Please also refrain from blaming or attacking Mr. Li Ronghao or any other parties involved. The fault lies entirely with me and has nothing to do with anyone else.”

Li Ronghao later responded that he doesn’t need the compensation but stressed that the online harassment from her fans toward him and his family must stop. He added that if the issue no longer escalates and his family is left alone, he would not pursue further action for now, though he reserves the right to do so. Seemingly softening his tone after their back-and-forth, he ended his response by telling Shan Yichun to rest after her performances.

Li Ronghao Claps Back at New Allegations Against Him

When the controversy first broke, lyricist Wu Xiangfei suddenly accused Li Ronghao of also performing his song without authorization or payment in the past. Li Ronghai denied the claim and challenged his accuser to provide details such as the time and occasion of the alleged performance. He stated that if the accusation were true, he would publicly apologize and compensate. He then countered, “Looks like you have no evidence to present,” and said that the matter had been handed over to his legal team.

On April 1, there were new rumors alleging Li Ronghao plagiarized music, which prompted the singer to take to social media to shut down the allegations. This time around, he defended Shan Yichun’s fans saying, “Don’t go looking for Shan Yichun’s fans. This wasn’t done by her fans. Someone wants to make me angry so I’ll keep criticizing her online. This has nothing to do with her fans. As for which group is responsible, I don’t know and don’t want to know.