As the first of the international competitors in the latest season of the show, launched in 2017, Baidukenova stood onstage bathed in the glow of anticipation. As a hush fell over the audience, she took a deep breath and her voice resonated with raw emotion as she began to sing the late American singer-songwriter Eric Carmen's 1975 smash hit, All by Myself, which was also covered by French-Canadian singer Celine Dion.

Her vocal range and emotional rendition quickly captivated the audience.

"I was very nervous. I had only three days to prepare for the performance," says Baidukenova, who performs in China under her given name of Rukhiya.

Although she failed to get into the next round of the competition, inspired by the warmth and generosity of the audience, Baidukenova made a sudden decision to stay and immerse herself in Chinese culture.

"I planned to return home after performing on Singer but later changed my mind. I've been living in Beijing for about two weeks. I'm learning Mandarin, taking music lessons and expanding my repertoire, especially with Chinese songs, as well as making new friends," says Baidukenova, adding that she is drawn to the sound of the guzheng (the ancient Chinese zither) and is keen on learning to play.

She adds that when she was in Changsha, Hunan province, where the reality show was recorded, she felt at home as it reminded her in some ways of her hometown.

The day of the interview, Baidukenova had just recovered from a fever and her throat was still sore. Her music teacher, Lan Tianyang, a singer and voice coach, played a few notes on the piano and asked her to sing the Mongolian folk song, Mu Ge (Song of the Herdsmen).

"She is a very talented singer and from our first class, I could tell that she would become a star," says Lan, who also coached Kudaibergen. "In my teaching approach, I use lots of methods borrowed from traditional Chinese operas. She learns very fast. In operas, there are different roles, such as qingyi (young female roles) and laodan (senior female roles), and performers use different voices to interpret them. I have my students learn these techniques."