Reader's question:  

Baidu sings to a new tune as music battle continues China's largest search engine Baidu Inc launched a voice-based music search service on Monday, part of its efforts to grab more users following rival Google Inc's departure from the mainland.

Could you explain “sing to a new tune”?

My comments:

Baidu singing to a new tune means that it is trying something new, i.e. launching a voice-based music search service.

In other words, it is merely doing something different.

No actual singing taking place at the Baidu, that is. The "singing" here is a figurative speech – "sing a different tune" or "sing a different song" being common phrases for trying something different.

The "new tune" to which Baidu is now singing refers to the new search service. The author uses the words "singing" and "tune" because it's about a voice-based music search.

In other words, Baidu employees are not all of a sudden bursting into song en masse. Therefore, save your applause, if you will, for the writer instead.

Related stories:

Truth lies somewhere in the middle

For all intents and purposes

Past praying for

Nay saying

Kick sth.when it's down

Opening credits

Give somebody a piece of your mind

God only knows

Speak of the devil

Hold a candle to

Jump the gun

Be possible if not probable

Draw a line in the sand

That's saying a lot

Come hell or high water

Right on cue

本文僅代表作者本人觀點，與本網立場無關。歡迎大家討論學術問題，尊重他人，禁止人身攻擊和發布一切違反國家現行法律法規的內容。

Zhang Xin has been with China Daily since 1988, when he graduated from Beijing Foreign Studies University. Write him at: zhangxin@chinadaily.com.cn, or raise a question for potential use in a future column.