2020 April - Why Xiao Zhan?
On April 25, Xiao Zhan's music single "Spot of Light" went online, and under the premise of zero teasers, zero promotions, sales exceeded 77 million, surpassing the Grammy-Award-winning "Bad Guy" to become the number one single in the world.
Even though the voice of opposition has not stopped, even if the black hot search hung up all day, and the studio issued a document calling for rational purchase, it still could not stop the enthusiasm of the supporters. The name Xiao Zhan has once again made waves in the entertainment industry. A new wave of slander and support pushed Xiao Zhan, who has always been moderate and low-key, into the spotlight once again, leaving countless uninformed passersby with questions: Why him? Why is it him again?
In the summer of 2019, a costume xianxia drama "Chen Qing Ling" engraved the name "Xiao Zhan" in the hearts of countless young people and became a hot new traffic idol. Since then, with the increase of exposure and resources, Xiao Zhan has dominated the major charts for a long time, and his endorsement of Estée Lauder's products had created a one-hour sales record of 40 million.
In a short period of more than half a year, Xiao Zhan, as a new elite, set up a personal studio, and blossomed in many fields of film and television songs by virtue of the movies like Jade Dynasty, variety shows like "Our Song" and "Everlasting Classics". Favored by numerous leading figures in the industry and a number of mainstream media, he successfully entered the 2020 Spring Festival Gala.
Xiao Zhan had risen so fast and fiercely in the entertainment industry, a momentum that is unprecedented in history.
Why is it that, against the backdrop of a cold winter in the film and television industry, the slowdown in the economy, and difficult times for brands and entertainment companies, Xiao Zhan was able to ride out the storm?
Why is it that Xiao Zhan, whose voice is so good, but not a top-notch vocal performance, can make songs like "Remaining Years", "Sing in a Thousand Years" and "Bamboo Stone" have such a heart-stopping appeal?
Why can Xiao Zhan, whose acting skills are wonderful but not mature enough, managed to make Wei Wuxian's role linger in the hearts of the audience?
Why is it that in an entertainment industry where traffic can be faked and fans can be bought, Xiao Zhan's fandom always manage to produce large amounts of food in a sustained manner, with amazing activities and creative powers?
Why did the elderly who saw Xiao Zhan in the Spring Festival evening skit say, "This kid is very likable"?
At that time, most people who loved Xiao Zhan can only vaguely express:
"He's good-looking"
"His smile is warm"
"I just think this song is good"
"I don't know why, I can't watch other dramas after CQL"
"This boy has a good temperament"
"This boy has a good face".
The elders of the entertainment industry who have come into contact with Xiao Zhan often give positive comments: "He's very humble," "He works very hard", "He makes rapid progress," and "He is very polite.".
After feeling they were robbed of market share capital, the other side is red-eyed and resentful of its inability to get a piece of the pie, the other party then sharpened his knife and began to study the root cause of this person's explosion. After a lot of background research and eye-to-eye contact, and based on their previous experience and "professional" assessment, they attributed Xiao Zhan's success to "face value", "traffic", "delayed dividends" and "capital packaging". In the end, the Coalition of Opponents contemptuously concluded that he is nothing more than a relatively fortunate ant on a star-making assembly line.
As a result, in the vigorous 227 incident, we saw plastic surgery rumors and ugly photos of facial appearance, provoking the fans and small circles to declare war, spreading rumors to destroy the person and set up a disruption flow. The media campaign and the constant correcting of microscopic errors have made the capital terrified of "Zhan". A series of harassment operations had a very clear direction, (on the premise that I have no substantial black spots), which is to forcibly pull Xiao Zhan down from his peak, and getting rid of him. At the same time, in line with the belief that "this kind of success can be replicated", 68 delayed film and television productions have been filed and have been put on the market one after another.
As a popular top stream, Xiao Zhan is undoubtedly the best tool for capital to pursue profits. Compared with the overwhelming publicity during the explosion of "Chen Qing Ling" and the subsequent investment of media and film resources, why is it that during the two-month-long turmoil, the capital tied to Xiao's interests has been pursuing a "clean slate"* and has hardly fought back?
清净无为 (qīng jìng wú wéi) Letting things take their own course (a taoist concept of human conduct)
The elders of the entertainment industry who have come into contact with Xiao Zhan often give positive comments: "He's very humble," "He works very hard", "He makes rapid progress," and "He is very polite.".
After feeling they were robbed of market share capital, the other side is red-eyed and resentful of its inability to get a piece of the pie, the other party then sharpened his knife and began to study the root cause of this person's explosion. After a lot of background research and eye-to-eye contact, and based on their previous experience and "professional" assessment, they attributed Xiao Zhan's success to "face value", "traffic", "delayed dividends" and "capital packaging". In the end, the Coalition of Opponents contemptuously concluded that he is nothing more than a relatively fortunate ant on a star-making assembly line.
As a result, in the vigorous 227 incident, we saw plastic surgery rumors and ugly photos of facial appearance, provoking the fans and small circles to declare war, spreading rumors to destroy the person and set up a disruption flow. The media campaign and the constant correcting of microscopic errors have made the capital terrified of "Zhan". A series of harassment operations had a very clear direction, (on the premise that I have no substantial black spots), which is to forcibly pull Xiao Zhan down from his peak, and getting rid of him. At the same time, in line with the belief that "this kind of success can be replicated", 68 delayed film and television productions have been filed and have been put on the market one after another.
As a popular top stream, Xiao Zhan is undoubtedly the best tool for capital to pursue profits. Compared with the overwhelming publicity during the explosion of "Chen Qing Ling" and the subsequent investment of media and film resources, why is it that during the two-month-long turmoil, the capital tied to Xiao's interests has been pursuing a "clean slate"* and has hardly fought back?
清净无为 (qīng jìng wú wéi) Letting things take their own course (a taoist concept of human conduct)
Many media outlets have uncovered his complex capital connections and ambiguous attitude. During the two months of torment, fans who supported Xiao Zhan have archived numerous interviews about Xiao Zhan, subtly and wisely revealing the answer.
"Keep hot and stick to it. Perhaps the road ahead may not be bright and smooth, but it must also be full of infinite possibilities. Love can last a long time. Protecting each other is never just talk. Let's become better people together and be proud of each other."
Such an insightful, warm and logical answer might not stand out in the closing remarks of a CCTV inspirational program, or in an interview with a business tycoon. However, this kind of "Xiao-style golden words" often come out of the mouth of the "traffic star", conveying to the audience in a gentle, introverted, humble and sincere Xiao-style, and even gave birth to a new word in the entertainment industry: "interview fans".
Nietzsche said: “There are no beautiful surfaces without a terrible depth.”
‘Beautiful surfaces’ refers to a beautiful thing. This can be a person, a book or a beautiful life. ‘Terrible depths’ refers to the complex journey, hardships or obstacles that the object or person had to go through before becoming the beauty it currently is.
The depth of Xiao Zhan may not be so terrible, but compared to other traffic stars that have broken into the public eye in recent years, it's rare to find someone like him, who had a full education, as well as a good independent thinking.
Before the fire broke out, there have been rumors from time to time that he was at odds with his agency and failed to terminate the contract in court. He has a gentle and humble exterior and a determined heart. He came from a low place and was never an easy man to control. He is the "traffic flow" that can be iterated in the eyes of opponents, a wolf that cannot be easily tamed in the eyes of his "own people".
On one hand, the capital behind the scenes were only watching the fire from ashore, and on the other hand, the studio isnt strong enough to speak out. During the two months of unprecedented boredom due to the epidemic, public opinion almost overwhelmingly crusaded against Xiao Zhan, and on many online platforms, boycotting Xiao Zhan even became some sort of political correctness.
Why did the capital behind 227 spent so much effort for so long, suppressing his endorsements, delaying the airing of new dramas, affecting variety shows, and even prevented him from making public appearances, and yet still unable to cool down Xiao Zhan's popularity? Why is it that despite the storm of public opinions, he is still far ahead from the rest of the world?
Because they hadn't understood from the beginning why Xiao Zhan was on fire.
Since the introduction of Hallyu culture into China, traffic, lists, scandals, fandoms, stagnation, shipping, looks, acting, singing... The entertainment industry's mindset has been hardened by labels, and even the means of suppression and following the trends are nothing new. The "rabble makers" incited in the online storm were undoubtedly unwise, and the profit-driven capital are also blind. They're good at copying and pursuing profits, but they're not willing to think deeply about the cultural roots behind market's feedback. As a result, the waves of capital have been wiped out, many traffic stars have risen and fallen, and the dramas went silent or were driven into the streets.
Opponents stepped on the "lucky ones" only to find that they could not find a substitute to compete with them; they promote the idea that "idol pays for fan behavior" but the market does not pay for the copied "burst point".
Burst Point: A technical term for a form of entertainment, specifically, that there must be a climax so that the audience still enjoys consuming that certain form of entertainment. This point can be called the burst point.
What exactly is the problem then? Over the years, the older generation of flow stars did have an amazing fan base but they're gradually losing strength, while the fresh blood delivered by talent shows in major platforms are always as dim as fireworks: Is their stage not professional enough? Isn't the face beautiful enough? Is the acting not good enough? Isn't the voice amazing enough?
On one hand, the capital behind the scenes were only watching the fire from ashore, and on the other hand, the studio isnt strong enough to speak out. During the two months of unprecedented boredom due to the epidemic, public opinion almost overwhelmingly crusaded against Xiao Zhan, and on many online platforms, boycotting Xiao Zhan even became some sort of political correctness.
Why did the capital behind 227 spent so much effort for so long, suppressing his endorsements, delaying the airing of new dramas, affecting variety shows, and even prevented him from making public appearances, and yet still unable to cool down Xiao Zhan's popularity? Why is it that despite the storm of public opinions, he is still far ahead from the rest of the world?
Because they hadn't understood from the beginning why Xiao Zhan was on fire.
Since the introduction of Hallyu culture into China, traffic, lists, scandals, fandoms, stagnation, shipping, looks, acting, singing... The entertainment industry's mindset has been hardened by labels, and even the means of suppression and following the trends are nothing new. The "rabble makers" incited in the online storm were undoubtedly unwise, and the profit-driven capital are also blind. They're good at copying and pursuing profits, but they're not willing to think deeply about the cultural roots behind market's feedback. As a result, the waves of capital have been wiped out, many traffic stars have risen and fallen, and the dramas went silent or were driven into the streets.
Opponents stepped on the "lucky ones" only to find that they could not find a substitute to compete with them; they promote the idea that "idol pays for fan behavior" but the market does not pay for the copied "burst point".
Burst Point: A technical term for a form of entertainment, specifically, that there must be a climax so that the audience still enjoys consuming that certain form of entertainment. This point can be called the burst point.
What exactly is the problem then? Over the years, the older generation of flow stars did have an amazing fan base but they're gradually losing strength, while the fresh blood delivered by talent shows in major platforms are always as dim as fireworks: Is their stage not professional enough? Isn't the face beautiful enough? Is the acting not good enough? Isn't the voice amazing enough?
Countless people have searched Xiao Zhan's path, but it's difficult to find the way to reach the top.
The entertainment industry is never short of beautiful and delicate faces, and mass-produced dolls on the star-making assembly line can be given a human persona, but not the temperament and spiritual core. The times are moving forward, and off-screen viewers can't always be the children who collect beautiful dolls and stay in the same aesthetic fatigue.
The entertainment industry is never short of beautiful and delicate faces, and mass-produced dolls on the star-making assembly line can be given a human persona, but not the temperament and spiritual core. The times are moving forward, and off-screen viewers can't always be the children who collect beautiful dolls and stay in the same aesthetic fatigue.
The man on the white horse could be a prince, but it could also be the monk. What comes out of the traffic era can be a dazzling meteor (that would shine then fade away) but it can also be a bright moon.
In the era of a hundred flowers blooming, people will appreciate the romantic and sadness of Swan Lake from the exquisite and elegant ballet steps, or feel the desolate beauty of thousands of ravines on the high slope of the loess via the Xintianyou (a folk music style).
The songs, the characters, the thousands of art forms are just the vehicles and mediums, the dazzling techniques are just the icing on the cake. What we want to convey from the beginning to the end is not the flamboyance, but the most simple and sincere emotions in the soul.
The charm of the Book of Poems, which has nourished the soul of the Chinese people for thousands of years, lies not in how clever the rhetoric is, but in Confucius' words, "Thinking without evil"(思无邪 There is nothing wrong with daring to show others what you want in your heart.)
The charm of the Book of Poems, which has nourished the soul of the Chinese people for thousands of years, lies not in how clever the rhetoric is, but in Confucius' words, "Thinking without evil"(思无邪 There is nothing wrong with daring to show others what you want in your heart.)
It's not the impressive skills shown through Wei Wuxian and "Bamboo Stone" that moves the audience, but rather the authenticity and charm shown by Xiao Zhan.
Spiritual energy is energy; Resentful energy is also energy (Wei Wuxian quote from MDZS) The storm was standing in the wrong place from the start, hence it was impossible to win. When the frenzied war of repression grows longer and longer and still does not work, the hostility that was initially stirred up gradually deviates from the track and constantly touches the moral bottom line.
The carnival of disorderly media and the revelry of the evil spirits brought together the scattered voices of various platforms into one loud bell, which instantly attracts the attention of a large number of netizens.
Xiao Zhan is widely known to everyone: from his works to his personality, from being a simple person before to becoming a celebrity, from work to life, from his skin to his soul.
Spiritual energy is energy; Resentful energy is also energy (Wei Wuxian quote from MDZS) The storm was standing in the wrong place from the start, hence it was impossible to win. When the frenzied war of repression grows longer and longer and still does not work, the hostility that was initially stirred up gradually deviates from the track and constantly touches the moral bottom line.
The carnival of disorderly media and the revelry of the evil spirits brought together the scattered voices of various platforms into one loud bell, which instantly attracts the attention of a large number of netizens.
Xiao Zhan is widely known to everyone: from his works to his personality, from being a simple person before to becoming a celebrity, from work to life, from his skin to his soul.
Exaggerated by the microscope of the media, the textual research was widely spread by various platforms with their own ulterior motives, they eventually broke away from the contradictions of the entertainment circles and pieced together countless pieces of truth and falsehoods into a history of youth struggle and epic documentary.
The original capital dispute had risen to an ideological dispute, and the flow of traffic completely rushed outwards the fandom. Every person who goes online then became more or less held hostage to the information deluge.
The capital's Banana Leaf Fan (Journey to the West weapon that can subdue the flaming mountains) of the capital did not extinguish the flame in people's hearts, but finally ushered in the crazy counterattack of the market. Interestingly as a celebrity, Xiao Zhan's acting and singing skills, which are still relatively weak and still have room for growth, were ignored, while his moral and Chinese temperament, which benefits from a good upbringing and higher education, has been highlighted and has become a huge hit among adults. The word "top stream" finally deserves its name in the whipping of the cyber storm.
Countless ordinary people who have never followed a star and have never known what fandoms are, have come to their senses: Oh, this upright young man is what an "idol" should look like, and this diligent, kind and patriotic boy is the example we want to set for our children. It turns out that the vow in "Chen Qing Ling" to help the weak without shame is the chivalrous spirit we have always appreciated, "Wang Xian" can also be a young hero that ordinary people love and admire and that "WuJi" can also be a precious friendship between the souls of high mountains and flowing waters.
After nearly two months of silence, Xiao Zhan updated Weibo for the first time, posting a picture of red plum blossoms painted by himself, which received more than 14.95 million likes, a figure that does not include middle-aged and elderly people who do not use Weibo, as well as overseas supporters .
What kind of top stream does the Chinese market really need? At this moment, each awakened person gave his or her answer with his or her fingertips. The subsequent release of the song "Ode to the Red Plum Blossoms" and Xiao Zhan's own post about the spirit of Red Plum Blossoms on "Folk Song China" have again sparked a frenzy of followers. Why did so many of the world's glittering civilizations come to an abrupt end in the course of history, while the Chinese civilization has survived countless catastrophes? Because there is only one top stream in the minds of the Chinese people for five thousand years, and that is the nation.
After countless baptisms of popular culture and the subversion of new ideas, the traditional virtues of patriotism, honesty, humility, kindness and diligence are still the most recognized in the minds of the Chinese people. [For comparison], the point of "A Bite of China" (a Chinese documentary television series on the history of food) is the people's hunger for "Chinese flavor" in a market environment full of fast food culture and junk food. The cause of the explosion of Xiao Zhan is the people's hunger and thirst for "Chinese temperament" amidst the chaos of the entertainment industry after the storm raging in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea and Europe.
Works, traffic and controversy only provided a communication tool that allowed more people to get to know Xiao Zhan and discover the shining point of humanity behind his artistic identity.
The stunning screen images make every audience feel the charm of this top stream. The self-cultivation and nature shown in his speech and behavior, and the indomitable and pyrotechnic spirit hidden in his essay on "Ode to the Red Plum Blossoms" makes everyone who knows and loves Xiao Zhan feel his familiarity and warmth which is "like an old friend".
He is a human delusion, the brightest star in the night sky. He is also an ideal in the world. He is the brother next door, our gentle senior, he is other people's outstanding children.
He is what we wanted to be.
The name "Xiao Zhan" has now became a unique new cultural symbol in the era of traffic, allowing young people to ignite a positive enthusiasm for struggles and helped the middle-aged and elderly to revisit their original hearts and dreams back when they were young. This name is not only a reference to Xiao Zhan's own beliefs and artistic ideals in life, but also places everyone's beliefs and expectations for the future spiritual civilization of this society.
Xiao Zhan's fire is because the right person stands at the turning point of people's aesthetic appreciation at the right time. He is not only a star, but also the epitome of tens of thousands of ordinary and struggling individuals. He is a light that illuminates a dull life and a candy that soothes a weary heart. He was never a compulsive king of the traffic economy, but a magic mirror that reflected people's hearts and dreams of an ideal world.
At the moment, sales of "Spot of Light" is still on the rise, and maybe one day there will be a miracle of breaking 100 million sales (Xiao Zhan's song have since became China's highest selling digital single of all time and had also received the Guinness World Records for being the fastest-selling digital track in China.)
Many people who don't know the truth can't help but express admiration and doubt. In fact, the shockingly high numbers are nothing more than a breakthrough in public sentiment that has been suppressed for a long time. The supporters of Xiao Zhan aren't praising him and playing on the list just for his sake alone. It's their way to support their own beliefs and ideals as well.
The so-called "overnight fire" is just a heartfelt sentiment issued by the "noble passersby" after a long time of searching and waiting:
"Long time no see, you're the one we've been waiting for."
Source
The original capital dispute had risen to an ideological dispute, and the flow of traffic completely rushed outwards the fandom. Every person who goes online then became more or less held hostage to the information deluge.
The capital's Banana Leaf Fan (Journey to the West weapon that can subdue the flaming mountains) of the capital did not extinguish the flame in people's hearts, but finally ushered in the crazy counterattack of the market. Interestingly as a celebrity, Xiao Zhan's acting and singing skills, which are still relatively weak and still have room for growth, were ignored, while his moral and Chinese temperament, which benefits from a good upbringing and higher education, has been highlighted and has become a huge hit among adults. The word "top stream" finally deserves its name in the whipping of the cyber storm.
Countless ordinary people who have never followed a star and have never known what fandoms are, have come to their senses: Oh, this upright young man is what an "idol" should look like, and this diligent, kind and patriotic boy is the example we want to set for our children. It turns out that the vow in "Chen Qing Ling" to help the weak without shame is the chivalrous spirit we have always appreciated, "Wang Xian" can also be a young hero that ordinary people love and admire and that "WuJi" can also be a precious friendship between the souls of high mountains and flowing waters.
After nearly two months of silence, Xiao Zhan updated Weibo for the first time, posting a picture of red plum blossoms painted by himself, which received more than 14.95 million likes, a figure that does not include middle-aged and elderly people who do not use Weibo, as well as overseas supporters .
What kind of top stream does the Chinese market really need? At this moment, each awakened person gave his or her answer with his or her fingertips. The subsequent release of the song "Ode to the Red Plum Blossoms" and Xiao Zhan's own post about the spirit of Red Plum Blossoms on "Folk Song China" have again sparked a frenzy of followers. Why did so many of the world's glittering civilizations come to an abrupt end in the course of history, while the Chinese civilization has survived countless catastrophes? Because there is only one top stream in the minds of the Chinese people for five thousand years, and that is the nation.
After countless baptisms of popular culture and the subversion of new ideas, the traditional virtues of patriotism, honesty, humility, kindness and diligence are still the most recognized in the minds of the Chinese people. [For comparison], the point of "A Bite of China" (a Chinese documentary television series on the history of food) is the people's hunger for "Chinese flavor" in a market environment full of fast food culture and junk food. The cause of the explosion of Xiao Zhan is the people's hunger and thirst for "Chinese temperament" amidst the chaos of the entertainment industry after the storm raging in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea and Europe.
Works, traffic and controversy only provided a communication tool that allowed more people to get to know Xiao Zhan and discover the shining point of humanity behind his artistic identity.
The stunning screen images make every audience feel the charm of this top stream. The self-cultivation and nature shown in his speech and behavior, and the indomitable and pyrotechnic spirit hidden in his essay on "Ode to the Red Plum Blossoms" makes everyone who knows and loves Xiao Zhan feel his familiarity and warmth which is "like an old friend".
He is a human delusion, the brightest star in the night sky. He is also an ideal in the world. He is the brother next door, our gentle senior, he is other people's outstanding children.
He is what we wanted to be.
The name "Xiao Zhan" has now became a unique new cultural symbol in the era of traffic, allowing young people to ignite a positive enthusiasm for struggles and helped the middle-aged and elderly to revisit their original hearts and dreams back when they were young. This name is not only a reference to Xiao Zhan's own beliefs and artistic ideals in life, but also places everyone's beliefs and expectations for the future spiritual civilization of this society.
Xiao Zhan's fire is because the right person stands at the turning point of people's aesthetic appreciation at the right time. He is not only a star, but also the epitome of tens of thousands of ordinary and struggling individuals. He is a light that illuminates a dull life and a candy that soothes a weary heart. He was never a compulsive king of the traffic economy, but a magic mirror that reflected people's hearts and dreams of an ideal world.
At the moment, sales of "Spot of Light" is still on the rise, and maybe one day there will be a miracle of breaking 100 million sales (Xiao Zhan's song have since became China's highest selling digital single of all time and had also received the Guinness World Records for being the fastest-selling digital track in China.)
Many people who don't know the truth can't help but express admiration and doubt. In fact, the shockingly high numbers are nothing more than a breakthrough in public sentiment that has been suppressed for a long time. The supporters of Xiao Zhan aren't praising him and playing on the list just for his sake alone. It's their way to support their own beliefs and ideals as well.
The so-called "overnight fire" is just a heartfelt sentiment issued by the "noble passersby" after a long time of searching and waiting:
"Long time no see, you're the one we've been waiting for."
Source
