China

On June 13, the Chinese video platform Bilibili officially launched the “New Generation Musicians Program – Original Season.” This program features a large-scale music creation and musician selection contest for singer/songwriters. It will also provide a 5 million RMB (renminbi) fund, along with diverse exposure opportunities for participants. The initiative aims to empower musicians to […]

On the eve of their Billboard China cover interview, the Sir Deer team decided to hold three impromptu campus performances in Henan province. Bei Bei, the lead vocalist of Sir Deer, described these fleeting moments at the campus concerts as always thrilling to him. In the past two years, Sir Deer has toured nearly 20 campuses.

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In Bei Bei’s view, every minor incident holds the potential to alter one’s life trajectory. The experiences of participating in the music club and organizing performances during their university days set the wheels of fate in motion, sowing the seeds that would eventually flourish into the band’s formation. On this campus tour, Sir Deer also encountered many young individuals who shared their passion for music, just as they had in the past. Bei Bei believes this performance will plant a seed of inspiration in these students’ hearts as well.

Akin to their performances in theaters and live houses, Sir Deer’s campus concerts employ a full-scale touring production. For many students, this concert may not only mark their first live performance, but also their inaugural encounter with Sir Deer live. “The pressure of performing on campus is truly immense, as it could impact a student’s life. So we also feel a burgeoning sense of responsibility within.”

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Bei Bei hopes that Sir Deer’s campus tour can present students with “another possibility”: “The college entrance exam is like a mountain, and postgraduate studies are exceedingly difficult… but what vistas await on the other side of that peak? Let music become a process to help everyone resolve their troubles. Perhaps the anxieties they currently grapple with will gradually dissipate after a night’s performance. At least in the realm of music, we wish to reveal to students the greater potentialities of life.”

Transcending Adversity, Uncovering the Self

Over the past tumultuous two years of the pandemic, not only Sir Deer, but all of humanity has endured trying times. In Bei Bei’s perspective, this arduous period represented a form of “spiritual cultivation” unfolding both internally and externally.

At the year’s outset, bassist Li Si penned a heartfelt message on Weibo: “During this stage where both our bodies and souls require restoration, we must all march forth hand-in-hand.” For Li Si, the “team spirit” of Sir Deer is the most paramount facet in his life: “These bonds of friendship have aided me in traversing an enormously difficult time and have imbued me with the impetus to progress and look ahead.”

Sir Deer’s rhythm guitarist Yang Songlin is a quintessential “science and engineering type.” Within this ensemble, where artistic and emotional sensibilities form the principal creative axis, Yang candidly admits that his rationality serves as a tool to safeguard everyone’s childlike spirit: “I comprehend my role in the team is to ensure the stability of the rhythm.”

In the digital era, a band can no longer simply perform songs, they must also actively explore social media attempts. As Sir Deer’s lead guitarist, Dong Bin has contributed countless “firsts” for the band. Dong Bin’s primary vocation is architectural design. “I brim with excitement before the performances, and when I revert to my work post, my heart settles. I cannot control the duration of my life, but I can seize the breadth of my life.”

Keyboardist Bing Bing completed the female vocal overdubbing for a new Sir Deer composition alongside her mother, which she deems a career highlight. “Being able to collaborate with my closest family member to imbue emotion into the band’s work, this emotional connection within the musical context is an unforgettable lifetime experience.”

After drummer PP’s maternity leave this year, several different drummers have successively joined Sir Deer’s roster of guest musicians. As for Sir Deer’s in-depth cooperation with Tencent Music Entertainment Group, it has imbued each band member with a renewed creative drive. These new partnership ventures have imbued Sir Deer’s future with an abundance of novel, undiscovered possibilities.

Sir Deer on Billboard China cover

Sanke Ren/Billboard China

The Tides of Time Flow Onward, Embracing a “Wilder” 10th Anniversary

The sands of time are ever-shifting, and Sir Deer’s evolution has mirrored this restless progression. Mastering the art of embracing change is a lesson Bei Bei has imparted to himself and the band: “The crux is that when you make certain decisions, you must also accept the other facets that come with it. If you possess the courage to transform, there will be no issues.”

Founded on Aug. 31, 2015, Sir Deer will soon commemorate its 10th anniversary next year. Traversing these 10 years, there have been myriad triumphs and tribulations. How will the bandmembers celebrate Sir Deer’s decadelong journey? Dong Bin states there will undoubtedly be a commemorative performance: “I hope this retrospective concert can present our evolution and some reflections, providing a proper account for the 10th anniversary.”

This 10-year milestone will render Li Si unable to resist reminiscing about the year Sir Deer was first formed, in 2015. At that time, all the members convened at Bing Bing’s residence for a meeting, discussing the title of their inaugural song, the overarching creative direction, recording plans, rehearsal schedules. In Li Si’s recollection, they have held countless such work sessions over the past 10 years, but in each one, everyone participated earnestly and diligently, never absent.

Regarding this year’s plans, Bei Bei shared that they intend to release a collection that is “a bit wilder” than the original Sir Deer: “We still harbor many unrealized artistic ambitions, hoping to soar even faster and higher. Participating in the 31st College Student Film Festival made me cognizant of the importance of visual elements for music. I feel immensely honored that these 10 years with everyone have not been in vain, and I hope the next decade of Sir Deer can be even wilder.”

Sir Deer on Billboard China cover

Sanke Ren/Billboard China

–This article was written by Jifan Wang for Billboard China

On May 16, Chinese singer Tia Ray announced her 2024 concert tour, featuring an innovative blend of creative projections and large-scale set installations, promising an immersive experience for the audience.
The first concert will take place on July 6 at the Universiade Center in Shenzhen. Additional dates and locations for the tour will be released gradually.

Also on May 16, Tia was nominated for best Mandarin female singer at the 35th Golden Melody Awards for her latest solo album ALLURE, released last year. This is Tia’s second time being nominated for this award. The album also earned her nominations in five categories at the 2nd Wave Music Awards, including best female singer and best pop album, as well as a nomination for best female singer at the 17th Fresh Music Awards in Singapore.

In March, Tia Ray was honored with the Global Force Award at the 2024 Billboard Women in Music event, solidifying her status as a prominent figure in the music industry. She is also set to release a full English album this year, collaborating with international musicians.

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The talented Chinese singer/songwriter, renowned for her captivating vocals and heartfelt lyrics, has released six albums since her debut in 2012, including T.I.A., Once upon a Moon and ALLURE, in addition to contributing to numerous film and TV soundtracks.

In 2017, Ray’s “Be Apart,” the theme song for the popular movie The Ex-file: The Return of the Exes, sold 10.9 million copies and ranked seventh in the IFPI global top 10 singles chart, and has more than 1.8 billion views online to date. In 2018, she won the most popular female singer award at the 26th Chinese Top 10 Music Awards for her album TIARA and was entitled honorary Berklee ambassador to China. In 2019, she released her third album 1212 and won the most popular female singer award again at the 27th Chinese Top 10 Music Awards.

In 2021, Tia participated in the performance of the theme song “Together for a Shared Future” for the Beijing Winter Olympics with other singers. In the same year, she released her fourth album Once Upon a Moon. For the album, she was nominated for the best Mandarin female singer award and won best vocal album recording at the 33rd Golden Melody Awards in Taiwan.

In 2022, Tia Ray won best female singer at the 15th Singapore Fresh Music Awards and Weibo annual outstanding singer.

Tia Ray participated in the KBS Asia Song Festival in South Korea in 2023 as the only singer from the Chinese mainland, stunning the audience overseas with her distinctive vocal. Tia Ray also won several awards that year, including year’s quality singer at the Tencent Music Entertainment Awards, thirty-year quality singer at the Chinese Top 10 Music Awards, and Weibo annual outstanding singer organized by weibo.com.

Tia Ray’s upcoming concert tour is set to redefine the concert experience, setting new standards in terms of visual and auditory delight. Her passion for music shines through her performances, creating an enchanting atmosphere that mesmerizes all who attend her concerts. With this new concert tour, Tia Ray continues to push boundaries and showcase her artistry on a grand scale, leaving a lasting impression on all who have the pleasure of experiencing her live performances.

On June 12, 1998, Jeff Chang captivated audiences with his inaugural major concert on the Chinese mainland at the Shanghai Indoor Stadium, appropriately titled “Dream Comes True.” Little could he have foreseen that 26 years later, in 2024, he would triumphantly bring the “Continuum” ultimate edition to a crowd of 80,000 at the Shanghai Stadium.
The recent April showcase in Shanghai marked the debut of the “Continuum” ultimate edition. Despite the acclaim garnered by the six-year “Continuum” tour, transitioning from versions 1.0 to 2.0 and now the ultimate edition, Jeff Chang confesses to occasionally experiencing a vague, inexplicable “sense of powerlessness.” “Last year’s tour was a resounding success, yet some critics implied that our performance might not suit our generation of singers.”

Some view classic concepts as relics of the past, valuable only for evoking nostalgia. This perspective was one of the driving forces behind Jeff Chang’s decision to embark on the “Continuum” concerts: “I aim to guide audiences towards a more mature appreciation of music, challenging established perceptions along the way.”

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Physically, the Shanghai Stadium is a mere 100 meters from the Shanghai Indoor Stadium. Yet, for Jeff Chang, this distance represents a 26-year odyssey. Reflecting on this journey at the “Continuum,” Jeff Chang remarked, “I’ve traversed this 100-meter distance over 26 years!” This metaphor succinctly encapsulates his unwavering dedication to music, with music serving as the cornerstone of his endeavors over his 35-year career.

Embarking on the Future Together with the Audience

Kicking off the “Continuum” ultimate edition concert is Jeff Chang’s 2000 smash hit “Faith.” His unwavering passion for music embodies a spirit of “warm and courageous” faith. Perhaps it is this steadfast belief in music that brings Jeff Chang and his fans together at the “Continuum” concerts, where they experience the soul-stirring power in Jeff Chang’s voice that resonates with the vitality of life itself.

“As a singer with a certain degree of seniority, my audience is already deeply familiar with my songs; we have grown and supported each other mutually,” Jeff Chang reflects. “I aspire for my musical journey and growth to keep pace with the progress of my fans, rather than remaining stagnant. The ‘Continuum’ concerts were conceived with the intention of demonstrating to fans that my music will not dwell solely in memories and nostalgia, but will embark a new future alongside everyone.”

“Each segment of the ‘Continuum’ concert has a message we wish to convey to the audience. We have carefully selected songs that hold significant meaning in my music career, even if they are not the most popular hits. In each of my albums, I aim to impart insights, concepts, and musical knowledge. Through the concert’s overall arrangement, I hope to convey the concept of ’embarking on the future together with the audience.’”

Ending One Chapter, Beginning Another

The term “ultimate” in Jeff Chang’s “Continuum” concert signifies that this six-year “Continuum” tour is finally approaching a perfect conclusion. “The ‘Continuum’ has been a prolonged journey, and it’s time for a stage-wise ending. There are other musical endeavors that are equally essential for me.”

The conclusion of one stage signifies the commencement of a new chapter. The “Continuum” ultimate edition serves as a gentle reminder from Jeff Chang, urging us to seize every opportunity to gather offline and experience the music before the final show arrives.

As the first Chinese singer to perform in Dubai, the Dubai stop of the “Continuum” ultimate edition in June holds significant importance for Jeff Chang. “We’re committed to making it happen in Dubai. Sometimes, overseas organizers prefer a simplified concert where the singer merely performs, and everything else is automated. But that’s not enough for me; I want to fully recreate the ‘Continuum’ experience in overseas shows.”

If he could dream big, where would Jeff Chang choose to host the final “Continuum” concert? Surprisingly, his answer is Easter Island, situated in the South Pacific: “It’s like the ‘navel of the world,’ equidistant from all continents. Holding a concert on Easter Island would truly be the ‘ultimate’ experience, like singing at the edge of the world for everyone to hear.”

Embrace the Future

After completing all the performances of the “Continuum” ultimate edition, Jeff Chang will focus on the creation of a new album. It has been three years since the release of his last album See the Light, and Jeff Chang, along with his devoted fans, eagerly anticipates the arrival of this new work. “Currently, the songs for the new album are nearly finalized, with around 80% of the track list already set.”

For him, the greatest challenge of this new album lies in the significantly increased proportion of “non-love songs.” “In the new album, I may relatively reduce the love songs and express more of my perspectives and sentiments regarding the world. I feel that my past classic love songs have already encompassed most of the emotional states. Therefore, I believe it is time to start singing about matters beyond love, using the album to convey broader ideas.”

Jeff Chang describes the new album as an adventurous state of “taking a step forward” out of his comfort zone. Compared to his previous love songs, the new album will be more critical, and a more quintessential expression of his Aries personality. “In the past, my love songs stood at the observational standpoint, simply singing the feelings of the protagonist. But this time, I will stand on a clearer ‘Jeff Chang’ perspective, to openly express my own attitude, and be more subjective.”

The backstage machinery of the “Continuum” concert is intricate, with over 20 lifts waiting for the performer to step onstage. Rising and falling on the lifts, it’s like facing the peaks and valleys of life – this is the norm for a singer. From the beginning to the present and into the future, Jeff Chang and the audience have always been there; the performance never stops.

Billboard China

–Written by Jifan Wang for Billboard China

When referencing the “Migration” tour that has endured for numerous years, in Chen Li’s memories, the prelude to each performance holds unforgettable moments. “I will stand behind two large screens awaiting the opening, and then I will witness red and green lights flashing before me. Despite the mere presence of cold iron frames surrounding the stage, for some inexplicable reason, being in that environment makes me feel remarkably familiar and secure.”
In ancient times, the entrances on both sides of the stage were known as the Tiger Gate. Once the performer steps through the Tiger Gate, regardless of what unfolds on or off the stage, The Show Must Go On. The flickering lights witnessed before the commencement of the concert evoke in Chen Li memories of “the first thing I saw when I was born.” Through the screen, she can even discern the cheers and encouragement from the front row audience, meters away. Every upcoming performance is like a newborn baby coming into the world, everything is like an unknown “migration.” Therefore, every time Chen Li steps through the Tiger Gate, the feeling is both nervous and brand new.

In relation to the “Migration” concert, Chen Li once expressed: “I hope those blue nights can provide enduring tenderness for us in the future.” She likes to use different colors to commemorate the emotions evoked in every moment, and the “Migration” associated with fish, naturally, is blue. As the various stages in the life cycle of fish progress, migration is the consequence of the fish’s adaptation to changes in the external environment. From 2019 to 2024, Chen Li has held 17 “Migration” tours. For her, “Migration” is not just a simple concert; it records the process of her growth as a singer.

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Unique Creation Styles to “Prevent Addiction”

One of Chen Li’s album was named “Fang Chen Mi,” which means “Prevent Addiction” in Chinese. In fact, this highly smooth conceptual record makes it very easy for listeners to become addicted to it. Rather than fostering an addiction to the online realm, the album aims to immerse its audience in the offline world. To promote this vision, Chen Li’s team organized a physical album photo event, encouraging recipients of the CD to unleash their creativity and share imaginative photos with one another.

The absence of an official introduction for “Fang Chen Mi” stands out in the Chinese music industry, where extensive album introductions are the norm. This departure may carry a deeper, more creative significance. Despite receiving over ten versions of album introductions, Chen Li still believes that the most fitting introduction for “Fang Chen Mi” is no introduction at all. “Just listen to the songs, there’s no need for anything fancy. If you like it, sing along a few lines. If everyone has similar experiences as those in the songs, feel free to interpret them.”

The promotion methods for “Fang Chen Mi” are also unconventional. In the current era of digital music, “Fang Chen Mi” instead chose to release the physical CD version first, with the online platform release following after a period of time (partly due to copyright reasons). If listeners want to hear the entire album as soon as possible, they must purchase the physical album, evoking a nostalgic sensation reminiscent of using a Discman to listen to music in the 1990s, and thus achieving a substantial physical sales volume.

This year, Chen Li will unveil her ninth album. The new project has already recorded three songs, with all lyrics penned by a good friend with whom she has never previously collaborated in music. Chen Li describes the lyrical style as “a bit more serious,” while the melodies continue to reflect her personal taste.

Chen Li on Billboard China

Yaxin Liu

Finding the Balance in Leisure

Currently, Chen Li lives in Hangzhou for the majority of time, occasionally returning to Beijing for brief stays. Unlike the bustling work environment in Beijing, in Hangzhou, Chen Li wholly embraces a “slowed down” way of life: “It is merely because the strolling environment in Hangzhou is somewhat superior. In Beijing, I have a group of old friends who care for each other like family. I simply desire to venture out independently, to a place with fewer friends, and seek tranquility, to ascertain if I can acclimate.”

On Chen Li’s Weibo account, her life in Hangzhou is vivid: the coffee shops she adores, the handicrafts she enjoys creating, the line drawings she loves to produce… Chen Li genuinely relishes this leisurely and refined lifestyle. “Many of my small hobbies can be fully realized in Hangzhou. The pace of life here is slower, and I have ample time and space to engage in numerous ‘unproductive’ activities, thus I live quite comfortably. You cannot contrive a specific life for the purpose of creation; life itself is the purpose.”

The simple sketches that appear in the physical album of “Prevent Addiction” are an authentic reflection of Chen Li’s life in Hangzhou: “Drawing is a ‘little corner’ that I particularly cherish. Drawing makes me lost in time, continuously observe and contemplate, including the precious lines and colors conjured from blank.”

“Every day, people have different desires, and I think the key is finding a balance. Sometimes you like this, sometimes like that, eat when hungry, take a nap when sleepy, get up and play when awake, these are all very simple truths.” Everything should just go with the flow. As long as one approaches life with a “playful” attitude, one can find their own balance.

–This article was written by Jifan Wang for Billboard China

Chen Li on Billboard China

Yaxin Liu