Today in the #e_Asia section we will return to the topic “Popular young groups from Asia”, but this time there will be no teams in it. Let's look at several groups from Korea and China, this will allow us to understand and evaluate whether music is developing in these countries, how open these groups are to the public, and what the situation is there in general.
Popular groups in Korea
Let's start with Korea first, since there is more information about its young performers. And the music market is well developed.
The first group we will look at today will be N.Flying. This is a young group formed in 2013. What is so special about her? Firstly, the genre style of performance - rock, pop rock, rap rock, alternative rock. Already from this description one might think that this group will be similar to Linkin Park or Limp Bizkit. But this team is heavily influenced by the pop culture of the music market. And this band is also a project of the label, so for now they “carry out” the whims of the creator. Which also puts an imprint on the group’s work - after all, they are essentially idols, and the music has a bright color of the pop genre. But this problem concerns most of their market: popular young groups from Asia are most often created as projects of some labels, and it is the labels that contribute to the rapid rise of teams.
But let's get back to N.Flying. Secondly, the group began to gain its popularity, surprisingly, in Japan. From 2013 to 2015, the group released releases and performed concerts mainly for Japanese audiences, but in 2015 the group released its debut album on the Korean stage. However, this type of promotion is quite common. Why was such a step taken? Perhaps due to the fact that in Japan the rock music market is more developed, and popularity there guarantees popularity in Korea. But let's say for sure: N.Flying is an ambitious and quite interesting group.
One of the best singles from N.Flying is Lonely:
Next, let's look at the light indie duo lalasweet. This is a female duet formed in 2013. We found them interesting in the manner of presenting their music and the lightness that you feel after listening. The genre they work in is pop rock. As with the group above, they were influenced by their environment. But after watching the video from their concert, we especially liked the atmosphere, which smacks of something jazzy, chamber and warm. Quite interesting representatives of the Korean scene.
Listen to lalasweet on Yandex.Music:
By the way, you might ask: why did Eatmusic choose these bands? After all, popular young groups from Asia appear almost constantly, and stylistically you chose such different teams! But we will answer: why not? There are many groups, you can consider any. But these groups look more interesting in contrast, showing that there are groups in Korea different directions and with different energies.
Popular groups in China
As it turned out, finding young Chinese groups turned out to be quite difficult. Since we don’t know the Chinese language, it’s not easy to find information in English (we generally keep quiet about the Russian language). But we still completed the task. As has already been said once, protest movements of rock music are more developed in China, which is associated with some rejection of rock music by the authorities. 
A Taiwanese team came into our field of vision BIZcashi. What is remarkable about this team is that this is a girl duet that performs songs in the post-rock genre (although after listening, one gets the feeling that it is more likely post-pop). On this moment they released one EP in 2015, immediately after officially forming. What got us hooked was the genre in which they play. And also the vocals: they are very pleasant, calm, it feels like they were created just for this kind of music. Since China in general loves post-movements, there are quite a lot of groups in this segment.
Watch the live performance of BIZcashi:
That's where we'll focus today on watching young bands from Asia. Next time we will try to find new bands from China, and also look at other countries - Singapore and Thailand.
Popular Canadian pop singer Justin Bieber caused outrage among his Chinese fans by photographing himself in front of the Japanese Yasukuni Shrine, which is considered in China to be the embodiment of Japanese militarism.
Justin posted a photo with the temple in the background on his Twitter, where he has about 51 million subscribers. After this, he immediately received a lot of negative reviews. The singer was forced to delete this photo and apologize to his fans. According to the singer, the photo was taken by accident, he just wanted to take a photo in front of some Japanese temple, and it so happened that this temple turned out to be the Yasukuni Temple. Justin Bieber said he loves his Chinese fans and didn't mean to offend them.
Bieber is one of the most popular singers in the world of pop music, and Asian artists are far from him in popularity. However, the Chinese music scene has its own stars, although not as popular as American and European ones, but still enjoying great popularity and fame among their Chinese fans. We will tell you about the five most popular Chinese artists below.
1. Zhang Minmin.
The popularity of this performer was brought to him by the magnificent composition “My chinese heart", which the singer performed in 1984 at a gala concert on the occasion of the Spring Festival. This song has become popular among all Chinese living around the world. Another hit of the artist was the song “Chinese Youth, Chinese Heart,” which Zhang Minmin wrote on the occasion of the start of the Asian Games in 1992. In 2005, he composed a patriotic song called "All Chinese Have Common Roots", which talks about the unity of the Chinese people. In terms of popularity, Zhang Minmin could not compete with Western stars, but we can say that he became one of the founders of modern Chinese pop music.
2. Cui Jian.
This performer is rightfully considered the most honored Chinese rocker. And his biggest hit is the song “I Have Nothing,” which became the anthem of protest in China in the 80s. The musician has Korean roots, but grew up in Beijing, in a family of professional artists. He began his music studies by playing the trumpet and in 1981 began working in the Beijing Philharmonic Orchestra. The musician began his rock career in 1986 with the performance of the song “I Have Nothing,” which became the moment of the birth of Chinese rock. After the brutal suppression of student protests in Tiananmen Square, the musician’s work was banned, and he was forced to leave for the provinces. The sanctions were lifted in the early 90s and the musician returned to Beijing. Soon he tried to organize a concert tour of the Middle Kingdom, but it was soon canceled for performing political songs. The musician was forced to perform in the West, where he gained some popularity. In 2004, he performed as an opening act at Deep Purple concerts. In China, the ban on Cui Jian's performances was lifted only in 2005, after which he organized a large rock concert at the Beijing Stadium. Today the musician is a living icon of Chinese rock music.
3. Zhou Huajian.
The singer was born in 1960, and studied at Taiwan University in the 70s. IN free time he enjoyed performing in restaurants and bars, where he gained musical experience. In 1984, he began collaborating with the Taiwanese music label Rock Records. The singer gained popularity in China by recording the song “Both Fun and Sad” in 1991. Over his thirty-year career as a professional musician, Zhou has recorded thirty full-length albums.
4. On In.
This singer is called the "evergreen tree" of Chinese pop music. The singer was born in 1967 in Shenyang. She became a professional singer at the age of 16, joining a local song and dance ensemble. Na Ying began her solo singing career at the age of 21, when she took 3rd place in the All-China vocal competition"Voices of the Sun". After the competition, the famous Chinese singer and composer Gu Jiangfen took her under her wing. The peak of the singer’s creativity occurred from 1998 to 2002, when the singer released 5 albums that gained enormous popularity among fans of popular music. In 2001, Na Ying won the title " Best singer" on music festival in Taiwan. After this, the singer actively participated in social life and did not record new albums. She recorded her next album only in 2011.
5. Zhang Xuei.
This popular Chinese performer was born in 1961 in Hong Kong. Music career he started by winning first place in a local amateur performing competition. The performer released his debut album in 1986. The album sold 300 thousand copies. The musician’s most popular work turned out to be the album “Goodbye kiss,” released in 1993. After that, he received the title “God of Songs.” The hit "Let Me Into Your Heart" became a sensation in Taiwan, where the song sold 1.36 million discs. In total, more than 4 million discs have been sold worldwide. In 2003, he began composing music. In 2008, Zhang Xueyou took part in the opening of the Beijing olympic games, performing his new song.
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about the band's adventures in Japan and offended fans
“Lena and Yulia liked to say in interviews that Vanya Shapovalov had the following conviction: the Japanese are crazy about porn films with, let’s say, extremely young-looking actresses. And this allegedly also played a role in the crazy success of the group, which at one time sold more albums in Japan than Madonna and The Beatles. To me, the Japanese, as well as the Koreans and Chinese, seemed very innocent, at least during our promotional trips and Asian concerts. However, that fateful Japanese promotional tour, after which Tatu lost the Japanese market, happened precisely because no one knew the culture and traditions. The girls (then just girls) left on Vanya’s instructions. live broadcast the most popular talk show, and the Japanese were terribly offended. Well, that's not how they do it. Moreover, they were offended not at the level of the people from this talk show or the host of this show, but the entire Japanese fan base considered such an act disrespectful, although in the morning the police blocked the streets of Tokyo so that the group could leave the hotel. And from the next day, for a long time, fans practically refused to buy Tatu discs. Universal label managers were shocked. So when we came to Japan in 2005 to promote our second album, Dangerous and Moving, everyone had the same mantra: “We have to win Japan back.” It seems to me that on that trip we all became a little Japanese, polite, punctual - don’t find fault! I even learned to give and take a business card in Japanese - holding it out with both hands with a slight bow of the head. But in general Japanese fans“Tattoos” are wonderful! To be fair, I must say that I have seen erotic fan manga with tattoos. But at concerts the Japanese are not always emotional. They can just stand and listen, without any dancing or just any movements and gestures. It seems to me that it is not easy for an artist to perform in front of such an outwardly reserved audience.”
Pop musician Alexey Goman
about Asian fans, their manga portraits and the Chinese love for Russian patriotic anthems
“I myself have never been to China, and the love of the Chinese for my songs, to be honest, surprises me. But it is there. Chinese fans often write to me on Facebook and on the forum - they somehow translate and send their messages through Google Translator. On Twitter, under my photos and posts, there is often a large correspondence in hieroglyphs. Several more times they sent me portraits in manga style. And once I found a very funny video on YouTube - Vitas’s performance and mine were edited as if we were singing together, although we had never sung on the same stage. But Vitas is very popular in China - and they apparently like me too, which is why they put us together. There are many videos with my performances and subtitles in Chinese. Of course, I loved kung fu films as a child, but I wasn’t particularly interested in Asian culture. It’s funny that they like me so much, I mostly sing patriotic songs about Russia. Maybe the fact is that such Soviet retro music reminds them of their common communist past.”
Producer Alexander Rodnyansky
about the distribution of the film “Stalingrad” in China, censorship and the tastes of Chinese viewers
Director-animator Mikhail Aldashin
about working on the sequel to “Cheburashka” with the Japanese
“The continuation of “Cheburashka” was filmed by Japanese director Makoto Nakamura with Korean animators. And we were responsible for the entire creative part - the script, animatic, music, recording of actors. For several years we worked by correspondence, the Japanese team came to Moscow, and we went to Korea to the studio. It was so comfortable to work with them in a way that rarely happens with anyone. The Japanese are incredibly meticulous and detail-oriented craftsmen. If you've been to Japan, you've probably noticed that there is literally not a centimeter of unkempt land there. There aren’t even trash cans anywhere, but it’s clean, no one throws trash. The only thing that slowed us down was Japanese politeness. At first they wrote to me very long letters, in which first there was a page with careful and polite explanations, and then a request to change something. Then I asked them to write to me more simply, straight to the point, in order to speed up the work. They agreed and everything went faster. My Japanese colleagues were unusually attentive to me. They brought me all sorts of elegant, touching things, including those decorated with Cheburashka. Recently I was passing through Japan and was immediately taken to dinner at a chic restaurant in a skyscraper. If I were a girl, I would think that they were courting me, they were so nice. At their request, I made sure that everything was in the spirit of Kachanov. The events of the cartoon take place in an old provincial town, which has a zoo and a visiting circus. We painted a lake - it turned out to be a very cozy town, in which I myself would not mind living for a while. The animation was puppet animation, as in Kachanov’s films - it was important for the Japanese that the cartoon would turn out as if it had been filmed back then, in Soviet times. Sometimes we had to correct them a little, explain what we couldn’t possibly have. For example, initially the script included a scene in which the circus director invites a girl to a restaurant. And then he gets married. In Japan, the age of consent is 13 years old; upon reaching it, a girl can voluntarily have sex, and nothing will happen to anyone for it. But, of course, in a film “in the spirit of Kachanov” such a story could not happen, and we separated the director from the girl, and Gena and Cheburashka are friends with her completely innocently.”
Producer of artist Vitas Sergey Pudovkin
about success in China and that you shouldn’t focus so much on it
“There is probably no exact answer why Vitas is so popular in China (there are a million people in the singer’s official Chinese fan club, and there is even a statue of him in one of the Shanghai parks. - Note ed.) - simply, as always, the combination of his voice and bright appearance worked. The breakthrough happened in 2007 - there were a lot television projects and the first big concerts, since then a convincing presence in China began, and the first album was released, which became platinum in 10 days - this is not an ordinary event even for China. In principle, there are few foreign performers there, and Vitas is lucky in this regard; in such a classic pop genre he has practically no competition.
However, I never attached myself to any region, did not think in these categories - everyone just learned about Chinese success, and it seemed so exotic, which is why they began to write and talk so much about it. But there is also a rush of concerts in Japan and in Korea, it’s just that the Chinese market is the largest, most massive and active.
The main thing here is not to adapt and not lose your face. Quite quickly, Vitas appeared several Chinese songs, in 2008, but there are not many of them - only five, and they are not always performed on solo concerts; the basis is always his own songs, which he performs as an author and composer. This is the most correct path for an artist - the basis of the repertoire should be the artist’s own personality, although we have songs in both Japanese and Korean. Of course, the East is an extremely important, interesting and promising market, but it is better to be in the East, and in the West, and at home - the world has long had no borders in this sense.”
Ten popular Asians who are taking over the world
J-pop singer, known for psychedelic videos
Miku Hatsune, Japan
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One of my favorite actors Nicholas Tse!
Actor, model, singer and just handsome!
Chinese name: 謝霆鋒（Tse Ting Fung)
English name: Nicholas Tse
Nickname: Lemon
Place of birth: Hong Kong
Blood type: B (III), Rh +
Height: 175 cm
Family:
father - 謝賢（Patrick Tse Yin）,
mother - 狄波拉（Deborah Lai）,
younger sister - 謝婷婷（Jennifer Tse Ting Ting）
Citizenship: Canada
Religion: Buddhist
Languages: Guangdonghua, Mandarin, English
Hobbies: singing songs, listening to music, playing guitar
Favorite colors: black, gray, white, silver
Favorite country: Switzerland
Favorite number: 7
Favorite season: autumn
Favorite holiday: Chinese New Year
Favorite sport: swimming
Debut album: “My Attitude” (1997)
Debut film: Young and Dangerous: the Prequel (1998)
Where it all started..
From a young age, Nicholas CE loved music and dreamed of becoming a singer. This opportunity presented itself to him at the age of 16. Thanks to his own talent and belonging to a famous artistic family in Hong Kong, many record companies happily opened their doors to him and were ready to sign a contract at any time. Nicholas decided to join the Century Recording Company.
In addition to the attention of Hong Kong record companies, Hong Kong commercial radio also placed significant emphasis on the young talent, inviting him to take part as a guest in their annual awards ceremony. Nicholas's performance that day was well received and simply captivated the large audience. This is how his musical career began.
First achievements...
In May 1997, Nicholas CE released his first album, which immediately took third place in sales according to the results of the Hong Kong IFPI [International Federation of Phonogram Producers]. And two songs from the album topped the Hong Kong charts.
Not a bad start for a 16 year old boy. ;)
1999 Nicholas records an album, which immediately, only 2 weeks after its release, becomes No. 1 in IFPI Hong Kong sales. The album received platinum status [this status is assigned to an album whose circulation and sales volume exceeded one million copies].
So is it a singer or an actor?..
Who is this Nicholas Tse anyway?
Nicholas Tse Tingfun was born on August 29, 1980 in the family of distinguished Hong Kong actors Patrick Tse and Deborah Lee. Their early years Nicholas spent time in Vancouver (Canada) and Phoenix (USA, Arizona). Since childhood, Tinfun has been a rebel. Eager to make a career in show business, he dropped out of school and moved to Tokyo, where he studied for a year various aspects music and mastered the art of playing the guitar. After returning to Hong Kong, he signed his first recording contract and released his debut album in 1997. The album immediately topped the charts and won many fans among young people.
Nicholas has now recorded about 24 solo albums and singles, and not a single one went unnoticed by critics and listeners. Nick is not going to stop there and continues to delight his fans with new works. For example, just recently, at the end of November 2005, his latest album was released. At the same time, Tinfun not only performs songs written for him by other authors, but also often writes music himself. Well, if we add here also virtuoso handling of the guitar [it’s not for nothing that I went to Japan;)], then you can understand why not a single album of his was lost in the huge market of music products.
So you're still a musician? No, Nicholas CE is not only popular singer and composer, he is also one of the most promising and up-and-coming actors of his generation. Having won the Hong Kong Film Academy (HKFA) Award for Best Young Performer for his big screen debut in Young and Dangerous: The Background (1998), he proved that he could not only be a box office draw, but also a highly accomplished actor. . He subsequently confirmed his star status, having starred in many box-office and big-budget films.
Among Nicholas's acting works, one can highlight the films "A Man Called Hero", "Gen-X Cops", "Ghost Slayers" (2002), "Jade Goddess of Mercy", " New Police Story" and many others. The latest film projects in which Nicholas Tse is involved are “The Promise” by Chen Kaige, presented at the last Cannes Film Festival, and the epic-fantasy story “Big Chinese history" (A Chinese Tall Story). Both films were released on big screens at the end of December 2005. And in 2006, Nicholas pleased us with his participation in Donnie Yen's film "Dradon Tiger Gate".
However, Nicholas is connected with the film industry not only by his acting work; he also managed to be on the other side of the camera. In 2001, together with his friend and colleague Stephen Fung, Nicholas tried himself as a director and screenwriter, filming the short story “My Beloved”, included in the collection about love under common name"Heroes In Love".
In our country nothing is known about music industry in China. Many will even be surprised that they have their own popular performers. We invite you to get to know the most popular performers Chinese pop music to make sure that there is music in China!
Wang Fei
Singer Wang Fei (Faye Wong) is one of the most popular singers in China. She was born in Beijing, but began her singing career only after moving to Hong Kong. Wang Fei sings most of his songs in Putonghua, the “common Chinese” dialect. Initially, the girl sang in pop style, but later began experimenting with different styles. Despite the fact that Wang Fei has almost no songs on English language, it is popular not only in China, but throughout Asia, as well as in the West. Wang Fei also starred in several Chinese films.
Sa Dinding
Chinese singer with Mongolian roots Sa Dingding (real name Zhou Peng) is a folk singer and songwriter. Musical education The girl received her education at the Academy of Arts in Beijing at the insistence of her parents. Sa Dingding is a unique performer in China. She sings songs not only in Chinese, but also in Tibetan, Sanskrit, and the dead language Laguu. Moreover, her third studio album included songs in a language invented by the girl herself.
Xu Wei
Chinese rock musician Xu Wei first picked up a guitar at age 16 in 1984. Just 2 years later, he won the first guitar song competition in China. During his military service, Xu Wei composed songs, recorded them, and sometimes acted as a producer. In the early 90s of the last century, Xu Wei created his first group Fly. In China, the artist is known for his unique performance style. The singer still performs songs and is a famous performer in China.
Zhang Liangying
Chinese singer Zhang Liangying (better known as Jane Zhang) became famous in 2005 after participating in the Super Girl competition. Because of her performance style, the girl is often compared to Western singers, for example Christina Aguilera. The girl has a unique voice; her songs often resemble the singing of dolphins. Thanks to this feature of her voice, in China the girl is called “Princess Dolphin”.
You can hear the songs of these performers on the Internet, but, as they say: it’s better to see once than to hear a hundred times!