2 | Wednesday, June 24, 2020 HONG KONG EDITION | CHINA DAILY PAGE TWO

From left: Actress Adia Chan, 49, singer Zhang Hanyun, 31, actress Christy Chung, 50, pop singer Aduo, 40, and singer Yumiko Cheng, 39, appear on the reality show Sisters. PHOTOS PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY Reality: Stereotypes being shattered

From page 1 ate my own life and dreams. Protect the tru­ est smile and I am priceless.” The first episode attracted more than 15 Li said, “Like many people, I was looking million viewers and sparked heated debate forward to a totally different reality show online. The contestants demonstrated their about women and their performances, prov­ dancing and singing abilities with solo and ing that they have far more than just physi­ group performances. cal beauty.” Yang Chang, who works for a media com­ Before Sisters premiered, Youth With pany in Beijing, said:“Bringing these women You Season 2 had just ended on the video together arguably contributed to making the streaming platform iQiyi on May 30, with most interesting reality show of the year. It the birth of The 9, a new girl pop group. sends a message that although we live in a Since premiering on March 12, topical youth­obsessed culture, there’s still some­ news and articles relating to Youth With thing to be said for the enduring appeal of You Season 2 have been viewed more than women who are established and experi­ 2 billion times. enced.” The public voted for the nine finalists out of Molly Tang, another fan of the show, who is 109 contestants, including Liu Yuxin, the approaching 30, said: “The women are very overall winner with 17 million votes, and Yu cool, fashionable and attractive. They have Shuxin, who finished second with 13 million their own styles, rather than following a votes. trend. I really admire their courage in break­ The finalists were born from 1995 to 1997, ing conventional stage or screen stereotypes.” and the average age of all the contestants She added that after watching the show, was just 22. she is no longer afraid of becoming older. Instead of a typical sweet­girl image, Liu In addition to the contestants’ performan­ Yuxin, 23, wears her hair short and dyed, ces, the frank and outspoken comments rather than long, straight or curly. She also they made about their age, life experiences favors pantsuits rather than miniskirts, and and careers also caused a stir online. is shy but aggressive onstage. Singer Yumiko Cheng, who appeared on She learned street dance when she was 10 the show and is based in Hong Kong, said: and stood out among her peers with her “I am 39 years old and at the best time of singing, dancing and rap performances. my life. I know myself better and I am Liu took part in Up! Juniors on Hunan TV much wiser.” in 2012, and the following year appeared on a She began her career in Hong Kong as a dance reality show produced by Dragon TV dancer/singer 18 years ago and has released in Shanghai. In 2015, she joined the seven­ albums in Cantonese and Mandarin. From top: Actress Ning Jing, 48, and member girl group Lady Bees, releasing an In 2012, she was involved in an accident in Aduo prepare to appear on Sisters. album two years later, which failed to receive which a tree branch pierced a lung. She Left: Actress Bai Bing, 34, performs on much attention. slowed her career, married in 2014 and gave the show. Wu Han, producer of Youth With You birth to her daughter the following year. PHOTOS PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY Season 2, said: “The show focuses on the “I have been in the industry for a very long concept of creating infinite possibilities. time and many young people may never have We don’t define. In auditions, we look for heard of me, but I am confident about my per­ a contestant’s personality and attitude. formances. They will be surprised,” she said. “There is heightened awareness of wom­ Actress Bai Bing, 34, said during the en’s independence in Chinese society. The show: “Many people think that I live a life of The judges are younger show aims to present young Chinese women luxury as a wife and mother who doesn’t than I am. Many young from different perspectives. They are more need to work, but I divorced several years than cute or sexy, and we want to show their ago and am now a single mom. Thanks to fans don’t know about me. diversity,” Wu said. my family, who help care for my daughter, I They are not familiar with In recent years, major streaming plat­ still have the chance to pursue my career as forms have produced male and female pop an actress.” my style of music. I don’t groups through reality shows, providing Bai is known for her roles in The Myth, a want to appeal to anyone new blood for the entertainment industry. 50­episode TV drama broadcast in 2009, in particular — I just let my For example, the 11­member female group and Winter Begonia, a 49­episode drama Rocket Girls 101, fronted by Wu Xuanyi and shown this year. performance speak for Meng Meiqi, started life in 2018 on video Aduo, 40, a pop singer from the Tujia me.” platform Tencent’s reality show Produce 101, ethnic group who took part in the show, in which 11 finalists were selected from 101 said that when she was first approached Singer Li Yuchun appears as a performing guest on the reality show Youth With Aduo, 40, pop singer from the Tujia contestants. by the production team, she turned down You Season 2 on May 30. PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY ethnic group Cai Xukun, who was born in 1999, shot to an invitation to perform on the program. stardom after winning the iQiyi reality show Finding fame after appearing on the Idol Producer in 2018. He now has more annual CCTV Spring Festival Gala in 2005 the show was that I had to return to pop Zhao, who has worked with celebrity sing­ hair and sang in a deep, soulful voice. than 30 million followers on his Sina Weibo and singing the dance number Goodbye, music,” Aduo said. ers such as Karen Mok and Mao Buyi, was a She also appeared on the cover of Time account and is a coach and judge on Youth Carmen, Aduo was signed by the Chia Tai “The judges are younger than I am. Many member of the team that provided the magazine’s Asian edition, which described With You Season 2. Music Group in 2001 and has released two young fans don’t know about me. They are music for the closing ceremony of the 2008 her as an “Asian hero”. Now 36, she is still When Wang Ju appeared on Produce 101 albums. Her increasing popularity has not familiar with my style of music. I don’t Beijing Olympic Games. one of the best­selling female pop stars in in 2018, she generated a huge buzz on social brought her many opportunities to perform. want to appeal to anyone in particular — I “The reality show will see the emergence the country. media platforms. Instead of looking like a When she was in her early 20s, Aduo, like just let my performance speak for me.” of a new female pop group different from On May 30, Li appeared as a performing typical female pop idol, with a slim figure many younger women, enjoyed pop music Aduo added that she was impressed by the others. Each performer has a unique guest on the hit reality show Youth With You and pale complexion, Wang, who was 25 at and loved to appear on reality shows to pro­ the other female performers, who she said style,” Zhao added. Season 2, singing All the Girls, which she the time, was tanned and had a fuller fig­ mote herself. were not only attractive but also full of confi­ In 2005, Hunan Television produced wrote in just three days. ure. But in 2011, she lost interest in the dence. Super Girl, one of the first reality shows of She was also invited to write a theme Although she wasn’t among the 11 final­ music scene and changed her career path. “Public opinion of women has changed. its kind in China. song for Sisters, which was released on ists, she won a large fan base with her com­ From 2012 to 2016, she spent her time in People are willing to accept various types of The competition was won by Li Yuchun Thursday. Titled Ms Priceless, the electro­ ments such as, “Being yourself is what remote villages in Hunan, Yunnan and women, rather than defining them by age. — then a student at the Sichuan Conserv­ pop number delivers a message about makes a girl beautiful.” Guizhou provinces, where the Miao and We are just showcasing ourselves in our own atory of Music in Chengdu — with her breaking stereotypes attached to women Jimmy Guo, founder of a cultural compa­ Tujia people live. ways — being ourselves,” she said. gender­neutral style and solid singing from birth. A video of the song has been ny in Beijing that trains aspiring pop stars, “In 2012, I stopped listening to and per­ Veteran music producer, director and and dancing skills. As a result, Li became viewed some 10 million times on Li’s said: “Pop groups have the same dance forming pop songs. For the past eight songwriter Zhao Zhao said: “These veteran a national pop icon. social media platform. moves. What helps them stand out is their years, I have been focusing on my own female performers are not afraid of break­ The show attracted a nationwide audi­ “My face, my fingers are priceless. My personalities and distinctive features. The project involving ethnic music. One of the ing new ground onstage. They are versatile ence of 400 million, with many fans vot­ ideas, my talents are priceless,” she sings. “I goal is to let people see you. You have to have biggest challenges for me in appearing on and creative.” ing for Li, who wore her trademark short choose my lipsticks, my handbags and I cre­ something to be remembered by.