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Sad Sunshine After the Rain: Zhang Zhehan’s New Record Becomes #1 on iTunes

Zhang Zhehan’s latest song is his first success after he suffered scrutiny in China, but his song wasn’t released in the mainland.

Manya Koetse

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Zhang Zhehan became a ‘tainted celebrity‘ in mainland China in 2021. Now, the Chinese singer is enjoying a major career comeback as his latest single is topping iTunes charts. Despite his success, Zhang’s comeback is taking place outside of China.

The past one and a half years have not been easy for Chinese actor and singer Zhang Zhehan (张哲瀚, 1991). With his latest song becoming a top record in the worldwide iTunes charts, it seems that Zhang is finally seeing some sunshine after the rain.

Zhang Zhehan was a celebrated and award-winning artist in mainland China, especially known for his roles in Legend of Yunxi (2018), The Blooms at Ruyi Pavilion (2020) and the highly popular costume drama Word of Honor (2021).

Zhang got caught up in controversy in August of 2021 after photos surfaced online of the actor attending a wedding ceremony at the Japanese Nogi Shrine and of him visiting the area near the controversial Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo. Both shrines are historically sensitive places and are linked to Japanese militarism, war crimes, and the Sino-Japanese War.

These social media posts played an important role in Zhang Zhehan’s fall from grace in mainland China.

As the incident went completely viral, Zhang was harshly criticized. Although his loyal fans defended him, many netizens were less forgiving. The Zhang incident also came at a time when various Chinese celebrities were investigated, blacklisted, or banned, with an “entertainment circles earthquake” occurring at the time.

Despite issuing an apology statement, in which Zhang explained he was unaware of the historical significance of the places where he previously took photos, the incident had a profound impact on his life and career.

Brands working with Zhang Zhehan canceled their partnerships with the actor, Zhang’s account and an affiliated work account were suspended by Weibo, and his name was included on a ‘black list’ (or ‘warning list’) released by China’s Association of Performing Arts (CAPA/中国演出行业协会).

In December of 2021, What’s on Weibo published an Op-ed contribution by the founder of the Teddyfoxfluff blog which did a deep dive into the Zhang Zhehan controversy. In this article, the author claims that Zhang had become a victim of online fake news propagation and cyberbullying.

One important person who came to Zhang’s defense is the famous producer/distributor/actor Li Xuezheng (李学政), director of the Golden Shield Film and Television Center, who posted dozens of Weibo posts in which he questioned the criteria of the names that are included on the CAPA ‘warning list’ and how an entity such as China’s Association of Performing Arts could have the legal power to enforce disciplinary measures over Chinese celebrities beyond the realm of their own association membership circles.

After these challenging times, Zhang Zhehan’s latest song “Sad Sunshine Is Here” (憂傷的晴朗) has now finally been released and is out on Spotify and iTunes, where it soon soared to the top of the popular song charts of worldwide and U.S. iTunes.

Zhang’s “Sad Sunshine Is Here” ranked number one song on the American iTunes charts on 17 December, just two days after its release, according to iTunesCharts and Popvortex. The song’s success shows that Zhang still has many fans, also outside of China, supporting him throughout his ordeals.

Zhang Zhehan comes in at number one in U.S. iTunes top charts, via Popvortex.

“Sad Sunshine Is Here” is a dreamy popsong with cryptic and poetic lyrics. Zhang sings about the “devil’s curse”, “resurrection,” fireworks lighting up the sky and a “stormy sea in the blink of an eye” – enough to make fans connect the meaning of the song to what Zhang has experienced since 2021.

The ‘sad sunshine’ title perhaps also refers to the bitter-sweet experience of Zhang’s comeback. Although Zhang is stepping back into the limelight, it is not the limelight in the country he perhaps would have preferred, namely China, the motherland he himself said he “deeply loves.”

Zhang Zhehan’s new song is available on Western platforms such as iTunes, Spotify, and YouTube, but it has not come out on Chinese music platforms.

Nevertheless, the song release did trigger discussions on Chinese social media platform Weibo, where some wondered if international listeners would understand how meaningful Zhang’s successful song release – without any major record companies backing it – actually is.

Still, many Chinese netizens praise Zhang’s sudden international success. “I’m so proud to be your fan,” one Weibo commenter wrote.

Many Chinese social media users did not spell out Zhang Zhehan’s name, hoping to circumvent potential censorship of his name.

“He’s rising on the world’s stage!” some commented.

“After 492 days, I am still waiting for your return,” another Weibo user wrote, referring to early August of 2021 when Zhang first got caught up in controversy.

Listen to Zhang Zhehan’s latest single here. To get more insights on just how difficult it is to rise up after being canceled as a celebrity in China, check out our article on ‘tainted’ celebrities in China here. For more about Zhang Zhehan, check our articles here. If you like what we do – please consider becoming a premium member to support us and get full access to all of our articles.

By Manya Koetse 

 

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©2022 Whatsonweibo. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce our content without permission – you can contact us at info@whatsonweibo.com.

Manya Koetse is the founder and editor-in-chief of whatsonweibo.com. She is a writer, public speaker, and researcher (Sinologist, MPhil) on social trends, digital developments, and new media in an ever-changing China, with a focus on Chinese society, pop culture, and gender issues. She shares her love for hotpot on hotpotambassador.com. Contact at manya@whatsonweibo.com, or follow on Twitter.

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4 Comments

4 Comments

  1. Avatar

    J.

    December 19, 2022 at 1:20 am

    Thank you for the article. I thought to provide some additional third-party information from reputable sources with regard to the background about how Zhang Zhehan was framed:

    1. Legal talk given in 2022 by respected China legal scholar Wang Yong from Hong Fan Research Institute and China University of Political Science and Law about the defamation of Zhang Zhehan, with English subtitles: https://youtu.be/baoskGTLhP8
    *You can verify the authenticity of the talk and the credentials of the speaker since he is famous in the China legal circle and is often invited on shows to talk about China law. In Chinese, this is his name, designation and related institutes: 洪范研究所/中国政法大学教授王涌

    2. Subtitled version of Zhang Zhehan’s IG video where he talks in first person about how he was framed as seen on Chinese Stars News: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FutBr_cbFFQ
    Should you wish to see the version of Zhang Zhehan’s on IG, you may go to https://www.instagram.com/p/CdGhDfkJRtQ/

    3. Yahoo report about Zhang Zhehan speaking of how he was framed and about his criminal defamation report: https://sg.style.yahoo.com/zhang-zhehan-denies-entering-yasukuni-shrine-willing-investigated-063158363.html

    4. Singapore’s Straits Times podcast which talked about the false rumours and how Zhang was framed:
    https://www.straitstimes.com/life/entertainment/popvultures-podcast-chinese-entertainment-updates-divorces-marriages-and-bts-gets-on-instagram
    Time code: 00:48 Chinese entertainment/Zhang Zhehan update

  2. Avatar

    OJ

    December 22, 2022 at 5:57 am

    Zhang Zhehan had a small part in the acclaimed Nirvana in Fire as the young General Lin Shu who was victim of political frame-up by evil rivals in the royal court. This is coincidentally parallel to what happened to him in real life. Given the geopolitical backdrop of China/US rivalry and American determination to beat China at all costs, this seems to be part of a soft power war using Zhang as a tool to manipulate public opinion against China.

  3. Avatar

    dawnraptor

    December 23, 2022 at 6:38 pm

    I’m very happy for this comeback, even if it’s only a partial one.
    I’m from Italy and I was very affected by his sad history. I was so incredulous and sad, I couldn’t understand or believe in what was so clearly a see of misinterpretations, misunderstandings, false accuses, absurdities and vicious lies…
    There are clearly hidden powers at work, and a great artist paid the cost. Shameful.

  4. Avatar

    Tidieu

    January 11, 2023 at 12:04 pm

    It was obvious that there was an organized effort to defame Zhang Zhehan in Aug 2021, which seemed to have started way before that.
    – Zhehan himself has reported his case as being defamed.
    – There have been numerous research and findings that showed an organized cyber crime was committed that lead to the Aug 13, 2021 event.
    – All of the disinformation that were circulated were found to be started and circulated quickly by internet trolls.

    Frankly I cannot understand what is really going ok in China. Is it because one citizen out of 3 billion people is not significant, or some other hidden corrupted powerful forces / officials are behind the scenes pulling strings.

    More information about how a defamation campaign is designed and works is detailed in the following Ted Talk video:

    https://youtu.be/Iu4OdhjnN4I

    Another article about water army (paid internet fake accounts to manipulate public opinions):

    https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/01/27/technology/social-media-bots.html

    Article about how China influencer, who can be bought and paid for, can manipulate public opinion to the extreme of getting a professor fired:

    https://jingdaily.com/the-follower-factory-in-china/

    In recent congress meetings in China, the issue of cyber crime was discussed at length, Zhang Zhehan case was even brought up, but we still have not heard any good news yet…only a few officials and water army companies were caught since then.

    I do hope China will show to the world that its government is for the people at large, and not just for a few in power.

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China Music

Rock ‘n’ Troll Chaos: The Controversy Surrounding Thefts at China’s Central Midi Festival

A theft scandal rocked China’s Midi Festival, which took place in Nanyang this week. Midi, however, blames online trolls for hyping the case.

Manya Koetse

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What was supposed to be celebration of music, mud, and Midi freedom turned into a controversy that captured widespread attention on Chinese social media this week, as reports of looting surfaced online. As online discussions continue, people do not agree on who is to blame for the incident and the widespread attention for it.

The city of Nanyang in Henan has been all the talk on Chinese social media over the past few days due to large amounts of personal belongings getting stolen during the Central Midi Festival (中原迷笛音乐节).

The Midi Festival, founded by the Beijing Midi School of Music, is among China’s largest and most influential rock music festivals. Midi has been around for some thirty years, with variations in themes and taking place in different locations.

The most recent edition was held in Nanyang from September 29 to October 2nd. It drew approximately 150,000 visitors who flocked to Henan to have a good time, enjoy the music, dance in the mud, and stay at the camp site throughout the multi-day festival.

The local government had hoped that hosting the festival would help promote the city and make it more popular among young people. To create a positive impression, the entire city, including a remarkable 40,000 volunteers, local authorities, hotels, and transportation companies, dedicated their efforts to ensure the success of the Midi Festival. The mayor even personally welcomed festival-goers at the train station.

 
Free-for-all Festival
 

However, it seems that some locals had different intentions. They watched the festivities from behind the fences, and then started coming in and entering the camp sites. When they found unattended tents, as the owners were enjoying the music, they started stealing items from inside.

What began as isolated incidents soon escalated. More people joined in, more items were stolen, and the thieves grew bolder, sometimes even stealing from tents while their owners were present and trying to stop them.

There’s a video circulating showing an older lady rummaging through a festivalgoer’s tent while he filmed the scene. The lady casually stated, “I’ll take your camp light, dear,” and informed him of her theft.

Even sponsors and official vendors at the festival site fell victim to theft, as people entered their areas and stole their products and merchandise to resell later. There were reports of chairs and cables being stolen – essential items for a smooth-running festival.

Although security guards and police did intervene when the looting began, they allegedly just sent the thieves away at first without apprehending them. Some festivalgoers claimed to have lost personal items valued at over 10,000 RMB ($1,388).

By now, as the incident has gained national attention via social media, the case is being thorougly researched. The local police have received a total of 73 reports and they have confirmed 65 cases of theft. Some of the thieves have been arrested, and some of the stolen items have been recovered.

 
It Started with a Rumor
 

How could the festival looting get so out of control? According to local authorities in Nanyang, the incident began when a short video platform user known as “Wuyu” (无语) posted a video on October 2nd, falsely claiming that all the tents at the festival were available for taking as the event had ended and the premises needed to be cleared.

This rumor soon widely circulated, and prompted nearby villagers to come to the site to see what they could get.

The person behind the “Wuyu” account, identified as Chen Feng (陈峰), has since been identified and was taken into custody by the police.

On October 5, the Midi Festival released a statement on Weibo, reassuring the public that the festival and the local government are working together to try their best and recover all stolen items.

Statement by Midi.

Midi also lashed out against online ‘trolls’ who were hyping up the situation at Midi to smear the festival and the city’s reputation. The festival condemned both the small group of thieves and the larger group of online trolls.

 
Provincial Prejudice
 

The controversy has generated a lot of anger, not just among visitors and the festival organization staff, but also among local Nanyang authorities who had invested considerable effort into making the festival a success.

The incident has cast a shadow over Midi. In an online poll conducted by Fengmian Redian (@封面热点), a majority of respondents indicated that they would not want to attend the festival after this happened, expressing their disappointment over the looting.

The controversy also reflects badly on Henan, where people already face provincial prejudice. Henan is often characterized as a poor and unrefined province, associated with phone scammers or people who would even steal manhole covers to sell them for scrap metal, causing dangerous situations.

The Midi Festival controversy has perpetuated these stereotypes about the people of Henan, much to the dismay of local residents who have been actively working to challenge and dispel public biases against the province.

 
Rock ‘n’ Roll Chaos
 

While many Weibo users come to Nanyang’s defense, there are also those who stress that the local authorities should have taken more steps to improve security around the festival site.

Image by Midi, reposted by @后沙月光本尊 .

Others, however, do not agree. They argue that the Midi Festival, in Woodstock style, is about chaos, rock ‘n’ roll, and freedom. They think that the festival should not be overly controlled and that people should not blame the organization or local governments for not looking after their stuff.

Festival attendees and dedicated rock music enthusiasts argue that Midi, Nanyang, and the Chinese fans and musicians turned the festival into a great success.

Photos on Xiaohongshu capturing the atmosphere at Midi in Nanyang.

They suggest that the theft incident should not be attributed to them nor reflect badly on China’s thriving music scene; it was simply the result of immoral behavior from a few individuals who failed to grasp the spirit of the event.

Meanwhile, the entire incident has not just triggered anger; it has also become a source of banter and online jokes.

Some Henan natives are not exactly helping to promote their home province. One widely-shared comment referred to the Henan bank protests, stating: “If even the money we deposit in the bank can disappear, it’s no surprise that things can go missing at a music festival.”

By Manya Koetse and Miranda Barnes

with contributions by Miranda Barnes

Get the story behind the hashtag. Subscribe to What’s on Weibo here to receive our newsletter and get access to our latest articles:

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©2023 Whatsonweibo. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce our content without permission – you can contact us at info@whatsonweibo.com.

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China Celebs

Three Reasons Why Lipstick King’s ‘Eyebrow Pencil Gate’ Has Blown Up

From beauty guru to betrayal: why one livestream moment is shaking China’s internet.

Manya Koetse

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PREMIUM CONTENT

Li Jiaqi, also known as Austin Li the ‘Lipstick King,’ has become the focus of intense media attention in China over the past days.

The controversy began when the popular beauty influencer responded with apparent annoyance to a viewer’s comment about the high price of an eyebrow pencil. As a result, his fans began unfollowing him, netizens started scolding him, Chinese state criticized him, and the memes started flooding in.

Li Jiaqi’s tearful apology did not fix anything.

We reported about the incident here shortly after it went trending, and you can see the translated video of the moment here:

The incident may seem minor at first glance. Li was merely promoting Florasis brand (花西子) eyebrow pencils, and some viewers expressed their opinion that the pencils, priced at 79 yuan ($11), had become more expensive.

In response, Li displayed irritation, questioning, “Expensive how?” He went on to suggest that viewers should also reflect on their own efforts and whether they were working hard enough to get a salary increase.

But there is more to this incident than just an $11 pencil and an unsympathetic response.

 

#1 The King Who Forgot the People Who Crowned Him

 

The initial reaction of netizens to Li Jiaqi’s remarks during the September 10th livestream was characterized by a strong sense of anger and disappointment.

Although celebrities often face scrutiny when displaying signs of arrogance after their rise to fame, the position of Li Jiaqi in the wanghong (internet celebrity) scene has been especially unique. He initially worked as a beauty consultant for L’Oreal within a shopping mall before embarking on his livestreaming career through Alibaba’s Taobao platform.

In a time when consumers have access to thousands of makeup products across various price ranges, Li Jiaqi established himself as a trusted cosmetics expert. People relied on his expertise to recommend the right products at the right prices, and his practice of personally applying and showcasing various lipstick colors made him all the more popular. He soon garnered millions of online fans who started calling him the Lipstick King.

By 2018, he had already amassed a significant fortune of 10 million yuan ($1.53 million). Fast forward three years, and his wealth had ballooned to an astonishing 18.5 billion yuan ($2.5 billion).

Despite his growing wealth, Li continued to enjoy the support of his fans, who appreciated his honest assessments of products during live testing sessions. He was known for candidly informing viewers when a product wasn’t worth buying, and the story of his humble beginnings as a shop assistant played a major role in why people trusted him and wanted him to succeed.

However, his recent change in tone, where he no longer seemed considerate of viewers who might find an $11 brow pencil to be expensive, suggests that he may have lost touch with his own customer base. Some individuals perceive this shift as a form of actual “betrayal” (背叛), as if a close friend has turned their back on them.

The viral cartoon shows Li Jiaqi going from a friendly beggar to angry rat.

One cartoon shared on social media shows Li Jiaqi, with mouse ears, as he initially begs his online viewers for money. However, as he becomes more prosperous, the cartoon portrays him gradually growing arrogant and eventually scolding those who helped him rise to fame.

Many people accuse Li of being insincere, suggesting that he revealed his true colors during that short livestream moment. This is also one of the reasons why most commenters say they do not believe his tears during his apology video.

“He betrayed China’s working class,” one popular vlog suggested.

 

#2 Internet Celebrity Crossing the Lines

 

Another reason why the incident involving Li Jiaqi is causing such a storm is related to the media context in which Chinese (internet) celebrities operate and what is expected of them.

Whether you are an actor, singer, comedian, or a famous livestreamer/e-commerce influencer, Chinese celebrities and performers are seen as fulfilling an exemplary role in society, serving the people and the nation (Jeffrey & Xu 2023). This is why, as explained in the 2019 research report by Jonathan Sullivan and Séagh Kehoe, moral components play such a significant role in Chinese celebrity culture.

In today’s age of social media, the role of celebrities in society has evolved to become even more significant as they have a vast reach and profound influence that extends to countless people and industries.

Their powerful influence makes celebrities important tools for authorities to convey messages that align with their goals – and definitely not contradict them. Through the media and cultural industries, the state can exert a certain level of control within the symbolic economy in which celebrities operate, as discussed by Sullivan and Kehoe in their 2019 work (p. 242).

This control over celebrities’ actions became particularly evident in the case of Li Jiaqi in 2022, following the ‘cake tank incident’ (坦克蛋糕事件). This incident unfolded during one of his livestreams when Li Jiaqi and his co-host introduced a chocolate cake in the shape of a tank, with an assistant in the back mentioning something about the sound of shooting coming from a tank (“坦克突突”). This livestream took place on June 3rd, on the night before the 33rd anniversary of the crackdown on the Tiananmen protests.

While Li Jiaqi did not directly touch upon a politically sensitive issue with his controversial livestream, his actions were perceived as a disregard for customer loyalty and displayed an arrogance inconsistent with socialist core values. This behavior garnered criticism in a recent post by the state media outlet CCTV.

Post by CCTV condemning Li’s behavior.

Other state media outlets and official channels have joined in responding to the issue, amplifying the narrative of a conflict between the ‘common people’ and the ‘arrogant influencer.’

 

#3 Striking a Wrong Chord in Challenging Times

 

Lastly, Li Jiaqi’s controversial livestream moment also became especially big due to the specific words he said about people needing to reflect on their own work efforts if they cannot afford a $11 eyebrow pencil.

Various online discussions and some media, including CNN, are tying the backlash to young unemployment, tepid consumer spending, and the ongoing economic challenges faced by workers in China.

Since recent years, the term nèijuǎn (‘involution’, 内卷) has gained prominence when discussing the frustrations experienced by many young people in China. It serves as a concept to explain the social dynamics of China’s growing middle class who often find themselves stuck in a “rat race”; a highly competitive education and work environment, where everyone is continually intensifying their efforts to outperform one another, leading to this catch 22 situation where everyone appears to be caught in an unending cycle of exertion without substantial progress (read more here).

Weibo commenters note that, given China’s current employment situation and wage levels, hard work is not necessarily awarded with higher income. This context makes Li Jiaqi’s comments seem even more unnecessary and disconnected from the realities faced by his customers. One Shanghai surgeon responded to Li’s comments, saying that the fact that his salary has not increased over the last few year certainly is not because he is not working hard enough (#上海胸外科医生回应李佳琦言论#).

Some observers also recognize that Li, as an e-commerce professional, is, in a way, trapped in the same cycle of “inversion” where brands are continuously driving prices down to such low levels that consumers perceive it as the new normal. However, this pricing strategy may not be sustainable in the long run. (Ironically, some brands currently profiting from the controversy by promoting their own 79 yuan deals, suggesting their deal is much better than Li’s. Among them is the domestic brand Bee & Flower 蜂花, which is offering special skin care products sets for 79 yuan in light of the controversy.)

Many discussions therefore also revolve around the question of whether 79 yuan or $11 can be considered expensive for an eyebrow pencil, and opinions are divided. Some argue that people pay much more for skincare products, while others point out that if you were to weigh the actual quantity of pencil color, its price would surpass that of gold.

The incident has sparked discussions about the significance of 79 yuan in today’s times, under the hashtag “What is 79 yuan to normal people” (#79元对于普通人来说意味着什么#).

People have shared their perspectives, highlighting what this amount means in their daily lives. For some, it represents an entire day’s worth of home-cooked meals for a family. It exceeds the daily wages of certain workers, like street cleaners. Others equate it to the cost of 15 office lunches.

One netizen posts 79 yuan ($10.9) worth of groceries.

Amid all these discussions, it also becomes clear that many people are trying to live a frugal live in a time when their wages are not increasing, and that Li’s comments are just one reason to vent their frustrations about the situation they are in, In those regards, Li’s remarks really come at a wrong time, especially coming from a billionaire.

Will Li be able to continue his career after this?

Some are suggesting that it is time for Li to take some rest, speculating that Li’s behavior might stem from burn-out and mental issues. Others think that Li’s hardcore fans will remain loyal to their e-commerce idol.

For now, Li Jiaqi must tread carefully. He has already lost 1.3 million followers on his Weibo account. What’s even more challenging than regaining those one million followers is rebuilding the trust of his viewers.

Update: On September 19, the Florasis/Huaxizi brand finally apologized for its late response to the controversy, and the brand stated that the controversy provided an opportunity for them to listen to “the voice of their consumers.” Their decision to release a statement seemed fruitful: they gained 20,000 new followers in a night.

By Manya Koetse

with contributions by Miranda Barnes

Jeffreys, Elaine, and Jian Xu. 2023. “Governing China’s Celebrities.” Australian Institute of International Affairs, 18 May https://www.internationalaffairs.org.au/australianoutlook/governing-chinas-celebrities/ [12 Sep 2023].

Sullivan, Jonathan, and Séagh Kehoe. 2019. “Truth, Good and Beauty: The Politics of Celebrity in China.” The China Quarterly 237 (March): 241–256.

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