All Chinese girl band debuts as 'K-pop' group

Sep 16, 2019
All Chinese girl band debuts as 'K-pop' group
All-Chinese girl group FANXY RED 



All-Chinese girl group FANXY RED debuted in Korea last month, raising the question once again about what elements are needed to define K-pop.

The four-member girl group claims to be a K-pop band, as their music and choreography are influenced by K-pop and they debuted in Korea, the homeland of K-pop.

Many K-pop groups have foreign-born members but FANXY RED is the first and only all-Chinese band claiming to be K-pop. Last year the all-Japanese girl group Honey Popcorn debuted in Korea as a K-pop band.

The members of FANXY RED all have an androgynous image to create a girl crush concept, a style different from other girl groups in Korea who mostly use feminine appeal to attract male fans. Three of the members also have masculine stage names ― Roy, Shawn and Marco.

FANXY RED originally debuted with five members in China in 2017 but disbanded shortly after. Among the five, four chose to make a fresh start in Korea after signing a contract with TOV ENTERTAINMENT here.

They released their first single album with the help of K-pop producers and dance teams, while preparing for their debut at a training camp in Paju, Gyeonggi Province. Their first album "ACTIVATE" was released on Aug. 28, with five songs that are in English, Chinese and Korean.

"T.O.P, which was released in both Chinese and Korean, is a dance song about being a proud artist. "HOLLA" is an English song with lyrics saying "hello" to their fans.

In a media interview, the members said they were determined to debut in Korea to "challenge" themselves and make their dreams come true. They grew up watching K-pop videos, including those of G-Dragon from BIGBANG.

As BTS, EXO, BLACKPINK and MAMAMOO are also popular in China, they wanted acknowledgement from Korean fans first in order to be recognized as a K-pop group. Based in Korea, they also aim to appeal to international fans.

As well as tackling perceptions of race and nationality, they also chose to defy gender conventions by adopting a more masculine look and vocal style.

"We don't have any target fans," said Roy, real name Anjunxi.

The members are "preparing for the international market," according to the CEO of Tov Entertainment. "In order to make a fresh start, they released an album in Korea, the home of K-pop."

The members said, "We thought Korea needs to be our first stage, so we would like to continue our music career here. But we would also want to become global artists popular in all countries, including Korea and China. With music, we would be able to interact with different people and build friendships."

Tags: #K-pop;
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