Talent shows are not new to Chinese television and video platforms. Love them or hate them, the genre which brings young Chinese wannabe singers into the spotlight is not in any danger of fading away. Last summer, when a talent show, titled "The Coming One," was released on the streaming platform, Tencent Video, it achieved phenomenal success. The 15-episode series, which targeted 12- to 24-year-olds, featured young male Chinese singer-songwriters. Each of the episodes attracted about 300 million viewers online. For three months, the singer-songwriters competed, with the top nine people getting the opportunity to launch their own music. The champion of the first season Mao Buyi was one of the most successful young musicians of 2017. Speaking about how "The Coming One" - which goes into season 2 with one show a week from June 30 - is different from other shows, Long Danni, one of the co-initiators of the show, says: "In China, talent shows are the fastest way to produce stars, but many shows have similar formats - imitating shows from the United States or South Korea. The result is that when the show ends the competitors are forgotten. "Originality is crucial for China to develop its own talent shows and to produce real stars. That is what we aim for." Last year, Long launched her company, Wajijiwa Entertainment, and worked with Tencent Video on the reality show. Her company, which signs a contract with the winners of the show, supports the singer-songwriters' careers by releasing albums and helping to organize tours. Long, who is considered the "godmother of Chinese talent shows," produced one of China's most popular televised talent shows, "Super Girl," in 2005, which attracted millions of viewers and propelled the winner Li Yuchun to become one of the biggest pop icons in China. Li is one of the coaches on the second season of "The Coming One." Speaking about the upcoming show, Li says: "In the first episode, each competitor has to display their musical talent within 100 seconds. "It's very challenging to impress people in such a short space of time, but some of them have made it. "The process of constantly creating music and getting inspired by other singer-songwriters is enjoyable." The other celebrity coaches who are in "The Coming One 2" are Beijing-based singer-songwriter Hua Chenyu, Taiwan singer-songwriter Wu Tsingfong, and Chinese actress Yang Mi. Celebrity power is a way to attract young audiences, says Long, adding that audience tastes have changed drastically over the years. "They now want to participate and witness the growth of a singer-songwriter they pick," says Long. Long also says that for some time she was disappointed with the way the country's music scene was evolving. "The rampant piracy polluted the environment, and people were not willing to pay for original music, which led to a decline of the music industry. "What got me excited is that with this reality show we've not only seen young musicians with great talent, but I also see a positive outlook for original music. "Audiences, especially the younger generation, have also started to pay for music, and they are very interested in original Chinese music." Speaking about Mao's debut album, which sold more than 4 million copies online - at 25 yuan (US$3.8) each - since it was released on May 30, Long says: "The respect for music from the audience makes me confident about the show and the market." As for the future, she says: "I am often asked about the next trends in pop music, but I have no answer for that question because it's unpredictable. "For example, it is believed that younger people are attracted to music with international content, but Mao won the audience over with a guitar and personal, sentimental lyrics and good melodies. "Through the show, we look for talented people who represent Chinese youth pop culture." According to Ma Yankun, vice-president of Tencent Penguin Pictures, one of the studio operations belonging to Tencent, the company has mapped out plans for introducing young Chinese pop idols. "The Coming One" was the first phase of the plan. "We've seen more young singer-songwriters applying to the show after the first season. So, in the second season, the audience will see more diversity in terms of music," says Ma. (China Daily) | 