In 2007, an online short film "Memoirs of a Southern Geisha" made Xiao Yang and Wang Taili popular for the first time.
At that time, none of them would have imagined that in the future, the two of them would be tightly united like a pair of chopsticks and become the top of the music scene.
Over the years, many netizens have been asking a question, that is: Has the chopstick brothers been disbanded?
From singer to director, Xiao Yang has almost opened all the way and has become a powerful person in the hearts of the audience.
On the other hand, Wang Taili, since "Little Apple", seems to have not been heard from again, once making people feel that he has withdrawn from the circle.
In the face of such a discordant scene, netizens also have different opinions.
However, if you count the growth of the two, you will find that they are far from as simple as you seem.
01
Xiao Yang's ability to embark on the path of singer was purely accidental, because his dream since he was a child was to be a painter.
At a very young age, Xiao Yang became interested in painting.
Friends of the same age have played with the house and mud, and only he paints at home as soon as school is over.
Later, after reaching junior high school, in order to show his temperament as an artist, he even grew long hair and tried to squeeze into the ranks of painters.
Such a distinctive dress also made him suffer ridicule in his youth.
Whether it is a teacher or a classmate, Xiao Yang can often hear this sentence: "Yo, artist! ”
In the face of ridicule from all directions, Xiao Yang always secretly swore in his heart: One day I will definitely impress you! Wait and see!
In 1996, Xiao Yang left his hometown and went to Beijing alone to go to the Central American High School for the exam, but unfortunately he failed the list.
Only then did his solitary bravery really hit.
Later, after a year of unremitting efforts, he was admitted to Central American High School, and after graduation, he was admitted to the advertising director major of Beiying.
When Xiao Yang was methodically moving towards the goal, Wang Taili was not doing well.
02
When Xiao Yang competed for his dream, Wang Taili had already suffered a blow.
Wang Taili lives in a well-off family, and he has never worried about money since he was a child.
It is also this kind of growing up environment that allows him to pursue his dream of music without worries.
When he first went to Beijing, Wang Taili loaded up enough money, but when he arrived at the place, he was like being covered with cold water and embraced with ice, and his heart was cold to the bottom.
In this metropolis full of talents, he has no connections and resources and cannot even compare with dust.
Finally, looking at the pocket that was about to be empty, Wang Taili returned to his hometown in ashes.
After a series of reflections at home, he regained his strength, this time no longer unrealistic, but planning to get a job in Beijing first.
During that time, like most Beipiao, he worked several jobs in order to gain a foothold, and he did not look like a pampered person at all.
Finally, at the age of 28, Wang Taili really turned his luck and made a lot of money by advertising.
Looking at the money in his hand, he did not rush to invest in the song album, but first made money and earned money for art.
He started an entertainment company that packaged entertainers, including actors and singers.
Even if the musical dream has not yet begun, at least he still lives in this circle and walks in the right path.
Wang Taili's business is booming, and Xiao Yang's side is also busy.
He has always been idle, and he is simply a "living king" in college.
Whether it is shooting advertisements or assistant illustrations, as long as it is money, he almost always refuses.
It is precisely because of this personality that the two will meet.
03
In 2005, Wang Taili's company received a big cooperation, an advertisement of 200,000 yuan.
For this list, he attaches great importance to it, but he also does not want to spend a lot of money.
In this way, with the help of friends, he found Xiao Yang from the directing department, and the two hit it off and became partners.
Although it is the first time to work together, the two are also many years apart, but sometimes fate is so wonderful, the two unexpectedly cooperate.
Since this cooperation, Xiao Yang and Wang Taili have gradually become acquainted.
The year the two met coincided with the first year of the rise of the bell.
In order to keep up with the times, Wang Taili quickly adapted the song.
He sent his adaptation of "Bless You Darling" to Xiao Yang, who at that time did not know that Xiao Yang loved music.
And Xiao Yang didn't know that Wang Taili liked music until he heard the demo of this song.
As an advertising director, Xiao Yang naturally can't waste his talent.
So, at his suggestion, the two spent three months and made the song into a MV called "Memoirs of a Southern Geisha".
Later, the short video was posted on the Internet, and Wang Taili and Xiao Yang did not expect that their short video would spread so quickly, let alone that they would become famous through such channels.
Seeing that they were so in tune with each other, the two also officially ended their partnership and became partners, named "Chopstick Brothers".
One can direct, the other can write songs, and in those years the two complemented each other and created one short film after another.
Although his career is not too good or too bad, Xiao Yang's heart always feels empty, and this sense of loss is especially clear after he bought a house.
It wasn't until 2010 that their lives changed qualitatively.
04
That year, as soon as the chopstick brothers' "Old Boy" was launched, it became popular on the entire network.
This film depicting youth touched the hearts of countless audiences.
During that time, almost all the streets and alleys were filled with the familiar phrase "That's the person I miss deeply day and night~"
The success of the short film was unexpected, and the hardships behind the song were even more staggering.
That year, it took Wang Tai half a year to write this song.
The song was finally rewritten, and who wanted to shoot a short film encountered difficulties because they did not have enough funds.
At that time, the organizers who invited the shooting only gave a budget of 100,000, which was a maximum of ten minutes of shooting.
But this story takes about forty minutes.
In addition to financial difficulties, Wang Taili's body and mind are suffering.
Shortly after he was planning to shoot, his father was notified that he had lymphoma, and the news was a thunderbolt for him.
On the one hand, Party A's request and brother, on the other hand, his father, who was seriously ill, Wang Taili thought twice and made a decision, that is, to take his father to Beijing for treatment.
Although Wang Taili's business was doing well in those years, for his father, he was an unemployed vagrant.
In particular, the peers around him have started families and have iron rice bowls, and this strong contrast makes his father even more sad.
Seeing his father lying on the bed still worrying about him, Wang Taili felt an unprecedented failure.
He began to recall the ups and downs of the past ten years, saying that he wanted to pursue his musical dreams, and only came to the side of music at the age of 40.
He felt powerless, not knowing what he had been busy with all these years.
Looking at Wang Taili, who fell into a dead end, Xiao Yang, as a brother, also saw pain in his eyes.
But the situation was urgent, and he couldn't stop, he couldn't stop.
At that time, he only thought that when the film was cut, the old man would understand.
It's just a pity, it's still a step late.
Wang Taili's father failed to successfully fight the disease, let alone see Wang Taili succeed.
05
With this song "Old Boy", the chopstick brothers finally got the ticket to the music scene.
Looking at the overwhelming appreciation and endless invitations, the two who have experienced thousands of sails did not lose themselves, but concentrated on creating.
In 2011, the two pulled Huo Siyan and filmed the short film "Winner" together.
Although it broke a million hits on the first day, its influence was far less than that of "Old Boy".
Watching the "Winner" explode, the unwilling Wang Taili created "Father" again.
This song full of regrets has taken the careers of the two to a higher level.
It was also from this time that the "Chopsticks Brothers" were no longer Internet singers, but real creators.
The more fame rolls, the more "ambition" naturally rolls stronger and stronger.
This time, Xiao Yang no longer sticks his talent to short films, but wants to play a big ticket.
In 2014, Xiao Yang wrote, directed and acted in a movie "Old Boy's Fierce Insects Cross the River".
He is in charge of the film, and Wang Taili is in charge of the song.
Later, after the movie was launched, although it only achieved more than 200 million box office, unexpectedly, the song's promotional song "Little Apple" was unexpectedly popular.
At that time, this magic song not only replaced the position of "The Most Dazzling National Style", but even had an extraordinary influence in the world.
Everywhere you go, no matter who you're with, you can almost hear someone humming the tune of "Little Apple."
With this song, the chopstick brothers appeared on the Spring Festival Gala, won international awards, and became a big popular person in variety shows.
But it was also from this time that the two walked towards a watershed.
06
In 2015, relying on his excellent performance in "Detective Chinatown", the audience saw the potential of Xiao Yang's comedy.
At that time, many friends who liked him were calling for him not to sing the Divine Comedy and concentrate on acting.
Maybe he was encouraged by netizens, or maybe he opened the second pulse of Ren Du.
From this time on, Xiao Yang began to focus on the film and television industry, while Wang Taili stuck to his old path.
Things have developed to this point, in fact, there are already traces to follow.
Back then, it can be seen from the two working together, one main music, one main short film.
From unknown to internationally renowned, the two have always been complementary.
Xiao Yang has a wide range of hobbies, and music is just one of his interests.
But Wang Taili is different, from the moment he stepped into Beijing, his dream of making music has never changed.
In 2019, when he won the most breakthrough actor, Xiao Yang first thanked Wang Taili.
"The reason why I won the award is thanks to my brother Wang Taili, if he hadn't written a new song for too long, I wouldn't have been able to act in movies or win awards (laughs)."
Since Xiao Yang changed direction, Wang Taili, who is more than half a hundred years old, has focused on the background to build bridges for musicians who chase their dreams.
Although the two are not often in the same frame, they never miss each other.
For Xiao Yang, what he wants most is to break through himself.
For Wang Taili, what he wants most is to play music.
Two people who keep their hearts and shine brightly in their respective fields, how can they talk about high and low?