Author | Ding Qianwen Edit | Fan Zhihui
The recovery of the performance market is benefiting the expansion of underground idols.
The first quarter of 2023 is almost over, and the performance market, which is occupied by music festivals, band tours, singer concerts, etc., has also quietly set off a hot wind of underground idols, sweeping the first- and second-tier cities such as Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. According to incomplete statistics, since March 25, the mainland has finalized nearly 100 venues for idol performances and dozens of idol groups to participate.
It seems that underground idols are already expected to get a piece of the fully recovered performance market.
But the barriers to the circle still exist. On March 21, when the underground idol "Transparent Classroom and Flying Girl", who had been on the variety show stage, announced a national tour, the saying that "it is better to buy a ticket for an underground idol than to buy a ticket for an underground band" was still in the dust.
For most people, underground idols are still a "cognitive blind spot", and a more stereotypical impression is a group of "part-time" idols with cute and sweet appearance, poor singing and dancing ability, and many otaku fans, and their so-called performances cannot be compared with bands and singers.
However, the underground idol culture currently active in the mainland is also constantly fermenting and growing, trying to break the "colored glasses" of niche subcultures in the eyes of the world, and the underground "idol economy" is also breaking ground.
An underground idol who comes from domestic entertainment
Idol culture originated from the popularity of Japan's "Jishang Wave (TV industry)", which allowed idols to be exposed to the public eye. In contrast, underground idols are those who have been dormant in underground performance activities after the TV industry was hit hard in the 2010s.
Generally speaking, underground idols are idols who cannot obtain public exposure from the media and mainstream commercial resources.
In 2005, under the influence of AKB48, created by producer Yasushi Akimoto's community theater performance, underground idols gradually emerged in Japan. After more than two decades of development, this idol category has blossomed all over Japan, and tens of thousands of people are currently working as idols, of which underground idols account for an overwhelming proportion, and gradually become a low-threshold path for young boys and girls to chase their idol dreams.
This is because, compared with mainstream idols, most of whom are trained on the mainstream stage through the agency system, underground idols are composed of amateurs and students engaged in all walks of life, and they are relatively relaxed in terms of business ability, and pay more attention to the content of conveying emotional value such as enthusiasm and appeal as idols. Usually, underground idols are not managed by agencies or record companies, mainly independent production, singing and dancing are often self-taught, and even performance costumes need to be made by themselves. At the same time, they also have difficulty accessing higher-level mainstream resources.
However, although the underground cannot match the resource advantages on the ground, it is also a high-quality choice for reemployment for some idols who are difficult to get ahead on the ground.
In the mainland, many underground idol groups are composed of a large number of former idols who were once active on the "ground", bringing a more mature singing and dancing system and original basic popularity into the underground. For example, REAL1TY member Yang Yunyu is a former member of SNH48, while Fan Wei and Jiang Shen are former members of the SING girl group, and are well known for participating in programs such as "Creation Camp 101" and "Hot Us".
At the same time, unlike the full-time use of underground idols in Japan, the mainland has relatively free idol career choices, and most underground idols still maintain a state of social work as the mainstay, supplemented by weekend idol performances. For example, the underground idol group "Lumos Fluorescence Project" active in Beijing still retains the original advertising, host, choreographer and other jobs, and member lemon juice also pointed out that domestic underground idols are still in the "self-exploration stage".
However, due to the strong local attributes of underground idols, Shanghai, Changsha, Fuzhou, Guangzhou, Beijing and other cities with the foundation of puppet culture have also appeared in the mainland, of which in Shanghai alone, there are more than 20 underground idol teams, and there is still a steady stream of new groups established. In addition to local weekly performances, underground idol groups in different cities will also perform platter performances in the form of cross-regional joint performances to reach limited audiences in different regions.
However, these underground idol groups are also facing the phenomenon of "homogenization", which is mainly manifested in makeup, song and dance and other content are mainly based on Japanese idol labels, which also creates aesthetic fatigue to a certain extent.
Based on this, some underground idol groups have differentiated into squads, Solo and other modes to refine the characteristics of their members to differentiate them. Xiaolan, a member of the Lumos fluorescence project, gave an example, "We now have two teams, Lumos (home team) and LiLi-Light (duo), and we don't deliberately set up Japanese or cute styles. Among them, LiLi-Light contains the setting element of a strange thief girl with a mask on the stage.
Whether it is Japan or the mainland, to a large extent, the inherent audience of underground idols comes from the otaku, with two-dimensional, idol house and other groups accounting for the majority. From a popular point of view, the "contact and cultivation culture" sold by underground idols coincides with the "clumsy" orientation of this population, that is, although the idol business ability is immature, it has a unique personality charm.
This is also a completely different "living feeling" from mainstream idols that underground idols have: they mainly perform in underground livehouses, and attach great importance to close interaction with fans offstage. Generally speaking, the distance between idols and fans is often not more than two meters, and the experience is more real and direct. In Xiaolan's view, this is a way to feel the audience's feedback on the performance more intuitively, and has the real feeling of being an idol.
It is precisely for this reason that the monetization method of underground idols is more dependent on the fan economy. At present, in addition to Livehouse performances, comic exhibitions, and amusement park commercial performances, underground idols active in mainland cities mainly use bonus clubs (that is, activities where fans buy bonus tickets and communicate with idols) as their source of revenue, such as peripheral merchandise vendors and Polaroid photo coupons.
Since most underground idol performances tend to have less than 100 people watching a single performance, Mos Fluorescence Project member Miki admits that the main source of income is the bonus club share, "I can only say that I have some more pocket money, and I can't support my whole life, so almost everyone has other jobs on weekdays." Xiaolan also added that if it is a special performance, there will be a share of tickets, but due to the high cost of venues in Beijing, most of the performances are still loss-making, "Our first special performance only had a few spectators, but some time ago there were already sixty or seventy people to see us, which is still very gratifying." ”
It can be said that in the process of introducing Japanese underground idol culture, the underground idols in the mainland have actually embarked on a synchronous development model, and are still in a state of generating electricity for their dreams. However, it is precisely because of the theme of covering the "idol dream" that underground idols have also become another choice to accommodate trainees and idol members in the post-draft era for reemployment.
How far are underground idols going into the mainstream?
Strictly speaking, the reason why underground idols are underground idols is that to a certain extent, the possibility of refusing to enter the mainstream idol team is preserved, and more idols and amateurs "personal freedom", but overall, whether it is above ground or underground, it is actually a different side under the music performance culture.
However, from a practical point of view, the performance ecology of underground idols is self-contained, and it is difficult for the business model to form a virtuous circle of positive income under the support of performances and special awards. This is true even in Japan, where underground idols are blowing out.
The documentary "Youth of Japanese Underground Idols" mentions that 80% of Japanese idol groups are underground idols, but their revenue accounts for less than 20% of the entire idol market, and the vast majority earn less than 120,000 yen (about 6,240 yuan). Only a very small number of underground idols who have been born or set foot in gray areas have a considerable income, and even those who have professional offices to manage most of them face difficulties in survival.
In 2018, Moekei Omoto, a member of the underground idol "Ainoha Girls" based in Ehime Prefecture, Japan, committed suicide at home and abroad, with an average monthly salary of only 35,000 yen during the group, but worked more than 20 days a month and more than 10 hours a day; Japanese journalist Yoshida Hidehiro also mentioned that an underground male idol once complained to himself in a private letter that no matter how many photos were sold, the share was less than 1 yen per piece.
Therefore, compared with other types of underground musicians, underground idols actually need a wider range of exposure opportunities to "break the circle".
For example, the transparent classroom and parallel girls who appeared on the music complex "People from Strawberry Planet" were briefly shown but got the opportunity to appear at the Strawberry Music Festival and successfully brushed their faces in front of audiences in different circles, which to a certain extent also had a positive impact on their attendance in Changsha and even the whole country. In Japan, underground idols are also an important way to deliver high-quality idols to the mainstream, such as the 48 series girl group led by AKB48 that successfully entered the mainstream market, and Hashimoto Huanna, who was once a member of the Fukuoka underground idol DVL group.
After all, it is difficult to grow the enclosure, and for some underground idols who want to operate for a long time, entering the mainstream market also means the expansion of the consumer market.
We have also noticed that some Japanese regenerative underground idols are also developing original music attributes, and are more inclined to "idol musicians", with distinctive original music styles under the leadership of producers. This also breaks the most obvious boundary between underground idols and mainstream idols in the past - the lack of original works, giving underground idols more possibilities to be discovered aboveground.
For example, the transparent classroom and parallel girls who released their first regular album "(You Also Like This Song) You Won't Be a Bad Person" last year were accompanied by producer Zhao Beichen, Highpiel Band Liang Jiaman, Japanese singer Yasuko Omori and others to create 9 original songs in the album.
DoKi, a producer who has provided original songs to underground idol groups, said, "In order to capture the freshness and unique style, underground idols are actually eager to have original songs. Miki also feels the same way, "Original is the only criterion that distinguishes idol groups from cover groups."
However, DoKi also pointed out that underground idols such as Transparent Classroom and Parallel Girls who have been licensed by overseas producers for free and can provide for their own music are a minority of the few, "Whether underground idols have producers is very important, and AKB48's breaking into the mainstream market has a lot to do with the music works created by Yasushi Akimoto." In the same way, the works of transparent classrooms and parallel girls are rebellious youth styles centered on punk and rock, which cross-attract many band fans, and if underground idols have mature music styles and original music, they are actually idol musicians that the mainstream needs. The obvious distinction of originality is also an important part of the preservation of the uniqueness of underground idols.
However, at present, whether it is Inner Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea or Vietnam, most of the underground idols are revealed, but most of them have not broken out of the category of Japanese aesthetics, and the performance repertoire is mainly Japanese girl group songs, anime songs, etc., supplemented by local songs.
It is worth noting that most of these covered songs have not been authorized by the Japanese copyright holder, and idol groups that wander underground are actually facing the risk of infringement, but they have gradually become a gray area of neglect or "fattening and slaughtering" due to the scale of their performances, and AKB48 Group, Peach Lucky Grass Z, Buono! and other group songs are frequently used "hardest hit areas". Rimiri, a member of the Lumos Fluorescence Project, pointed out, "Strictly speaking, the songs used in underground idol performances should be 'copyrighted' tracks. ”
On the other hand, underground idols need to establish frequent interactive relationships with fans, and many songs have been tested in the public eye, and they are better accelerated performances and replicates successful cases under the "take-ism". For example, "Light Fluttering Time" from the anime "Light Tone Girl", "Loud Diamond" from AKB48, Buono! "First Love Soda" and so on are the first choice for underground idol performances. These songs are also popular with underground idols because they can drive fans to support them in the form of heel dancing, WOTA art, and underground art during the singing process.
However, at the same time, due to the emphasis on interactivity, the performance of underground idols is also considered to be "performance art" performance, which is difficult to break away from the category of subculture in the eyes of the public, and still belongs to a type of performance culture that is not understood by the mainstream.
For example, when "Light Fluttering Time" is performed, fans in the audience will follow the "social death" scenes that cannot be seen in mainstream idol performances, such as shouting "Fuwa Fuwa Time", playing Call, and circling the scene of artificial trains. This is because underground idols pay more attention to the transmission of "spiritual power", and fans also use this performance art to obtain certain emotional and pressure catharsis. Rimiri explained that this kind of action is usually in the back row or in the dark, "The little idols on the stage can't see the 'defenseless' underground art, not so much as support, but in idol performances." ”
On the other hand, the audience of underground idols also has a certain "aesthetic threshold" and crowd division. As mentioned above, the otaku market is the main audience for consuming underground idols, and among them, the otaku group is mainly influenced by otaku culture, and to a large extent, it is more concerned about "close contact".
Fan Dakorai, who has been in the Shanghai puppet circle for many years, said, "99% of the people who buy tickets to enter the venue are otaku who are very in line with the stereotype of the public, but if otaku are the main consumers, it is better to say that they have gained attention and power from unknown underground idols." At the special event, they will see subtle changes such as you cut your hair, gain weight or lose weight, and will care about and comfort you face the pressure of work and life, just like sisters and friends, their performances are spiritual food that can forget reality, which may be incomprehensible and achieved by mainstream idols. ”
In the first two years, Hong Kong underground idol group Otome New Dream successfully walked into the ground and became a "Hong Kong Japanese idol", and it frequently appeared on major TV stations in Hong Kong, and the previous bonuses disappeared and were replaced by mainstream idols' book signings, and the invisible deepening sense of distance was also difficult for fans to adapt to for a while.
More importantly, the life cycle of underground idols is also an important reason for their long-term operation and even gaining mainstream exposure. And what troubles this is nothing more than the same choices about dreams and bread as the bands and rappers.
The twelve who joined the Lumos fluorescence program in 2022 mentioned that there was no opportunity for activities during the epidemic, "The cooperation negotiated at the beginning of 22 was constantly postponed or canceled, and I was still very anxious at that time, but this year I suddenly came to life, and I am currently working to earn money to support the idol side business, and then focus on the idol career when the group is done, in short, I want to keep doing it." ”
epilogue
However, it is not so much that underground idols want to enter the mainstream idol industry, but that underground idols want to bring this culture into the public eye.
Previously, BiS, produced by Junnosuke Watanabe, brought the performance art of underground idols to the mainstream stage, mixed with unconventional music such as darkness, violence, rebellion, sex, and performance content combined with fans, and was once called "the destroyer of all idols so far" by critic Chikako Yonehara. And pure-blooded underground idols with a strong group style featuring masks as the performance like the masked woman have successfully entered the forefront of the Japanese Oricon list, once impacting mainstream idol culture.
It can even be said that compared with the more restricted performance content of mainstream idols, the unconventional performance culture with a sense of freshness and curiosity brought by underground idols fills the blank page of the mainstream market to some extent.
After the local idol is separated from all the idol settings on the stage, he can be a free "idol" again, and he also retains himself to a certain extent, which is also different from the mainstream idol values that are disciplined. Transparent classroom and parallel girl producer Zhao Beichen once said that after experiencing the exposure of variety shows and music festivals, the girl group occupies a larger proportion of the members' lives, becoming an "idol zombie" is not a good thing, the flaws of underground idols and mainstream idols are different from them, but also because they can freely withdraw back to ordinary life, and "underground idols" are just work.
Underground idols can be a shortcut to the mainstream market, or a "star-making model" to realize the dream of idols. Since the "Creation 101" opened the women's group draft in 2018 to the current suspension of the draft, a large number of women's group trainees began to choose to enter the underground idol industry, bringing a certain upstream living water to this circle.
But what is clear is that even the former idols of small fame are not fully able to adapt to this gap. For example, REAL1TY, which has been joined by many former idol girl group members, is now the only former member of SNH48 Yang Yunyu who can perform regularly. In addition, underground teenage idol groups are still missing in the mainland, perhaps the vigorous development of the underground idol industry also requires the input of male economic consumption, while in Japan, underground teenage idols have sprung up like mushrooms.
In the domestic entertainment market, where the draft is stopped and mainstream idol groups are missing, underground idols are also an alternative idol cultivation draft. But whether it is above ground or underground, it is ultimately up to the work itself to break out of the sky, just like the independent bands and independent musicians who have been dormant underground.
After all, if you only rely on covering other people's works, underground idols are just selling settings.