has been a "paste coffee" in the women's group for six years, and is still riding the wind and waves

New Weekly

2024-05-18 12:03Published on the official account of Guangdong New Weekly

Author | Zhao Wanxi

Edit | Tan Shan Shan

  Title Picture | Provided by the interviewee

After returning to China after being a member of the girl group in South Korea for 6 years, Cao Lu has participated in many variety show casting interviews. The question she gets asked the most is: "What is your personality?" ”

In internal entertainment, the word "personality" often has a special meaning, it not only represents the basic conditions, growth background, and development orientation of an artist, but in more cases, it is a trick to help stars quickly attract fans and increase popularity.

"There's no human being. I don't know what my personality is. (Even if there is) the character design is not given by yourself, it is set by the audience for you. What my character is, you have to feel it. Every time she was asked this question, Cao Lu always responded to the other party like this.

In 2012, Cao Lu joined the girl group FIESTAR and debuted in South Korea. The members of the group have their own "personalities", such as the façade, dance, and rap, and Cao Lu serves as the lead dancer and the second singer, who is the image leader, and is also the boss and the only Chinese member of the team.

FIESTAR组合成员,从左到右依次为曹璐、惠美、Linzy、Jei、Cheska、Yezi。 (图/wikipedia)

During the development of South Korea, Cao Lu's variety show performance was quite eye-catching. She is a resident guest of South Korea's national variety shows "Real Man" (Female Soldier Special 4) and "We Are Married", and has also participated in the recording of popular variety shows such as "Please Refrigerator", "The Masked Singer", and "Baek Jong-won's Food Truck". In the show, she is funny, alert, and quick to respond, and many videos are widely circulated on social platforms in both countries.

South Korea's variety show ecology is that in the stage of selecting guests, no matter how well-known the artist is, the program team will arrange interviews to understand and judge whether the artist's personality and performance are suitable for the show, and will not put a character and script on the guest. However, the "personality" that Cao Lu was asked about when she participated in the interview for a domestic variety show obviously pointed to the more ambiguous part.

Cao Lu photographed by a friend. (Photo/Provided by the interviewee)

The first time I met Cao Lu was in her live broadcast room. At that time, she lost the election of "Sister Lang" for the fourth time, because the program team felt that she was "too plain".

Before the recording of "Riding the Wind 2024", the program team launched the "National Recommendation" mechanism to encourage women in the whole society to strive for the opportunity to record on the first stage through self-recommendation or other recommendation. Cao Lu did not hype up the previous three defeats, but this time for the "national recommendation", she hopes that fans will help her, vote for herself, and praise her. In Cao Lu's view, this is "in order".

It's not often that we see an artist reveal their efforts and desires so bluntly and sincerely. Obeying the rules, doing everything has its own rules and regulations, and doing things according to the rules, this is also my deepest impression of Cao Lu in this interview.

ranked first in the "National Recommendation", but still failed, which made Cao Lu on the hot search list again. Many media sent invitations, hoping that she would talk about this matter; There was even a skit company that came to ask if they could create a skit based on her story and let her star in her true colors. But Cao Lu refused. She doesn't want to consume the show, "We can lack resources and opportunities, but we can't lack morality", "I want to be frank and open".

We met in Sanlitun, Beijing, in the spring. At this moment, the sun is just right, Cao Lu is standing at an intersection, wearing a denim top and skinny jeans, tilting her head, raising one hand to block the sun in front of her forehead, and taking a selfie with her mobile phone in the other. I recognized her across the road.

This year is the sixth year of the official dissolution of the FIESTAR group, and the fourth year that Cao Lu has returned to China for development. The domestic entertainment industry has a completely different ecological environment and operating rules from South Korea, and Cao Lu's development is not smooth. Even as she gets older, her opportunities seem to be getting fewer and fewer, and she hasn't achieved significant results, but Cao Lu always feels that she is okay. "Go in what you think is right, [by] working in a slightly stupid way. It may take a lot of time, but I believe that by accumulating slowly, one day, I will have a small piece of my own sky. ”

"It's like this, and there are so many things"

Every night at 8 o'clock, Cao Lu will appear on time in his live broadcast room. Unlike those live broadcast rooms with gorgeous decorations and a group of assistant broadcasters shouting and dancing, Cao Lu's live broadcast room is exceptionally quiet - she is the only one in the picture, sitting in her own small living room, quietly introducing products and interacting with the audience. The live broadcast usually lasts until 1 o'clock in the morning, for a full 5 hours, Cao Lu always sits, talking non-stop.

In the first half a year of live broadcasting, she broadcast more diligently, and opened the live broadcast at five or six o'clock in the afternoon. At that time, she lived in a one-bedroom house, the house was very narrow, the house was full of goods, and sometimes she would feel out of breath. During the live broadcast, Cao Lu sat on a thin tatami mat, and later the cushion became thinner and thinner, and her waist was also "wasted". She often felt back pain, and she couldn't dance for long.

After the interview ended that day, Cao Lu was still live broadcasting.

Initially, Cao Lu signed a live broadcast MCN company, and she told the other party: "I don't understand live streaming, but I want to do it seriously, steadfastly, honestly, and trustworthy." However, in a business world where profit-seeking is at its core, it is difficult for companies to agree with her.

"The cost of communication is too high, and we quarrel every day because of the selection of products. 9 pieces of 9 beef jerky, no beef taste at all, I don't think I can sell it, conscience tells me no. Cao Lu said. There were many disputes, and the other party also felt that Cao Lute was "something", and teased her to her face: "It's like this, there are still so many things." "If that's the case, we won't be able to work together." Cao Lu understood what the other party meant, and immediately signed a letter of termination.

After that, she tried to live broadcast alone, from business docking, product selection, live broadcast to after-sales, the whole process was followed up and completed by herself. The goods in the live broadcast room are mainly daily necessities, which are updated very slowly, and Cao Lu has used and eaten them herself, and she will take the initiative to buy them.

Cao Lu regards live streaming as an ordinary job. Because she did not sign a live broadcast company or a live broadcast team, Cao Lu had no performance pressure, and in her opinion, it would be okay to link and make no mistakes.

After a year and a half of live broadcasting, Cao Lu's living conditions have gradually improved. She and her parents moved into a rented three-bedroom apartment, two of which were occupied and the smallest room where the goods were kept. Her home is no longer a commodity as soon as she enters the door, and she can breathe.

In addition to the live broadcast, Cao Lu also appeared on social media in various ways, the picture shows her and AOA singing Cao'e K. (Photo/Provided by the interviewee)

An under-bullish stock

Looking back on the road of acting, Cao Lu feels that it seems that he has always been difficult to get rid of the fate of "paste". She compares herself to "a stock that is not favored by others".

In 2004, Cao Lu won the "Top Ten Newcomers of China Music TV 2004" award selected by CCTV, and released her first solo album "Cats" the following year. Influenced by H.O.T and Jang Nara, Cao Lu fell in love with K-Pop culture. In 2006, she went to study abroad at the Performance Department of Chung-Ang University in South Korea and became a classmate of Park Shin Hye and Kim Beom.

By chance, Cao Lu was selected as a trainee by Loen Entertainment. After two years of practice, she made her official debut as a Chinese member of the girl group FIESTAR.

Cao Lu, a member of the Korean group. (Photo/Provided by the interviewee)

The first year of the group developed well, and the company invited heavyweight directors who had filmed MVs for IU and Girls' Generation to shoot their first MVs. They also got the endorsement of Samsung mobile phones. However, due to the constantly changing genre and other reasons, the group has never become popular, and there are not many stage opportunities. As a "green card member" who has no background and works hard alone in South Korea, Cao Lu's personal development is even more difficult, and she has repeatedly had the idea of changing careers or going back to college.

Despite this, Cao Lu still strives to seize every opportunity to be revealed. released an album and sang on a radio program, Cao Lu will record every program seriously and steadfastly. Radio DJs are often senior variety show seniors, and they found Cao Lu to be a very interesting girl, so they took the initiative to recommend her to variety shows.

On a sports variety show, she didn't care about her image at all, rolling in the quagmire, confronting other female guests on the water board, and using all kinds of ways - splitting, lying, pushing and pulling, just to get the first ...... "I just want to tell everyone that I can, I want the company to see that I can." Cao Lu said.

Cao Lu recorded "Golden Fishing Ground", which was well-known by more Korean people.

Soon after the show was broadcast, the "Real Man" program team sent her an invitation to record; Subsequently, "We Are Married 4" also invited her to join. In 2016, Cao Lu won the MBC Performing Arts Awards Popularity Award for "We Are Married 4", becoming the first Chinese artist to win a variety show award in South Korea.

Cao Lu recorded "Real Men" (Female Soldier Special 4) and didn't mind the image being ruined.

These work experiences made Cao Lu gradually realize that as long as she works seriously and has excellent strength, no messy things will happen. "As a Chinese, I have no support overseas, and I have to rely on myself for everything to let everyone know me."

With such a belief, after returning to China, Cao Lu did live broadcasts to bring goods, just buried herself in hard work, and broadcast live for seven or eight hours a day. "I hope that everyone can see my value, even if it is not so powerful, but at least I have potential, and I am willing to fight, and I hope that the company (at that time) can see it and give me more opportunities." Cao Lu said.

However, there are not many opportunities for Cao Lu. "Hard work will pay off" is a concept that we have been instilled in the process of growing up, but to stand out in this industry, in addition to hard work, we also need opportunities and a little metaphysics.

"The world has failed her,

But she never missed an opportunity."

When it was the hottest, Cao Lu had a lot of jobs to choose from, but in contrast, the combination was always tepid. "There are times when there is such a thing, and when there is no heat, it will soon disappear." Cao Lu said.

From 2017 to 2018, five members of FIESTAR terminated their contracts with the company one after another, and on May 15, 2018, the group was officially disbanded. Two years later, Cao Lu returned to China for development.

After returning to China, Cao Lu chose the funny variety show "Serious Quacks", hoping to start anew. But she also missed the interview for "Sister Riding the Wind and Waves" (season 1) because of this.

Before recording "Serious Quacks", Cao Lu posted a circle of friends: "I used to be able to come step by step on my own, and when I came back, I also wanted to start from scratch and give it a try, if I failed, blame myself for not being capable, I will work hard." In the show, she introduced her resume like this: debuted on CCTV in 2004, debuted overseas in 2012, and is now back, ready to debut again in the show. For nearly 20 years, he has been on the road to his debut and never gives up.

When Cao Lu was eliminated, Zhang Wei of the "Gaga Master Group" said to her regretfully: "I always feel that the world has failed you, but you have never failed any opportunity." ”

Cao Lu started again in "Serious Quacks".

After "Serious Quacks", Cao Lu had almost no work for two years. She has auditioned for many programs and failed to pass. Most of the reasons are "the show finally changed its plan and canceled your role", and some replies are more direct - "the brand doesn't know you very well", or "you are too plain".

"Maybe I really don't have that ability, I don't have that life." After being frustrated, Cao Lu is accustomed to finding reasons from herself, "If you find external reasons, over time, I will be very resentful." Find your own reasons, and your heart will be relaxed. Since the director team thinks she is "too plain", she will work hard to improve herself, learn newer dances, operate new media, and find ways to increase her fans.

When she was a child, Cao Lu played a big star simulation development game called "Star Volunteer", and the player's main task was to run the artists of the agency and train them from amateurs to tomorrow's stars step by step.

When she first started playing this game, Cao Lu enjoyed it with relish. Later, a friend told her that there was a bug in the game, which keys to press can directly improve the talent value and acting value of the protagonist. So, Cao Lu adjusted all the values to the maximum, and it was easy for the protagonist to take over the play, hold a concert, and meet the true son. After playing for less than 3 days, Cao Lu felt bored and stopped playing.

"I think life is exactly like this game, especially as an artist, if I have everything I want, I may not know what I want." Cao Lu thinks that the ups and downs of life are also good. Now she eats a bowl of snail noodles and adds a pig's trotter, and she can be happy for a long time; But if it's been going well, then there is more than a bowl of snail noodles that can make her happy now.

FIESTAR "Apple Pie" hit the stage.

Life is like playing mahjong

Cao Lu has always had a regret: the group has been developing for 6 years, and she has never won the "one" of the singing program.

"One" is composed of various indicators such as album sales, MV playbacks, and online voting. Cao Lu said that getting the "one" of the singing show means that the group is really popular; And not getting "one" is like an Olympian who hasn't won a medal. "We have a pain in our hearts, and it's a very important and regrettable thing for me and for us as a group."

This year, Cao Lu used the money saved in one and a half years of live streaming to buy the Chinese copyright of the group's most popular song "Pitiful", refill the lyrics, and hope to record the Chinese version with his former teammates. The regret of not taking "one" became the motivation for her to do this. After the interview, Cao Lu will fly to South Korea to discuss the itinerary and record songs with her former teammates.

Cao Lu returned to South Korea in May this year to record a group photo with former members. (Photo/Provided by the interviewee)

During the interview for "Sister Riding the Wind and Waves" (Season 2), the program team asked her: "What do you think is a team?" Cao Lu doesn't remember how she answered at the time, but then whenever she thought of the combination, the question automatically popped up in her mind. She now feels that the team just doesn't give up. Without the combination, there would be no where she is now, so when she has a little ability, she wants to do something for the combination.

Because of the lack of opportunities to appear in variety shows after returning to China, Cao Lu made a small variety show called "I Pull a Bean "Dol"" by herself, and went to South Korea to find members of the first, second and third generations of men's and women's groups, so that fans can see what the brothers and sisters who everyone once chased are doing now. At the same time, she also asked her friends to submit resumes to some short drama companies. The filming cycle of a short drama is generally about 10 days, which will not delay the live broadcast and other work, and she also wants to try.

Cao Lu and Block B member Ahn Jae-hyo recorded "I Pull a Bean "Dol"". (Photo/Provided by the interviewee)

The work is enriching Cao Lu little by little, and she doesn't feel hard at all: "There is something to do, and it's not hard at all." What I'm afraid of is that I'm tired, I don't have anything to do, I don't know what to do, that's the hardest thing for me. ”

On the one hand, Cao Lu adheres to some simple values, such as "as long as the kung fu is deep, the iron pestle is sharpened into a needle" - "If it has not been sharpened into a needle now, it may be that I have not sharpened it thoroughly enough." As long as I have the strength, I will continue to work hard; As long as I don't give up on myself, others have no right to give up on me." On the other hand, Cao Lu inexplicably has a kind of outlook that belongs to those who have come over. She compares life to playing mahjong - "accept both yourself who has won and yourself who have lost, and you will have a happy peace."

The most important thing is to protect your heart, which is the most important thing for a person on the long road of life. Cao Lu believes that as long as that spirit is still there, she will still be a fighter, and the only thing she can do is to keep working hard, "not to work until you succeed, but to work hard until you don't want to work hard."

Proofreading: Zou Weiyun

Operations: Ono

Typesetting: Zhao Wanxi

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