China's music scene has set off a new folk music boom. At the same time, the entertainment industries in South Korea and Japan were in a booming phase, which had a profound impact on Chinese audiences.
In this context, a musician named Wang Xiaojing is sensitive to this trend.
Wang Xiaojing stood on the streets of bustling Beijing, his eyes shining with thought. When he saw the influence of the Korean and Japanese teams among Chinese fans, a bold idea suddenly sprung up in his mind: why not create a Chinese girl band that blends tradition and modernity? The thought made him excited, but at the same time nervous.
With this idea in mind, Wang Xiaojing began a painstaking and complicated preparatory work. He understands that in order to build a good band, good musical talent is crucial.
Therefore, Wang Xiaojing searched for talented students in major conservatories, and after a rigorous selection, he finally succeeded in forming a band composed of 12 women with different styles, each of whom was good at a different instrument.
In the process of building the team, Wang Xiaojing invested a lot of time and energy. He had to consider not only the diversity of the instruments, but also the appearance and temperament of the members. In the end, 12 different musical instruments and 12 beautiful women with unique styles were dressed up in a Chinese style image and stood together.
In 2001, the "Twelve Women's Bands" was established. However, innovation often brings with it doubts and uncertainties. In the early days of the snubbing, the team members were nervous and didn't know if the road would work.
They stared at each other, expectant and worried in their eyes.
Looking at this group of young faces, Wang Xiaojing's heart was full of excitement and expectation. He knew that this unique band would have a profound impact on the Chinese music scene. Although the future is full of unknowns, he is steadfast in his belief that as long as he sticks to his beliefs, he will always be successful in the future.
In October 2001, the autumn breeze in Beijing was a little cool, but the first performance of the 12th Women's Orchestra made the city boil. In a small, unobtrusive theater, 12 beautiful girls nervously adjust their instruments backstage.
Anticipation and anxiety were in the air, and everyone knew that this show would determine their future.
When the melodious music sounded, the audience couldn't help but exclaim. On the stage, 12 beauties dressed in Chinese-style costumes presented an audio-visual feast for the audience with their unique folk music interpretations.
The perfect blend of tradition and modernity, coupled with the beautiful picture effects on the stage, instantly attracted everyone's attention.
After the performance, the applause was thunderous, and Wang Xiaojing, who was standing behind the scenes, burst into tears and was pleased to see that his band had successfully taken the first step. The successful premiere gave the team a great deal of confidence, and they were even more enthusiastic about the rehearsals and creations that followed.
Hard work pays off. In 2002, an exciting news came: "Women's Twelve Orchestra" will appear on the stage of CCTV Spring Festival Gala! This is a huge affirmation and opportunity for the newly formed band.
On the Spring Festival Gala that night, the eyes of audiences from all over the country were attracted by a unique band. As 12 beauties dressed in red cheongsams appeared one after another, the audience in front of the TV was deeply attracted by such a new combination.
Their unique performance became a highlight of the night, implying that the "Women's Twelve Orchestras" officially became popular all over the country.
In just over a year, from the Beijing Small Theater to the big stage of the Spring Festival Gala, the "Women's Twelve Orchestras" have undergone a transformation, they have proved themselves with their strength, and they have also won the love of the audience.
However, the team members were not satisfied and knew that this was just the beginning of their brilliant journey.
Standing on the stage of the Spring Festival Gala, facing the enthusiastic audience under the stage, the hearts of each member were full of pride and gratitude. They deeply understand that there is a higher stage waiting for them to conquer in the future.
As Wang Xiaojing said: "We must not only bloom in China, but also let the world hear our voice!" With this grand ambition in mind, the "Twelve Women's Orchestra" began their new journey.
Women's 12 Bands took advantage of the popularity of China and set their sights on a broader overseas market. In 2003, Wang Xiaojing enthusiastically signed a contract with a Japanese entertainment company and officially entered the Japanese music market.
The decision was both exciting and apprehensive for the team members, who knew it would be an unprecedented challenge.
The 12 Women's Orchestra made its debut in Japan, and their Chinese-style music created a sensation in Japan. The debut album sold tens of thousands of copies on the day it was released, and within two months it surpassed the million mark, creating a miracle in Japanese music history.
This was the first time for Japanese music, and the team members were thrilled to see how they established themselves on the international stage.
Following the success of the first album in Japan, the second album once again set a sales record and firmly occupied the top spot on the music sales charts. The "12 Girls Orchestra" began a hectic life of concert tours in Southeast Asia, from Tokyo to Singapore, from Bangkok to Kuala Lumpur, wherever they went, they would spark a wave of Chinese influence.
The audience was captivated by their music, and applause and cheers followed.
However, the ambitious "Twelve Women's Orchestra" is not just satisfied with the Asian market. Their eyes are on the longer term – the United States, the world's largest music market.
When their music was played in the American music scene, the unique oriental charm immediately attracted American listeners quickly, and their record sales were far ahead of the American music charts, successfully conquering this highly competitive market.
Due to the increase in the international popularity of the 12 Women's Orchestra, its annual income has exceeded 100 million yuan. This was an eye-popping number for the Chinese music market in the early 2000s.
The team members are immersed in the joy of success and look forward to a more brilliant future with great expectations.
At a celebration party, Wang Xiaojing raised his glass and smiled proudly: "Girls, we did it!" We conquered not only Japan, but also the United States! The team members cheered, and everyone's eyes glistened with tears of happiness.
They believe that this is just the beginning, and that there will be more glory waiting for them in the future.
However, when they stood at the pinnacle of their careers and thought they could ride the wind and waves, a twist of fate quietly came. Little did they know at the time that the most glorious moments were often the closest to decline.
Amid the celebrations, no one noticed that some members had begun to look tired and confused in their eyes, and the seemingly flawless team was quietly pregnant with a crisis.
As the reputation of the "Twelve Women's Orchestra" grew, the pressure of team work became heavier and heavier, and the commercial interests became more and more apparent, all of which silently affected the operation of the team.
The once harmonious band is now starting to show a huge rift.
Divergent philosophies emerged, with some members wanting to innovate more on the traditional ground, while others insisted on maintaining the original style. Disagreements erupted during a rehearsal, with several core members arguing fiercely and eventually breaking up.
Wang Xiaojing stood aside, his brows furrowed, he realized the seriousness of the problem, but he didn't know how to mediate for a while.
At the same time, high-intensity performances and commercial activities began to affect the physical condition of the players. Some players have to choose to leave the team due to health reasons. In order to maintain the integrity of the "twelve", the team had to constantly bring in new people.
However, the run-in between the old and new members did not go well, and the team that had been close to each other began to make mistakes, and the quality of the performances deteriorated as a result.
Some members began to behave absent-mindedly, and the love of music was gradually replaced by commercial interests. After a commercial gig, one member couldn't help but complain: "We now seem to be just a tool to make money, and that love of music is gone." This sentence is like a stone thrown into water, which resonates with many members of the whole team, and also reflects the subtle change in the atmosphere of the team.
The atmosphere of the team has become tense and distant, and the members who were once close now rarely gather together to create, except for performances. Every time you rehearse, you can clearly feel the awkwardness and distance in the air.
At the same time, however, the external environment has changed. As the music culture of China and South Korea hits the Japanese market, the competition has become fierce. The 12th Women's Orchestra found itself facing unprecedented challenges.
Their music is no longer as popular as it was in the early days, and invitations to perform are starting to dwindle.
Standing behind the stage and watching the performance on stage, Wang Xiaojing had mixed feelings in his heart. He understood the tiredness and confusion in the eyes of the members, and the cold reaction of the audience. He was conflicted that the dream team he was once proud of was falling apart.
However, he did not yet know that greater difficulties awaited them. The team that was full of passion and dreams back then is now facing a severe test of internal and external troubles. The glorious chapter of their 12 women's bands seems to be slowly coming to an end.
Faced with fierce competition in the Japanese market and serious losses in the company's revenue, the "Twelve Women's Orchestra" had to make a difficult decision: give up its development in Japan and return to the Chinese market.
This decision left all the members frustrated and uneasy, but they had no choice.
Around 2010, they returned to their homeland with great expectations, only to find that the domestic music environment had undergone earth-shaking changes, and various styles of music were blooming, not only in the form of Chinese style, but also in the form of various song covers and adaptations, and the various styles were overwhelming.
The uniqueness of the "12 Women's Bands" is a bit out of place in this fast-changing market. Their performances are no longer as popular as they once were, and the audience's response has become lukewarm.
Wang Xiaojing stood under the stage, looking at the team struggling to perform on stage, and his heart was full of helplessness and loss.
They are always trying to adapt to the new market environment, but they are always one step behind. The glory of yesterday is vivid, but now, I have to run around to survive. The eyes of the team members were full of confusion and helplessness, and they couldn't help but wonder: was it really the right decision to choose to go to Japan in the first place?
At a post-performance meeting, one member lamented, "We missed the golden period of domestic development, and now it's too late to catch up." This sentence fell silent in the conference room, and everyone fell into deep thought.
The once popular "Twelve Women's Bands" are now struggling to survive in their home country and have to turn to small commercial performances to make ends meet. The glory of the past is a memory.
In 2010, the "Women's Twelve Orchestra" underwent a large-scale personnel change. The combinations that used to obscure audiences are now unrecognizable. Many of the original members have left the team, and the new members, despite their skills, are struggling to recreate the charm and chemistry that they loved back then.
They once stood on the international stage, but now they have to face the reality of obscurity in small commercial performances. Their albums used to sell millions, but now it's hard to cause volatility in the market.
The "Chinese style" logo, which was once popular all over the world, seems to have been forgotten by the times.
Today's "Women's Twelve Orchestra" has become a second- and third-tier commercial performance team, and their stories are like a brilliant firework, although dazzling, but fleeting.
After a small performance, one of the senior members looked at the empty auditorium and said to himself sadly: "We used to stand on the world stage, but now we can't even find our place." ”
The team that once bravely pursued their dreams can now only look for the glory of the year in their memories. Perhaps this is the cruel reality of the entertainment industry, yesterday's superstars may have been forgotten by time today. The story of "Women's Twelve Bands" has become a sighing past in the Chinese entertainment industry.