The Beijing News Cultural and Entertainment × produced by the Beijing News
If Amber Liu Yiyun is only regarded as a representative of the production of the idol industrial assembly line, then this interpretation is somewhat one-sided and narrow.
She does sing and dance well on stage, and is a role model for a high-quality idol, and her group f(x) is also the leader of the "second generation group" (a Korean girl group that debuted in 2007-2009). However, the Chinese family came from, grew up in the United States, Korea as a trainee entered the industry, the girl group Rap took charge, the original musician... Rich experience and diverse cultural background, in her body without violation of the blend, forming a unique charm. Even f(x), which seemed quite avant-garde at the time, Liu Yiyun was also a very personal presence. With the ability to be original in music and a desire to express the world, she can both blend into the group and shine independently.
Liu Yiyun, who has faded the aura of an idol artist, is a high school student who silently likes music but never thought he would become a singer, Amber who lists sweet potatoes as the "most hated food" in order to lose weight and eat too many sweet potatoes, an original musician who insists on his own style in the idol industry where aesthetic standards converge, a video blogger who has the courage to express his true attitude, and a performer who has been in the industry for 12 years but will still be nervous before taking the stage... This side of Liu Yiyun is angular and imperfect, but it is richer and more interesting.
The uniqueness of each individual has moments when it faces the aesthetic pressure of the public, especially the artists who are born from idols, and Liu Yiyun is no exception. "I can't say I haven't been influenced, but I don't think we should blindly listen to [others], be honest with ourselves, and not rush to get answers."
Character photography / Beijing News reporter Guo Yanbing
Keywords and creation camps
After 12 years, I am still nervous before coming to power
Liu Yiyun, who previously developed mainly overseas, had fewer opportunities to contact chinese fans. This time I returned to China because I was invited to participate in the international youth cultural exchange boy band growth variety show "Creation Camp 2021" produced by Tencent Video, and she is a member of the "Initiator Group". This role has a part of the "mentor" function, which needs to comment on the performance of the trainees and help them grow. In the program, Liu Yiyun, who has had trainee experience and is a member of the girl group f(x), is more like the seniors of the students, and will give pertinent suggestions from personal experience and professional perspectives.
On the first stage of the show shortly after its broadcast, "senior" Liu Yiyun shocked the students and the audience with a stunning performance. She lit up the audience with a song "Shake That Brass", the students stood up and applauded, and the audience sighed on the bullet screen: "This is the strength of the 'second generation group'!" "Shake That Brass" is a familiar track for Liu Yiyun, and her performance status is also very smooth, and many fans think that she can easily cope with such a stage. But she admitted to the Beijing News reporter: "It is very difficult! ”
Liu Yiyun performed "Shake That Brass" on the first stage of "Creation Camp 2021".
In the past, Liu Yiyun performed "Shake That Brass", mostly on the stage of cooperation, she danced while RAPing, and the invited guests were responsible for singing parts. "This time I was dancing, RAPing, singing, and I barely had time to breathe." Although the song has also been performed alone at concerts, the goals and atmosphere of the concerts are different from those of the show. At the concert, she can sing with the fans, interact together, don't have to dance all the time, it will be more relaxed.
The stage of "Creation Camp 2021" requires her perfect presentation, but the preparation time is very short. Two days after the hotel ended quarantine, it was necessary to perform on stage. Before that, because of the epidemic, Liu Yiyun had not performed on stage for nearly a year. She confessed that she was nervous, not because she was worried about the short run-in time, but because she was nervous as before every time she went on stage. But once on the stage, she will forget all the tension and worry and enjoy the stage wholeheartedly. "I think I'm also very strange, after 12 years in this industry, I, Amber Liu Yiyun, are still nervous."
Keywords f(x)
Growing up together, no one can replace them
The time goes back 12 years. On September 5, 2009, Liu Yiyun, who will turn 17, officially debuted as a member of the f(x) group. Two years back, she was just a residential high school student in California, and one day she was spotted by SM's scouts and invited to audition at the company. Although she has always loved music and singing, she never thought she would become a singer, and she never even publicized her love for music. Until she successfully auditioned and decided to go to a foreign country as a trainee, her parents were surprised to hear about it: "Huh? You love to sing! ”
SM's invitation fit the mindset she wanted to change at the time. "I was studying all the time, and suddenly I had an opportunity to get into another field, and I was curious and wanted to go." Liu Yiyun said that if she had not been a trainee at that time, she would have done something else. "It doesn't matter if it succeeds or fails, I just wanted to try and challenge. So it was decided: OK! Go ahead. "Memories will always be downplayed, but for Liu Yiyun or her family at that time, the determination to go to a foreign country to be a trainee was not so easy to make up." Of course not very easy (next decision). I was still in high school, and I needed to arrange a lot of things. But I really have a feeling that if you don't seize this opportunity and don't try it, you may regret it later. And I'm not a person who wants to regret it. ”
Parents' expectations for Liu Yiyun are very simple, happy is good, find a career they like, make an effort, and don't give up halfway because you are tired. She was curious about science when she was a child, and then she suddenly came across music and felt that this was what she wanted to do. Her parents, while unavoidably worried, supported her choice. "As long as I really want to do it and try to do it, my mother will support me." Dad was more cautious, he agreed that music and entertainment were fun and fun, but they were also business, and I wasn't an adult at the time, and he was worried about me. However, under the series of assurances that Liu Yiyun "will work hard not to give up halfway" and "will call you if there is a problem", in the end they only reminded their daughter that leaving home to a new environment will encounter many difficulties and need to be solved independently.
Dimension 4 concert poster.
From being a trainee in 2008 to the present, f(x) occupies a very important period of Liu Yiyun's life. Recalling the most memorable performance since entering the industry, Liu Yiyun first thought of Dimesion 4, which was the first solo concert seven years after F(x's debut) and had an unusual meaning for each member. Asked if you have any regrets about f(x)? She was very determined: "Not a single one (unfortunately) is there. As for whether this life experience is perfect, Liu Yiyun is very frank: "Now is the present, we have no way to change the previous things." I was very young when I debuted, and I grew up working overseas, and I didn't know a lot of things. They (team members) were by my side and grew up with me, and I'm grateful for that time. I don't think anyone can replace them. ”
Growth is accompanied by grinding, and it will not always be smooth. The idol industry is known for its strict requirements, and the competition for trainees is also quite fierce, not to mention that Liu Yiyun still has a heavy cultural barrier to overcome. In 2016, "Borders", which was released with lyrics and music by her, wrote in the lyrics: "Mom said, I will cross the border, never be afraid, even if I am forced into a corner, I must stand up straight and fight my own world." 」 （Because Mom said, I'd be crossing borders. Never be afraid even when you’re cornered. Stand up straight fight your way) "Similar experiences made her feel more empathy for the students of Creation Camp 2021. After the first round of elimination, she wrote a paragraph to the students on Weibo: "I have also faced a harsh elimination mechanism, but you must know that strength and popularity cannot determine your life, only hard work can become the person who finally has the right to choose." ”
f(x) combination.
Indeed, compared with the simple idol singer, Liu Yiyun needs to work hard more. Many times she composes, fills in the lyrics, choreographs, and even directs and cuts her own MV. All the way to the present, she has also had times when she wants to give up, but it is not really giving up, more is tired, because she wants to make a lot of good content, but she can't squeeze in time. Overall, she is very passionate about the music she is currently working on. "If I can't be a real singer, I think I'll always make music."
Keywords and attitudes
Love yourself, both good and bad
Until now, in the public's aesthetic standards for boy bands and women's groups, "uniformity" is still a very important one. Artists who are too capable or have too much personal style are considered unsuitable for groups because they easily destroy "neatness". In contrast, when Liu Yiyun debuted 12 years ago, the audience was more demanding of the members of the idol group, and "seeing the differences in the world" meant challenging the existing aesthetic model. Whether in the f(x) group or compared with other female group members who were active at the time, Liu Yiyun was a person with a bright personal color. What is even more rare is that she can adhere to her uniqueness to the end under the pressure of public aesthetics, and is not afraid to express this attitude of perseverance to the end.
In 2015, Liu Yiyun opened a personal YouTube channel "What the pineapple "What the Pineapple", the video shooting, editing, uploading are all arranged by her, and soon became the only personal YouTube channel for members of the Korean girl group at that time to break millions of subscriptions. One of the issues "Where is my chest?" responding to hate comments Response to malicious remarks) "received a high level of attention. Talking about the original intention of making a short video, Liu Yiyun said: "At that time, because of my style, many people would misunderstand me and think that I was too terrible... I've heard a lot of that. I thought, then I will find a way to communicate with the fans, show them what I am like, who my friends are, and what my day is like. ”
Humans are essentially a social animal. When the uniqueness of the individual and the popular public aesthetic are inconsistent, the individual will inevitably bear the pressure from public opinion. The pressure Liu Felt was both from the outside world and the public, as well as from within himself — "I can't say I'm not affected." "On the one hand, she wants to know what other people think, and on the other hand, she insists that she should not blindly listen." After listening, be sure to think about it, is this really suitable for me? I always be honest with myself, think slowly, take my time, and don't rush to get answers. If you are in a hurry to decide something, it is not good for yourself. This rational thinking about external comments and the recognition and persistence of self-uniqueness are also reflected in Liu Yiyun's latest album "X", the cover of which reads: You are you, no one can take away from you.
This time on the stage of "Creation Camp 2021", Liu Yiyun had the opportunity to meet many different students, such as Hu Yetao, who was controversial because of his long hair style and was considered to be inconsistent with the appearance of the boy band that everyone imagined. From these "jagged" students, Liu Yiyun seemed to see his former self: "Maybe you are because of the length of your hair, the shape of your body, the thickness of your voice... Many different reasons are questioned and challenged, but so what? I was an experiment – whether someone like me could join a girl group. All I have to do is believe in myself and work hard until I am very successful, until I leave others speechless. "Liu Yiyun has two definitions of success in his mind, one is commercial success, he wants to become a good singer and artist; the other is that he wants to be happy, love himself, and love his good and bad places.
Keywords : Life
Use your feelings to make rational decisions
In "Creation Camp 2021", Liu Yiyun's comments often switch seamlessly between Chinese and English. Although she was born into a Chinese family, she grew up in an English-speaking environment, and Chinese is not her first language. Many foreigners say that Chinese can speak fluently, but the tone of voice has no ups and downs, and it is a "foreign accent" when they hear it. Liu Yiyun seems to have a natural and keen perception of the "four voices", and the tone is very accurate, so it gives people an impression of "Chinese speaking very authentically" in the program. And only when she really touches it will you know how much effort she has made for this "authenticity".
In an exclusive interview with a reporter from the Beijing News, she insisted on expressing herself in Chinese, and from time to time she would stop to ask what a certain meaning was said in Chinese - "Is the 'draft' of the draft three?" 'Sharing' can still be used in this way..." She even asked her assistant to take notes on a certain Chinese word, intending to continue to consolidate after finishing work, and her tireless attitude of study was enough to serve as a representative of the language class. Every interview is an advance to her Chinese level. Such Liu Yiyun, even if he fades the aura of an idol artist, is also a serious and hard-working, imperfect but more interesting person.
Throughout the interview, Liu Yiyun insisted that Chinese. The Beijing News Cultural and Entertainment × produced by the Beijing News
She considers herself a rational person most of the time, "but I use my feelings to make rational decisions." When there is no work arrangement, she, like many migrant workers, only wants to sleep more and "deliberately become lazy". "I just want to rest, play with my dog, or do sports, play games, watch movies with friends, in short, do things that have nothing to do with work... However, I haven't had such a time in a long time. She's also always enjoyed playing games, most recently playing the new Valorant (a multiplayer first-person shooter). Every night before going to bed, she used to play for a while to help her sleep. "I said to myself: It's going to be quiet, it's going to sleep. Then play 'Moving' for 15 minutes or 30 minutes and you really fall asleep. ”
In addition to music, she likes to make videos, starting with 6-second short videos on social platforms, "self-taught" while playing, and can now be competent in directing, shooting and editing 20-minute videos. After "What the pineapple," she went on to produce two video shows, "Ranting Monkey" and "I'll ask stupid questions," which were more like interviews. "What the pineapple" is all her own, is a "one-man team". The number of creative teams for the next two shows has gradually increased, and they have been evolving. Many fans want her to update the content of "What the pineapple", and Liu Yiyun thanked them for their patience, but she has been too busy to have time recently. "There's time to shoot, but there's no time to edit." And she regards this show as her own treasure, and the editing work is not willing to fake it, "I don't want to share my baby".
Stills from the movie The Eagle and the Albatross
In the MV of the single "Hands Behind My Back" included in Liu Yiyun's album "X", she also tried to perform.
In the eyes of others, Liu Yiyun has succeeded, but she feels that it is not enough, and wants to explore and try more areas, including acting. Previously, she starred in the 2016 Korean drama "Star Partner", playing the secretary of the male protagonist Kim Eun-ko (Cho Jin-hung), and in 2020, she starred in the independent film "The Eagle and the Albatross" as a female dept who came out of the trough of her life because of golf. She loves to study every different role and currently wants to learn action drama the most, because she has been practicing taekwondo for more than ten years and has already received a black belt. In the short video, Liu Yiyun tried the form of comedy and now wants to challenge the more serious content. "I also had a performance part on my album X, and I was always pushing myself to learn to write stories and direct my own stories."
Yang Lianjie, a senior reporter of the Beijing News
Character photography Guo Yanbing
Chief Editor Wu Dongni Proofreader Zhao Lin
Source: Beijing News