Talk about advertising; Jane steps up her role as Chengdu's mascot by naming her company after it.
With Sichuan being the home to half of all mainland musicians, it’s time that music moves back to Sichuan. Since her contract with Huayi Music expired (no news yet about the management company), that’s what Jane Zhang‘s set out to do. “Show City Music” in English, the Chinese name is “Shao Cheng Yin Yue,” with “Shao Cheng/City of Youth” being a nickname of Chengdu. The employees, too, are mostly Sichuanese. The one other signed singer is Wang Zhengliang, one of the three eeMedia Super Boys from the Sichuan Conservatory of Music.
Jane has always been quite vocal and articulate about her thoughts about the Chinese music industry, so it’ll be interesting where she takes <Show City. Show City’s first project is Wang Zhengliang’s new song , “Count to three and let go together,” with Zhang Yadong as producer and Jane as the executive producer.
Show City artists ready to rock the roof
During an interview with Information Times, Jane commented on Wang Zhengliang and echoed Long Danni’s thought for the need of a niche for pop artists.
The new song is Xiaoliang(Wang Zhengliang)’s first new appearance, we feel like he needs a clear basic definition. Xiaoliang is a very talented singer and can sing every style of songs. But in pop music, often artists don’t need to be so multi-talented. They only need to use their best aspects to touch everyone. We feel like Xiaoliang’s specialty is that his voice gives people the truest feeling. I believe this song will give everyone a new understanding of Xiaoliang.
Jane also talked about why she wants to move backstage and help others to produce instead.
I’m very fascinated by working backstage. It’s not like singing, which is longer new. I really like creating things. As long as it’s related to music, no matter if it’s lyrics, composition, production, I think those are creating new things. They’re so imaginative. Everytime I see a song being produced with my help, I’m even happier than I am on the stage.
source:Hunan TV
Sichuanese singers perform “Love is home” – music and lyrics by Wang Zhengliang:
oops my bad…lol craig williams….hahaha i almost always get the two names confused.
Wow. Ya’ll will get no arguments from me but,
All in all, many artists out there in the Chinese Music world, including Jane are working together toward one goal, and that is internationalizing Chinese Music point blank.
Who could blame her, she has worked with Great men like Tan Dun, Kitaro, David Fostor, Craig David and most recently, Wang Leehom who has his own amount of influence and charisma (probably the most vocal thus far about internationalizing Chinese Music too. )
If they’ve taught her anything, it is that in order to get noticed and to get things done, one has to have ambition and that of a will. She knows what she wants, and she’s worked with people who are willing to help her because in that they are helping each other achieve something that seemed so impossible a mere few years ago.
As Leehom as stated in Jackie Chan’s April blogging. He’s learned about team work and if we look beyond those words, the possibilities are there that they are each doing a part in making sure Chinese Voices are heard all around the world. He, himself wants to focus on internationalizing Chinese Music.
Jane has now established an international headquarter of sorts that will the stepping stone for many to come. She might be born a girl but she thinks with a guys logic when it comes to business matters and how to make things work for the long term…I think that’s one of the reasons why we fans who are girls find her so contradictory and hard to read sometimes.
You know what, Jane didn’t even say anything about helping new talents, she said she wanted to do more things in the musical process…so it’s not like she ever lied about anything.
I don’t know what I was thinking when I said she faked care…there are obviously things she doesn’t care about, but I can’t think of a time when she pretended to be. And though she doesn’t overwhelm herself with charity work, the ones she does, they’re usually long term projects that she never really stops doing.
To me, she’s one of the few artists with a goal in mind, and one of the even fewer who knows how and will get there. I’m bothered at her distancing herself from the “inferior competition singers,” but it’s good for her, if not for the others.
Jane’s not an idol, she doesn’t want to be. She doesn’t even care about her fans that much, but she does care about her music. She doesn’t care about every little kindness in the world, she won’t spend time mascoting for every charity that ever existed, but if there was one that she cared about, she would go out and do it.
I don’t really think celebs should be judged on their personality too much, as long as they’re not overtly horrible in some way. It’s far risky to make judgment calls on something as intangible as personality, especially when the media likes to make heroes and villains for the amusement of all.
To me, the end result is what counts. For example, I don’t care if Zhang Ziyi does a lot of charity to look good when in the end, she’s done a lot of good. Some people may not even bother. I don’t care if all those celebs going to Sichuan are doing it because they care or if they’re doing it because they would feel guilty otherwise.
It’s impossible to require this outward glow of goodness and caring from all celebrities. First of all, many people are caring but they don’t show it well. Second of all, not everyone is extremely giving, but they are decent people in general. I’m sure all of our relatives have their faults, but in general, we like them.
Anyway, Jane’s never really been someone I keep a close watch on, perhaps because her personality doesn’t radiate as the best girlfriend that you want at sleepovers etc, but somehow it doesn’t matter, because she’s handled herself well and I’ll always see news on her because she creates news on herself. She’s always moving forward it seems. And accumulated, that makes me admire her very much. Much more than celebrities that I actually fangirl.
On the other hand, there are things I fell like she really does care about. For example, Chengdu. She seems to genuinely love the city and Sichuan. Or her friends ,like Wang Zhengliang and Tan Weiwei, who she has helped even before they were famous
@nepheliad
that’s been bothering me slightly, too. She is highly ambitious. Although I don’t think it’s money but control or power she really aims for. I still admire her for her intelligence, but she doesn’t strike me to have the genuine care that some others seem to have.
@ “Me” – I’d like to believe that, honestly, but it’s entirely possible that Jane is just very shrewd, and has always been – a televised gesture of goodwill is a way to garner publicity, as is helping other talents. I don’t want to think that about her, but something about her lately has been bothering me in that regard. I haven’t quite pinpointed what, though, so perhaps it’s just my being weird.
@ idarklight – Point taken; if most of ’em had market/trend insight, they’d probably do they same thing she did – dabble in production and make good decisions. I guess it’s easy to be blinded by fame, though I’d say that it’s not that hard to know where you want/ought to go – the problem is usually having the willpower to get there.
However, it’s partially that insight that makes me wonder. Her actions, regardless of motives, definitely seem to be steering her on a path that, viewed apart from her as a person, appears driven by ambition. Once a person has become famous, it’s harder to believe the honesty of their actions, so maybe it’s just a kind of fame backlash effect that makes me dubious.
Jane’s always had a good head on her shoulders along with a helpful heart.
In 2005’s Super Girl Era, she was always the one creating something to share with the group of girls ie paperclip bracelets to represent friendship.
Though she got 3rd place, she was the one who influenced her friends to join the competition and during shows not only showcased herself but her friends as well. ie Xiao Liang and Tan Wei Wei, not to mention her friend who composed “Open Up your Dreams” in my opinion the song composition etc etc could have used some more ooph, but still Jane stuck to it in it’s original format and brought across a purpose and meaning.
When one has a passion for music whether singing or the production and BTS to earn a hefty amount of money is just a side bonus.
If my instincts are correct, this new company is for Jane to challenge herself once again in creativity and making music as helping others to reach their fullest potential musically, for girls like Jane who are far and in between, Life is not about money but about doing what makes her and the people around her happy.
To have beauty as will as brains and a heart that thrives on sending out hope…She’s one girl I truly envy above all others.
When Jane says it, it sounds like common sense. But so many businesses don’t follow that rule, to their benefit or ruins. I feel like that’s how they ruined He Jie. He Jie’s best aspect was her happiness and cuteness that came with her voice. But whoever promoted her tried to make her something else by making her dance and act crazy. Or the people that decided that Chen Chusheng should go on variety shows when he barely talks and should’ve went the Xu Wei route – all singing and no entertaining.
I feel like you’re understating Jane’s insight. Discerning eyes are as rare as 20/20 eyesights in the pop music industry. Singers are just like normal people, and plenty of us don’t understand our situation. That’s especially true for competition singers, who are thrusted into the mess over night. Some of them eventually find the right path, like Jane. Others are still walking blinded, like Wei Chen. Ah, my poor Wei Chen. I wish I could smack his head to get him to open his eyes and face reality. Which is better, knowing the reality and brood like Wang Yuexin, or not facing it at all and be content like Wei Chen? (or better yet, work harder and try again like Zhang Jie)
I’m more inclined to believe Jane than most because she’s always shown thoughtfulness and insight since point zero. When all the other SUper Girls were overwhelmed by stardom and immediately signed with eeMedia, she was the only one to take a while and think about what she wants. She decided that eeMedia wasn’t right for her, and joined Huayi instead. That was a move that definitely defined her career from then on. Or events like the Japanese showcase. She was the one who mainly organized that (since at the time, Huayi was still negotiating with her). I liked how unlike other more rash artists, she decided to go to American and Japan not for their audiences, but for the artists. She understood that she doesn’t have the idol appeal that some might have, so for her, the keypoint was not to woo the audience but people who can help her. That probably sounds like she’s a selfish b*tch, but if so, she’s a brilliant one.
Furthermore, Huayi music has never been a great one. All of Jane’s good songs have came through Huayi Brothers’ film and TV department. I really hope she’ll stay under Huayi Bros the management company because of that. Plus, rumors say that HY music might disband.
“But in pop music, often artists don’t need to be so multi-talented. They only need to use their best aspects to touch everyone.”
Meh, that applies to everything, not just pop music, especially in a world so inundated with sheer people power.
Hum, help other budding talent… the cynical part of me wants to say that she wants a greater cut of the profits from songs she’s involved in, considering she’s throwing her hefty weight behind said talent and producing them. It only takes open eyes to see the culture and machinations behind the markets for an insider of the industry like her, and her words can be taken to show keen market insight as much as any kind of care – the latter simply sounds more palatable, haha. But eh, she sounds about as genuine as any star making that kind of foray ever has, so…
“But in pop music, often artists don’t need to be so multi-talented. They only need to use their best aspects to touch everyone.”
AMEN!
No, they selected people to represent different fields, with Jane representing singing and entertainment, and another woman was selected to represent writers from Chengdu. She was pretty too, although she probably isn’t as pretty as Guo Jingming, who isn’t really from Chengdu anyway right?
I really love Chengdu’s Public Service Ads. They’re pretty awesome and culturally conscious, and are very encouraging. Who wouldn’t want to be better and do better when they have all these standouts from every field in ads all over the city?
The only thing I thought was a bit unnecessary was putting tvs on all the buses. But I guess at the same time since the only thing they show was Chengdu TV, it does reap back its investments for the city government.
Chengdu’s in the middle of becoming a major metropolis for China imo, because they are getting a subway soon. They also moved the city center to the suburbs, with really really nice architecture. So the city even though it’s already huge is going to be expanding, and I think Jane has a lot of foresight in sticking her company headquarters there. It’ll move Chinese entertainment west, and make it easier for all the talent in Western China to shine. And goodness knows there’s talent there.
ohhh, was Guo Jingming on one of them? He’s from Sichuan, too! He should go write lyrics for Show City since it’s not like eeMedia will come out with too many songs any time soon.
@megan
Yep, Ma Xueyang’s also from the Sichuan Music Conservatory. As is Wei Chen, and Li Yuchun, and He Jie, and Tan Weiwei. and Cong Haonan. Tan Weiwei and Ma Xueyang are a bit different, though, since they weren’t from the Pop section of the Conservatory. Ma Xueyang was in the violin/instrumental section, and Tan Weiwei from either folk or opera or something else.
In this year’s Super Girls’ Chengdu region, which was its biggest and generally best region, 12 out of the top 30 were from that school.
Jane now falls into the category of people I gush over most: using her talents and fame to help other budding talent. And she rocks so much for wanting to be involved creatively in the entire music process! Wow, she’s come so far in such a short time and I admire her so much for how self-directed she is.
That poster…you resized it. I think I wouldn’t mind if it was full sized. While I was in Chengdu, this poster along with the posters for other Chengdu citizens (like a writer, an architect, etc) was everywhere, billboard size around the city and at bus stops.
Conversations went like this:
Friend: What are you staring at! We need to get on the bus!
Me: Jane. She’s sooo pretty.
Friend: *rolls eyes* You’re such a loser. Get on the bus.
Me: Hey, wait. In America, you don’t see Asians on printed ads or magazines.
Friend: OMG. The bus is leaving…fine, let’s just wait for the next one.
@topluv- I don’t think Jane will stop singing for a while considering how popular she is now. She’s influential enough to start her own company.
Ma Xueyang should sign up. He’s from Sichuan right? I remember reading somewhere he graduated at the Sichuan Conservatory as well.
Where did I hear about Jane starting up a company to help mainland artists move into foreign markets? It was a while ago though… No way is Jane gonna stop singing, but she seems to have head screwed on right. She always makes pretty good decisions.
wait don’t tell me that this is the end of Jane’s singing career?!!! oh god plz nooooo….
is Jane gonna continue singing?