Chinese-American contestant Yu Haoran looks like a cross between Vic Zhou and Jerry Yan in this photo.
An intro to my favorite performances/ contestants so far based on the first round of Produce Camp 2019 创造营2019 aka the Season 2 of Produce 101, where 11 winners will be chosen to form the male equivalent of Rocket Girls 101.
The Wajijiwa boys – Xia Zhiguang, Yan Xujia, Zhao Lei, Peng Chuyue, Zhou Zhennan, Zhai Xiaowen – are clearly the stand-outs of the show so far. Honestly I just want them to get enough popularity for the four teens (Xia Zhiguang, Yan Xujia, Zhao Lei, and Guo Zifan) of X-Nine to keep being a group. Edit: I double-checked and Zhao Lei turned 20 earlier this year.
Rappers
Yan Xujia 焉栩嘉
I’m super picky about rap voices so Yan Xujia’s the only one in my books.
He’s not only the rapper of his group but also has a solid singing voice (ex. singing with Zhao Lei). Below is the best song out of X-Nine, with the rap written by Yan Xujia and Gu Jiacheng. Xia Zhiguang and Guo Zifan are the dancers. The rap by him that he performed on Produce Camp 2019 here.
He Luoluo wins my award for best-looking contestant.
Vocalists
Zhao Lei 赵磊 is the vocalist from X-Nine. He has that super clear voice that I’m a sucker for. His battle song (47:55) below and more from Zhao Lei here, here, here, here, and here.
He Luoluo 何洛洛 and co. I want to adopt all of them with Dilraba.
Peng Chuyue 彭楚粤
Peng Chuyue is the other vocalist from X-Nine. Below is his original composition with Zhao Lei. You can listen to another one of his original composition here. His only issue is that he often sound too polished in a bad way.
Zhai Xiaowen 翟潇闻, who only has two months of dance experience.
Li Yunrui 李昀锐
Gao Jialang 高嘉朗
Top Combine‘s Zhang Yuan, who’s a super solid dancer and singer.
Liu Ye
Dancers
Xia Zhiguang 夏之光
Xia Zhiguang’s name literally means “the light of the summer” and that’s exactly what he is. With a background in Chinese folk dance (pairs modern dance with Chinese dance elements with Guo Zifan ) , he’s the dancer of the X-Nine and a student at the Shanghai Film Academy.
Liu Ye 刘也
SWIN’s Liu Ye was on Street Dance of China. , but I think his most popular dance is this pairs dance set to Liang Liang, the theme of Eternal Love..
Lu Siheng 陆思恒. He and Liu Ye’s team are probably the best dancing group. (time stamp: 21:04)
Feng Chuxuan 丰楚轩 and Qin Tian 秦天 are from Jay Walk aka Dilraba and Yang Mi’s company. Qin Tian is a Chinese classic dance graduate from the Beijing Dance Academy.
Hou Li 侯立 is a professionally trained modern dance major from the Beijing Dance Academy. Qin Tian X Liu Ye X Xia Zhiguang X Hou Li should collaborate in a dance performance.
Others:
Peking Opera duo Li Yadong and Zhang Yuanheng. Neither are great pop singer/dancers, but I think Li Yadong, the wusheng with martial arts background, will have a much easier time learning dance moves