Mao Buyi

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In this Chinese name, the family name is Wang.
Mao Buyi
毛不易
Birth name王维家
Wang Weijia
Born (1994-10-01) 1 October 1994 (age 29)
Tailai, Heilongjiang, China
Occupation(s)Singer, songwriter
Instrument(s)Vocals, guitar
Years active2017–present
EducationHangzhou Normal University

Mao Buyi (Chinese: 毛不易; pinyin: Máo Bùyì; born October 1, 1994; birth name Wang Weijia; 王维家)[1] is a Chinese singer and songwriter. Mao Buyi rose to prominence for winning the all-male singing competition The Coming One (明日之子) in 2017.[2] Mao is a self-taught pop artist known for works depicting the subtle nuances of everyday life.[3][4] He has released three studio albums to which he authored all lyrics and compositions. Mao's discography also includes over a dozen theme songs from original soundtracks for television dramas, movies, and video games.

Life and education[edit]

Mao Buyi is a native of Tailai County, Qiqihar, in the Heilongjiang province of Northeast China.[1] He pursued a degree in nursing at Hangzhou Normal University and undertook an internship at a hospital in Hangzhou in 2016 during his last year in university.[5][6] In the same year, he started songwriting to alleviate work-related stress. He learned to play the guitar, and wrote a few songs informally before appearing on The Coming One.[5]

Throughout his nursing career, Mao frequently faced situations involving deceased patients. The first personal experience of death he encountered was the passing of his mother. In tribute to her memory, Mao maintained a practice of sending messages to her WeChat account after her death.[7]

Career[edit]

2017[edit]

Mao Buyi gained recognition as a contestant on the Tencent Video singing competition "The Coming One" (明日之子). His appearance, characterized by "round faces, large glasses, and some slightly crooked teeth", contrasted with the more elaborate costumes and makeup of his fellow contestants. Mao's lack of extensive performing experience and awkward demeanor set him apart, which his fans found endearing. During his introduction on the show, he encountered technical difficulties requiring three recordings; he broke a guitar string at the start of his performance and showed visible surprise upon seeing the celebrity judges. Media outlets began to describe him as "cute sang," referencing a lack of ambition and apathy among Chinese youth, with "sang" being Mandarin slang for "frightened." Mao's musical repertoire, diverging from traditional themes of romance, focused on topics like hopelessness, frustrated ambition, and aspirations for financial success.[6]

He won the competition on September 23, 2017, and his song "Drink Sorrow Down" (Chinese: 消愁; pinyin: Xiaochou) that debuted during the competition stayed at the top of the QQ Music chart for 11 days and was played over 500 million times.[2]

2018[edit]

On January 18, Mao won the New Music Power Award of Weibo Awards Ceremony.[8]

On May 31, 2018, Mao released his debut album, Perfect Day (平凡的一天), produced by singer and songwriter Li Jian. The lead single of the album, Perfect Day, hit one million downloads and streams on the first day of its release.[9] The album was acclaimed by critics for its natural, warm lyrics and "melancholy melodies".[5][9]

On August 29, Mao won the Chinese Song Music festival's most popular new artist of the year award and best new artist of the year award, while the song "Drink Sorrow Down" won the golden song of the year award.[10]

On November 29, Mao won the Most Promising Male Singer Award and the Best Singer-Songwriter of the Year Award at the Asian Music Awards.

From September 22 to November 17, Mao held his first concert tour with performances in Shanghai, Beijing, and Chengdu, which was attended by nearly 300,000 people.[5]

2019[edit]

In 2019, Billboard China launched the Billboard China Top 100, which is compiled based on radio play, streaming, and digital sales in mainland China.[11] Mao stayed number one during five weeks of 2019 with his 2017 songs "Someone Like Me" (像我这样的人) and "Drink Sorrow Down".[12]

2020[edit]

In January 2020, Mao participated in Hunan TV's music competition program Singer as a debut singer.[13]

On January 22, Mao released his second music album, Xiao Wang (小王).

In August 2020, Mao ranked 79th on Forbes China Celebrity 100 list.[14]

In December, Mao performed in the CCTV New Year's Gala "Sailing 2021" and the "2020 Most Beautiful Night bilibili Gala", jointly presented by CCTV and Bilibili.[15]

2021[edit]

On June 26, 2021, Mao released his third album Lonely Planet (幼鸟指南),[16] produced by Arai Soichiro.

On December 14, 2021, Mao released a theme song for the movie "I Am What I Am", "Nobody" (无名的人).[17]

On July 16 and 23, Mao appeared in the lifestyle reality show "Back To Field" for the fourth time and sang "In This Mountain", a track from the album Lonely Planet, at the concert of the final episode of season 5.

2023[edit]

Five years apart from his first concert tour, Mao Buyi embarked on his second concert tour in nine cities including Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen, themed the "Lonely Planet". The tour kicked off in Hangzhou, where Mao started his music career as a nursing student. The live performances highlighted Mao's works from his third album Lonely Planet, along with several hit singles since his debut. Guest performers including Taiwanese singer, actress Rene Liu and the producer of Mao's first album Li Jian. The concerts were sparkled with interactive elements that engage or include fans as part of the programming. Audience's chorus of hit singles were also common.[3] One of the attendees interviewed described the live performance as a "healing session," noting that her own sentiments as a typical member of the working class resonated well with Mao's music.[18]

Style and reception[edit]

Style and lyricism[edit]

Mao Buyi is often perceived as an introvert and has been likened to the younger Li Zongsheng and the "Chinese version of Bob Dylan".[19] His lyricism is noted for its blend of parallelism and simplicity. Listeners believe that his songs capture a certain sentiment of the era, some comments refer to him as a "voice of the youth," while others call him the "spokesperson for the ordinary people".[20] His works often shed lights to everyday life events, exploring the subtleties of human emotions.[21] In "Mom's Cooking", he reminiscently chanted about the little dining table and mom's cooking, in memory of his late mother who died with terminal cancer. As a fourth-year nursing intern at university, he penned the song "If One Day I Became Rich" in his modest rental apartment, as a response to the financial struggles he was facing at the time.[20]

Reception[edit]

Different from the typical pop star, Mao considered himself an "ordinary individual" leading an unremarkable life. During his school years, he did not excel academically and lacked a specific ambition, preferring to enjoy a carefree childhood. He adopted the name "Buyi" (不易）as a teenager, translated to "not easily changed". He noted later that he wished to hold true to authenticity and simplicity. Although he was referred to as a "music genius" by senior songwriters Li Jian and Pu Shu, he attributes the supposed talents to his small-town upbringing and his laid-back lifestyle. He expressed a desire to withdraw from the public eye and be "forgotten" if his musical abilities ever diminished.[22]

Discography[edit]

Albums

  • Perfect Day 平凡的一天 (2018)
  • Xiao Wang 小王 (2020)
  • Lonely Planet 幼鸟指南 (2021)

Philanthropy[edit]

On September 11, 2018, Mao attended the 6th season of the Charity Stars-To Dream Designer ceremony and Luohu Fashion Night as a public welfare ambassador. At the event, he hand-painted an "art dream bag" with Han Geng and Shen Mengchen to raise awareness about children's art education in economically disadvantaged regions.[23] On November 2, Mao received an invitation to serve as the "EU-China Tourism Year Ambassador".[24]

On May 5, 2020, Mao took part in the "Believe in the Future" charity show, where he performed "Perfect Day"(平凡的一天).[25]

In July 2021, Mao participated in CCTV's "Together with You" charity show and sang "Perfect Day"(平凡的一天) in tribute to the heroes among ordinary people.[26]

In July 2021, Mao donated 500,000 RMB to the flood-stricken areas in Henan Province.[27]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Chen, Nana (October 31, 2018). "Mao Buyi has Perfect Day with smash debut album". China Daily. Retrieved March 11, 2019.
  2. ^ a b Daugelaite, Tautvile (November 16, 2017). "Chinese Pop Culture Primer: Andrew Moore Gives Behind-the-Scenes Glimpse of 'The Coming One'". The Beijinger. Archived from the original on November 22, 2017.
  3. ^ a b "毛不易巡演正式收官，十场万人大合唱叙写平凡的圆满_演出_演唱会_作品". m.sohu.com. Retrieved 2024-02-18.
  4. ^ Liu Chuchu (刘楚楚) (2022). 毛不易：唱出时代情绪的人 [Mao Buyi: a singer who sings the mood of the times]. Youth Digest (in Chinese). 363. Beijing: China Youth Press: 24–25. ISSN 1673-4955.
  5. ^ a b c d Chen, Nan (December 26, 2018). "Young singer-songwriters making their mark". China Daily. Retrieved March 16, 2019.
  6. ^ a b Davis, Kendrick (October 17, 2017). "The Accidental Megastar". The Sixth Tone. Archived from the original on June 26, 2018.
  7. ^ 网易娱乐 (October 16, 2018). "心酸！毛不易实习时第一个在眼前去世的人是母亲". Archived from the original on October 16, 2018. Retrieved April 20, 2022.
  8. ^ 新浪娱乐 (January 18, 2018). "微博之夜星光璀璨 揭晓4大榜单彰显正能量". Retrieved April 26, 2022.
  9. ^ a b "毛不易《平凡的一天》首发销量破百万，制作人李健称其无可取代起点高|毛不易_凤凰音乐" [Mao is not easy to "Original Day", the first sales volume has broken millions, and producer Li Jian said that it has no substitute for high starting point.]. Ifeng (in Chinese). June 1, 2018. Archived from the original on June 12, 2018.
  10. ^ 新浪娱乐 (August 30, 2018). "华歌榜林俊杰张杰获最佳 华晨宇直言欣赏VAVA". Retrieved April 26, 2022.
  11. ^ 中国公告牌音乐单曲榜即将揭开神秘面纱 [Billboard China Music Singles Chart is about to unveil the mystery]. Billboard China (in Chinese). January 5, 2019. Archived from the original on February 18, 2019.
  12. ^ 中国公告牌音乐单曲榜_Billboard中国. Billboard China. February 15, 2019. Archived from the original on February 18, 2019.
  13. ^ 北京商报网, 伍碧怡 (January 3, 2020). "2020年《歌手》首发阵容官宣完毕 华晨宇确认回归". Retrieved April 26, 2022.
  14. ^ "福布斯中国发布2020名人榜，00后少年易烊千玺荣登榜首". Forbes China (in Chinese). August 27, 2020.
  15. ^ 中央广播电视总台央视频 (December 29, 2020). "央视频与B站联合推出"2020最美的夜"跨年晚会，全球化视角音乐盛宴陪你共跨新年！". Retrieved April 26, 2022.
  16. ^ 新京报, 刘臻 (June 25, 2021). "毛不易新专辑《幼鸟指南》上线，11首歌勾勒平凡故事". Retrieved April 21, 2022.
  17. ^ 1905电影网, (1905.com) (December 14, 2021). "《雄狮少年》曝主题曲 毛不易深情献唱无名的人". Retrieved April 21, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  18. ^ "演唱会变身大型KTV，年轻人为啥乐意埋单". m.thepaper.cn. Retrieved 2024-02-18.
  19. ^ 中娱网 (September 13, 2017). "毛不易进军海外《巨星不易工作室NO.1》于台湾地区、国际平台上架". Retrieved April 21, 2022.
  20. ^ a b "毛不易：唱出时代情绪的人_澎湃号·湃客_澎湃新闻-The Paper". www.thepaper.cn. Retrieved 2024-02-19.
  21. ^ "从《东北民谣》到《呓语》，全面分析毛不易，他的歌温暖了太多人_首歌". m.sohu.com. Retrieved 2024-02-19.
  22. ^ "暴富之后，毛不易又回去租房住了". m.thepaper.cn. Retrieved 2023-12-26.
  23. ^ 明星资讯 腾讯娱乐 (September 13, 2018). "第六季公益星设计潮流发布 韩庚、毛不易助阵". Retrieved April 20, 2022.
  24. ^ 网易新闻 (November 12, 2018). "毛不易出任欧盟旅游亲善大使，携手芭莎下午茶展现国际影响力". Retrieved April 20, 2022.
  25. ^ 大河报 (May 4, 2020). "李宇春、毛不易、莫文蔚、张艺兴、周深……这是"相信未来"线上义演第二场阵容". Retrieved April 20, 2022.
  26. ^ 央视网 (August 4, 2021). "与你在一起丨毛不易《平凡的一天》致谢风雨中的逆行者". Retrieved April 20, 2022.
  27. ^ 凤凰网娱乐 (July 21, 2021). "持续更新！汪峰章子怡林志玲黄晓明等为河南暴雨捐款". Retrieved April 20, 2022.
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