Lay Zhang: Idol has meanings that go beyond “entertainment”
Interview by Life Weekly via ZDLine, transcribed and translated by XtweetTRANS
Hello, the readers of Life Weekly. I’m singer, musician Lay Zhang, who has recently released a new single “My Bad”. I’m currently in Los Angeles and has just finished an extremely long day of filming. With 15 hours of time difference, at the invitation of Life Weekly, I would like to share my personal opinions on the term “Idol”. It may not be correct and I’m not trying to redefine this word. See this as a casual chat between friends as I just want to share the insights based on my previous experience.
In fact, our generation is probably the first one to be particularly impressed and influenced by the word “idol”. Who didn’t listen to Jay Choy, JJ Lin, and Leehom Wang’s music when they were in school. Who didn’t have A-Mei, Stefanie Sun and other seniors in their Walkman and MP3. You can ask any 90s kids that. Thinking back, although it was tough and annoying at that time, our days at school were really great.
It is said that Mandarin pop music stayed in the first 10 years of the 21st century, then we are the ones who grew up in those 10 years and were influenced by it. We always have our own preference for “idol” and “idol era”.
At the age of 24, I said after an award ceremony that “My dream is to lead Chinese music going toward the world.” It was really passionate when I said it. For several years after that, I was pointed to the nose and told that I did not know myself clearly. But now, looking back, I still don’t regret saying that. I have seen the decade of the Battle of the Gods. The idols of that time are truly idols. They can really influence the times and the world in their own ways. I’d like to be like them, which doesn’t seem wrong at all. I always think even though I might not be able to achieve it at the moment, I will try my best to work toward that goal. I think idol can go beyond the meaning of entertainment. It can go into a larger world and be beyond the era. That was how it influenced me.
The 17-year-old me, carried a school backpack and dressed in school uniforms decorated with my own drawing left the “International metropolis” Changsha for Seoul to be a trainee just like that. Honestly at that time if you ask whether I had imagined myself to be an idol one day, I would definitely say yes. After all, I wouldn’t pay such a big price to become a trainee if I didn’t believe in myself or harboring any hope of success. Being a trainee in the early 2000s was (really tough). I really admired my mother’s guts, and my own courage of dreaming up something so crazy.
But then again, tried as I might, back then there was no way for me to paint a clear picture of what does it mean to be an idol one day, of me becoming an idol like I am today. I would envy stars who have debuted earlier than me: They have fans holding LED signs and creating colored oceans with their lightsticks, they also have super cool performances on stage. When it came to me, I’ve always felt that my prospect of debuting was dim. I didn’t even know whether I can debut or not. Even occasionally when I dream about debuting, I would still fear that the dream can get completely shattered.
I will have my own fans one day for instance. There will be people who are willing to listen to and appreciate the songs I wrote for instance. The term “idol” was a very distant word to me at that time. It just seems easily achieved by others, but a faraway dream for me.
Ten years passed by in a snap of a finger. I finally held my own concerts this year. Going from Shanghai, to Chongqing, Nanjing, Beijing, and Thailand. I have finally made my steps to see the fans. I was finally looking at my own LED signs and banners. I could finally have my own ship and stage. This ship represents my dream, time, and much more. It is a large ship that won’t turn around.
When I was on stage looking at the fans who came from all over the place for me, I had a whole new understanding toward the word “idol”. It’s a serious word. It possesses such solemn meanings and responsibilities. These people are watching and loving me from afar, seeing me as their idols and their role models. Every step that I take, for more or for less, will have impact on their minds. Just like how my idols were influencing me many years ago, and so were yours. With the outbreak of internet and social media and every action taken being amplified, these impacts are even greater.
I feel anxious sometimes because of uncertainty. Uncertain if I’ve matured enough to be adored, followed, and learned from by so many people. I wasn’t sure if I would be able to influence my fans and others who like me the way my idols have influenced myself. Idol is not just about fanbase and the followers. It is also not the exaggerated social phenomenon. Because we are the young generation who were influenced, now that we are lucky enough to grow into influencers ourselves, we feel more nervous, more burdened, and feel like we’re not enough. ‘With great power comes great responsibilities’, this is something we’ve always heard and I hope that I can do this well, or at least, do it right.
After 10 years, my idol, is still the idol of the era. I’m honourably, luckily and unexpectedly have become others’ idol. The word idol is deeply linked with time. There are always new generation of youths that will like new generation of idols. Every different generation has their idols in their young ages. Every generation of youths are in fact their own idols.
Actually, I released my new single “My Bad” recently. I collaborated with Li Ronghao on a ballad which is a style that I rarely tried before. Even today, I’m still writing, composing, learning and trying. I’m working hard to store enough power, to undertake C-Pop flame from my idols. If one year is not enough, I can spend five years, ten years, or even more. All I want to say is, the word idol has nothing to do with age, popularity or even who he exactly is. It is more about a force of influence, the power that can be inherited.
I hope our existence can bring at least some changes to the world. I hope we can all be like our own idols, and be our own idols. Thank you.
