China's first all-girl pop band challenges femininity

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China's first all-girl pop band challenges femininity

The letter 'A' in the band's name Acrush is a reference to the god Adonis - the archetype of youthful male beauty in Greek mythology.

See more of : FFC-Acrush

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Besides Acrush making headlines even before dropping any music, and attracting hundreds of thousands of fans on Weibo. The pop band's first single 'Action' released on April 28, 2017.

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Last year, Zhejiang Huati Culture Communication, an entertainment startup backed by Tencent Holdings, was looking to create a girl band when the idea of an androgynous act came about.

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"It was rather a coincidence. We happened to see many 'handsome girls' during the auditions, and people thought they looked quite all right. Then it hit me that now is the time," Zhejiang Huati's chief executive Wang Tianhai told Reuters.

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It's not the first time Chinese music agents have had the idea of forming a gender-neutral act. In 2005, a boyish-looking Li Yuchun briefly won fans with her style. She also sparked debate about how women should dress in a conservative society. Held back by worry about a social backlash, the music industry had stayed away from marketing 'handsome girl' acts until 2016.

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"We're a girl band. But we look more like beautiful young men, not young girls," said band member Min Junqian. "So the positioning fits us more. "

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Acrush is one of several bands under the FFC brand, which aims to be a pioneer in sports entertainment by mixing sports with music and dance.

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Besides Acrush making headlines even before dropping any music, and attracting hundreds of thousands of fans on Weibo. The pop band's first single 'Action' released on April 28, 2017.

See more of : FFC-Acrush

09 / 13

Last year, Zhejiang Huati Culture Communication, an entertainment startup backed by Tencent Holdings, was looking to create a girl band when the idea of an androgynous act came about.

See more of : FFC-Acrush

10 / 13

It's not the first time Chinese music agents have had the idea of forming a gender-neutral act. In 2005, a boyish-looking Li Yuchun briefly won fans with her style. She also sparked debate about how women should dress in a conservative society. Held back by worry about a social backlash, the music industry had stayed away from marketing 'handsome girl' acts until 2016.

See more of : FFC-Acrush