MUSIC

Wildest Dream: What Taylor Swift Means To Her Chinese Fans

Five Chinese “Swifties” explain how they fell in love with the American popstar, and what she taught them about life

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The Stories That Shaped China’s Music Industry in 2023

AI singers, lip-synching, wars over tickets, chaotic music festivals…the biggest music news of the year in China

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Rock is Not Dead in Xinxiang, China’s Former Capital of Rock ‘n’ Roll

Nearly 30 years after it hosted “China’s Woodstock,” a small central Chinese city is still home to a music culture that rocks in its own way

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The Kids Who Rocked China

In “Rocking China,” Shanghai-based historian Andrew Field looks back at a momentous period of the underground music scene in Beijing

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Post-Pandemic, Are Chinese Music Lovers Ready to Rock Again?

Music festivals in China are back after the pandemic hiatus. But inflated prices, poor site management, and a lack of diverse lineups leaves attendees disappointed

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Will Singapore’s Mandopop Scene Ever Flourish Again?

Singapore artists used to be Mandopop royalty, but new acts are struggling to make a breakthrough

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East Meets West Africa: The Growing Popularity of Afrobeats

From the first Afrobeat album to the first Afrobeat festival, the genre has been quietly making inroads in China’s music market

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For the Record: How a War Refugee Built His Vinyl Haven in Hong Kong

Record store owner Paul Au has escaped the Vietnam War, slept in the streets, and weathered two pandemics to pursue his passion for vinyl

MUSIC

Is China’s Boy Band Boom Over?

Ten years ago, TFBoys spurred a boom in Chinese boy bands. But now fan fatigue, investor apathy, and the pandemic threaten to burst the pop star bubble.

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Navigating Cultures Through Hip Hop

Chinese American hip hop artist Bohan Phoenix reaches beyond his “in-between identity” to craft new sounds