Produce Pandas (Chinese: 熊猫堂; pinyin: Xíong Māo Táng; fully stylized as 熊猫堂 ProducePandas) is a Chinese boy group dubbed as "China's first plus-size boy band" formed and managed by DMDF Entertainment, which was set up under Simply Joy Music to specifically manage plus-sized groups.[1] The group, consisting of five members: Chen Dingding(DING), Cui Yunfeng(Otter), Qi Ha(Husky), Shi Qijun(Mr. 17) and Ka Si(Cass), made their debut on July 28, 2020, with their single "La La La".[2]
熊猫堂ProducePandas | |
|---|---|
 ProducePandas at MiGu Music in October 2021 From left to right: Cass, Otter, DING, Husky and Mr. 17 | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as | ProducePandas |
| Origin | Beijing, China |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 2020-present |
| Labels | DMDF Entertainment | Simply Joy Music |
| Members |
|
Background
editThe idea for Produce Pandas came in 2018 when their parent label Simply Joy Music decided to form a boy group that breaks the "aesthetic stereotypes" perpetuated by the idol industry in an effort to create role models who are ordinary and relatable to their fans.[3][4] The management noticed that idol groups in the market tend to have a lot of similarities in terms of physical build, style and temperament.[5] This gives form to the stereotype that all idols have to be thin, young and fair-skinned.[6] Produce Pandas aim to become idols centered around being more "rotund and approachable" instead of the cool and handsome demeanor sported by boy groups.[7]
History
editFormation and pre-debut activities
editScouts and notices were sent out to recruit plus-sized men, and out of the approximate 300 candidates who auditioned, 5 were picked for the final lineup after months of testing and eliminations in the form of weekly, monthly and quarterly assessments.[1][8][9]
The chosen members came from various backgrounds and gave up their jobs, ranging from Amazon customer service to petroleum refinery worker to start their full-time training for Produce Pandas, with their oldest member being 30 years old at the time of joining.[10][11]
While three of the members have experience in singing, only one came from a dancing background. The group underwent intense "K-pop style" training in order to match the industry standards in terms of performance skills.[2][12]
2020: Debut album A.S.I.A, first concert
editAfter their initial debut, they followed up with three more songs and then released their first album A.S.I.A on 15 October.[13] It is their only album to have a music video for each song. It was originally intended to have the videos filmed at various places all over Asia, but due to the COVID-19 outbreak, many of the videos were filmed back in Beijing. The music video of Sui Sui Nian (碎碎念) was filmed in Bali, Indonesia.[14]
On November 22, Produce Pandas held a concert in Chengdu.[15]
On December 18, the group announced their fandom name (Panda Keeper), official group colour #FF0000 and individual members' official colours on a Weibo post.[16]
2021: Youth with You, Stand Up EP, second album Emo了, national tour
editProduce Pandas competed on the third season of Chinese reality show Youth with You, where Ding and Otter managed to pass the first elimination before finishing at 52 and 42 respectively.[17]
Shortly after the show on May 13, Produce Pandas released their single and music video "Dream".[18]
Produce Pandas announced their first EP Stand Up, which was released on May 28 along with a music video for the title track two days later.[19]
On July 28, Produce Pandas released a single "The ONE" for their one year anniversary, which came in a Chinese version and a Japanese version with a music video for both tracks, as well as their second concert on July 30 which featured their debut performance of "The ONE", in Beijing.[20]
In September, their company teased the title track of their second studio album, to be revealed on September 28 as "Free Fall", with a music video following two days later. The album, Emo了, was announced to be released on October 15, featuring six new tracks and four selected tracks. Another track of the album, "Victims", received two music videos centered around self-harm (Non suicidal self injury) to raise awareness on issues of mental health and self-harm. A national tour was also announced with the album release, scheduled for Shanghai, Chengdu and Guangzhou, on 24 October, 30 October and 18 December, respectively.[21] The Chengdu concert was initially postponed to 20 November, then cancelled altogether as a precaution due to a resurgence of COVID-19 cases in the area.[22]
Produce Pandas performed on 23 October in The Night of Unlimited Power live concert along "Real Me · 动感地带 2021来电之夜" with other artists like Chris Lee and Mao BuYi.[23]
2022: Singles Best of You, Cosmic Anthem and second Extended Play Love Best Before
editProduce Pandas released their second single Best of You (冲刺) on April 6.
On May 20, Produce Pandas took part in the 2022 Bilibili Dancing Festival by performing a vocal and dance cover of the official theme song Heartbeat Spectrum The credits of that song hinted at a new member by the title of "Panda Trainee" as part of the backing vocals in the cover.
During their livestream on May 29, Produce Pandas announced that they are releasing a new song on the 31st of May, revealed to be part of their second extended play Love Best Before, which would contain a mix of solo and group tracks. The five solo tracks were dropped over the span of three weeks until the official release of the full EP on June 21. The EP includes a solo track by the Panda Trainee, who was initially rumored to join the line up which lead to backlash from fans. Ray Xi, the group's agent, made an announcement regarding speculations of the alleged sixth member. The trainee, whose identity remains undisclosed, is said to be part of Produce Panda's "Panda Trainee system" where he will serve as a substitute member in the event of long term absence of a panda (such as from health issues or solo activities) for commercial events while still receiving support for long term development from the company. [24]
TEAM Entertainment, Produce Panda's japanese label, announced a single to be released on August 31. The single's lead track includes Cosmic Anthem, sung in both chinese and japanese versions, as well as 手紙 Tegami (transl. "Letter"), a japanese version of their A.S.I.A song You Raise Me Up.
Member
edit| Members | Native Name | Role | Date of birth | Place of birth | Color | Emoji | Previous Job |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DING / Chen Dingding | 陈鼎鼎 | Group Leader | August 16, 1994 | Wuhan, Hubei | #ECC7CD | 🐷 | Plus-size model |
| Otter / Cui Yunfeng | 崔云峰 | Main Vocals | March 9, 1998 | Panjin, Liaoning | #FFFFFF | 🍚 | Amazon customer service |
| Husky / Qi Ha | 七哈 | Lead Vocals | February 5, 1995 | Haicheng, Liaoning | #69B3E7 | 🐳 | Project manager IT |
| Mr. 17 / Shi Qi Jun | 十七君 | Main Dancer | November 1, 1989 | Yangzhou, Jiangsu | #FFA94D | 🍊 | Oil worker |
| Cass / Ka Si | 卡斯 | Lead Vocals | May 27, 1991 | Lianyungang, Jiangsu | #43D62C | 🌵 | Pub singer |
Discography
editStudio albums
edit| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| A.S.I.A |
Track listing
|
| Emo了 |
Track listing
|
| W.O.R.L.D. |
Track Listing
|
Extended plays
edit| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| Stand UP 《大惊小怪》 |
Track Listing
|
| Love Best Before《爱的赏味期限》 |
Track Listing
|
Singles
edit| Title | Album Details |
|---|---|
| COSMIC ANTHEM/手紙 |
Track Listing
|
Promotional Singles
edit| Title | Year | Note | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Great Dream / 伟大的梦想 | 2020 | Charity Song for Beijing Give Socially Responsible Development centre[25] | - |
| The World of Foodie Masters / 饕餮人间 | 2020 | Promotion song for Poetic China Season 3 /《诗意中国》第三季推广曲 / | Emo了 |
| Qi Bu Long Dong Qiang / 七步隆咚呛 | 2021 | - | - |
| Dream / 以梦为马 | 2021 | - | Stand Up |
| The Meaning of Being Together / 在一起的意义 | 2021 | Simply Joy Music Anniversary Single | - |
| The ONE | 2021 | One year anniversary single | Emo了 |
| A Vision of Eternity / 一眼万年 | 2021 | Original song by S.H.E, Part of a cover album with various artists | 《青春重置计划5 - 请回答1999》 |
| Best of You / 冲刺 | 2022 | - | - |
| COSMIC ANTHEM/手紙 | 2022 | First Japanese Single | COSMIC ANTHEM/手紙 |
| Good Night World / 世界晚安 | 2022 | -Chinese version/ Thai version/Piano version | - |
| Next Year Go Go Go / 明年也要好好长大 | 2022 | - | - |
| 320 萬年傳 Rua Ta Ta | 2023 | with Instrumental version, DJ version | - |
| Wherever We Go / 世界所有的爛漫 | 2023 | with Instrumental version | - |
Media appearances
editTV Appearance
edit| Broadcast time | Channel | Name of the program | Member Participated |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | |||
| 14 September | CCTV-15 | Music On the Cloud / 云端音乐季 | Group |
| 25 December | HuNan TV | Sing or Spin Season 2 / 嗨唱转起来 | Group |
| Shenzhen TV | Poetic China / 诗意中国 | Group | |
| CCTV-1 | Star Boulevard / 星光大道 | Group | |
| 2021 | |||
| 3 January | CCTV-3 | I Want To Be In Spring Festival Gala / 我要上春晚 | Group |
| 27 June | GuangDong TV | Great Experience / 见多识广 | Group |
| 26 July | CCTV-3 | SuperStar Ding Dong/ 开门大吉 | Group |
| 23 August | CCTV-3 | SuperStar Ding Dong/ 开门大吉 | Group |
| 25/26 September | Shenzhen TV | Boom Happy Valley / 夏日冲击波 | DING/Cass |
| 2022 | |||
| 30 January | CCTV-4 | Universal Show / 环球综艺秀 | Group |
| 15 February | CCTV-15 | Television Gramophone / 影视留声机 | Otter |
| 4 May | CCTV-15 | China Beat / 中国节拍 | Group |
| 27 May | CCTV-15 | China Beat / 中国节拍 | Group |
| 31 May / 7 June | CCTV-3 | Happiness / 向幸福出发 | Group |
| 8 June | CCTV-15 | Television Gramophone / 影视留声机 | Otter |
| 19 August | CCTV-15 | China Beat / 中国节拍 | Group |
| 26 September | CCTV-3 | SuperStar Ding Dong/ 开门大吉 | Group |
| 24 October | CCTV-3 | SuperStar Ding Dong/ 开门大吉 | Group |
| 31 October | CCTV-3 | SuperStar Ding Dong/ 开门大吉 | Group |
| 12 November | CCTV-4 | Universal Show / 环球综艺秀 | Group |
| 12 November | CCTV-1 | Star Boulevard / 星光大道 | Group |
| 20 November | CCTV-3 | SuperStar Ding Dong/ 开门大吉 | Group |
| 28 November | CCTV-3 | SuperStar Ding Dong/ 开门大吉 | Group |
Filmography
editWeb dramas
edit| Year | Name | Member | Role | Notes | Streaming Platform |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Campus Ace 王牌校草 | Husky | Wang Tongqing 王同庆 | Supporting role | WeTV 腾讯视频 |
| 2022 | My little chef 厨妻当道 | Cass | Zhan Yunxi 詹云熙 | Supporting role | WeTV 腾讯视频 |
Group Variety Show
edit| Year | Name | Streaming Platform |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Pop up！Pandas！熊猫出没请注意 | WeTV 腾讯视频 |
Awards
edit| Year | Category | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Discover Happiness Musician Award/看见美好音乐人奖 | Won |
| Year | Category | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Eastern New Artist/ 东方新人奖 | Won |
Concert and tours
editReferences
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- ^ a b Yau, Elaine (2020-10-18). "This plus-size Chinese boy band is looking to make it big". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 2021-11-05.
- ^ Williams, Sophie (2021-10-14). "Produce Pandas: The plus-size musicians making waves in China". BBC News. Retrieved 2021-11-05.
- ^ Associated Press (2021-04-30). "China's 'Plus-size' boy band Produce Pandas seeks to inspire fans". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved 2021-11-07.
- ^ 苗正卿. "选秀变轨，偶像迷路". Weixin Official Accounts Platform (in Chinese). Retrieved 2021-11-07.
- ^ Law, Julienna (2021-05-12). "Are China's "Little Fresh Meat" Idols Losing Their Luster?". Jing Daily. Retrieved 2021-11-07.
- ^ General, Ryan. "Chinese 'chubby' idols Produce Pandas gain fans looking for relatable celebrities". news.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2021-11-07.
- ^ Cragg, Michael (2020-09-11). "Produce Pandas: China's all-singing, all-dancing, plus-sized boyband". the Guardian. Retrieved 2021-11-05.
- ^ "Why Can't the "Plus-Sized Boy Band" Taking China by Storm Just Be a Boy Band?". Yahoo!. 2021-05-01. Retrieved 2021-11-05.
- ^ Park, Juwon. "'Plus-size' boy band in China seeks to inspire fans". AP NEWS. Retrieved 2021-11-08.
- ^ CHAW, KENNETH. "Meet ProducePandas: China's first plus-sized boyband". The Star. Retrieved 2021-11-05.
- ^ "Meet Produce Pandas, China's first chubby boy band 'for the ordinary'". l!fe • The Philippine Star. Retrieved 2021-11-07.
- ^ Hong, Alex (2021-03-10). "Why China's Produce Pandas Are More Than Just a 'Big' Deal". Sixth Tone.
- ^ 熊貓堂 ProducePandas【碎碎念 Sui Sui Nian】Official Music Video, retrieved 2021-11-08
- ^ a b "熊猫堂《A.S.I.A.》感恩首唱会来了！_专辑". www.sohu.com. Retrieved 2021-11-09.
- ^ a b "Produce Pandas official Weibo Account". passport.weibo.com. Retrieved 2021-11-09.
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- ^ "Produce Pandas official Weibo Account". passport.weibo.com. Retrieved 2021-11-09.
- ^ a b "熊猫堂新专辑海外获佳绩 展现华语音乐影响力_文化". www.sohu.com. Retrieved 2021-11-07.
- ^ "DMDF official Weibo Account". passport.weibo.com. Retrieved 2021-11-09.
- ^ 任, 宏伟. "李宇春亮相"来电之夜"：期待下月在家乡成都的个唱_白举纲". www.sohu.com. Retrieved 2021-11-09.
- ^ "动态-哔哩哔哩". t.bilibili.com. Retrieved 2022-06-26.
- ^ "Produce Pandas - 'Charity Ambassadors' of 51Give - 51give.org". en.51give.org. Retrieved 2021-11-08.