Even more than 24 hours after it ended, TFBOYS' "Decade Promise" concert remains a hot topic on the internet. Hashtags about the concert's duration, their message on Happy Camp, and the concert's impact have kept the event at the center of online discussions.
Discussion about this concert began nearly two weeks ago.
Ever since TFBOYS' official Weibo account announced on July 21 that they'd be holding the "Decade Promise" concert in Xi'an on August 6, the boy band, which hadn't performed together for over three years, frequently topped Weibo's trending list. Ticket sales, promotions, new albums, posters, meet-ups, and rehearsals related to the concert were thoroughly covered online. Ticketing platforms were flooded with fans. As of July 31, during the concert's second ticket release, Damai, the ticketing platform, reported over 6.79 million interested attendees. For context, during the May Day holiday, Jay Chou's concert attracted 5.32 million interested fans. Once the tickets were released, more than 30,000 sold out in a blink, with some rumors suggesting scalpers marked up prices to 2 million yuan per ticket.
Capitalizing on the momentum, TFBOYS' management company, Time Fengjun, released a commemorative album titled "Decade," priced at 168 yuan per copy. By August 31, even if only 100,000 albums were sold, the company would have earned more than 10 million yuan.
The concert's ripple effect was equally evident.
Youku, a streaming platform, had exclusive rights to broadcast the event. They offered two different priced packages: 39 yuan for a main stage view and 99 yuan for views from all camera angles, with the viewing access available until August 9, 2024. According to Youku's official statistics, over 2 million people reserved to watch the live broadcast, with a peak of 1.68 million concurrent viewers. The total interactions surpassed 100 million, setting a new record for 2023 online events. Even if every viewer chose the 39-yuan package, the streaming revenue would be approximately 65.52 million yuan.
Xi'an, the concert's location, briefly became a travel hotspot. Xi'an tourism reports indicated a significant rise in online accommodation bookings compared to the same period last year, especially between August 6 and 7. Bookings surged by 738%, resulting in ticket revenue of 35.76 million yuan and contributing over 416 million yuan to the local tourism sector.
One reason for the concert's unprecedented popularity was that this year marked the 10th anniversary of the band's debut. Furthermore, not only was this TFBOYS' first reunion in three years, but it might also be their last performance as a group.
In 2013, when discussing "idols," many thought of South Korean artists. That changed on August 6, when Time Fengjun introduced Wang Junkai, Wang Yuan, and Yi Yangqianxi as the idol group TFBOYS, releasing their debut album "Heart: Dream Starts." Their significance became apparent in 2014 when they won awards at the Music V Chart Awards, overtaking the then-popular K-pop group, SJ-M. Subsequent appearances on influential TV shows like Happy Camp solidified their position as household names.
By 2017, Time Fengjun's leader, during an interview, noted the challenges the group faced. Their unparalleled success as TFBOYS overshadowed their individual identities, putting them at a disadvantage in one-on-one competitions with their peers. Additionally, the centralized resource allocation and collaboration for the group led to opaque resource distribution, pushing for a shift toward individual studios.
Post-2020, their annual concerts ceased due to pandemic-related concerns, and their last performance as a group was that year's Spring Festival Gala.
Although Times Fengjun has repeatedly denied the news of TFBOYS' disbandment, the paths of the three members began to diverge after they each set up their own personal studios. Wang Junkai and Yi Yangqianxi were admitted to Beijing Film Academy and Central Academy of Drama respectively, choosing acting as their career path, while Wang Yuan, who was admitted to Berklee College of Music, focused on music. Wang Junkai starred in films such as "Broken Bridge" and "Long Journey Home" as well as TV dramas like "China's Dreams Illuminate" and "Rebirth Gate". Yi Yangqianxi gained recognition as a skilled actor due to his performances in series and films like "The Longest Day in Chang'an", "Better Days", "Battle at Lake Changjin", and "Fury Over the River". Wang Yuan released albums and singles, including "Summer Field".
After no longer relying on Times Fengjun for stages and resources, the three began to distance themselves from the group and the company. According to Tianyancha, Wang Junkai holds 80% and 100% of the shares in Beijing Junsheng Cultural Development Co., Ltd. and Zhenjiang Junkai Cultural Media Center respectively. Wang Yuan is associated with four companies, with two still operational. Yi Yangqianxi is a shareholder of Beijing Jiiumu De Cultural Development Co., Ltd.
The decade of TFBOYS is also the decade when Times Fengjun rose from obscurity to fame. After the success of TFBOYS, Times Fengjun tried to launch new idol groups under the "TF Family" IP. Typhoon Boys was another attempt at the "idol cultivation" model. However, their debut concert sold fewer than 1,500 tickets. In 2019, Typhoon Boys were restructured to become Times Boys, and the second-generation members of the "TF Family" are now active in variety shows such as "Ace vs. Ace" and "All Members Accelerating". They might have a promising future, but they haven't achieved the same fame as TFBOYS did at their age.
"Their success is irreplicable," said the head of Times Fengjun in a recent interview. "Looking back at the initial popularity of TFBOYS, I believe it was a matter of being at the right place at the right time."
After the twists and turns of the second-generation group, Times Fengjun is still exploring a replicable male group cultivation model. In a public interview, the head of Times Fengjun summarized the lessons of managing male groups into three points: "First, fans are attracted by quality content... so the success of an idol (male group) ultimately depends on the quality content they can produce. Second, for a male group to last, internal unity is essential... Third, besides appearance and skills, ambition, dedication, and self-discipline are extremely important."
However, these are the dilemmas faced by both TFBOYS and Times Boys. In terms of content, although TFBOYS had popular songs like "Youth Training Manual", they still lacked high-quality group music pieces. And Times Boys don't even have a breakout song. In terms of groups, while TFBOYS have established their studios and developed independently, the members of Times Boys, who are still active as a group, are scattered across different variety shows.
Compared to producing quality content and ensuring group activities, training someone to become a flawless idol is a greater challenge for Times Fengjun's cultivation system. The "cultivation system" model, while strengthening the bond between fans and idols, also places a higher emotional burden on the idols themselves. Whether it was Wang Yuan, who came under public scrutiny for smoking in 2019, or Ma Jiaqi of Times Boys, who was questioned and lost fans because of his college entrance examination score of 307, appearance, behavior, and academics are all part of the "cultivation system" idol career. Not meeting fans' expectations in any aspect is perceived as a lack of dedication.
Regardless, Times Fengjun's exploration for new groups continues.
On August 8th, the day after the TFBOYS "Ten Year Promise" concert, Times Boys announced that they would hold the "Outside the Building" concert in Qingdao on August 19th and 20th. The head of Times Fengjun also revealed in a recent interview that the "TF Family" third-generation trainee project has been launched, expected to debut in the summer of 2024. This third-generation group will adopt an operational model closer to foreign boy bands, focusing on fans and stages, without transitioning members to acting roles prematurely.
However, focusing solely on stage performances might not be a good strategy for mainland idol groups. On the same weekend as the TFBOYS' "Ten Year Promise" concert, Siba Media also held its tenth-anniversary concert. Meanwhile, SNH48, which primarily focuses on stage performances, is declining. Apart from Ju Jingyi, no other member has gained significant popularity, and even Ju Jingyi gained fame for her appearance and style rather than her stage performances.
Moreover, shows like "Idol Producer" and "Produce 101" in 2018 made talent competitions the most efficient way to produce idols. The South Korean trainee model brought more idols to the Chinese entertainment industry. The idol market is saturated, and Times Fengjun still has to compete with companies like Wajijiwa, Yuehua Entertainment, and even Ciwen Media and Huace Film & TV for the fan economy market.
