Meigeni Express

Kris Wu: Fame is no doubt a double edged sword. I now consider people wanting to observe my every move as a norm, but I’m unable to get used to a life with no personal space. I know this is something that comes with fame, but I still can’t adapt to it.

Virgil Abloh: The way I measure how famous a person is, I usually look at how high the chances are for them to get interrupted. For a singer like Kris Wu, his music gets widely spread, so as soon as he leaves the door of his home, the chances of him getting interrupted is extremely high. I’m not as famous as Kris Wu, but because I design shoes and clothes, covering a wide range, it is also very easy for me to be interrupted when I go out.

Kris Wu: I never put in too much thought about what fame is or what it represents. I’m just doing what I like or trying to make a change. If there’s a really cool thing but there’s something I don’t like about it, I’ll try to figure out how to fix that. I don’t really go on social media. When I’m resting, I don’t like others knowing where I am or what I’m doing.

Virgil Abloh: The social media version of myself is not my true self. I think of Instagram as an outlet. It allows us to promote what we are doing. It’s a social tool that shows how the current generation communicates, but I don’t think of it as something personal, nor is it my diary.

Kris Wu: No one taught me how to face being famous, nor will anyone teach you how to maintain it. So, how could anyone understand? They’re not me. My friends have also never experienced becoming famous. Honestly, after you actually get famous, you will feel differently about it. Life chose me so I need to find my own path. If I need a break, I will talk to my friends. Hanging out with my friends from high school is when I feel most relaxed. I could say anything and go back to being a normal person. Sometimes, I really envy them. They are living normal lives. They aren’t able to understand my life and I also may not understand the things they go through. Some of them are married with children, but I’m not. I don’t know what life after starting a family is like, but they’re also very curious about my life.

Virgil Abloh: People have a misconception about fame. They think that once your name is globally known, you’re just seeking attention. But that isn’t true. For example, if you chose to do music, you must accept the consequences of becoming famous. Of course, there are people who do it just to get famous, but I won’t comment on those. Most of the time, there is a side effect to becoming famous.

Kris Wu: I agree. Since my debut, whenever I see fans coming to see me, I get shocked. I would feel their passionate and loud cheers, but I’m used to it now. Life is just like that, I don’t have a choice.

Virgil Abloh: It’s a little different for me. I’m a designer, so if I disappear they’ll just stop production. Once you stop putting out new things into the world, people will just place their attention elsewhere and focus on other new things. This is actually what I plan on doing in the future. Fame is actually a drug. People may get addicted and rely on it for their self esteem. I’m not saying wanting to be famous is a bad thing— it’s not good or bad. It all depends on how you react to it.

Kris Wu: My idol when I was younger was Allen Iverson (basketball player). I used to want to put up posters of him all over my room, but my mom wouldn’t let me put anything up. I don’t know why. Iverson is very unique to me. I like his individuality. He never wore suits and only ever wore sportswear. That really appealed to me.

Virgil Abloh: Michael Jordan was my childhood idol and I like listening to hip hop artists from that era, like LA gangsta rap: Eazy-E, Wu Tang. I also liked skateboarding. I liked the skateboarder Stevie Williams. His oversized fashion style is very similar to Iverson. Because of Jordan, I wore Nikes, wide Dickies pants and graphic tees. In this generation of social media, people feel like they’re close to their idols. This isn’t anything new. Back then, I would buy an issue of Sports Illustrated for Jordan because I wanted to know everything about him. At the time, there was a huge distance between us and our idols so they were still able to live their own lives. But now my fans can go on my Instagram and just leave a comment or find out what I checked out or something. If I posted something from Paris Fashion Week, they will know where I am. If I posted a picture of me having lunch, a bunch of kids will immediately show up.

Kris Wu: Because of social media, the communications between idols and fans have become very different. When I was growing up, there was no way for me to interact with Iverson. But it is also thanks to social media that I’m able to meet you.

Virgil Abloh: When he followed my Instagram account, I suddenly gained 15,000 followers.

Kris Wu: I really like what he does. At the time, I was in Korea and no matter what he came out with, I’ll have my friend help me buy it. I swear, it’s true. Then, my friend told me that he really liked one of my pictures of me wearing his clothing brand and I didn’t even believe him. I only believed him after I saw he (Virgil) liked my post, so I started posting more pictures like that. Just like that, we started contacting each other and we would frequently exchange messages and pictures, but we never met in person.

Virgil Abloh: I’m also his fan. You can say we have mutual admiration, but that doesn’t mean I will invade his personal life. We respect each other’s lives and work. I’ve seen fans acting crazy, pushing around and wanting to take a picture with their idol. If you tell them “I don’t want to take a picture,” they will never believe you.

Kris Wu: I rarely take photos with fans. I always say no. It’s not because I don’t want to, but I think of it as cultural differences. In America it might be very carefree, but in China it’s very different. If I took a photo with one fan, another fan may feel very angry or jealous. If someone requests a photo with me, I will just reject the request. That’s my rule.

Virgil Abloh: I hope to avoid mobs. If someone brings a pair of shoes to me and asks for a signature, I’ll sign it. However, if they’re overly assertive, I’ll be wary of them. In public, not everyone is the same. If they are very aggressive it will affect others, so I don’t hope to waste my energy just to be a nice person.

Kris Wu: Taking pictures, signing autographs.. a lot of people think this is the duty of a celebrity.

Virgil Abloh: Imagine if you left this building to call an Uber and someone immediately runs up to you and loudly screams your name. I have friends who encounter these inconveniences every day. No one will just randomly invade a stranger’s personal space, but as soon as you’ve done something to change the world or gained some attention, there’s no going back. People will become obsessed and want to know more about you. They get to know you through your work and then try to find other connections to you.

Kris Wu: I want to be like everyone else. I want to walk on the streets like them. When I’m not facing cameras, I dress very casually. I want to naturally blend in (with society). In Western countries, I do my best to not go to Chinatown or Koreatown. I didn’t release an album in the West to become famous, I’m already very famous in China and it’s already difficult for me to get used to. I just want to show people from other countries that the new generation of young Chinese musicians and artists also have the ability to enter the Western market. I want to become a pioneer.

Episode 1 Download and stream: MEGA Streaming: Dailymotion (1, 2) [Password: girlsteam]

Episode 2 Download and stream: MEGA Streaming: Dailymotion (1, 2) [Password: hotseat]

Episode 3 Download and stream: MEGA Streaming: Dailymotion (1, 2) [Password: elimination]

Episode 4 Download and stream: MEGA Streaming: Dailymotion (1, 2) [Password: immortalwu]

Episode 5 Download and stream: MEGA Streaming: Dailymotion (1, 2) [Password: magnifyinglass]

Episode 6 Download and stream: MEGA Streaming: Dailymotion (1, 2) [Password: goldenbuzzer]

Episode 7 Download and stream: MEGA Streaming: Dailymotion (1, 2) [Password: freedom]

Episode 8 Download and stream: MEGA Streaming: Dailymotion (1, 2) [Password: smile]

“It’s a really important chart to any singer. To be able to enter into this chart is a great form of assurance. After working so hard, to be able to enter into the chart was not an easy feat.” When saying this, Kris Wu used his right hand to pat his own left shoulder, seemingly giving himself affirmation and encouragement.

In the past half year, this is one of two moments that left the deepest impression on Kris Wu. The second moment takes us back to one night in the spring. Around 1 o’clock in the morning, Kris Wu finally completed all the tracks on his first album. With a big stretch, there is a feeling of relief. To him, in the moment that the songs were completed they already have their own fate.

When describing these moments, Kris Wu had a calm expression on his face. However, the Kris Wu during the photoshoot displays something totally different. He wore clean jeans, a white t-shirt, and layers of gold chains. He has a habit in which he “must listen to music during photoshoots.” Within the couple hours of the photoshoot, an assistant was holding a bluetooth speaker around him, filling each minute of work with different types of rap music. After finishing a set of photos, Kris Wu instinctively moved his body along with the music as if the young man who would play basketball along to the beat of music on a basketball court in him was released.

In Kris Wu’s youth, he was migrating nonstop. From his maternal grandparents’ home in Gansu Baiyin, to Guangzhou, and later Vancouver, he continuously moved around and transferred to different schools. The love for basketball allowed Kris Wu, who was not good at communicating with others, to find a different form of communication. He began playing basketball day and night, at least six hours a day. Other than going to class and sleeping, he spent the rest of his time on the basketball court, unable to get away from wanting to hang on to a basketball. More than once, he has expressed in interviews that playing basketball was the first time he felt free.

Like many other young people who fell in love with basketball, Kris Wu once had a life goal of entering the NBA. At 15 years old, Kris Wu followed his mother and returned to Guangzhou for a year. He attended 9th grade at Guangzhou No.7 High School and became the captain of the school’s basketball team. That year, the most important thing in his life was still basketball. He lead his team to the Youth NBA China Competition and received first place in the Southern China region. The coach praised that he “is the best point guard”, becoming a professional basketball player did not seem to be an unrealistic goal.

In his mother’s eyes, playing basketball was “easy to become injured” and was “rather short-termed.” The moment his dream of becoming a professional basketball player completely shattered was when he requested his bone age to be determined and found he would not grow to 190cm. In addition, his injured ankle caused him to be unable to continue playing basketball. That was the first setback in his life. Ten years later, Kris Wu looked back on this basketball dream that he said goodbye to a long time ago and realized that other than this hope that basketball gave him in his youth, it also opened up a door to music and culture.

The basketball court is when Kris Wu first fell in love with hip hop music. Borrowing something Kris has said many times, “basketball is like a fifth element of hip hop.” Back then, he liked Allen Iverson whom was also involved in hip hop. Kris Wu then began listening to hip hop. “Since I was really young, I didn’t really know what I wanted to do. I just wanted to become a basketball player, but I thought that if I ever had a chance to make music in the future, I hoped I could make this genre of music.”

The first time he realized he had some musical talent was when he was around 16 or 17 years old. He tried composing and realized he was “pretty good at creating melodies.” “It’s like I had unlimited different melodies in my head. Just give me a random beat and I can give you many different melodies (to go with it).” It was then that Kris Wu realized he may have some talent in this area.

Now, when talking about his own musical capabilities, Kris Wu believes he has been gifted and has some natural talent. He writes songs quickly, taking about one hour to compose a melody and create a structure for the song. He then takes about one day to write the lyrics, without the need to find inspiration. “To me, composing a melody is very simple. I’ve always considered this as one of my skills. To me, it’s a very natural process. Plus, I know what kind of melody I want myself.”

He is also thankful that he was born with very good ears. “A pair of good ears is very important to a musician. Your feeling toward the music and whether you are able to distinguish between music that sounds good or bad is very important. After completing a song, you may think it sounds really good in the moment, but will other people think it sounds good? You may think it sounds good now, but will you think it still sounds just as good tomorrow? After listening to it ten times, will you still think it sounds good? This needs to be determined by a pair of good ears. When it comes to this, I believe I have a unique sense.”

When talking about his talents, Kris Wu’s confidence shined on his face. He didn’t pretend to be modest or cover up his satisfaction toward himself. As a celebrity, this kind of honestly may rub people the wrong way, but in the words of hip hop, this is “keeping it real.”

Self

In regards to reality and self, Kris Wu has his own views.

In 2014, he returned to China to expand his career, facing a completely different entertainment industry and culture compared to overseas. Fan culture was rising; liking an idol was no longer limited to buying albums and attending concerts. The standards were also starting to get more complicated.

In a generation chasing after box office and online view numbers, the data created by fans quickly allowed Kris Wu to become the actor that all different genres of movies wanted to invite to their project. When presented with so many opportunities, Kris Wu began to feel overwhelmed.  

“The Chinese movie industry is developing extremely well. It was booming during that time, everyone was making movies and there were many, many opportunities. Each one seemed really good, so it was difficult to reject them.”

From 2014 to 2016, he filmed 11 movies nonstop. Whether satisfying or regretful movie projects, Kris Wu has encountered both. The media and fans were able to get a taste of the characteristics that compliment Kris Wu through the different roles he has played. Although he always appeared before everyone as an “actor,” Kris knew that he would eventually return to the music that he wanted to make. “I always knew that there would be the day that I make the music I want to make; that I would spend time on it. I was always waiting for that opportunity.”

In 2016, he went to Los Angeles to organize a “Writing Camp.” He invited producers and went into “brainstorming” style songwriting, practically creating new works daily. This style of songwriting seems to have not been attempted by a musician from China before. Both “July” and the later released “Deserve” were works from that writing camp.

Talking about this “impulsiveness” from two years ago, Kris Wu is completely unable to remember this turning point. “Basically I just always wanted to go make music in Los Angeles. I also always wanted to spend time making music. At the time, I was just naively thinking it is time to let our friends in China and my fans listen to the music that I want to make, not just music made for movie soundtracks or other promotional music. I guess I just so happened to have time then and decided to go for it.”

November 2016, his single “July” was released. Music critic Zou Xiaoying thought that the song gave her a pleasant surprise: “Pure future bass, typical drop set up. Kris Wu exhibits the attentive and gentle side of himself wrapped in Kawai instrumentals, like the smile of a young female killer.” A few months later, he released another single “Juice.” Music critics often talked about this song that includes ambient music, R&B and trap, in conjunction with the works of Drake.

To Kris, no matter if it’s July or Juice’s style/composition, they’re very trendy in the west. However, it is not very popular within China. He did not put in too much consideration at the time on whether releasing such a song with such a new trending sound would be getting too ahead of himself. “Those who understand it will definitely understand, but there are a lot of people who don’t, and that’s a fact. Hip hop music was never mainstream in China. Melodic rap is actually very similar to pop music so I wanted to introduce this new style to everyone as I felt that this genre of music had a lot of potential and was suitable for the lifestyles of the younger generation (of China), like myself. It’s got a bit more attitude.”

Other than “making his own music,” going to Los Angeles gave him a chance to take a break from life. In China, all his schedules are packed by the hour and his time is taken up by different events. When asked “how does it feel to be busy?” he once gave quite a philosophical answer. “Numb. I feel numb to time.” In 2016 during an interview for a movie promotion, someone asked him whether he would still play basketball with friends. He gave a definite answer without hesitation. “The reason I insist on going out to play basketball is because I’m afraid I will lose the sense of having a normal life. If a person lives every day in a world as a celebrity under flashing lights they will eventually faint. So, I must find a sense of real life.”

During the time when he was producing in Los Angeles, Kris Wu found the sense of time again, as well as the feeling of real life.

“I’m able to hang out with friends, go out together, walk on the streets, drive around, do whatever.” Thinking back on it now, he feels that his “escape” was full of bravery. “Because at the time, when you are already in that position, you will feel like it is difficult to leave. It’s like a spell. A lot of people are unable to leave and many will just continue to work like robots nonstop, eventually withering away.” (T/N: He’s talking about leaving China to go work in Los Angeles during the peak of his career)

Kris obviously wasn’t willing to accept “withering away.” Other than music, he is unable to hide his passions for other things in life: like cars and fashion.

He has liked cars since he was young, this love did not fade even until this day. Amongst his peers, he was one of the first to be able to drive.

Compared to his passion for cars, his love for fashion is even more obvious. Fashion is a field that Kris Wu finds great importance in. Other than starting trends, for a long period of time, fashion, like basketball, was a form of expression for him. Every night before he had a flight, no matter how tired he was, Kris would carefully choose his outfit. Not every look was cool, but it was definitely something he liked. Kris is happy when he sees fans comment, “Kris Wu will only be handsome when he wants to be handsome.” It meant that he had a say when it came to this.

Yet, in most areas, having a say was not something easy to achieve. In the first two years after returning to China, he was always busy and you couldn’t really say he was happy. “I guess everyone likes to see the world through colored lenses.” One example is something Gao Xiaosong once expressed: many people would jump to conclusions solely based on Kris Wu’s appearance. They thought of him as a superficial idol --- including Gao Xiaosong himself. Up until now, Kris is naturally still sensitive toward the talks about “appearance.” For example, when talking about the North American auditions for The Rap of China, he immediately denied that he would look at their appearance. “I don’t look at appearance. Appearances have nothing to do with this program. This program is completely based on talent. I want to find a contestant that can create new things.”

For a long period of time, Kris didn’t receive acknowledgment for his own talents. “I used to think that as long as you work hard, you could gain respect from others and they won’t doubt you. But in the end, I found that that no matter how hard you work, people will still doubt you.” When evaluating himself, Kris believes there are a few times where he changed. “At first, I had to make everyone like me or something like that. And later, it was like, no. I may not be able to make everyone like me, but I had to prove myself to you all through my hard work and make you see how great I am. It was really naive.”

He found differences from the Western artists he liked. Drake, a hip hop artist whom the media often compares Kris to, was born in 1986, only a few years older than Kris. The artist whom Kris collaborated with for Deserve, Travis Scott, was born in 1992 and just turned 26 this year. These two have been big names in the music industry for a while now. Looking back at China, Kris Wu feels that no matter how hard he works, he cannot become a “legend” like them (in China).

“It’s not an issue with age nor is it a personal issue. Everyone is just busy doing their own things. Every day, there’s a new artist and there will always be newcomers entering the industry. It’s easy to get popular and there are different ways to become popular. This seems like a situation that is difficult to change. I’m not saying this is anyone’s fault, it’s definitely not anyone’s fault.”

In the recent two years, he feels that he has finally thought it through. He will no longer get distressed or angry because of someone else’s opinion. “I know that no matter how I do it, there will always be doubts. So in this case, you must do what you want to do. I live for myself. As long as I’m living happily, it’s enough. I take responsibility for my own work. I take responsibility for the people who like me. My work is centered on this point. Besides, my work isn’t made for everyone. If you like this music, listen to it; if you don’t like it, then this song wasn’t written for you.”

Collaboration

As if it was an echo from certain thoughts, in April of this year, Kris Wu and Universal Music signed a global exclusive record deal. To put it simply, this contract means that Universal Music will try to promote a Chinese artist’s hip hop music to the world.

Before signing the contract, Kris already got the best achievement a Chinese artist could get on the iTunes charts. His English single from January 2017 “Juice” reached #28 on the US iTunes Chart; October’s “Deserve” reached #1 on both the US iTunes Chart and US iTunes Hip-Hop/Rap Chart within 2 hours.

His single “Deserve” was a collaboration with Travis Scott. The collaboration happened by chance. A friend of his knew Travis Scott and knew Kris really admired him, so he mentioned Kris Wu’s “writing camp” and asked if Scott was interested in meeting “the Chinese version of you.”

Scott, who was in New York, flew to Los Angeles the next day. The studio they used was one that Michael Jackson once recorded in. The friends whom Kris collaborated with for the writing camp were also there, making Kris feel a sense of holiness. Everyone was chatting and listening to music when they mentioned that they did not finish “Deserve” yet. “When Travis came, I let him listen to my song. After he heard it, he said ‘I want to collaborate with you for this song.’” Then, the two of them quickly penned the chorus together, spending only one day to complete it.

He and Pharrell Williams also came very natural. Pharrell needed to go to Shanghai for the “Tmall Double 11” Concert and wanted to find a Chinese artist to collaborate with. He wanted to to add a part in Chinese to his song, so he found Kris. “I went to the studio to help him with that part and finished it in 20 minutes. After recording, I let him listen to it and he liked it so that was it. At that time, he asked me if I wanted him to help me with another song and I said of course.”

It is not until the collaborations are complete that Kris Wu believes he himself is lucky. It was only when he sent out a message to Scott to thank him that he realized he never discussed money with Travis Scott. Even Travis Scott’s flight ticket was purchased by himself. Facing a legend like Pharrell, he also never felt like there was a difference in “level.” He feels that this partially has to do with his luck and partially to do with his own communication skills. “Everything depends on communication. Since I don’t have a problem with the English language, I am able to directly communicate with them. If there was a translator between us, it would be a big barrier. So I’m actually rather lucky that I am able to directly communicate with them.”

Although it seems to be successful collaborations, there are areas that Kris is regretful for. No matter if it was Travis Scott or Pharrell Williams, they know close to nothing about the Chinese music market. “Honestly speaking, they don’t really know any Chinese singers. They aren’t even able to say one name.”

After signing with Universal Music, Kris Wu accepted many English interviews with the media. In these interviews, Kris Wu repeatedly says: “I make hip hop. I’m a composer as well as a producer. I’m from China and I want to become a bridge between the East and West through music.”

Facing Chinese media, he repeatedly emphasizes that he is “the first person to eat crab.” He ambitiously looks forward to what the future holds. “If I can be successful in this, it will definitely bring in a chain and make more companies want to sign Chinese artists.”

The first time we interviewed Kris Wu, he had just returned to China and had the politeness and formality of a rookie. The second time we interviews Kris Wu was at the premiere of the movie he starred in, <Mr. Six>. He has thoroughly remolded himself, like a sword being drawn, the glisten of the edges unable to be hidden.

In the airport’s VIP waiting room, Kris Wu showed two special performances. Firstly, he put his left hand over his right hand and began shaking all over. He then stopped, looked at The Paper’s reporter and made a face, “I was performing as a Parkinson’s patient.” Right after, he changed into a big gold chain wearing triad leader at a restaurant, reached out his hand and started banging on the table, “why isn’t the food here yet!”

The first time he saw Kris Wu, Stephen Chow was once doubtful. Would this seemingly proper and clever boy have idol burden? Kris Wu used the above two performances to prove that he could “let loose.” Next, he received the opportunity of a cameo in Stephen Chow’s new movie <Mermaid>.

The staff carried in a bag of KFC and Kris pretty much growled as he jumped up, “KFC! It’s too suitable for my tastes!” Watching everyone eat as he himself had to do an interview, he could only swallow a mouthful of saliva, “(sigh) too tempting…”

“Don’t you need to manage your figure?” the reporter asked. “Recently I’ve been working out, I don’t purposely control my weight, they always tell me, you’re an idol, you must control….” Kris stared at the fried chicken and tightly grasped the front of his own shirt, “I can only say I’ll do my best, I’ll do my best… but people still need to eat. Plus I’m a foodie, if you don’t let me eat I’ll be so sad….”

February 2015, his first movie <Somewhere Only We Know> came to Shanghai for promotions, Kris Wu wore a coat that looked like it was half a size too big and had a neatly combed down fringe. In the movie, he played a handsome and rich cellist. At the time, all the reporters knew about him was pretty much just “little fresh meat.” The questions that surrounded him were basically: “You’re so handsome, what is your biggest frustration?”

December 2015, after completing the Shanghai stop of the Mr. Six national promotional tour, Kris was nearly barefaced; casually taking off his hat, fitted jacket, and Chelsea boots and wearing an athletic branded down jacket over a black t-shirt. The shoelaces of his sneakers that were halfway on were untied but he shrugged it off. He casually sat on the sofa’s armrest and leaned back like a carefree koala.

Eyes, nose, and lips were all still him, but because of a confidence that came out from within, it gave off an illusion that his appearance has changed.

“After <Mr. Six> was released in theaters, more and more people call me “Xiao Fei.” I always get so happy! Because they are starting to not only like me, but my character!” Kris said in a friendly tone, unable to contain his excitement.

“Since the last time we met a while ago, I’ve grown old.” Kris half jokingly, yet half seriously sighed. Actually, 10 months isn’t considered a long time, it’s just that time moves quickly and he moves even faster than time — in 2015, he filmed 7 movies, went to fashion week, became a music producer, and was recently revealed to be acting in international famous director Luc Besson’s new movie, <Valerian>.

<Mr. Six> is Kris Wu’s second movie to officially meet with the public. He plays Xiao Fei, a young man who appears to be rebellious and unruly but has Jianghu* in his heart, like the character Ah Fei in <Xiao Li Fei Dao>. Kris Wu in Guan Hu’s eyes is also like this. Although he is filial and good in front of his mother, he is still hiding a tameless side in his bones, “If you only think of him as an idol, that’s really a waste.” *(translator note: Jianghu refers to an “underworld” in which chivalry, loyalty, and brotherhood is heavily emphasized)

Guan Hu once asked another actor from <Mr. Six>, Li Yifeng, “Are you Southern boys not hot blooded?” The reporter asked Kris Wu the very same question and successfully “lit” him up, “I don’t agree with this, I’m really hot blooded. When I’m playing basketball, if the opponent plays really dirty I would lay it down with him.” We almost forgot that this Guangzhou born boy, who went to Canada at 10 years old and received first place in the Youth NBA Southern China Region Championship at 15 years old, once had a dream of becoming a professional basketball player.

He coincidentally entered the entertainment business yet has the most “luxurious” sources out of his peers: after returning to China for a year and a half, Kris Wu received opportunities to work with Xu Jinglei, Guan Hu, Feng Xiaogang, Stephen Chow, Tsui Hark, Luc Besson, as well as other directors. Through the transition from being an idol star to a creative star, change is inevitable— the cursing and smoking in <Mr. Six> was only the beginning. Performing in <Journey to the West>, directed by Tsui Hark and produced by Stephen Chow, he shaved his head and gained weight for the role. In the movie, he is dressed in ragged clothes and “flying here and there from getting beat up.”

His personality is also displayed in his unique fashion sense. For example, during Paris Fashion Week’s wavy fringe and the long purple wig he wore at the airport. He likes hip hop culture and released a song consisting of internet slang, Bad Girl, and an MV that overturns expectations…. he said, “you must first acknowledge yourself before others can acknowledge you in order to become a trend,” he also added, “I’m using myself to experiment.”

Kris Wu is very clear of the attention that is brought to him by his “weird” ways, as well as the hurt he may cause a part of his fans who loved him for his past idol image. His choice is “no compromise, absolutely no compromise,” do what your heart believes is the right thing: “I always had this thought, it is to try new things. I never felt that I need to get ahead but I need to at least become a person who has personality and is admirable.”

“I’m rather stubborn. If I don’t like it, I won’t do it — I won’t want to do it no matter the amount of money you give me. There were many moments like this in the past and I rejected it all. Even my mom said I shouldn’t be so direct.” Out of habit, Kris used the palm of his hand to rub the stubble on the top of his head and laughed, “But this is the realest me. I trust that a lot of people like me because I am different from other people, I persist on individuality. This is a part of me that they like.”

“The turn of events in life prevented me from turning bad”

Born in 1990, Kris said he really understands Xiao Fei’s “bad” on the appearance, “his rebelliousness was created from his family environment. He is from Hunan and followed his family to Beijing, is very rich yet lacks love and care. He also finds appeal in ‘Jianghu.’ What could he do? He plays with cars, find women, calls up his brothers and create a so called ‘Jianghu.’”

“I’m different from Xiao Fei.” Kris Wu shrugged, “When I was in high school, at most I would cut class or run away from home then quietly return after a few hours. I wasn’t as rebellious as Xiao Fei because my family wasn’t as rich.”

In the nights in Vancouver, a lot of young people speedily drove modified cars on the mountains, many of which are Chinese. “Honestly speaking, if I had a good car, I would probably be one of them, but I didn’t have one. My life coincidentally prevented me. I also had a dream of drifting but my car couldn’t do it. If I drifted with it, the rims will fly off.” Kris Wu said.

For Xiao Fei’s styling, Kris brought out his own clothing and accessories. A lot of people think, for someone who went overseas at a young age and dresses so fashionable, he has the face of a “second generation rich.” Hearing this theory, it was like Kris heard a joke, “This is a beautiful misunderstanding. My dream when I was younger was to have my own car, but I always shared a car with my mother and I don’t have a chance now. It’s not expensive to buy a car overseas, but my family’s condition didn’t allow it. Our lives would have it’s difficult moments at times.”

“Can you believe it? Before I turned 18, I was really tanned and was heavier by 10kg. I would carry a duffel bag with a basketball in it, full on sports attire. I didn’t even have jeans, I only wore shorts up until I was 18 years old and I started paying a little attention to clothing.” Kris Wu pointed at his shoulder and said, this used to be all “muscle.” Seeing as the reporter didn’t believe it, he sadly said, “Really, if I am lying to you I’m a dog.”

You went to study in Vancouver at 10 years old, to a child who isn’t extroverted, what did this mean?

“Learned to endure, directly face the loneliness.”

“At the beginning, I stayed at my mother’s friend’s home. It was really lonely. Every night, when I miss my mother, I would cry. The auntie’s son is almost 8 years older than me and has been living in Vancouver for many years. His english was good, had a lot of friends, and I felt like I was of a different kind.” Later, Kris went to live with his mother. His mother had to frequently return to China for work reasons so when there were times she couldn’t have time off, the 13/14 year old Kris must live by himself. Before leaving, his mother would prepare a month’s worth of food for him. He would cook the beef by himself, “As long as it’s cooked it’s okay, sometimes if it’s not cooked very well I would still just eat it.”

The experience made Kris Wu learn to “not be a bother to others.” Once his 16th birthday passed, he got his driver’s license, “at the time, my school was far from my home and my mother would drive me. I felt bad for her so I told her not to drive me anymore and I would drive myself.”

“If you didn’t mention these experiences I would have forgotten about them.” Kris laughed, most memories are happy experiences. For example, during high school, it was required to complete a set amount of work hours. It was also for earning some spare money to buy snacks, get some bubble tea, or maybe drive out on his own. Kris worked in a KTV (karaoke) place before, has washed dishes in a restaurant, and has also been a waiter in a restaurant. “I am really steady when balancing trays. There was only one time, when I was working at the KTV, and in came a beautiful girl. We stood there with our trays and had to very politely greet them. When I lifted up my head, pow, the cup fell on the floor and broke to pieces.”

At a young age, Kris had big ambitions. He gave himself “rules.” During the summer breaks, once their parents returned to China, many 15 and 16 year old international students would start going to KTV or bars to get drunk and party. Kris would just watch from the sidelines and was very clear, “I came pretty early and understood what it meant, my heart was clear and knew what to do. For a lot of things, understanding it is sufficient, there is no need to experience it. I understand this idea, but I won’t go do it. Those are my rules.”

“There are a lot of rich people amongst the Chinese so it’s really easy to get lost. I advise that, if parents want to send their children overseas for studies, it is best to send them before they turn 15. Once a child has found their own values and enter into their rebellious period, they will feel like they can’t adapt and only hang out with other Chinese people. It will be hard for them to learn what their parents hoped for them to learn.” Kris spoke honestly, “Thinking back, I should really thank basketball for taking up 80% of my energy, I didn’t have any energy left to mess around.”

“Could it be that they only like me for my face?”

“Honestly speaking, when I went to Korea back then it was really only to live, or to say, survive.” Kris would bring up this experience on his own, making others shocked.

“Westerners basically raise their children by sending them into the wild. After graduating from high school, you leave. No matter how rich we are we won’t give you any money. I must say, my mother learned a bit from this style.” Kris said. In the year he was 18, he would always get nagged by his mother, “Look at how great their son is… she instilled all that upon me, leading me to have a massive amount of pressure. I would feel annoyed, ‘Stop talking about it,’ but I would remember it. At 18, a boy should become independent.”

Then it was the same old story of how he accompanied his friend to the audition and ended up being the one recruited. The Korean company gave him free food and housing conditions. Thinking about how it could loosen the financial stress of his mother, Kris clenched his teeth and went. Korea has a perfect system in creating stars and he was one of the screws. Going from the “relaxed retirement city” Vancouver to the fast paced Seoul, it was his first experience of the cruel and fierce society’s competition.

“Many people were determined in becoming a star, I was different from that since I was not a child star and had zero understanding of the entertainment industry. Except for the occasional times when I sang in the KTV with friends, I had no idea about dancing, let alone acting.” During the first two years, Kris Wu did not know what he was doing other than mechanically practicing, singing, and dancing. “I had told myself many times that no matter what, I couldn’t give up. I had stopped my studies, if I gave up halfway and returned to Vancouver, wouldn’t it be embarrassing?”

“Around the second year, I started to have the desire to be on stage, wanted to present my works to the audience, slowly understanding the entertainment industry and its artists. That time… I slowly realized… I wanted to become a star.”

In 2012, 22 year old Kris Wu made his debut as a member in the group EXO. In the second year of their debut, the group’s official album <XOXO> exceeded one million copies in sales. EXO swept all kinds of awards in the 2013 year end award ceremonies. Everything went incredibly well.

Kris Wu did not shy away from speaking of his “materialistic desires” when he was younger: “I didn’t know anything at that time, I just wanted to be an idol. I just wanted to stand on stage and have a bunch of fans liking me, wasn’t that good? But the happiness only lasted for around a year before I realized something was wrong. Life was too wearisome.”

“I felt that what they liked was “Kris Wu: handsome, handsome, handsome…” Kris Wu repeated this three times, subconsciously poking his finger into the air. “When ‘handsome’ became the only label I had, I was particularly in distress, do you understand?”

The reporters had followed this popular star for a day and could understand how it felt like being the center of attention. The moment Kris Wu walked out of the airport, fans had booked seven vehicles, each squeezing ten people in and following him like a shadow. What left the deepest impression was a fanboy who appeared in all four roadshows and passionately shouted his name around the same moment in all four shows.

“At that time, the content in most of the fan letters I received were, “‘Kris Wu, I support you, I like you, you are really handsome. I was thinking, did they only like me for my face?” Kris Wu calmly recounted. “The conditions back then did not allow me to make my own music and only allowed me to showcase my voice through rap; I was also not particularly good at synchronized dances and dances of high difficulty. I have a tall build so I was not as agile as others. I was better at hip hop and street style dances that the black people do.”

“I had to find something of my own, and finally, I decided to start with fashion. I could not choreograph my own dances, I could not pick, produce, or sing my own songs, but at least I could wear my own clothes right?”

Kris Wu started to pay attention to “airport fashion”, the only public place where he didn’t need to look identical to his group and was able to showcase his own coordinating.

A year after concentrating to his airport fashion, Kris Wu finally received a fan letter, and that fan wrote, “I really like you because of your fashion.”

“Finally it wasn’t about how handsome I looked.” Kris Wu gave a smile of relief. “Ever since then, I felt like I had one more layer added onto myself.”

“After returning to China, I can write my own lyrics and music, I can perform my own songs, I can become a producer, and slowly heading towards becoming a musician. At the same time, acting was one of the interests I had developed during my debut, and I slowly started to explore that area. I hope I will have more labels to myself. Music, movies, fashion, I will not give up any of the three. It will be difficult to balance all three, and will be exhausting, but I think it’s worth it. I am at the age where I should working hard, and I must persevere no matter how tiring it gets. This is my promise to everyone who likes me.”

“Returning to China for a year and a half, firmly walked through many detours.”

“I would never have thought that in my lifetime, I would shaved my head bald one day. Every morning when I wake up, I would hold onto the razor, ‘buzzzzzzzzz’. I had a mental breakdown then.” However, when the filming for <Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons> had ended, Kris Wu cried. Four months of filming, he was used to seeing it everyday, suddenly when everything came to an end, he unexpectedly missed the bald head that was prickly like a cactus. “So you see, I originally thought it was a difficult obstacle to overcome, but now I’m unexpectedly missing it. What were those difficulties before considered to be?”

Director Tsui Hark had created many virtual scenes for the film, <Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons>. “My god, they were amazing, beautiful!” Kris Wu have thought for a long time, and gave a childlike description. “They looked really nice, like the ones where you can sell tickets to have people go sightseeing for.” As the film’s producer, Stephen Chow, was mentioned, Kris Wu turned into a devoted movie fan, “People of Guangzhou grew up watching Stephen Chow movies. His comedies would always carry a trace of sadness. The best comedies have tragedy as its core element. The best comedians would also tend to be sorrowful. His works are different from the exaggerated slapstick comedies, it would always incorporate the feeling of laughter and tears.”

Suddenly, in a low voice, like a whisper, he said: “Let me tell you, he is particularly fond of me. He did not tell me personally, someone secretly told me about it. I am extremely happy.” Kris Wu’s face turned red, his sharp facial features revealing a shy look for the first time.

The interview process for <Valerian> was also very simple: “I had a video chat with director Luc Besson. We spoke in English and they were discussing at their side. I do not know the specific content that they discussed, I just know that the director was satisfied of me.” For this project, Kris Wu had discussed it with Feng Xiaogang and Guan Hu. They said, “Kris Wu, you have to go. While you’re young, go experience the Hollywood film industry.”

“Seize the opportunity when it comes, but you can not force it. You can’t take just any role just for the sake of being in a Hollywood film.” Kris Wu has his own persistence. “The Chinese market is very, very good. If it wasn’t a particularly good opportunity, honestly, I would not go. But we have encountered a very good opportunity, they will be able to see more of Chinese actors overseas so it might not be a bad thing.”

MC He Jiong had once said, he had spoken with Kris Wu once when he recently returned to China. He told him that he doesn't have much friends in China’s entertainment industry and felt really lonely. After one year, in November 6, 2015, in Kris Wu’s birthday fanmeet, Gao Xiaosong and Wang Zhonglei stood on stage with him, many celebrities had given him their blessings, and his new song, “Bad Girl” was referred as “free publicity from half of the entertainment circle”.

As the “famous director harvester”, what kind of feelings would he have?  “I am not very good with summarizing, I prefer to speak in specifics.” Kris Wu thought for a long time, then said, “It’s like getting along with family, giving each person a lot of respect.”

There is a small piece of detail. Although Kris Wu was working in a Hong Kong director’s crew, he pretty much did not speak in any Cantonese on set because he wanted to be considerate to the staff members. Towards every crew’s assistant director, script supervisor, and teachers, Kris Wu would greet them with a smile: “I always believe that a smile can influence people around you, but I had gained more, and they were more willing to become my teachers. I believe each person is stronger than me in a certain field.”

Regarding Kris Wu, who returned from South Korea, the issue of “selection” was once the focus of the industry. However, his choice was to set up his personal studio and become “Boss Wu”: “I am relatively a strong-minded person who doesn’t like to be restricted. Honestly speaking, there will be some burden if I was to be signed into a large company again. Yes, of course I know that there will be a large amount of backing in a large company. You would have a lot of people to help you do things, you won’t be so tired, will have a perfect team...but I firmly choose to walk through detours.”

“Including the time we met (referring to the previous interview), I was still walking through detours. The team’s situation had been unstable, it will definitely be a process since I’m doing it myself. But since I’m doing it myself, to me, it was the greatest autonomy and freedom. I can choose what to do, what not to do. I absolutely won’t have to shoot movies because for the sake of connections. I was able to have the highest level of control to my own works, I do not think I have any losses. I came back for a year and a half, I think later, it will slowly be back on track and will get better.”

After the release of <Somewhere Only We Know>, someone commented that Kris Wu’s performance remained on the level of music videos. He was not in a rush to justify. “Honestly, I can accept it, because I know it was just the beginning, at that time, I really didn’t know much. It’s been a year now, people are bound to change.” The MV for “Bad Girl” was not ideal, and he also admitted, “Normally, the period of preparation and shooting of the MV should not be so rushed, and I couldn’t control the director, the props and such details. But, I really worked hard on the song. I will accept your criticisms and strive for improvements. In 2016, I will continue to release songs, guaranteeing the quality of it.”

For the large-scale plan of a new album and personal fashion brand in 2016, Kris Wu refused to comply, and insisted to be himself: “Every person has an ideal in their mind, hoping that you will become what they like. If I have to compromise to those requirements, firstly, I will find out that I have lost myself from catering to others. Secondly, I will be exhausted and will be unable to meet everyone’s requirements.”

After the roadshow ended, Kris Wu bowed to the two directors and sat back onto the sofa, quietly muttering, “I don’t want to go back to Beijing.” When asked why, he laughed, “If I stay in Shanghai today, at least one night that is not completely work-filled will belong to me.” This detail captured a type of restriction he had from his intense workload.

“Are there a lot of paparazzi in Shanghai?” he asked while chatting. “There are too many paparazzi in Beijing, I rarely go out.”

“I was lonely at home, so I decided to raise a dog named Rourou to accompany me.” Kris Wu joked, “One time, I brought him to the <Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons> set. They were all fighting to take care of him, and when he left, they all asked me when will he come back? No one paid attention to me, the typical saying that “being a dog is better than being a human.”

Kris Wu would go online and research ways to train dogs. “When training dogs, you need to be especially patient and loving.” Unfortunately, at his birthday fanmeet, when he pointed right, Rourou went left, a very embarrassing situation. “He doesn’t have much stage experience. He’s very introverted, a dog with a similar personality as me. His sleeping position is also the same as mine, ‘Pa!’ He would fall asleep immediately.” Kris Wu curled his arms and imitated his sleeping position, then couldn’t help but show off. “You didn’t think I would be this type of family man right?”

For this article, the reporter followed Kris Wu for the whole day, from the interview set to the theater, inside of the business van, and inside the VIP airport lounge. During the car ride from downtown to the airport, the two would talk under the lighting of their cellphones, like they’re doing underground work.

“I’m really envious that you live in Shanghai. After finishing this, I would like to live in Shanghai for some time.” Not one of the staff members in the car replied back, obviously not taking it seriously. The publicity director said it’s unimaginable how busy Kris Wu is. On average he gets only five hours of sleep. After leaving Shanghai, he has to immediately attend the New Year’s Eve show, a recording for a show, go to a film press conference, and more activities scheduled for him.

Suddenly, there was a commotion outside of the windows. When the girls saw the dark silhouette of Kris Wu, rows of faces were pressed against the glass.

“I feel so sorry, for them.” Kris Wu turned silent for a moment. “Let’s pause the interview for the time being, let me say hello to them.” Afterwards, he took out his phone, unlocked the screen, and waved gently towards the window. The girls all took out their phones to film him, screaming and shouting. The circumstances in one’s life, can be subtle. For the fate of selected people, if they wanted to take fate by its throat, the pursuit of freedom and the cost of it, it is also, precisely, a type of restriction.