Building a musical bridge
A Chinese mainland pop star sees his life take an upswing after a TV contest, yet remains humble and grateful to his fans and for new opportunities, Wu Kunling reports in Hong Kong.
No longer left behind
After the concerts, many fans took to social media to share their experience, particularly about how often Zhou expressed gratitude during the shows.
"People often call artists 'stars', but stars don't shine on their own — their light comes from the fans," Zhou says, thanking all his fans for "discovering an ordinary boy from a small corner of the world" and helping him to realize his dream.
Zhou was born in Shaoyang, Hunan and spent much of his youth as a "left-behind" child in a small village without paved roads, where a passing vehicle was an event for the children. Later, his family moved to Guiyang, Guizhou, a mountainous province, where they didn't have a proper bedroom for years. But that lonely, impoverished childhood was merely the start of life's tests.
Zhou admits he was never the fastest learner. Though he loved singing from a young age, he followed his parents' advice and studied medicine, hoping to secure a stable career. He later followed his heart and turned to music. However, his clear, high voice — so different from most male singers — initially made him deeply insecure. He once said on television that he felt afraid to sing in front of others.
Fortunately, none of these challenges caused Zhou to abandon his dreams. With his vocal talent, sense of humor, and charisma, he steadily won over a growing audience. His path unfolded from TV contests to small livehouse shows, chart-topping singles, soundtracks, and, more recently, world tours and stadium stages.
Rather than dwelling on his earlier hardships, Zhou repeatedly speaks about the support from his fans. He mentions his first livehouse show, a modest and "far from perfect" display. However, it was the first time someone took the microphone from his hand, and so many voices sang along to his song. When that happened, he was too moved to continue singing onstage, he vividly recalls.
Zhou is grateful that fans have embraced his imperfections, and he hopes to reflect that acceptance back through his music and concerts, encouraging everyone to love their imperfect selves. Speaking about his bond with his followers, his eyes glisten, much as his fans shed tears when his words touch them during concerts.
