The sole survivor

Rocker Wang Feng will start a 15-city tour on Saturday, which a mainland record 300,000 people are expected to attend.[Photo/China Daily]

Rock singer and songwriter Wang Feng follows his own star, reports Chen Nan, despite accusations that he is too commercial.

Some rock fans think Wang Feng has sold out, while his peers accuse him of betrayal. None of which bothers the singer-songwriter.

When the 42-year-old performed I Love You, China at CCTV's 2013 Spring Festival Gala he was the first rock musician to perform on the world's most watched TV program - but it didn't make him friends in rock circles.

"My original intention was to be just a rocker, singing my own songs," Wang says. "I had been invited on the Spring Festival Gala before, but I refused because I was asked to perform with other singers and to sing silly lyrics. For me, that's betrayal. But this time, I was allowed to sing my own song and perform it in my own way."

"Chinese rock fans firmly believe the music is a minority taste. But Cui Jian's Nothing to My Name was sung by millions. Would you say that's not a rock song?"

Wang's national tour, Existence, will play in 15 cities, starting in Tianjin on Saturday.

Tour organizer Rock Forward Entertainment Company estimates about 300,000 will see the concerts, which would be a China rock record.

Wang has released nine albums since 1997 and is renowned for his live shows. In 2012, he held a concert for 40,000 fans at Beijing Workers' Stadium.