FRH elated as new album tops sales chart; dress as animals, having fun despite the hard work
(From left) Jiro, Arron, Wu Zun and Calvin filming MV for their new song.
FRHrecently released their new album in Taiwan, yesterday (11 Jan) wastheday all major record stores released their sales chart. Becausetheirfirst album clashed with the release of Jay Chou's album, theyonlymanaged second place in the charts; this time they hoped to make upforthe previous shortfall, as it happened they got their wish andwereranked first, yesterday while filming their new MV the four putasidetheir work and broke into cheers.
Wu Zun taking off his dog fur costume, displays an agonised expression
FRHyesterday shot an MV for their new song, Xin Li You Shu, the fouractedcute and dressed up in furry animal costumes, the normally stylishandtrendy foursome turned the set into a zoo. WZ dressed as a cutespotteddog, Calvin was an innocent rabbit, Jiro became a koala bear,Arronbecame a little brown bear. The four teased one another andlaugheduntil they collapsed in a bunch. Arron even mimicked the bigbrothershow host on a children's programme leading a children's song,butafter playing for just five minutes, they were so stifled bytheirthick fur coats that their perspiration ran in rivulets, makingthemmiserable beyond description.
Jiro turned into a big koala bear.
Amongstthe four, WZ is most afraid of the heat and perspires the most,heperspired so much that even his hairstyle was spoilt, but he stillknewhow to have fun amidst hard work, he said, "In two days FRH willbegoing to the icy and snowy Mongolia to perform, why don't webringthese four animal skins there to protect against the cold."Towards theend the four already had no energy left to play, even theurge to jokewas also gone, they only wanted to finish their work fast.But just asthey were at their most despondent, good news came - theirnew albumwas on the charts of all major record stores, claiming firstspot inthe Big 5 gold chart. Amidst their celebrations, the other threecalledon WZ to strip as he had said previously that if their albummaintainedtwo weeks in first place he would strip to thank their fans.WZ alsowish he could quickly strip off that thick animal fur coat, hesaid,"When our first album was released it clashed with Jay Chou'salbum, sothat time we only managed second place. This time beingcrownedchampion we are really very happy."
Calvin played an innocent rabbit.
Arron was perspiring heavily, being smothered by the thick furry coat, WZ holds him up and comforts him.
WZ becomes a dog, sticks his tongue out asks to be liked.
FRHyesterday filmed their Xin Li You Shu MV, Jiro acted as a koalabear,Arron was a baby bear, WZ played a dog, Calvin was a babyrabbit.Afraid that they would be suffocated inside their furry animalcostumesand faint, the camera crew turned the aircon to the max. Butthey saidlaughingly, in two days they would be performing at -30degCMongolia,these costumes came at just the right time to be handy; WZplayed untilhe disregarded his handsome image, pretended to be a dogsticking itstongue out, the cute look caused Jiro who was beside him tobespeechless.
Fantastic Four- Fahrenheit, Sunday January 13, 2007 Singapore
Source: Teens, Jan 2008
Fora while, it appeared as if boybands were so over in Mandopop. F4, thequartet that kick-started the phenomenon, were pursuing successful solocareers, while 5566 concentrated on TV hosting. Meanwhile, Energy founditself reduced to a trio from its original five-men line-up.
Then,all of a sudden, Fahrenheit caught up. Its members were as differentfrom one another as chalk and cheese, Jiro Wang, 26, was trained ingraphic design but became a model and actor. Calvin Chen, 27, who has amasters in Economics from the University of Victoria in Canada, won atalent search and a record deal. Undergrad Arron Yan, 22, was a popularblogger before he was persuaded to audition for a role in a TVproduction, while Brunei-born Wu Zun, 28, was a fitness trainer andmodel before he was talent-scouted by a TV producer and cast in runawayTV hit Tokyo Juliet.
In September 2006, their self-titled debutalbum hit the No. 2 slot on Taiwan's G Music charts, losing out by lessthan one per cent to Jay Chou's Still Fantasy. Buoyed by hits such as"I have my young" and "Love's Here", Fahrenheit shifted 80,000 copiesin Taiwan within a month and subsequently stayed in the charts for 17weeks! Their fame also spread throughout other parts of Asia, includingChina, Hong Kong, Japan and Singapore.
The quartet also boostedtheir popularity through drama performances, occasionally with a fellowmember. Jiro, who first caught everyone's attention in It Started WithA Kiss, went on to headline KO One, which also featured Arron andCalvin(who was also in Romantic Princess). The trio recently completedThe X-Family, touted as the sequel to KO One. Meanwhile, Wu Zun'sromantic Princess became one of the year's most watched series,trouncing even F4 Vic Chou's Sweet Relationship, He is also slated toappear in several movies.
So, what else does Fahrenheit plan to achieve? Listen in!
Jiro
"I want to be bad!" teens: Tell us about your role in The X-Family.
Jiro play four roles here- Xia Tian, who's very straightforward guy; GuiLong, who's a baddie; as well as their counterparts in differentdimensions, Wang Da Dong and Zack. Switching between the roles nearlydrove the production crew and I schizophrenic! But I like my maincharacter Xia Tian because he is very earnest and righteous. He's alsoprepared to do anything for his friends. And we are both similar in thesense that we are honest.
t: You have chalked up a variety of roles, which include both serious and comic. How do you pick your roles?
Ienjoy bringing joy to the audience so i tend to prefer characters thatare lively. I love challenges and I would like to play a villian infuture. I don't think it will hurt my image. Instead, I think it wouldbe an opportunity to do something different. My dream role is thatwhich Tony Leung played in the movie Confessions Of Pain. I liked thatthe character is not entirely evil - he simply has his own agenda - andnobody expected him to be the bad guy!
We hear you're filming another TV production...
That'sright. It's titled Go!Fried Rice. and I'm appearing alongside DansonTang. The story is about a former juvenile delinquent who wants toachieve his late father's dream of becoming a chef. He also meets avisually handicapped singer and falls in love with her. I enjoyedworking on it, especially since i learnt to cook and do tricks such asflipping the wok.
Say, The X-Family also required you to perform some rock tracks. Did it make you miss your rock roots?
Ihave been a fan of rock music since I was in high school, when i gottogether with some friends to form a band. Although the music i singnow with Fahrenheit is very different from my first love, I take it asa learning experience. In any case, I consider it and achievement tobeing able to touch our fans with my performance.
Do you mind that Fahrenheit continues being labeled an idol boyband?
(Resigned) No, not at all. It's been like that since we made out debut.
What's with talk that you and Wu Zun are at loggerheads then?
(sounding bored) I don't know. There's no such thing and honestly, I'm tired of it. It can get quite frustrating sometimes.
Okay. So what we can expect from your upcoming album?
Therewill be more ballads. We hope that these tracks will help display ourvocal abilities and maturity. Now that you mention it, I think it's awaste we haven't had time to pursue relationships.
Finally, what do you hope to achieve in 2008?
I'msetting my sights on acting. I would like to try new things; it may beventuring into movies or even collaborating with actors from otherparts of Asia such as China, Hong Kong or even Singapore. One morething - I hope to get more sleep. These days, I only get about twohours daily, so I really need a good rest.
[ Last edited by errasazza at 14-1-2008 08:24 AM ]
continue... Arron
"I'm happier now!" teens: You play a leader and protector of the world in The X-Family!
Aarron:[Proudly] That's right! I play Jiu Wu, which I throughly relished. I'vealways been very righteous even as a kid and I hate to see anyinjustice. In that aspect, he and I are quite similar.
Do you feel the pressure to be a role model for Fahrenheit fans?
Ofcourse. We must be on our best behaviour, especially when in public,since our fans are mostly very young. I don't want to say or doanything that may cause them to misunderstand or pick up the wrongvalues. I also watch what I say during interviews carefully because Idon't want others to think that we are superficial.
Is being an idol a good thing then?
Ido mind being called an idol. Since young, I've always been interestedin acting and music, especially the latter, and I've been working hardat it. So I wish others would eventually get to see the effort I've putin. But I'm not in a hurry- I'm taking it one step at a time.
You're still in university. How do you balance your studies and career?
Initially,I could juggle the both without any problems. But as work commitmentsincreased, it became tougher. I had to have a "talk" with my company soi could spend more time on my studies, especially during the examperiod. No, my tutors don't let me get away with everything justbecause I'm part of Fahrenheit. They knew me before I became anartiste, so they don't treat me any differently. Of course, they paymore attention to me, and sometimes it's a good thing. {Laughs} Itmotivates me to do even better in my studies.
What was the best thing to happen to you in 2007?
Beingpart of Fahrenheit. After going through so much with my band mates, Iknow them better now. And i have learnt a lot from them and matured interms of my perspectives. For instance, I used to be troubled by manythings but Wu Zun would comfort me by saying I thought too much. Itmade me realise that I became an artiste because I wanted to enjoy it,and the pressure won't help me do better. Now i try to see thesituation from a more optimistic viewpoint. And i think i'm a happierperson these days.
What are you looking forward to in the new year?
Ihope our second album will be more successful than the first. We spenta longer time working on it and fine-tuning the tracks. We evenre-recorded back-up vocals for some tracks. Oh, I'm the only member tohave a solo track, and it's a duet with a female artiste from China. Itwas a good opportunity to push myself further. I'm also appearing in anew TV drama about the adventures of a group of young, aspiringdetectives.
Your mates have been frequently linked to their co-stars. Do you envy them?
{Laughs nervously} no! it's just a publicity gimmick! But then, you never know, maybe it will be my turn in 2008!
Wu Zun
" I don't care what others say about me!" teens: You've been playing the romantic hero for a while now. Do you fear being typecast?
WuZun: Huh? I wasn't a prince charming in For You In Full Bloom, I was anathlete!( i think that there is a typo error, it should read Hana Kimi,instead?) Yes, I would like to do something different, such as actionmovies. I dream to become an action hero. Maybe I'll consider a periodrole too. I actually like the more manly roles, such as the one MelGibson played in Braveheart and that which Nicolas Cage played inFace/Off.
Tell us about your role in Romantic Princess.
Iplay Nan Feng Jin, a guy who's very cool and calm, and really focusedon his career. Trouble is, he tends to keep to himself and brood overissues. So I had to film a lot of emotional scenes. He thinks too muchand adopts different approaches towards different people, so I had towork harder. I had to learn to understand the context of the scene andhis emotions in the scene in order to highlight his struggles. It wasimportant that I didn't misrepresent him.
How was working with Angela Chang like?
Peoplewho don't know her well often feel she's very distant. But once you getto know her well, you will find that she can be as crazy as, forinstance, Ella.
Everyone reckons you're the crowd-puller in Fahrenheit...
No!Everyone has his own strengths. I am just lucky that my dramas havebeen well-received. What are my strengths? {Stumped} I don't know.Maybe I'm hardworking?
How do you cope with your life being under constant scrutiny now?
{nonchalantly}I don't care about what others say or what the media reports about me.It's also good that my family aren't staying in Taiwan so it'sdifficult for the paparazzi to disturb them by taking photos orhounding them for interviews. I don't worry about my family readinguntruths about me. They have known me for 28 years and understand whatI will and will not do.
What was the biggest bummer for you in 2007?
WhileI appreciated that the fans loved my dramas, I didn't like it that iwas losing control of my own schedule. I used to be able to schedule myown projects but now others are doing it for me. Still, I try to seethe situation as "win some, lose some". I try not to worry about it toomuch.
Finally, your plans for 2007?
I'm looking forward to our concert tour. Yes, of course, we want to perform in Singapore!
Calvin
"It's all about having the right perspective." teens: You appeared in both The X-Family and Romantic Princess. Was it tough doing both dramas?
Calvin:Actually, i began working on Romantic Princess less than a month aftercompleting The X-Family. The two characters are very different fromeach other. In RP, I play Nan Feng Cai, who is very smart and enjoyslife to the fullest. In The X-Family, however, I play Lan Ling Wang, aloyal fighter who pines for his lover. I found the experience enrichingand I hoped that it would help me improve my acting.
Who's tougher to play?
LanLing Wang, because he's always crying. I spent 10 scenes in the showcrying, which was a huge challenge as I'm more jovial and outgoing. Toget into the mood, I had to refrain from joking around with the rest ofthe cast and crew. Needless to say, I wasn't in a very good mood onthose days.
So, between action and romance, which do you prefer?
I'dhave to say romance. It's more light-hearted and I think the audienceprefers watching such fun stuff. I hope to work on more of suchproductions.
You also recorded a solo track, "You're All My Memory", for the soundtrack of The X-Family...
It'sa cover version of an old hit. Recording it was very tough, especiallysince i ended up doing 2 versions. I'm so thankful about recording withFahrenheit now because we can divide up the verses and it's lesspressurizing that way.
What with Fahrenheit's new CD hittingthe stores soon, do you think it's a bane or boon that you guys have toexcel at both acting and singing?
I think it's important to bewell-prepared and focus on the task at hand. Juggling is a good thingfor us as the competition is very intense. Tackling more things meansthere are more opportunities for the audience to notice our talents.Although I don't mind being described as an idol, I hope that we havemanaged to show that we have improved. If you ask me, I thinkmulti-tasking is necessary for an artiste.
Are you frustrated that Wu Zun gets all the attention?
No.The attention is on Wu Zun now, but it could be due to his TV roles.It's just a matter of timing and how much effort a person puts in, so Idon't think it's unfair. Everyone suits different roles and Wu Zun fitshis well. It's all about taking the right perspective.
Post time 12-1-2008 07:59 AM
play four roles here- Xia Tian, who's very straightforward guy; GuiLong, who's a baddie; as well as their counterparts in differentdimensions, Wang Da Dong and Zack. Switching between the roles nearlydrove the production crew and I schizophrenic! But I like my maincharacter Xia Tian because he is very earnest and righteous. He's alsoprepared to do anything for his friends. And we are both similar in thesense that we are honest.
