China's first plus-sized boyband bends stereotypes to make stellar debut
Panda Produce members-Otter, DING, Mr 17, Cass and Husky-are all aged between 22 and 31, and gave up steady jobs to pursue music
Tired of watching picture-perfect boybands like BTS, well, China just gave the music world something more ordinary-looking. Instead of the anime-looking Asian boybands, China’s first chubby five-member boyband Produce Pandas resemble cute pandas and look quite huggable.
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Panda Produce members-Otter, DING, Mr 17, Cass and Husky-are all aged between 22 and 31, and gave up steady jobs to pursue music
“This is a plus-sized, all-singing, all-dancing idol band, has never been seen before,” Band’s lead dancer Mr 17 said. Panda Produce members-Otter, DING, Mr 17, Cass and Husky-just look like average Joes, and that’s apparently by design.
Aged between 22 and 31, they’d be considered veterans by industry standards. They were selected out of 300 candidates and were put through a gruelling regimen for several months before their debut, last summer. The hard work paid off as their single ‘La la la’ was a massive success, both in China and abroad. They did have to give up their steady jobs and some even risked disownment by their families.
“[My family] know I love dancing and singing, but they doubt at my age, and with my overweight body shape, that I can ever succeed,” Mr. 17, the oldest ‘panda’ said. “I want to prove to my family that I can.”
Produce Pandas is considered a true anomaly in China, as most boybands there pretty much adhere to the same unattainable beauty standards. But their point of their existence is to inspire others that they don’t need chiseled physiques and perfect hair to make dreams come true.
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