China. August Cover, 2019.
蔡徐坤：不燃怎YOUNG
KUN：The FERVOR of YOUNG
蔡徐坤观察报告
The Observation Report on KUN
一年的爆发期之后，“中国超级流量明星“蔡徐坤经历了很酷的事和糟糕的事。他被喜欢也被讨厌，影响力、话语权和经济层面的跃升都随之而来。很燃，也很迅速。“最强烈的感受就是越来越有条件好好做音乐。做音乐很费钱的。“
In one year, "Chinese mega star" KUN has experienced both the best and the worst; he has attracted fans and haters alike, and has been steadily gaining visibility in aspects of social influence, the power of decision making, and financial capability - all brought about by his phenomenal (career) growth. This journey is filled with fervor, and is happening very rapidly. "My greatest takeaway is that I am gradually getting access to a wider pool of better resources for producing my music. Making music is really costly."
蔡徐坤说：“我一直以来就是想好好办演唱会。从小就这一个愿望。“2019年， 那个时刻要到来了。Vogue Me通过观察、交谈记录了愿望实现之前， 蔡徐坤度过这个阶段的样子。
"I have always wanted to dedicate time and effort to holding a concert. This has been my only dream since I was a child," KUN shared. In 2019, that very moment is approaching. Through observing and conversing with him, Vogue Me has documented what KUN is like during this period before he fulfils his dream.
观看蔡徐坤
2019年6月8日12:19p.m.，上海，摄影棚内
Observing KUN
June 8, 2019, at 12:19p.m., a photography studio, Shanghai.
蔡徐坤从二楼的化妆室走下来，蓝灰色长大衣，黑头发，瘦高个。他和超模 Sarah Brannon、摄影师梅远贵握手，打过招呼，又消失在视野之内。再回来，身上只剩两个颜色: 白衬衣、黑领带和黑色西裤。几分钟里，摄影师已经尝试了一组拍摄：他让Sarah站在桌子上，牵住狗。模特占据了影棚制高点接受众人仰视。她表现力十足，对镜头大声尖叫，吓坏了狗。棚里气氛狂热。训犬师把狗抱到怀里安慰，有人小声发笑。蔡徐坤入镜的时候，一切重归平静。众人望着眼前这位年轻的明星，看他在桌边面对镜头，表情和动作缓慢变化，方便摄影师捕捉，就像每个职业艺人做的那样。
With raven black hair and a long, blue-gray coat on his tall and slender frame, KUN emerges from the changing room on the second floor, making his way down. After exchanging greetings and handshakes with supermodel Sarah Brannon and photographer, Yuan Gui Mei, he disappears, yet again, from our view. He returns in a dichromatic outfit: a white dress shirt, black trousers and a coordinating black tie. In just a few minutes, the photographer has already experimented with a series of shots, having Sarah pose atop a table while pretending to walk a dog. All eyes in the studio are on the model as she stands tall at her new-found height. With her expression on point, she screams at the camera, startling her fellow canine model. The studio is bustling with excitement and chatter. The trainer brings the frightened dog into her embrace, attempting to calm it down. Someone is heard giggling. When KUN stands before the camera, silence falls upon the studio once more. Everyone on set has their eyes glued to this young star; taking in the sight of him next to the table, facing the camera, slowly switching up expressions and poses, allowing the photographer sufficient time to capture them, just like how a professional artiste would.
他斯文有礼，话少。服装助理上前调整领带、披上大衣，蔡徐坤舒展身体配合，一边跟着音乐小声哼唱。现在，我看到一个侧脸: 额发遮住眼睛，鼻梁和下颌线条勾勒出锋利的面部轮廓——符合大众对“明星“这个词的刻板印象: 青春的、美丽的，即使在人丛里也难以被忽视的。
然后明星走回镜头前，坐上桌子。两台鼓风机从两侧对着他吹风，镜头近到几乎杵在脸上。他
微仰头面对镜头，没太多表情，舒展双臂做了一个飞翔的姿势。
Mild-mannered and polite, he is a man of few words. As the wardrobe assistant goes over to put a coat on him and fix his tie, KUN relaxes his frame and accommodates, humming along to the music (playing in the background). I am looking at a side profile right now: wispy bangs hanging over the eyes, a high nose bridge and chiseled jawline make up the very picture of a well-sculpted face — one that fits the very stereotype of a "celebrity": young and breathtakingly gorgeous, one who is hard to miss even in a crowd. Said celebrity returns to his position before the camera, sitting on a table. Two studio wind blowers are directed towards him from both sides, the camera is positioned so closely it could almost touch his face. Tilting his head backwards very slightly, he faces the camera, puts on a poker face, spreads both his arms outwards, assuming a flying pose.
去年的一档综艺，让这个出生于1998年的歌手在一个夏天之内声名鹊起。这符合当下的娱乐时势: 某个年轻人正好出生在对的时机，怀有梦想或者野心，被时代选中，趁势而起。“流量“这个词在娱乐态势中出现不过几年，就已经代表了浪潮中至关重要的那股: 它意味着受欢迎的程度、可商业化程度和庞大到令人咋舌的数据表现；一些观点中，它也意味着年轻、横空出世，被质疑的实力和迅速的更迭速度。客观层面，这些艺人用数据说话，飞速站到了娱乐生态的顶端——蔡徐坤就是行列里极受瞩目的那个。
Born in 1998, this singer was propelled to fame from his participation in a variety show last summer. This phenomenon is consistent with the current trend in the entertainment industry: a young person happens to be born at the right time, one who harbours dreams and ambitions, gets chosen by this era to ride the waves of popular culture. Despite being a term coined only in recent years within the entertainment industry, "liu liang" (here referring to "liu liang ming xing", celebrities or online personalities with a substantial ability to drive web traffic, usually also commanding an extensive social media following) has since become an important driving force in this ever-changing field. This title embodies one's extent of popularity, commercial value and immeasurable social media engagement. On the other side of the coin, some associate the term with youth, innovation and breakthrough, talents that are often challenged, and a highly replaceable status. Objectively speaking, these celebrities are often backed by impressive social media engagement figures, quickly scaling to the top of the entertainment industry. Among them, KUN has been the one who attracted the most attention.
关于眼前这个年轻人，那些众所周知的事情包括: 蔡徐坤于去年4月6号以《偶像练习生》第一名的成绩出道，在限定男子演唱组合 NINE PERCENT中担任队长。这是蔡徐坤第二次出道。这个限定组合的合约期限为18个月——也就是说，组合将在今年10月解散(官方称之为毕业)；蔡徐坤刷新过中国娱乐生态的数字，拥有千万级的微博粉丝，是过去一年中蹿红速度最快的新生代艺人；以及，过去一年中，数量可观的热搜条目——粉丝对他的维护力度和速度皆创历史。在综艺受众和饭圈之外，这些事件构成了由“他是谁“到“为什么是他“的公众印象。这也是让人对他抱有好奇的地方。我期待通过采访， 找到那个“之所以是他“的原因。
About this young man before us, there are couple well-known facts: KUN debuted in first place from the hit show Idol Producer on April 6 last year and he became the leader of a temporary boy group called Nine Percent. This is the second time that Kun has made his debut. Said temporary boy band has a contract term of 18 months, that is to say the group will disband in October this year (or better known as graduation, according to the organizers). KUN has broken numerous records within China’s entertainment industry, has millions of followers on Weibo, and belongs to a new generation of artistes whose rise to fame is the fastest among his peers. Not forgetting the numerous times KUN found himself wound up in trending search topics on the Internet and social media within the past year, where his fans were quick to rationalize and show their support for him at a speed that is never before seen in entertainment history. Discounting members of Chinese fandom and the target audience of variety programs, these events have gradually changed the public’s impression of him, from "Who is he?" to "Why is it him?". This is also the very trigger arousing people's curiosity in him. Through this interview, I hope to be able to find the explanation to "Because it is him".
对蔡徐坤来说，2019年即将发生的重要事情包括: 发布一张个人专辑， 以及举办一场个人演唱
会。这是需要花费大量时间在写歌和制作上的一年， 也是人生目标即将实现的一年。
For KUN, 2019's major events include releasing a solo album and holding a solo concert. This will be a year spent predominantly on music creation and production, as well as a year where he will soon fulfil one of his life's goals.
6月8号是高强度的拍摄日， 视频和平面穿插进行。现在，我看到拍摄视频的房间里，蔡徐坤穿着红鞋和阔腿裤，按照剧本要求把自己摆成一个僵硬的人偶。屋里打着玫红色的光， 两个机位， 一个手持摄影机对着他拍，画面实时投到前方的小电视上，以便摇臂摄像机的画面里能收录到两个他。
June 8 is a highly intensive shooting day, with videos and stills being shot one after the other . Now, in the filming room, I see KUN in a pair of wide-leg pants and red shoes, posing as a poorly articulated puppet in accordance with the script. The room is bathed in a warm rose light. Two cameras are at work here — a hand-held camera films him directly, projecting the image in real time onto a small screen in front of him, allowing the crane camera to film both forms of him.
16:21p.m.，他换上黑色西服套装， 站在镜头前，模特靠向他。他们笔直，瘦高，画面是黑白的。音箱里正在播放《Earned It》，里边有一句“you deserve it“，反复哼唱。这时，平面和视频即将完成，只剩一场对谈等着他，对话嘉宾是《Vogue服饰与美容》的主编张宇。“you deserve it?“是手卡上的第一个问题。
At 4:21p.m, he has changed into a black suit, and is standing before the camera, with the model leaning toward him. Tall and slim, posing with perfect posture ; the portrayed image is one of a black and white theme. "Earned It" is playing in the background, a particular line, "you deserve it", is sung several times. At this point, he is almost done with both video filming and still photography, leaving him with just an interview on his agenda — one with Angelica Cheung, the Editor-in-Chief of Vogue. "You deserve it?”,the first question on the cue card.
很酷的事和糟糕的事
2019年6月8日傍晚，上海，摄影棚一楼化妆间
The best and the worst
June 8, 2019, evening, make-up room on the first floor of the studio, Shanghai
女主编和年轻的明星在化妆问里坐定，灯光打上来的时候，高强度的拍摄刚结束不久。编辑，助理，经纪团队，摄像团队，服化团队……庞大的工作阵容守在机器后边。对话完成，漫长的一天就结束了。
The female editor and the young star take their seats in the make-up room as the lighting is set up, they have just wrapped up the day's tight schedule of photography. The editor; the assistants; the artiste's team; the film crew; the wardrobe and make-up team... the massive production team stands behind the cameras . Once the interview ends, the long day of work will come to a close too.
“21岁的年纪，你就获得了很多（名、利，众人的追捧），你觉得you deserve it?“ 对谈的手卡上这样写道。 第二个问题是：“你有创作焦虑吗？“我看了所有问题，感觉对话想呈现的视角既是前辈对新生代的好奇和打量，也是由审视通往理解的表达路径。
"At 21, you've gained a lot (fame, fortune, popularity), do you think you deserve it?" is printed on the cue card. The second question is: "Do you get creative block when composing?" Going through all the questions, it seems like the interview is attempting to explore the industry's attitude towards the new generation — apart from being curious about them and constantly sizing them up, these predecessors are also re-evaluating their judgement in order to understand their younger counterpart.
座位斜倚化妆台。两人一侧是对方，一侧是机器后的人群。气氛微微紧绷。
Seats recline the dresser. In the studio, one side is the editor and the star, and on the other side is the crowd behind the machine. The atmosphere is slightly tense.
女主编先开了口：“……现在我了解你多一些了，敢来问你尖锐一点的问题，你不是一个温室里的小苗。“
The female editor begins, "... Because now I know you better, I dare to ask you some sharp questions. You are not a green house seedling. "
几天之前他们已经在她的办公室里聊过；拍摄前一晚，两人又在Prada的大秀上见过。她仍然非常照顾对话者的感受。问题的出发点得到了充分的解释：“我们这些大人心里都有这个问题：你20岁，突然之间有名有利，很多人奋斗了十年二十年，慢慢积累才能取得一定成就，就觉得小朋友一年就拥有这么多的光环，他们值不值得这么多？你自己怎么看待这个问题？“
They've had a talk in the editor's office a few days ago and they also met at Prada's runway show the night before the shooting, she is still very sensitive to her interlocutor's feelings. The starting point of the question is fully explained, "you, in 20 years old, have gained fame and fortune overnight that many people may have already struggled for ten or even twenty years, and then can just accumulated a little bit of success. So we adults have this question in mind that doses the young man worth so many halos in a year? What do you think about that? "
“…我知道自己付出过努力，付出过时间，包括练习、创作。这不是一瞬间的……当下看到的表面上看似轻松的东西，背后有长时间的沉淀。“对话开始了。起初有点混乱，他很快给出了自己的答案。
"... I know I've put in the effort, the time, the practice, and the work. It doesn't a moment... What looks easy on the surface has a long time of precipitation behind it. "The talk begins. Confused at first, he quickly gives his answer.
这天中午，我和蔡徐坤的团队成员坐在外间的长桌边聊天。她们关心我对被书写者的看法和了解程度，我想知道团队眼里蔡徐坤的样子。我问：“这么多文章，最接近他的是哪篇？“答案是曹斐的那篇。
At noon earlier, I was sitting at a long table with KUN's team. They cared about my opinion and understanding of KUN, and I wanted to know what KUN looks like in the eyes of his team. I asked, "of all the articles, which one is closest to him?” The answer was Cao Fei's piece.
8天以前，Prada在微博公布蔡徐坤成为品牌代言人，并陆续发布了一系列由艺术家曹斐创作的广告片：在未来人类博物馆中，人造人蔡徐坤被参观者蔡徐坤观看。他同时出演了僵硬的人偶和自己。
Eight days ago, Prada announced on Weibo that KUN had become the brand's spokesperson, and successively released a series of advertisements created by artist and photographer Cao Fei: in the future human museum, artificial Kun is being watched by visitor KUN. He played both stiff figure and himself.
“我在想，再没有人像Prada女士那么疯狂，想到找一位中国艺术家去拍摄一位中国超级流量明星这样的组合了。“曹斐写道。事实上，在艺术领域，她远不只是“中国艺术家“那么简单。这个名字代表了学术的、严肃的，中国当代艺术里不可或缺的标志性人物。这是一次超乎想象的，
艺术和流行文化的对话。
"I think there's no one as crazy as Ms. Prada to form a group with a Chinese artist and photographer and a Chinese mega star.” Cao Fei wrote. In fact, in the field of art, she is much more than "Chinese artist". This name represents an academic, serious and indispensable icon of contemporary Chinese art. This was an incredible talk between art and pop culture.
她为此撰写的那篇文章叫《我也是追过偶像的人》，曹斐为有机会近距离接触这样的文化圈层而激动。文章中，她以文化研究的视角观察数据、饭圈文化和眼前的“超级流量明星“，并写道：“偶像的成功，很重要的部分来自粉丝赋权……热度很大程度依赖粉丝们去为自己打拼，偶像不再是单打独斗，他们背后是千军万马。“
The article she wrote was called "I Am A Fan of An Idol Too"and she was excited for the opportunity to get close to such a culture.In the article, she took a cultural research perspective to observe the data, the fandom culture and the "mega star" in front of her. She wrote,"For idols, a very important part of succeed comes from the empowerment of fans... Much of the popularity depends on fans' hard working contribution. So they no longer fight alone, they've got mighty force behind them. "
成为这样的偶像，让蔡徐坤经历了很酷的事和糟糕的事。
Being such an idol has made KUN experience both the best and the worst.
比如在20岁那年成为现象级综艺的第一名；比如发专辑、代言Prada和登上Vogue Me的封面；也比如那些在粉丝圈外受争议的话题：最早一次应该是染头发作为粉丝福利，引起轩然大波；最破次元壁的一次，大概是潘长江不认识他而遭到网友攻击；最近一次是新闻媒体报道一家数据造假App被查处，标题是“蔡徐坤微博1亿转发量推手星援被查，半年吸金800万“。评论里有人叫好，网友“抱土豆君“留言：“明明说的是平台，平台出来的时候蔡徐坤还没出道。“
For instance, He experienced "the best" as he won the first place of a phenomenal TV show when he was only twenty years old; He released an album, became the face of Prada and the cover person of VogueMe. On the other hand, he also experienced "the worst", like the debatable topics outside of the fandom: the earliest could date back to he colored his hair as a treat to his fans which resulted in a big stir; The most well-known topic was when the Chinese actor Pan Changjiang said that he did not know KUN in his live streaming, and later on Pan got bullied by the internet users; the latest one was from a report that a data fraud App was investigated with the headline " the ‘black hand’ of KUN's 100 million Weibo repost was investigated ,with earnings of 8 million Yuan RMB in only half a year". Some people applauded in the comments, but a netizen named "Bao Tudou Jun" left a message: "clearly data fraud part was the APP, but when the APP was on line, KUN had not debuted.”
21岁这年，蔡徐坤成了流量明星的代名词，他是被簇拥、被青睐，和被讨厌的人。 采访那天我们谈了这个。关于这些糟糕的事，短短几句话就探到了底。
At the age of 21, KUN has become a representation of " Liu Liang". He is supported, appreciated, and hated (at the same time). We talked about this on the day of our interview. About all the controversies, KUN briefly shared his thoughts.
“成名了，随之而来的也有受争议、被骂...“问题进行到一半他就笑了——这之前的谈话里，蔡徐坤大都温和斯文，少有情绪起伏：“每天大家都在问这个问题，我每次的回答也都一样。“
"The fame comes with controversies and criticism..." He started to laugh before I even finished the question. In our previous conversations, KUN was mostly soft-spoken with few emotional fluctuation. "People are asking this question every day. My answer is always the same." He said.
我以为这会是一个沉重的话题，这下也有点想笑，和着他把话说完：“你能感觉到这些声音的存在吗？“
I thought that this would be a heavy topic but now I find it a bit laughable too. I then ask him: "Can you feel the existence of those voices? "
“你就这么写，“他现在听到这个问题非常的麻木。以后大家不要再问他了。“他说。问题的标准答案是：“就好像你身边只有这个事情一样，其实不是的，这个世界是很美好的。不要老是盯在一张纸上面的那个黄色，它还有六七种各种各样的颜色。一个人他是有很多颜色的。“他又给我说了一遍。
" You can just write that 'He feels very numb about this kind of questions. Please do not ask him again.'" He said. His standard answer is: "It sounds like as if this is the only matter in your life, but it is not. The world is very beautiful. Don't always focus on the yellow color on one piece of paper. It also has six or seven or many different colors. Likewise, an individual has a lot of 'colors'." He emphasizes it to me one more time.
我不甘心：“那你被什么东西刺痛过吗？
I was not satisfied: "Have you been hurt by anything? "
“又——是这个问题。“蔡徐坤说。第一个字拉得挺长。
"The same question again!" KUN whined with the word "Again".
“这也是麻木的问题？"
"Is it also a 'numb' question? "
“很麻木，非常麻木。
"Yes, very much."
歌手和音乐
2019年6月28日 8:10p.m.湖南卫视《巅峰之夜》
The singer and his music
June 28, 2019, at 8:10 p.m., World's Got Talent (WGT)，Hunan TV,
这是这篇报道操作期间蔡徐坤最新一次登台表演的播出时间。节目上在巅峰挑战人的名字即將宣布时，台下就传出粉丝的尖叫。蔡徐坤紧身裤搭配廓形皮草披肩，站在一个巨大的面具置景上登台，尖叫划过前奏，又在他开口后停止。
This is the broadcast time of KUN's latest stage performance during the period when we wrote this report. In this episode of the show, when the WGT challenger's name was about to be announced, one can hear the screams from his fans in the audience. KUN appeared in figure hugging dress pants paired with a faux fur shawl wrap. He stood on a huge face mask, a part of the stage setting. Fans screamed throughout the prelude of the song but finally stopped when he started to sing.
第一首歌是《It's You》，最后一句结束时，面具突然分成两块，后边的置景旋转出来——一个上世纪的西方酒馆里，蔡徐坤身穿缀满金色扣子的短礼服现身，穿梭在演员们编织出的情境里。他演唱了《Hard To Get》。舞台的制作水准接近演唱会规格。蔡徐坤没有跳舞，表演结束时台下是山呼海啸的尖叫。在微博上的一段饭拍视频里，现场尖叫声持续了19秒-——这是这段视频的总时长。
The first song was "It's You". Upon the ending of this song, the face mask on the floor was suddenly split into two pieces and the second set was rotated out from the rear of the stage. The setup was based on a last-century-style western pub. Wearing a cropped blazer embellished with golden buttons, KUN walked through the scene created by the actors when he sang "Hard To Get". The production quality of the stage is close to the concert standard. KUN did not dance, but at the end of his performance, the audience broke into waves of deafening screams. In a fan-recorded video shared on Weibo, the screaming lasted for 19 seconds - the total length of the video.
蔡徐坤告诉我，他享受粉丝的热情，无论综艺节目里的还是舞台上的。
KUN told me, he enjoys the enthusiasm from his fans, whether it is in the variety shows or on the stages.
“粉丝跟机、跟车这种我是不太喜欢的。但是只要他们是坐在台下看我表演，我是特别喜欢的。“录《快乐大本营》的时候，粉丝们总是在笑，他也不知道发生了什么，很蒙。但上台表演的感觉是完全不同的，粉丝的支持，他们的力量让他兴奋。
"I don't like fans who follow me around by cars or on the flights. However, I really appreciate them when they are watching my performance from the audience seats." When recording for the program Happy Camp, his fans (also known as IKUNs) always burst into laughter but KUN had no clues what they were laughing at and felt confused. But when he is performing on the stage, it is totally different. The reaction and support from IKUN excite him.
节目是一个月前录的。他拥有很大的创作自由度，舞台、音乐都是他做的。蔡徐坤就是自己的导演。
The show was recorded one month ago. He has great creative freedom. Both the stage and music were made by himself. KUN is his own director.
一年的爆发期之后，经济层面、影响力和话语权都随之而来，包括被喜欢和被讨厌。“哪些改变让你感受最强烈？“我问。“最强烈的感受就是越来越有条件好好做音乐。做音乐很费钱的，拍个MV也很费钱。“蔡徐坤说，即将发布的一首Hip-Hop新歌，历经几个月时间跑了四个城市制作：洛杉矶，首尔，台北，北京。从只有编曲，到参与编舞、MV通宵拍摄，这是他做得最累的一首歌，真正的大制作。
After the one-year phenomenal (career) growth, KUN has been steadily gaining visibility in aspects of social influence, the power of decision making, and financial capability, and has attracted fans and haters alike. "What changes that you feel the most?" I asked. "My greatest takeaway is that I am gradually getting access to a wider pool of better resources for producing my music. Making music is really costly, as well as the MV shooting." KUN replied. He also mentioned a new hip-hop song that will be released soon. He spent several months and traveled to four cites - including Los Angeles, Seoul, Taipei, and Beijing - to produce this song. From music arrangement, dance choreography, to pulling all-nighters for shooting the MV, this is by far the most exhausting process that he has had for making a song. It really is a large production.
那天我们花了不少时间聊他的音乐。现阶段蔡徐坤把自己完全定义为歌手，“对音乐的要求极其严格“。2019年的重点是年底的个人演唱会，需要大量的音乐作品，蔡徐坤要在演唱会之前做一张代表自己的专辑。他花了不少时间上声乐课和制作课，花更多的时间创作和制作音乐。
We spent lots of time talking about his music that day. At present, KUN completely defines himself as a singer. "His standard for music is extremely strict." The primary focus in 2019 is his solo concert at the end of the year, which requires a lot of music works. Before the concert, KUN has to make an album that represents him. He has spent a lot of time on vocal training and production classes, and even more time on creating and producing his music.
他把新专辑的风格归结为极具个人色彩的东西，和“实验性的音乐“，是自己音乐风格的小转变，“现在越来越有机会表现自己，到了希望大家听一听我到底喜欢的是什么的时间。“音乐是他喜欢的话题，蔡徐坤会给你讲第一张专辑里的《It's You》是到现在还爱得不行的歌；最新发布的《Hard To Get》偏流行，老外都觉得蛮好听。
He classified his new album as very personal and “experimental” music, which is a slight change in his music style. “As I have more opportunities to express myself, I think it is time to let everyone hear what I truly like.” When talking about his favorite topic music, KUN would tell you that "It's You" from his first album is still one of his favorites and the latest release "Hard to Get" gains popularity overseas as more of a pop song.
“我能说说我对这些歌的看法吗？“ 我问。
“May I tell you my opinion about these songs?" I asked.
“你请说。” 他伸手做了一个请的动作，一脸认真。话题是从这里打开的。
"Please." He made an inviting gesture with serious expression. The topic opened up from here.
他的音乐里，即使在艰难处境下创作的歌也是爱情主题，我好奇这种创作上的转化是怎么来的。蔡徐坤把做音乐分为两种状态，第一种是非常纯粹的，另一种是非常代入情绪的：“我不希望表达的东西都特别的明确，我希望留一点想象空间。不管是女生也好、爱情也好，一个追求的目标也好，都是成立的。“他前期发了很多英文歌，因为英文有它的解读空间。
In KUN’s music, even the songs composed during tough times had a love theme. I asked how he manages these creative transitions. KUN pointed out two modes of music composition: pure technical or very emotionally involved. “I hope to leave some room for imagination and not to define exactly what I would like to express. Whether (the song is about) a girl, love or chasing a target, it will all make sense.” He released many English songs in the past because there is more space for interpretation.
他艰难时期的作品是《Wait Wait Wait》。这首歌在他的备忘录里待了很长一段时间，代表了他的人生经历：“我一直都说人生是一个不停等待的过程，不管你得到了什么，失去了什么，你永都在等待，你可以说人是贪婪的，你也可以说人是不知足的，你也可以说人是常变的，所以我会说Wait Wait Wait。有很多东西是我们一生都在等待的，不是吗？“
"Wait Wait Wait" was born during the tough times. It was a song that stayed in his memo for a long time and represented his life experience. “I have always considered life a process of waiting. No matter what you've gained or lost, you will still be waiting. You can say humans are greedy, not content or capricious. Therefore, I say Wait Wait Wait. We will be waiting for many things during our entire life, won't we?”
“你觉得自己等待的时间久吗？“我问。
“Do you think you’ve been waiting for a long time?” I asked.
“每个人都会有想放弃的时候，就看谁坚持下去了。“他说。
“Everyone would consider giving up at some point, it just depends on who persisted.” He answered.
坚持的起点很早就萌发了。蔡徐坤印象很深刻的是小时候听音乐节目里放的专辑，看有人在台上表演，台下特别多歌迷。那些画面从小跟着他，“感觉我也想成为这样的人。像他们那样站在舞台上跳舞，台下有人看。“蔡徐坤的姥爷会很多乐器，妈妈是民族舞老师。他觉得自己对音乐的感受是天生的。
The idea of perseverance came about at a young age. KUN had vivid memories of listening to music from radio stations and watching the performance with lots of fans off stage. Those scenes stayed with him growing up, "Made me want to become one of them, dancing and singing on stage with lots of audiences.” KUN's grandfather knew many instruments and KUN's mother was an ethnic dance teacher. KUN thought he was born with music sense.
长大了在学校的文艺活动里试着表演，自己编舞唱歌，家里人挺支持。音乐的创作是长大一些开始的。他写的第一首歌叫《good night 13》，马上要14岁了，献给13岁的自己。那时还没学乐理，和普通的中学生一样写词，哼出曲子。
Growing up, he tried to perform at school's talent shows by singing with his own dance choreography. His parents were quite supportive of his talents. Kun started music composition as he grew older. His first original song "Good Night 13" was written just before turning 14, as a gift for himself at age 13. Without learning music theory, KUN wrote the song just like any ordinary teenage student would do, by humming the melody and writing down lyrics.
音乐和舞蹈是一体的。现在，他把自己定位成一个表演者，有了音乐就有了画面，所有东西最终会形成一个表演。这是经验的积累。
这个过程中，“你需要的是练习，花200%的时间练习。大家在看到一个艺人在舞台上很成熟的时候，你真的无法想象他私底下到底练过多少。看似轻松的表演，是付出了最多时间人。“大量的肢体训练发生在练习生时期。蔡徐坤的练习没什么不同：对着镜子，盯着自己，把每个表情都做一遍，每个动作每个角度都做一遍，选一个觉得最好看的。起初是需要老师的，有了自己的审美以后就不需要老师了。
Music and dance are connected. KUN considers himself a performer now because he believes that music creates images and eventually becomes a performance. That came from an accumulation of experiences.
During this process, “What you need is practice, like spending 200% of your time practising. When you see an artist performing maturely on stage, you cannot imagine how much he or she has practised privately. They made it look easy because they spent so much time practising off stage.” Most body practices took place during the trainee period. KUN is no different from any other trainee: facing the mirror and staring at his movements, he practised every facial expression one after another. He tried these expressions at every possible angle and chose the best one. Initially, this required guidance from a teacher, but he no longer needed one after developing his own aesthetic sense.
他会回看自己上的节目，阶段性的满意出现在《星动亚洲》时期，“在看一个视频的时候，自己还挺帅的“。从节目第一期就有这种感觉，“不是满意，也不是骄傲和自信，是有所收获。你的努力得到了很明显的回报。在这之前自己都觉得不好，练吧，还能怎样。“
KUN will watch playbacks of his performances from the shows he participated in. He was somewhat satisfied with his performance during the Super Idol show. "I realized I was pretty handsome while watching one of the videos." KUN felt this way since the first episode, "Rather than feeling satisfied or confident, it is more about the fulfillment. Your hard work has finally paid off. I never thought I was good enough before then, so the only thing you could do is to keep practising."
蔡徐坤参与了《星动亚洲》第二季。这是真正接近当下身份的路径，这之前他演过戏，16岁去美国读书，2016年回国参与这档节目，并且凭借节目第一次出道、去海外做练习生，又和公司解约。两年后登上《偶像练习生》时，身份是个人练习生。
KUN participated in the show Super Idol Season Two. This is truly the closest path to become who he wanted to be. Prior to this point, he acted and went to the United States for high school at age 16. He flew back to China to participate in the show Super Idol. He subsequently debuted from this show, became a trainee in South Korea, and eventually terminated the contract with his company. When he went on Idol Producer two years later, he presented himself as an individual trainee.
现在他把更多时间花在studio。要去研究更深的东西，音乐性也好，音乐历史也好，总之是那些“你呆在练习室把每一个动作角度先看好，才有资格去做的事情“。
Nowadays, KUN spends most of his time in the studio to acquire a deeper understanding of musicality and music history. "In order to do these things, you have to know and practice your best angles in the dance studio first."
至于人生目标，蔡徐坤说：“我一直以来就是想好好办演唱会。从小就这一个愿望，等我把它办完了我再想下一个。那个时刻要到来了。”
As for his life goal, KUN stated: “My ultimate goal is to prepare and perform for my solo concert. This has been my childhood dream. I will think of my next goal after this is fulfilled. And that moment is coming. ”
采访蔡徐坤
Interviewing KUN
2019年6月28日12:50p.m.，北京，酒店雪茄吧
June 28, 2019, at 12:50 p.m., a cigar lounge at a hotel in Beijing
这天，蔡徐坤的日程是配合杜莎夫人蜡像馆，为自己的蜡像量体。这之前，我们在酒店的雪茄吧做采访。
The schedule for KUN that day was to work with the Madame Tussaud's for his wax figure measurement. Before that, we had an interview at a cigar lounge in the hotel.
“超级流量明星“在我身侧坐下，长手长腿在沙发椅上折出几个90度角。
The "mega star" sat down beside me, with his long arms and legs postured into several 90 degree angles on the sofa.
五官立体、妆容精致，眉毛修饰得根根分明。这张脸代表着一个时代的审美吗?我不知道。此刻的蔡徐坤年轻、得体，确保自己每个细节都得到近乎完美的呈现。
Distinctively outlined facial features, exquisite makeup, perfectly groomed and well-defined eyebrows, does his face represent the aesthetics of this era? I don't know. At this moment, KUN is young and appropriate, ensuring every detail is presented nearly perfect.
我们聊他和粉丝的关系。讲到他的愧疚是因为做音乐减少了对粉丝的陪伴时，蔡徐坤用了一个词，“我的小猫咪“。
We talked about his relationship with his fans. As KUN felt guilty that he spent most of his time on his music production and had less time meeting his IKUN, he used a phrase to describe his IKUN, "My kittens".
2019年，我被告知蔡徐坤是一个心理成熟度高于实际年龄的、有狮子座特质的人。这些声音来自他的团队、网络渠道，或者对他有所关注的人。翻看过去的节目视频，直到一年前，他还是会吐舌头、咬嘴唇卖萌的韩系艺人；18岁生日，他给粉丝送玩具，手写的卡片上还画了小狗。在长达一天的拍摄以及整场谈话里，蔡徐坤是酷的、温和有礼的。没有能和“可爱“或者“软萌“挂上钩的时刻。说出这个词的时候，我一下就找到了那个蔡徐坤：很……甜蜜。
In 2019, I was told that KUN is a person with psychological maturity greater than his actual age and has typical Leo traits. All of the above opinions came from his team, the online platforms, or people who followed him closely. As I went through his old videos, he would still act quite cute on camera like a typical Korean style idol up to a year ago. On his 18th birthday, he sent toys to his fans that had hand drawn puppies on the handwritten cards. During our day-long photoshoot and interview, KUN was cool, gentle, courteous, and did not reveal any moment of his“cuteness”. However, when he mentioned his "kittens", I finally found that "cute" KUN. He was truly sweet.
“我的小猫咪，就是我的粉丝们。”
"'My kittens' stand for my fans."
他又重复了一遍这个词，给我解释。我当然知道。是突然的状态切换让我僵住了。这是偶像和粉丝之间的连接——哪怕在他们没有面对彼此的时候。Prada的广告片发布推送里，关于蔡徐坤的介绍部分提到了：20岁的中国音乐人、微博平台的2460万粉丝，以及“中国当代最受关注及喜爱的偶像之一“。数字的能量不可小觑，这背后是粉丝的力量。他们是把自己的偶像和时代浪潮联结在一起的纽带。
He repeated the phrase again and explained to me. I definitely understood what that phrase meant, but what amazed me was his sudden change of tones as he mentioned his fans. It was the connection between the idol and the fans, even when they were not face to face with each other. The promotional video from Prada introduced KUN as the "20-year-old Chinese music artist with 246 million followers on Weibo", and "one of the most popular and trending idols of contemporary China". All of the numbers above are not to be underestimated, behind which are the power of the fans, who form the connection between their idol and the trends of the era.
背后的千军万马让偶像看似赢家。“你有什么困惑吗？“我问他。
The mighty force behind this idol seems to validate his success. "Do you have any concerns?" I asked.
蔡徐坤说：“很多的流量艺人都只会被看到表面，其实大家可以更加关注的是这个人。哪怕你真的想要去对这个人进行一些言论(攻击)的时候也好，花一点点时间去了解他。不用太多，花一点时间看看他每天在干吗，他到底是一个什么样的人。我觉得这样子对每个艺人来说会更公平一点。“
KUN said: "People usually pay attention to the appearance of a popular artist, but I suggest to spend some time to actually get to know this person as well. Just spend several minutes to
see what he or she is actually doing every day and learn their true personalities. I think this way it will be more fair to every artist."
人造人、蜡像、人偶，围绕着蔡徐坤，这些创意贯穿采访的始末。似乎是某种隐喻，矛头指向过去被造星产业批量产出的偶像。对谈那天，主编手卡上的一个问题是，“现在工作上的事谁拿主意？“答案是，音乐上自己拿主意，事业上有自己的想法，也会跟团队一起商量。他不避讳展露欲望：“我们这代年轻人很多都特别清楚自己喜欢什么，我觉得我身上最坚持，也最明白我自己最想要的就是在舞台上一直呆下去。我做的一切的努力也都是为了这一个目标。”
Artificial human, wax figure, puppets. These ideas were embedded throughout the interview of KUN. They seemed to be some sort of metaphors, depicting the idols that were mass produced by the star-making industry in the past. On the day of the conversation, one of the questions on the editor's cue card was "Who has the decision-making power on your career now?" KUN answered that he has the decision-making power on his music. He would discuss other career related ideas with his team. He was not shy about his ambition: "Youths from my generation generally have clear ideas of what they like and what they are looking for. The goal I have been persisting and wanting to achieve the most is to stay (and perform) on stage.
This is the purpose of all my hard work and efforts."
“你不介意说我要我要我要？“主编问。
"So you don’t mind expressing your desire for what you want?" The editor asked.
他说：“我很坦白。我就是喜欢，我就是热爱。“
He said, "I am absolutely frank about my passion and what I love."
看起来确实是这样。蔡徐坤不是一个能被帖放进造星模型里的偶像。他自信，承认欲望，正走在自己想去的路上。
Indeed, KUN is not an idol that can be put into the "star-making" model. He is confident, positively ambitious, and well on his way to where he wants to go.
采访这天，最后一个问题，我问他：“流量的标签是一个困境吗？“
The last question of the interview that day was, "Does the 'mega star' tag create a dilemma for you?"
蔡徐坤说：“不是一个困境，我觉得是一个正常现象。但是不代表我服。“
KUN said, "Not a dilemma. I think it is a normal phenomenon, but it does not mean I am convinced by it."
“你希望抹掉它？“
"Do you wish to erase this tag about you?"
“我不能说我保证能抹掉它，但我就是不服。“
"I cannot make a promise to erase it, but I am not convinced that this will be the only tag about me."
Q+A
你觉得什么是燃?
我觉得燃是一种充满斗志的状态。
How do you define "fervor"?
I think that "fervor" refers to an emotional state filled with fighting spirit.
什么样的情景能让你整个人燃起来?
每当准备战胜舞台前的那一刻我通常都会有一种自己要燃起来的状态。
What situations can trigger your fervor?
Every time when I am ready to conquer the stage, I always feel my inner fervor.
请讲一个到目前为止，你人生中很燃的经历或者时刻。
上一次准备演唱会的时候，大家在台下一起加油的那一刻，是很燃的状态。
Please share an experience or moment in your life, up till today, when you felt a great level of fervor.
From the last time when we were preparing for a concert to the moment when the audiences were cheering for me off stage, they are my experience of being fervid.
你觉得燃的状态能带来什么样的结果?
燃是一种很有能量的状态，会让你整个人紧张也感觉自己有压力，但其实这是一种向前的感觉，会让人特别兴奋。
What kind of results do you think that a state of fervor can bring?
It is a very energetic condition that makes you nervous and feel pressured, but it actually is a forward feeling that makes you very excited.
你觉得一个团体能够建立或者形成的根本是什么?
我觉得团体能够建立是有一致的目标一致的审美，大家朝着同样的目标同样的梦想去努力。
What do you think is the foundation for building a team?
I think that a team can establish is because of commonly shared goals and similar aesthetic standard. Every team member strives for that same goal and same dream.
在团队里经常会出现贡献比较少的团员，和贡献多的人一样享受了团队荣誉。你怎么看
待这个现象?
在团队里人们会忽略的往往是在角落里默默付出的，他同样是这个团队里必不可少的部分。无论是台前还是幕后，都同样非常非常的重要。
In the team, there are always members who participated less than others but still get to enjoy the team honor with those who contributed more. What do you think about this phenomenon?
In the team, people often overlook a member who quietly work in the corner. But he is also an indispensable part of the team. No matter what role this member is responsible for, he is still extremely important.
当有了团队之后，你的生活和心态上发生了怎样的改变?
有了团队之后生活上大家可以互相照顾，心态上也会像筷子，越多越不容易折断，心里更加有安全感。
After forming a team, how has your life and mentality changed?
When being in a team, everyone can take care of each other both physically and mentality. It is like chopsticks. The more there are, the harder to break. So you feel more secure.
Sarah Brannon采访提到KUN的部分
这次拍摄给你的印象如何?有什么惊喜之处吗?
在此次拍摄前我从未跟蔡徐坤合作过，所以一直保持着开放的心态为任何事情做好准备。我十分享受这次拍摄，拍摄团队非常棒，总是努力确保我得到我需要的一切。蔡徐坤很绅士，非常可爱又很有耐心。我们在片场玩得很开心。我仍然为自己试图在拍摄时和他一起跳舞而感到尴尬，因为我的舞跳得很糟糕！
What's your impression of this shooting? Is there any surprise?
I have never worked with KUN before, so I kept an open mind and prepared for any possibilities. I enjoyed the shooting very much and the team was great. They always tried to make sure that I got everything I needed. KUN is such a gentleman. He is really cute and patient. We had a great time on the set. I am still embarrassed that I attempted to dance with him when shooting, because my dance is very bad!
合作之前，你对这位中国新生代偶像有了解吗?
我听说过蔡徐坤，他真的很有名气，我听过他的音乐。和蔡徐坤一起拍摄一切都是那么轻松自然。我曾经和一些名人合作过，他们都不太好相处，但是他正好相反！他十分亲切可爱又很自信。
Did you know anything about this new generation of Chinese idol before working with him?
I've heard of KUN. He's really famous. I've heard his music. When shooting with KUN, everything was quite easy and natural. I have worked with some celebrities before and they were not so easy to get along with, but he was just the opposite! He is very kind, sweet and confident.
拍摄前，大家都很期待与蔡徐坤见面，对这位出道不久便取得耀眼成绩的年轻人充满好奇。拍摄现场，这位在舞台上充满霸气的偶像会礼貌地向工作人员问好，并时刻保持自己在镜头下的专业形象，拍摄间隙还不忘在显示屏上回看自己的表现，表达“这张我喜欢“的想法，是个坚定、自信、有头脑的狮子座大男孩。
与他一起登上封面的超模 Sarah Brannon也对他有着极佳的印象。蔡徐坤很绅士，非常可爱又很有耐心。我们在片场玩得很开心。我仍然为自己试图在拍摄时和他一起跳舞而感到尴尬—因为我的舞跳得很糟糕！视频拍摄中，蔡徐坤更是展现了不俗的实力。剧本中的各种人物设定通通难不倒他，丰富的肢体语言配合犀利的眼神，让在场的所有人都体会到了这位台下苦练台上发光的偶像的魅力。
Before the filming, everyone was looking forward to meeting with KUN, and was curious about this young man who made a dazzling achievement soon after his debut. In the studio, the idol who was charismatic on the stage would politely greet the staff, and always maintain his professional image under the lens. During the interval of shooting, he would make sure to check his performance on the display and share his "I like this" point of view. He is a decisive, confident and creative Leo boy.
The supermodel Sarah Brannon who was on the cover with him also had a great impression on him. KUN is such a gentleman. He is really cute and patient. We had a great time on the set. I am still embarrassed that I am trying to dance with him while shooting, because my dance is very bad! During the video shooting, KUN demonstrated his outstanding strengths. He could take on any character roles on the script with ease. His expressive body language and sharp glance made everyone in the room feel the charm of this idol, who has trained hard behind the scenes and shines on the stage.
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