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Straits Times
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
Former Taiwanese boy band F4 reunites for surprise performance at Mayday concert
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Former band members shared a moment on stage in their first reunion since 2013. TAIPEI – Taiwan's former boy band F4 reunited for a surprise performance at Taiwanese pop-rock band Mayday's concert in the Taipei Dome on July 12. F4, which made their debut in 2001 following the Taiwanese idol drama Meteor Garden (2001), delivered their hit song Meteor Rain (2001) and Mayday's The Song Of Laughter and Forgetting (2008) as guest performers. They sang both songs with Mayday, who were performing their last Taipei show as part of their Mayday #5525 Back To That Day Live Tour (2023 to present). F4 consists of Taiwanese-American Van Ness Wu, 46, and Taiwanese stars Jerry Yan, 48; Ken Chu, 46; and Vic Chou, 44. Chu, 46, was quick to share photographs of the band's reunion, taking to Instagram on July 12 to post a photograph of the group singing, as well as of them sharing a group hug. Netizens took the reunion positively, with comments on his Instagram post such as 'Full F4 Asian concert next please', and 'Is this really true?' During the concert, Mayday's lead vocalist, who goes by Ashin, said the reunion took two years to arrange, and that many people were involved in making the reunion happen. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Govt will continue to support families, including growing group of seniors: PM Wong at PCF Family Day Singapore From Normal stream to Parliament: 3 Singapore politicians share their journeys Business 29 Jollibean workers get help from MOM, other agencies, over unpaid salaries Singapore Segregated recycling bins found to lower contamination rate as more spring up Asia Mahathir resting in hospital after feeling fatigued during birthday gathering Singapore Medics treat 7 after blaze at Chai Chee HDB lift lobby Singapore Government looking at enhancing laws around vaping to tackle issue of drug-laced vapes in Singapore Singapore I lost my daughter to Kpod addiction: Father of 19-year-old shares heartbreak and lessons As Chu addressed the crowd, he said it was the first time attending a Mayday show. He added that he could finally heave a sigh of relief, as he previously had to keep the reunion a secret by claiming that he was not in contact with the other band members. The quartet, which had disbanded in 2009, last came together in 2013 for a performance for China's Jiangsu Television's Spring Festival Gala. According to Wu, the foursome had experienced feelings of jealousy and unfairness prior to their disbandment, who revealed this in a joint appearance with Yan on the Chinese chat show Welcome Back To Sound. Taiwan's Mirror Media reported on June 4 that the band had reached an agreement and would reunite for a concert to celebrate their 25th anniversary in 2026.
Straits Times
04-06-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Former Taiwanese boy band F4 reportedly planning to reunite for concert in 2026
F4 comprised (from left) Jerry Yan, Van Ness Wu, Ken Chu and Vic Chou. The Taiwanese boy band could be making a comeback in 2026. PHOTO: THE NEW PAPER FILE Former Taiwanese boy band F4 reportedly planning to reunite for concert in 2026 F4, one of the top Taiwanese boy bands alongside groups such as Energy and 5566 during the 2000s, could be making a comeback in 2026. According to an exclusive report by Taiwan's Mirror Media on June 4, the four members of the Mandopop act have finally reached an agreement and will reunite for a concert to celebrate the 25th anniversary of their debut. The reunion was made possible by Taiwan-based recording company B'in Music, which was behind the comeback of Energy in 2024. F4 consisted of Taiwanese stars Jerry Yan, 48; Vic Chou, 43; and Ken Chu, 46; as well as Taiwanese-American Van Ness Wu, 46. The quartet were brought together as a boy band in 2001 after acting in Taiwanese idol drama Meteor Garden (2001), which also starred the late Taiwanese actress Barbie Hsu. Meteor Garden was such a phenomenon in Asia that the four men went on to record three albums and hold concert tours as F4. The group were later renamed JVKV, using the first letter of each of the members' names, due to copyright issues. The members went their separate ways in 2009 and have since performed together at Jiangsu Television's Spring Festival Gala only in 2013. After the split, Yan continued to act and occasionally took part in Chinese variety shows, while Wu is focusing on variety shows and commercial performances in China. Chu currently conducts live-stream sales, while Chou furthered his acting career, with his latest role in the upcoming drama series The World Between Us: After The Flames (2025). According to Mirror Media, B'in Music – which managed to convince Energy to reunite 15 years after its disbandment – has a list of former boy bands which it hopes to lobby for reunion, with F4 being top on the list. B'in Music, which includes Taiwanese bands Mayday and Accusefive in its stable of artistes, reportedly spent a long time talking to the four members, who are represented by different agencies. The task was made more difficult as the quartet were said to have split due to differences in their personalities and feelings of jealousy and unfairness between them. However, the success of Energy's reunion in 2024 proved to be a key factor in convincing them to come together again. Mirror Media said the huge marketability of F4 would be a big draw for the reunion concert and that the group may also tour Asia, in addition to focusing on the markets in China and Taiwan. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
