The Flowers (Chinese band)
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1998 in Beijing, China |
| Founder | Da Zhang Wei, Guo Yang, Wang Wenbo |
| Defunct | June 21, 2009 |
| Fate | Disbanded |
| Headquarters | Beijing , China |
Area served | China |
Key people | Da Zhang Wei (lead singer, guitarist), Guo Yang (bassist), Wang Wenbo (drummer), Shi Xingyu (guitarist, 2001–2008) |
| Products | Rock music albums |
Number of employees | 4 (members) |
| Parent | New Bees Music (until ~2001), EMI (from 2001) |
The Flowers () was a rock band originating from Beijing, China, established in 1998. The founding members comprised lead singer and guitarist Da Zhang Wei (), bassist Guo Yang (), and drummer Wang Wenbo (). Guitarist Shi Xingyu () became part of the group in 2001. Throughout their active years, The Flowers produced six studio albums.
In the summer of 2008, Shi Xingyu departed following a conflict with Zhang Wei. The band organized a talent search to recruit a replacement; however, they ultimately dissolved in June 2009.
History
Da Zhang Wei, Guo Yang, and Wang Wenbo first connected during their high school years and performed pop punk influenced by bands like Green Day and Blink-182 at venues in Beijing. In 1998, they secured a contract with New Bees Music, an independent label based in Beijing. Their first album, On the Other Side of Happiness (1999), included songs such as "Stillness," "Disillusion," and "School's Out."
Following a two-year legal dispute with New Bees Music that was resolved outside of court, they signed with EMI in 2001; it was at this time that Shi Xingyu joined the ensemble.
Their sophomore album, Strawberry Statement, came out in December 2001. Their third release, I Am Your Romeo (July 2004), incorporated elements of hip-hop and techno into their sound.
In 2005, the track "Xi Shua Shua" featured on their fourth album, Hua Ji Wang Chao (Blooming Dynasty), which achieved sales of 200,000 copies within just 40 days. That same year, The Flowers appeared at China Central Television's Lantern Festival gala and were nominated for several categories at the Pepsi Music Chart Awards including Best Arrangement, Lyrics, Composer, and Rock Band—although these nominations were later withdrawn amid plagiarism allegations.
Their fifth album, Hua Tian Xi Shi, was released in October 2006. The following year saw the release of their sixth album, Hua Ling Sheng Hui (Flower Age Pageant), featuring the lead single "Qiong Kaixin" ("Shiny Happiness"). Zhang Wei expressed his intention to weave traditional Chinese cultural elements into this project. That year, The Flowers earned the Best Mainland Band award at the China Music Awards and recorded the Mandarin theme song for Disney’s High School Musical 2.
Breakup
In July 2008, it was announced by their record company that guitarist Shi Xingyu had exited the band after seven years of collaboration. To mark their tenth anniversary tour, the band hosted a talent competition in Beijing with fifty hopefuls competing for membership; however, no candidate was ultimately chosen. The Flowers officially disbanded on June 21, 2009.
Plagiarism accusations
The band encountered accusations of plagiarism due to resemblances between some of their songs and works by other artists. For instance, "Xi Shua Shua" bore similarities to "K2G" by Japanese pop duo Puffy AmiYumi, while "Emperor's Favorite" closely matched Caparezza’s "Fuori dal Tunnel." Both Zhang Wei and representatives from EMI acknowledged these parallels, conceding certain imperfections but denying any deliberate copying. Consequently, The Flowers withdrew from all music award events for the remainder of 2006. Zhang Wei explained that their habit of listening to as many as one hundred songs daily made it challenging to detect and eliminate unoriginal content.
Fighting incident
In 2007, tensions escalated during an altercation at a restaurant near Beijing’s Chaoyang Park when Zhang Wei physically struck guitarist Shi Xingyu and pushed away a man who attempted to intervene. This episode was captured on video by a bystander. Their label attributed the conflict to creative disagreements regarding their forthcoming album, exacerbated by stress following the plagiarism controversy. Zhang Yi, a senior executive at the record company, remarked that disputes arose during recording sessions due to differing opinions about the album’s musical direction.
Da Zhang Wei
Da Zhang Wei, originally named Zhang Wei and born on 31 August 1983 in Beijing, identifies Green Day, Ramones, and Nirvana as major musical inspirations.
Shi Xingyu
Shi Xingyu, also known by the nickname Xiao Yu (), was born on 11 January 1983 and became a member of the group in 2001. His preferred bands include Blink-182 and Smash Mouth.
Guo Yang
Born on 29 May 1978 in Beijing, Guo Yang finds artistic influence in the sounds of Green Day and Nirvana.
Wang Wenbo
Wang Wenbo, whose birthdate is 22 October 1982 in Beijing, draws creative inspiration from Green Day, The Cure, and Nirvana.
Discography
- Next to Happiness (1999) (幸福的旁边, Xìngfú de pángbiān)
- Strawberry Statement (2001) (草莓声明, Cǎo méi shēng míng)
- I Am Your Romeo (2004) (我是你的罗密欧, Wǒ shì nǐ de luōmì'ōu)
- Blooming Dynasty (2005) (花季王朝, Huājì wáng cháo)
- Hua Tian Xi Shi (2006) (花天囍世, Huā tiān xǐ shì)
- Flower Age Pageant (2007) (花龄盛会, Huā líng shènghuì)