In recent years, Hong Kong singer Jackson Wang, who has been working hard in mainland China, has taken a year off due to depression. During a recent guest appearance on the podcast hosted by Yang Tianzhen, he shocked the industry by revealing the dark side of the entertainment world, stating that “popularity is ephemeral” and announcing that he will no longer use a manager. This news has caused a stir in the entertainment industry.
On the 18th, the hashtag #ReasonsWhyJacksonWangNoLongerUsesManager went viral. In Yang Tianzhen’s podcast, Jackson Wang rarely talked about the complex realities he has experienced in the industry, from the initial enthusiasm to facing unnecessary conflicts. He has questioned, “How could people be like this?”
In an interview with “Fashion Bazaar” in July last year, Jackson Wang mentioned that for the past decade, he had been constantly touring different cities, holding concerts in places like Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Beijing, Seoul, Paris, New York, and only sleeping three to four hours a day, spending the rest of his time working.
During his interview with the Chairman and CEO of “One Entertainment,” Yang Tianzhen, Jackson Wang expressed that despite experiencing various complex realities, he did not have a choice. However, he believes that human nature cannot be challenged: “Some things can be lost and regained through hard work, but healing emotional wounds is not that easy.”
Regarding his decision to no longer use a manager, Jackson Wang stated that managers sometimes lack artistic pursuits and analyze celebrity products through data. In his view, being excessively influenced by commercial data and market trends is like putting shackles on art, limiting the freedom of creation and the spark of inspiration.
Jackson Wang expressed his desire to constantly explore and innovate in music and on stage, but the overly commercial mindset of managers contradicts his artistic pursuits, leading to increasing clashes like a collision between Mars and Earth. As he gained a better understanding of his needs and overall direction, the role of the manager became less significant.
With over 30 million followers on Weibo, Jackson Wang bluntly stated that “popularity is ephemeral” and that “everything can be gone in the blink of an eye tomorrow.” He reminds himself not to become obsessed with popularity and not to mistake it for reality.
Public records show that Jackson Wang was born in Hong Kong in 1994. He debuted as a member of the boy group GOT7 in South Korea in January 2014. That same year, he won the SBS Entertainment Award for Best New Male Variety Performer. In 2017, he hosted the Asian Song Awards and received the MTV Special Award for his achievements.