ACTRESS AND SINGER PROFILE OF WU XUANYI

This Profile will start detailing her Biodata, her career as an Actress, and next detail her musical career. Along the way, I will add some anecdotes and tidbits. The movies, dramas, and shows, will get direct links to watch them, when available, and the songs will also be linked to Youtube or other places to watch performances or to listen, and to the pages on Baidu with the Chinese lyrics. I will make a note when the videos are subtitled in English or are not.  Special thank you  to Qipa No1 Fan   who added interesting tidbits about Wú Xuānyí here, and to  MsDarkqueen  who encouraged my digging!

吴宣仪

BIODATA  --Wú Xuānyí  was born January 26, 1995 in Hǎikǒu, Hǎinán, China. 

166cm (5’5″) tall, 42.5kg (93.5 lbs), or 46 kg (101.5 lbs) according to various declarations.

Also known as: 吴玉婷 / Wú Yùtíng  ; Korean stage name  우쉬안이 /Oh Sun Ee or O Seon Ui, alternatively 오선의, U Swi An I ; or Betty Wu. Chinese traditional characters :   吳宣儀,

我是真的可爱 [ wǒ shì zhēn de kě'ài] I'm really cute

She is Aquarius star sign, Chinese zodiac Dog and Wood element -born at the tail end of that year which ended January 30, 1995, (so some biodata mistakenly cast her as Pig... )  "Wood Dogs  are dedicated workers who will leave a positive impact wherever they go. They  prefer to work in groups rather than alone. They are dependable and courteous. " "These women tend to find their main business of life and follow it, which necessarily leads to success. They also have a desire to be a leader. Possessing magnetism, these women are surrounded by numerous fans." Sometimes, she uses clear glasses.  Fashion or function: could she be nearsighted like her friend Yáng Chāoyuè (who is very nearsighted) ? In these pictures, Xuānyí often looks over the rim of her glasses.

--She was raised in a well-to-do middle class family on Hainan island, with one brother. Her father is "from Hainan and her mother from Guangdong province". She said in an interview on Korean "AfterSchool" ASC show, that she "lived as a boy until she was 7 years old" : she dislked wearing skirts and played with action figures (Ultraman etc)  until she went to school!  She studied at Hǎinán Normal University and said she would have liked to become a clothing designer, if she had not chosen to do a career as idol in music.

On her Studio Weibo page, this funny petting the head of a ticklish cat, in August 2023, always with perfectly painted nails (she is careful about makeup be it "nude" or not)                 --->

She once had a Siamese cat, called Juju. You can see her playing with it and petting it in the Before Farewell documentary movie (see below for links) and in this video of 2018.  She likes cats and dogs.

She  always liked to sing, and in 2013, she was selected by Yuehua Entertainment Company during an art test.

She went to South Korea around 2014-2015 to train as an idol, and returned to China in 2018, after a stint in a girl band called WJSN Cosmic Girls. But she took a « hiatus » to compete in Produce 101 and was chosen as a member for the project girl group Rocket Girls 101 (2018-2020), after which she built a solo career in Chinese pop music. She also acted in movies and dramas aired from 2021 (although she had, in fact been part of a movie project that was filmed as early as in 2016).

Twice an idol, first in South Korea, but also in China, and internationally, she has a personal fandom of faithful "Yiyuan" (see the section "Return to China" in her Musical Career chapter, below), who cheer her on in weal or woe, and eagerly await her news in social media, in the general media, or following her vlogs. She said (on the Space Challenge show Q&A) that she likes her fans to call her simply  小宣 [Xiǎo Xuān]. Her cheerfulness, supple dancing, and melodious voice, attract many to her concerts or to the events where she is invited.

She can play the piano and likes to play MMORPG games ; she said her idols were Angelababy and Yang Mi.  She also said (in the mentioned Q&A) that she loved the Avengers Infinity War movie, and would like to play Wonder Woman!

SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS :        

Studio Weibo :                                           https://weibo.com/xuanyi0808  (~25 million followers)

Weibo微博名：                                          吴宣仪_Betty  

Also links to :                                             Oasis  --   Douyin   --  Spotify 

Instagram (268K followers)                                           

선의🖐🏻宣仪💙 (@w.xuanyi0126)

Youtube unofficial channel, since 2019:  https://www.youtube.com/@xuanyi_channel   (436 videos)

picture from her solo concert of August 2022, in her favorite blue colors.

MUSICAL CAREER

Wú Xuānyí left China to train in 2014-2015 as an idol with the Korean subsidiary of Chinese company Yuehua and the well established Korean entertainment company Starship Entertainment.

Starship Entertainment managed Korean groups Boyfriend, Monsta X, and Sistar, among others. They were planning to start a joint venture with the Chinese company, to be named WuJuSoNyeo (which also means Cosmic Girls in Korean) or WJSN (Wonder, Joy, Sweet, Natural, describing also the four sub-units).  The sub-units were a clever design to boost notoriety and satisfy fans.

 The  planned big group was said to be comparable with EXO. But, although Starship  and Yueha’s Korean subsidiary believed their joint setup could prevent it,  some worried from the start that the Chinese members would leave too (like EXO lost Kris Wu, Luhan, Z.Tao and Lay Zhang, who except for the latter, fought their company to get their contracts canceled).

They already had two Chinese girls under contract : Chéng Xiāo 程潇 (who had spent several years from 2013 in South Korea as a transfer student from Shenzhen Art school to the Seoul School of Performing Arts from which she graduated in 2016).   Singer Mèng Měiqí  孟美岐  was also signed, and the company was going to add  Wú Xuānyí in the Chinese contingent of the group, which had 9 Koreans: Seola, Bona, Exy, Soobin, Luda, Dawon, Eunseo, Yeoreum, Dayoung (a 10th, Yeonjung was added in July 2016). 

Wú Xuānyí was incorporated as member of the "Joy unit" together with Eunseo and Yeorum. She  got a Korean name (우쉬안이 O Seon Ui), just as her new Chinese friends in the group did. Chéng Xiāo  (정성소, Jung Seong So) had already established herself as a top dancer and gymnast, becoming the head of the "Wonder unit" of three together with Bona and Dayoung. Mèng Měiqí (맹미기, Maeng Migi) was cast as leader of the "Natural unit" together with Luda and Dawon. Seola or Exy with Soobin, were the Korean head of the lineup.

I will not detail every song of the Cosmic Girls, for fear of missing some that might be deemed important. Instead, I offer an overview of their career, with links to the albums where most of the songs are recorded.  For more information about the Cosmic Girls, until 2018 and beyond, the following 30 mins video looks like the most factual and comprehensive : WJSN: Cosmic Girls' Story (career, success, chinese members, mistreatment, queendom, contracts).  Some infos and pictures below are from there, others are from Wikipedia or fandom social media. Most  songs and albums are linked to Youtube or Soundcloud. ---For the Chinese part, after Wú Xuānyí left South Korea, many informations and illustrations are from Baidu, Sohu articles and other online publications, social media, and other sources. Most Gif are made by me.

우주소녀 

WJSN/ COSMIC GIRLS 

The launch of the new group was prepared by the release of a Christmas 2015 cover song: All I want for Christmas is you (but Wú Xuānyí did not appear in the MV yet).  She did sing together with Cosmic Girls and UNIQ for  the New Year's theme single "Happy New Year". But her official debut in South Korea dates from the official launch of the Cosmic Girls in 2016.

The official launch of the group was in February 2016, with the release of their debut mini album Would You Like ? featuring the tracks Mo Mo Mo (MV subtitled in English) and Catch Me (MV with the spectacular flip by  Chéng Xiāo ; here is another version on fancam from 2016.05.26) . The album also featured four other songs : click on picture above or here for the playlist. 

2nd mini album : « The Secret », in August 2016  featured images that became associated with their visual identity, and seven songs including the title song  Secret  (MV) -click on picture above or here  for the playlist. 

3rd minialbum :  « From WJSN » on January 4, 2017 with title track I Wish  (MV subtitled in English), was a huge success, with tens of thousands hard copies sold, (and more than 15 million views as of March 2023).  Six songs : click on picture above or here for the playlist.

Following the release, the group also announced their official fandom name : Ujung (meaning Friendship, while also being an abbreviation of    « space station ») before holding their first stage concert in May 2017.  The Ujung were responsible for the Hoax (see anecdote, below).  The Ujung fans, like many fans  of Kpop idols, used light sticks at concerts. Those of the Ujung were in a special design with three colors (grey with glitter, pale pink and blue-black) and a text "WJSN X Ujung" engraved at the basis below the bulb. They also had fanchants, but these were only released for promoting singles or title tracks (see a guide to the WJSN fanchants.)

Anecdote : The Hoax

While Wú Xuānyí was launching her career as Kpop singer and dancer, she had already considered branching out in movies, but her acting debut in Marna was thwarted by the cancellation of the movie.  Interestingly, this movie got tied to a hoax on Internet, on April 26, 2017, according to which lead actresses Wú Xuānyí and Mèng Měiqí were lesbian billionaires who had married !

 In fact, the Twitter spoof was showing a cropped picture of the heads of the two singer-actresses who had just starred in the then upcoming movie Marna, and were attending the BJIFF (Beijing International Film Festival) together with the two ML actors (Zhōu Yìxuān and Zhū Zhèngtíng) of the movie, which had been retitled  ‘The taste of first love’. The girls were not in wedding dresses, like the Tweet insinuated, but in evening long gown finery for the high profile event. When asked for a source about the "marriage", Twitter was tongue-in-cheek referred to the Cosmic Girls' MV of the song « I wish » !   In fact, their Ujung (Friendship in Korean) fans were responsible for the spoof that brought the group a lot of attention at the time : the MV was watched more than 2.5 million times  at the time ! (and garnered more than 15 million views by March 2023, making it their biggest success)

Oh, let's get this straight :  Wú Xuānyí  has made it clear that she is just that: straight,  not lesbian. Even though she has not admitted to have found her soulmate boyfriend yet... 

COSMIC GIRLS ALBUMS AND SONGS  2017-2018

Dreams Come True (Comeback Stage) (M! Countdown) 01.03.2018 (Live)

First full length studio album « Happy Moment » in June 2017  with ten songs (click on image above or here for playlist )  including the Happy MV (subtitles in English) which got 10 million views as of 2023.

"Kiss me", single, released July 14, 2017.

4th mini album «  Dream your Dream », in January 2018, with the song  Dreams Come True (MV with English subtitles), was also a success. The MV got over 4 million views as of 2023.  The album features five other songs (click on picture above for full album).

On February 11, 2018, Wú Xuānyí participated in the PyeongChang Winter Olympics K-POP celebration concert with Cosmic Girls.   Together, they sang and danced  "I Wish" and "Secret". (Below : my GIF from screenshots of full performance, linked; Cosmic Girls start at 27:35 in the recording).

SOLO CAREER

Album  "25" with three songs by Wú Xuānyí :  "25", "Pink Blue Summer" and "Betty Baby" (#25 #PinkBlueSunset #BettyBaby)

Run For Young (2020) with mandarin and Chongqing dialect - OST Spicy Time

[5] 《偏执》 [piānzhí]  Paranoid 2020.03.14, (MV/H)- collaboration with 王晰 Wáng Xī.

《25》first mini album 2020.09.25, includng three songs :

• [6] 《25》 --Official MV/E (+MV/HPE) . (Baidu) : 
• [7]  Pink Blue Sunset  (MV/H) written and sung by Wú Xuānyí (Performance version), (Baidu)   (+ this recording MV/E  from Stage Boom with more complete English subtitling, but problem with sound)
  
• [8]  Betty Baby (MVHPE), song composed by coffee blue, written and sung by Wú Xuānyí  (Baidu).  

[9] 《麻辣时光》[Málà shíguāng] Spicy Time 2020.10.02, OST song for the youth drama  Run for Young (2020)   (风犬少年的天空 fēng quǎn shàonián de tiānkōng /The Sky of the Mad Dog Boy). Lyrics : Liú ēnxùn 刘恩汛, Music : Lín Délóng 林德龙, arranged by Hé Shān 何山. Later included in the OST album of the drama, released 2020.10.22.    MV/H with excerpts from the drama; Performance MV/HE , recorded from Wú Xuānyí. 's 27 birthday concert.  (Baidu)

In 2021, she took part in several events where she won more awards,  sang own songs or took part in collaborative ones :

• Dragon TV's "New Year's Eve Concert 2021.02.10 : she sang 
  • a cover of the old JJ Lín /Lin Jùnjié 林俊傑 classic song (+MV/HPE  cover by Xiao Zhan) : 被风吹过的夏天 [bèi fēng chuīguò de xiàtiān] Wind-Blowed Summer,  
  • and a cover of 有点甜 [yǒudiǎn tián] A Little Sweet, from the 2016 drama Love o2o (original from Silence Wang/Wāng Sūlóng 汪蘇瀧).
    
    

• 2021 Beijing Radio and Television Spring Festival Gala 2021.02.12 : she sang in a group 相约北京 [Xiāngyuē Běijīng] Meet in Beijing  but I found no footage of her performance.
  

• 2020 Sina Weibo Night : she won Weibo Enterprising Artist of the Year, 2021. 02 28

• Selection for 2021 Movie Channel "Stars and Seas" Young Actor Selection Program, 2021.12.27  

• 2022 Winter Olympics BRTV Global New Year's Eve Ice and Snow Festival 2021.12.31: she  sang the song 爱你在心口难开 [ài nǐ zài xīnkǒu nán kāi] I love you so hard to express ; it's an old song from Jiang Ling from 1961. 

Wú Xuānyí 's own songs :
[10]  We Were In Love (MV/E+Indo) : English song,  single released 2021.01.20  (Baidu). (+ July 2021 stage version MV/HE)

[11]  《星河》[Xīng Hé]   Galaxy/or Starry River,  (+MV/HPE)  2021.02.11, OST ending theme of the TV serie Douluo Continent, Lyrics by Lǐ Yúzhé 李瑜哲 ; music by Dà shèng 大圣. (Baidu)

[12]  《Let's Party》Official MV 2021.04.14, (+MV/H) Invitation song for the 2nd anniversary party of "Peace Elite" (和平精英, Hépíng jīngyīng), included in album of same name. Lyrics by Wáng Zhèn 王振, Music by Willie Weeks. Officially launched in the game Just Dance《舞力全开》[Wǔ lì quán kāi] (+MV dance)  2021.04.29.  (Baidu)

"GIFT" second mini album 2021.12.30  This "first physical album" came in a box (video here) with a CD, a lyrics book & photobook (example: Glimmer), a 3D change small card, and a butterfly brooch. Included songs : 

• [13] 《微光》 [wéi guāng /Glimmer] prelude song  (MV/H, MV/H concert performance, fancam MV of Solo concert); Lyrics by Chloe Zhao 赵壹, Music and arrangement by  Koji Shinnai.  (Baidu).
  
• [14] 《北卡蓝》[Běi kǎ lán /North Carolina Blue], MV/H, written and sung by Wú Xuānyí ; Music by Dena Zhāng Cuìfāng 张粹方 and M. Kao/ Gāo Wéilún 高维纶.  （Baidu）+ vlog about how this song was produced, in Chinese.
  
• [15] 《RSVP》MV, (+MV/HE performance)  Lyrics by Mù Qīzi, Mǐ Xiǎomǒu, and Wú Xuānyí, Music and arrangement by Frederik Jyll, HIDDEN SOUND (HSND), HANGANG (HSND), and WWW.  (Baidu) --- Pictures above link to Soundcloud audio of the songs.

But 2021 was a difficult year for  Wú Xuānyí  who got caught in a vicious online scolding for her looks and independent mind, disregarding of public opinion, and in particular for "not dressing up and using make up properly" which was deemed disrespectful of public !

Anecdote : Bare faced disputes In May 2021, she was subjected to harsh criticism by Netizens who caught Wú Xuānyí without make up on several occasions.  In fact, she had been taking part in an episode of "Viva La Romance" season 5, (see below, Variety shows, anecdote Foes to Friends?) where she was accompanying a group of married women who talked about their, marriage while their husbands heard them out ; the episode featured a soak in hot baths and taking off face masks, so Wú Xuānyí 's face was seen bare.

就老给他发信息打电话 [Jiù lǎo gěi tā fā xìnxī dǎ diànhuà ] Just keep texting and calling him

In a perhaps hasty Weibo response, she replied: "Okay, I know, I will put on makeup in the future, or make a primer. I just don't want to put on makeup, I will be more diligent and hurry up." Clumsily adding "It's not easy for you to make money by publishing articles. Isn't it just giving you a chance"! She also posted 8 pictures of her dolled up around a common Chinese Panda-meme saying "Are you human?" But Wú Xuānyí 's posts only added fuel to the fire, on May 27, when she wrote on her Weibo (reposted on Daily Cpop News Twitter) a message that read "Girls in [the entertainment circle] are not treated well. Still, there is a need to protect yourselves. Be happy ".  That sent haters in a frenzy, flooding the net with taunts that if she could not take the pressure, she could leave entertainment, and pointing out her high salary in view of her claim that she was not treated well.  In fact, she had been misunderstood, because the message was referring to a friend from Produce101 who had been cheated on by a boyfriend, and Xuānyí had wanted to support that young woman, but instead, her words were twisted out of context, and commented on as if she was a crybaby complaining about being mistreated herself.  The scumbags went scot-free in the turmoil, and hate focused on the idol...

Anecdote :  Hairy Soul Sacrifice On August 20, 2021, Wú Xuānyí  was taking part in a competition called Stage Boom, for which she warned she would do something special.  On stage, she made a full dance and song performance of the song 《我要我们在一起》 "I Want Us Together" [Wǒ yào wǒmen zài yīqǐ] with beautiful setup and blue butterflies. Finally, she stunned audience when she cut her hair, contemporary art performance style, and explained later that her gesture was meant to get rid of the past, and "return to her former self", symbolized by the short haired partner who stood in front of her. -- The song is an award winning Taiwanese 1999 pop song originally by Mavis Fàn Xiǎoxuān 范晓萱 (MV +HPE).

Full video of the performance.

She did not win : perhaps judge Hán Hóng 韩红 was not impressed by her, or Ānqí 安崎 was the better there.  (The full recordings of the 23 episodes can be watched for free on iQiyi with English subtitles, or on Youtube)

Later, Wú Xuānyí   went on doing cook shows with nude makeup ...

2022-2023

Wú Xuānyí  celebrated her 26th birthday of  January 26, 2022, with a 2hrs party concert (full HD recording), for which the rehearsals have been recorded (fancam Part 1 ; Part 2)  The concert featured the release of an "official anime figure", and reading of fan letters, time for interaction, and several songs (timestamps in comments of the video) but there are no English subtitles :

•  《微光》Glimmer;  
• 《We Were In Love》 ;  
• 《再一起》Together Again  ;  cover of a Yú Jiāyùn 余佳运 song (MV/H) that the singer songwriter published in an EP in 2016, from which the first of the "Happiness Trilogy" (我想， 和你， 在一起 ) topped Netase Cloud music when it was released. （Baidu, but the site doesn't give more info nor lyrics for the song)
  
• 《星空剪影》 Starry Silhouette  ;  (this is a 2020 song by Lán Xīnyǔ 蓝心羽  MV/HPE) that also was covered by Zhāng Bìchén ; lyrics by Xú Jiāwèi 徐嘉蔚, Music by Miáo Xiǎoqīng 苗小青)
  
• 《RSVP》 ; (+MV/H of this part)
  
• 《麻辣时光》 Spicy Time  ; 
• 《北卡蓝》North Carolina Blue
  

Partcipations in events :

• Beijing Radio and Television Spring Festival Gala - 2022.02.01 ; participated in the sketch "Big "Sugar" Heartthrob" - like in many Chinese New Year TV shows, she appeared alongside the trending celebrities of the moment.
  
• Dragon Boat Festival Wonderful Tour - 2022.06.02 for Henan Radio and Television Station ; for which she sang a new song of hers, recorded live, to be included in a new album titled for the song:
  

[16] 《艾草青青》 [ài cǎo qīngqīng] "Green Mugwort / Green wormwood/ Moxa grass". (Baidu)

• Hainan Province Spring Festival Gala  2023.01.22, singing:
  
  •  《柔骨魅兔》  [róu gǔ mèi tù] Soft Bone Charming Rabbit   (see [2])
  •  《笑纳》 [Xiào Nà]  Smile MV/H ; in fact, xiào nà  is a formula used by the giver to ask someone to accept a gift. It is a 2020.08.26 song written by Zhōu Rén 周仁, composed by  Gǔ Yuè 古月， arranged by Hán Kē 韩珂,  and sung by Huā Tóng 花僮 (Flower Girl).  Included in the album of the same name   (Baidu)
•  Strive for a New Journey - 2023 China Online Audiovisual Annual Ceremony" [2023.01.24] . Wú Xuānyí sang :  "Fly Up" and "Happy New Year" (新年快乐) with UNIQ.
  
• Immersive Music /3D Fantasy Music Festival 2023.03.06 to 2023.03.31  attended
  
• CCTV Music Channel's Global Chinese Music Chart 2023.05.20, singing two new unreleased songs:
  
  • 《 向宇宙许愿》 Wish to the Universe  (+MV/HE performance) (Baidu)   First time pre-release, see below [19] for details.
    
  • [17] 《不期而遇》[Bù qī ér yù ] Unexpected Encounter (MV/HE performance), OST song from then upcoming drama Ode To Joy 3 (欢乐颂3, Huānlè sòng 3).  Lyrics by Rèn Yǎjìng , Zhào Sùbīng ; Music by Rèn Yǎjìng. (Baidu) Pre-release of the 2022.08.23 OST song.  
    

On March 3, 2023, Starship Entertainment announced that Wú Xuānyí had departed from WJSN Cosmic Girls after her contract expired.

From then on, Wú Xuānyí  was really a solo artist  with no contract tying her to a group. Although it was already a de facto situation for five years, this also meant that she would now have to rely more on her own strength (despite still being a Yuehua idol, in good place among her peeers in their log of stars, as this short video sums up), or renew her image.

我就笑笑  [wǒ jiù xiào xiào ]   I Just Smile !

[18] 《彩虹的微笑》[Cǎihóng de wéixiào]  Rainbow Smile, 2022.07.30, performance MV.  The song is included in the album for the show It Sounds Incredible Season 2 (听说很好吃 第二季, Tīngshuō hěn hàochī dìèr jì, I Heard It Tastes Good S2) on which Wú Xuānyí was a guest in episodes 3 and 9～12, from August to last ep. on October 29. Rainbow Smile is an officially authorized cover adaptation work with new lyrics by Zuǒ Kèhuì  左克蕙 and arranged  for Wú Xuānyí  by Yu Li 余力, from the music of the classic early rock-and-roll song "It's so easy" composed by Buddy Holly and Norman Petty.  (Baidu)  -- This  Wú Xuānyí version was covered by Cyndi Wáng Xīnlíng  王心凌  in the CCTV Online Spring Gala on 2023.  

[Note: The songs of Buddy Holly (born Charles Hardin Holley) and Norman Petty, his producer and sometime co-writer have influenced and been covered and adapted by countless singers and bands, even Bob Dylan, the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, and "It's So Easy" was also a hit song for Linda Ronstadt. In an 18 month career cut short by a deadly plane crash in 1959, Buddy Holly changed the face of pop music. It is nice to see him still remembered in music by the GenZ generation, all the way into China! ]

Wú Xuānyí   released two albums and participated in a relatively high profile project with a collaborative album, 赤梦华夏 [Chì mèng huáxià] ,where her name appeared beside some well-known other stars  such as Zhāng Bìchén, Lil Ghost...

Jiangnan Moon - 江南月

Don't Love anymore  不,爱了

Red Dream China album 赤梦华夏   (see below)

New songs by Wú Xuānyí  : 

[19] 《向宇宙许愿》 [xiàng yǔzhòu xǔyuàn]  Make a Wish to the Universe  2023.03.09  MV/HE. Album and song.  Song lyrics by Laughing/akichiu/吴宣仪 Betty Wu ; Music by Vera Chai/唐绍崴$uperCandy. It was later included in Wu Xuanyi's EP No, Loved, released on 2023.05.20   (Baidu)

[20] 《江南月》[Jiāngnán yuè] Jiangnan Moon 2023.04.18   Album ; Lyrics:  良朋 Liáng Péng, Music by 唐轶 Táng Yì. It  is included in the album of the same name "Jiangnan Moon". This song is the first song of the China-Japan-Korea Youth Music Co-Creation Project.   (Baidu)

《不, 爱了》third mini album, 2023.05.20, including:

•  [21] 《不 爱了》[Bù àile]  Don't Love Anymore,  2023.05.20  Official MV (The Lyrics in the MV were handwritten by Xuānyí) .   (Baidu)     (+ documentary about the making of 不爱了, in Chinese, no HPE) 
  
• [22] "Late in the night" 2023.05.20. Lyrics by eLynn陳箴 (Chén Zhēn), Music and arrangement by Dena Zhāng Cuìfāng 张粹方 and KIRE. It is included in the album 不, 爱了.   (Baidu)
  
• 《向宇宙许愿》 [xiàng yǔzhòu xǔyuàn]  Make a Wish to the Universe . See above MV/HE [19]   + nice stage version on Baidu.
  

[23] 《生活，你好》[Shēnghuó, nǐ hǎo]  Hello Life,  2023.06.24  was included in the collaborative music album of ten songs "Red Dream China" 赤梦华夏   released online from June 20,  jointly produced by China Press and Publication Media Group (中国新闻出版传媒集团、 Zhōngguó xīnwén chūbǎn chuánméi jítuán), Tencent Music Entertainment Group (腾讯音乐娱乐集团 Téngxùn yīnyuè yúlè jítuán), and Future Sky Music (未来天空音乐 Wèilái tiānkōng yīnyuè).  (+  MV/HPE  by Peachey Blossom).    (Baidu)

• Full contents of that album (available on Spotify)  : 
  • #1  微光  [Wéi guāng]  Shimmer  (Jam Hsiao/ Xiāo Jìngténg 萧敬腾) ; 
  • #2  纯红色的声音 [Chún hóngsè de shēngyīn]  Pure Red Sound  (Lil Ghost /王琳凯 Wáng Línkǎi) ; 
  • #3 旅程  [Lǚchéng]  Journey (Fox Hu/ Hú Xià 胡夏) ; 
  • #4 淬炼 [Cuì liàn]  Tempering  (黄宵云  Huáng Xiāoyún) ; 
  • #5 生活，你好  [Shēnghuó, nǐ hǎo]  Hello Life, (Wú Xuānyí) ;    (Baidu)
    
  • #6 闪光的童话 [Shǎnguāng de tónghuà] Shining Fairy Tale  (刘雨昕 Liú Yǔxīn) ; 
  • #7 明日序言 [Míngrì xùyán]  Tomorrow's Preface  (希林娜依 Xīlínnàyī) ; 
  • #8 路上  [Lùshàng]  On The Road  (Yisa Yu/ Yù Kěwéi 郁可唯) ;
  • #9 你眼中有光 [Nǐ yǎnzhōng yǒu guāng]  There is light in your eyes (Zhāng Bìchén 张碧晨) 
  • #10 愿为你 [Yuàn wéi nǐ]  Willing For You (理塘丁真  Lǐtáng Dīng Zhēn)

She also released recordings for 4 OST songs this year (check also bottom of ACTRESS chapter)  

[24] 《我曾陪你追过风 》[Wǒ céng péi nǐ zhuīguò fēng]  I once chased the wind with you 2023.05.05 -- OST song for the upcoming drama Rising with the Wind.  (Baidu)

[25] 《自己的光》 [zuò zìjǐ de guāng]  My Own Light 2023.07.25   MV/HP, optional subtitles in English,  OST song from TV series Be Your Own Light (2023) arranged by Li Xuqing and Yuan Wenrui, co-produced by Yuan Wenrui, and sung by Wú Xuānyí.   (Baidu)

[26] 《小小心愿》  [xiǎo xiǎo xīnyuàn]  Little Wish  2023.07.19  Official MV  with excerpts and dialogues from the drama, and English subtitles (+alternative MV),   +  MV/HPE by Peachey Blossom.  OST interlude for the drama The Princess and The Werewolf.  Lyrics by Wang Yueyang, Music by Wang Ke, arranged by Cen Siyuan.   (Baidu)

[27] 《 后来风吹起 》 [Hòulái fēng chuī qǐ]   Later The Wind Blows 2023.07.21, MV/HP - Song included in the album of the same name (but despite the title might seem appropriate, it is not an OST song of upcoming drama Rising with the Wind).  It is a wistful song about lost love : "You don't know that I have liked you all the time, then the wind blows and you and I are finally separated from each other, time is silent like an ending movie"  (+other MV/H here with lyrics in description too).  (Baidu)  

Together with the song 不爱了 , the latter song  conveys the idea that she will not let herself be driven to despair by the memories, not forsake them either, but rise courageously above the obstacles and shine on.  For a feeling of how the last song was performed and received at the Yuehua concert, check this Weibo post, and the accompanying pictures on this other Weibo post. 

July-August were busy months with the ongoing filming of her next drama, preparation and performing for the July 22 concert which was announcing a big lineup of 21 singers and 4 groups at the Galaxy Arena in Macau, and promoting the drama The Princess and the Werewolf, but although the drama did do well, tongues wagged again:

Anecdote : Toothaches 吗吗... 智齿拔炎啦生气 [ma ma... Zhìchǐ bá yán la shēngqì] Is it... wisdom tooth extraction inflammation?

Wú Xuānyí may have rubbed some people wrong ; one of the things she got criticized for, as early as in the Douluo Continent drama, was her teeth. Coming back again, the criticism resurfaced about the apparently swollen cheek of Wú Xuānyí  on this still from The Princess and the Werewolf. dating back to 2021. This caused some Netizens to speculate that it was due to inflammation after a wisdom tooth extraction.  Instead of being compassionate, it triggered them like a murder of crows (and not a group of auspicious magpies) to swoop down on her case, and gossip about her too regular teeth, describing them as "buck teeth" protruding over her lower lip, or porcelain teeth.  It is true that many celebs don't take time to wear braces for orthodontic treatment, and that they often prefer to get porcelain teeth, that in fact may damage their health and real teeth. But Wú Xuānyí 's teeth didn't look that bad that she should be ordered by her critics to shut her mouth !  She did get approval from her company to fix her teeth better, and this indeed covered the period of the dramas Sweet Teeth and The Princess and the Werewolf.   But she did not exhibit how much pain that must have cost her.

Her last personal songs sound a bit wistful : is she still rattled by those jealous souls who want to criticize her for anything, being too busy, not busy enough, going to Thailand for work, talking while driving in Beijing while relaxing back home, or whatever?

Life as a  woman celeb in China can indeed be very tough !  

But her songs remain popular and trendy, and her concerts draw, as usual, large crowds. Below is the poster for the 2023 Yuehua Family Concert mentioned above, and some videos to show the venue of the Galaxy Arena in Macau, with the various groups of fans streaming in, the lineup  of the 21+ singers and 4 groups participating in the event, among whom some old colleagues:   Chéng  Xiāo, Mèng Měiqí, Wáng Yībó, Zhū Zhèngtíng,  Bì Wénjùn  ... and of course, her own performance with two songs : - Live performance at Yuehua Family Concert 2023 of 不爱了 (see above [21])--  The complete stage performance recording (MV/H) was including a dark, metal, prologue (cut from other posted version) and despite the mishaps with the mic cutting off and earpiece problems. Wu Xuanyi still pulled off the performance to audience satisfaction, and interacted  with her public before she next sang 后来风吹起  (see above [27]）.   

and here is a part of the list of her songs on Spotify :

The MV Mugwort Green (a sort of Artemisia, pictured left in the 7 songs) listed as trending,  is very dreamy and pleasant to the ears!  It has English subtitles too.

[28] 《种子》 [Zhǒngzǐ] Seed, 2023.10.25.  MV/Htr ; MV/H  "included in the album "Flying Youth". The song uses seeds as a metaphor for youth’s ideals and ambitions, aiming to encourage young people to cultivate their love for agriculture, take root in the countryside, serve the country with science, and shed their youthful sweat in building a powerful agricultural country." (Baidu)

[29]《 信仰之歌》  [Xìnyǎng zhī gē]  Song of Faith, 2023.11.08  MV/HP  by Peachey Blossom.  OST interlude for the drama   Rising with the Wind (airing Oct.30-Nov.20, 2023]  (Baidu)

Last revision of this section 2023.11.11

VARIETY SHOWS

Wú Xuānyí has taken part in many variety and reality shows over the years (well over 65 since 2013).  

Usually, her cheerful appearance is an asset to the shows, which can be themed for letting the public ask questions or listen to the anchors quizzing the celebrities.

My GIF from screenshots of the programme	When she was in South Korea, Wú Xuānyí took part several times in the popular ASC (After School Club, eps. 203, 230, 246, 308, links to part or complete shows) on Korean television, where she showcased with her WSJN group members their special roles in the group. It was in such a programme that she revealed a funny "secret" : "I lived as a boy till I was 7 years old", written in English on a plastic slate!
My GIF from the short video Rocket Girls in the Sahara (China Daily 2019.01.23)	She has also taken part in travel shows such as 2018 Perfect Travel of Girlfriends, where she went on a cruise with Chéng Xiāo to Tahiti and Moorea (video cut of ep1), and once went skydiving with her (short 4 mins video cut). Among the more adventurous travel themed shows, she partcipated in YOLO's 20 on WeTV (also known as Rampaging 20's : Youtube link with English subs) for which she sang the theme song  ( +MV/HPE, see Musical careet Rocket Girls [3] song) and joined in dicovery of the Sahara desert and more in 2019 and 2020. You can directly check out on YouTube the "Wú Xuānyí's growth story : Protect your smile" episode set in Haikou, Hainan).
My GIF from We Are Blazing, Dalabengba.My GIF from the RSVP performance in Ep.1 of Rsing Land Nov.18, 2022, dancing with her group and with Guo Dianjia of Boyhood. Link to episode, watch the full performance from 55 mins in, with English subtitles.	She has also, of course taken part in musical competitions, as a competitor such as 2018 Produce 101, in We Are Blazing (where they had stunning peformances, including an impressive animation dragon for their choral performance of "Dalabengba", and 2021 Stage Boom, mentioned in her Musical Career. Or as a guest She was among the 14 "guests" in episodes 1-2 of Rising Land  (朝阳打歌中心 / Chaoyang Dage Center)  2022.11.18 -2023.01.20. The 10 episodes musical stage showed stars (such as Winnie Zhang ZiNing 张紫宁 former member of Rocket Girls 101), rising star youth idols, and idol groups (Boyhood...), taking turns in performances produced and broadcast by Youku, with friendly and no stress encouragement from their peers.  Wú Xuānyí performed RSVP (short incomplete clip linked).  She stated after the performance that she "needed a stage" and would be wherever there was one.
	Like many idols and celebs, she has taken part in sports shows, such as 2018 11.11 (*) Supernova games, from which there is a fancam recording here (35 mins), showing that she was not a master archer like Chén Zhéyuǎn [see his Profile] but happy enough to compete with encouragement from fans. (Chén Zhéyuǎn and Wú Xuānyí were  in the "South Region" team: she for Hainan, he in the Guangdong team, and they were caught in one frame when waiting for results in the bleachers and in the final group pic. But they had not noticed each other then; they claimed they only got acquainted on the casting of The Princess and The Werewolf, in 2021). (*) Btw, this was a special day : in China, 11.11 is nicknamed "Singles Day". (My GIF from screenshots of the recording).

First episode of the  programme can be watched on YouTube (but only Hanzi subtitled).   This Tweet of March 2022 provides explanations for selected shorts from the show, and this other one gives a translation of some things she said. There is also a small 1min Q&A interview of  Wú Xuānyí in astronaut uniform.

From November 2018 to February 2019, she was an astronaut ! Wú Xuānyí  participated in the 12 eps Space Challenge show, together with fellow idol Zhū Zhèngtíng (with whom she had played in the banned movie Marna). The show was a "national experiment" reality show,  designed to boost the interest in space exploration. Six C-ent celebs were to experience the life of astronauts. They were sent for 30 days to a training base emulating the Martian environment. They faced the 8G supergravity challenge, 72 hours of sleep deprivation, and 15 minutes of vertigo.  But I can't vouch for that this paper on astrometry supervised by a Tsinghua don is by the same Wú Xuānyí  despite it was published in the same timeline (October 2018). The Han family names are not so varied in China, and despite the freedom to create given names, and even change them when someone reaches adulthood, there are many namesakes.

She has also been in a lot of less competitive, just entertaining variety shows with or without a focus on more cultural themes, such as :

The Most Beautiful Chinese Drama Season 2 (最美中国戏2  ) mixing Chinese opera, Chinese culture and variety show -  2022.09.03  She was main host for the 8 episodes.

It Sounds Incredible (加康加年味 Jia Kang Ji)  2023.01.05 themed for festival delicacies for the Winter Solstice, Laba festival, Xiaohan, Xiaonian... Wú Xuānyí was guest in New Year Episode 2 "The Treasured voice" 

But while many of these shows are designed to showcase the entertainers' abilities and character, some have also presented risks. 

Anecdote :  Risks to life and limbs

Actors and actresses are supposed to know how to take care of themselves and be protected by adequate safety measures. Nevertheless, it has not always been so. On November 27, 2019,  Wú Xuānyí " changed her Weibo profile to all black, worrying fans. " It was reported that "she left Ningbo, where the filming was taking place" of  Chase Me,  a competitive sports challenge show on China's Zhejiang Television. She "returned to Beijing with staff" for professional help, in the wake of 35 years old  Taiwanese-Canadian actor Godfrey Gao's sudden passing after falling while running while she was on set ; the actor was pronounced dead, apparently from a heart attack, when he was rushed to hospital, which of course had a deep impact on all those who witnessed the scene.

Above picture from online news.

Godfrey Gao running for Chase MeAbove pictures from The Straits Times

"Chase Me received criticism for being extremely dangerous and unprepared to handle safety concerns. A past video of Wú Xuānyí,  from a  Chase Me episode,  resurfaced, in light of the controversy.  In this video, Wú Xuānyí  had fallen into the ball pool which was almost two meter deep and also filled with water, and she could not get up, imploring:  “Help me, I don’t have any strength left”, but the staff did not immediately give her assistance, even after hearing her urgent plea for help !

The New York Times noted that "Reality television shows have become very popular in China in recent years, especially online. A news article last year by Xinhua, the state news agency, said that the number of reality shows on streaming platforms had doubled [in 2018] from 2017, reaching 385."

"Even by the standards of such shows, “Chase Me,” which is in its first season, had pushed boundaries. The show invited actors as well as ordinary people to compete in variety of sports challenges, often to the point of exhaustion.  Adrenaline-pumping moments are a staple, often filmed at night in a downtown stretch of Ningbo. In one recent episode, a professional boxer fell into a ball pit and struggled to emerge as his teammates watched on. -- Early on Wednesday [Nov.27, 2019], Mr. Gao was filming a guest appearance on the ninth episode of “Chase Me” when he collapsed, according to the statement by the show’s producers".   

Here is a sample : 2019.11.15  full Episode 2 of Chase Me (1h25)

Zhejiang TV and producers issued an apology, and the authorities also got involved. Chase Me was stopped, but reality shows can still be challenging for those who take part, even without risking life and limbs.  The incident certainly colored the mood of Wú Xuānyí for a while.

Over the years, shows have tried to find new ways to attract audiences, that do not necessarily rely on such thrills.  Wú Xuānyí also learned different things, as take-away from some shows : she had mentioned in a phone call to Chéng Xiāo, on the set of Produce 101, how she felt she was growing and feeling more confident about the stage, through the competition ;  she also learned how scriptwriting is done, on the set of the 2021 Romance workshop-reality show series on iQiyi (see the anecdote From Reel to Real?, above). 

She learned how to drive in the 2020  Go Newbies show of which she was a regular member for the 12 episodes together, notably, with singers Xiǎoguǐ  and Charlie Zhōu Shēn, the singer.  Shēnshēn subsequently posted a vlog of his driving tour with his close friends, all the way to the northern border with Russia ; and recently, Wú Xuānyí posted on her Weibo a video of her driving in Beijing on 2023.08.22 (picture above), while chatting with her reporter passenger (but reactions were mixed, some scolding her for not working more and some looking with irony at her short "vlog" of  driving in the capital city). 

Let's have a look at another memorable show Wú Xuānyí  took part in :

•                                   乖巧...可爱  -等待拔安排 · [guāiqiǎo... kě'ài  -děngdài bá anpái]                          
•                        Well-behaved...cute - waiting to be seated according to arrangement
•              (Joining the pajama party in Viva La Romance 5 together with the Wives.)

Anecdote : From Foes to Friends?

Wú Xuāny participated in reality show  Viva La Romance 5 (Hunan TV, 2021) - as a regular member in charge of organizing the couples' outings and mingle with them including in hot baths, s they would feel at ease to talk about their marriage. This was when she appeared with minimal makeup, causing the "Bare faced dispute" mentioned in the anecdote above (in Musical career).

She was acting as "travel assistant" for the ladies while actor Zhāng Hàn 张翰 (also known as Hans Zhang) was cast as "travel assistant" for the husbands, who were not part of the trip, so he was the only male representative in the flock of females. He was supposed to handle heavy lifting and add spice to the trip, which he had his own quirky ideas about, such as organizing a pajama party, where all the wives would appear without or with minimal makeup !

Initially, Zhāng Hàn and Wú Xuānyí did not get along. He criticized her, said that her EQ (emotional intelligence) was low, teased her by counting money in front of all and claiming that she had input wrong, and she retorted with disrespectful emojis, keeping her distance from him in the minibus that was driving them.  "A director asked her what her impression of Zhāng Hàn was, and three words popped out of her mouth—emoticons!" (see picture below) She was even complained for not showing due regard to her elder !  (He is 11 years older than her : born in 1984 whereas she was born in 1995).

Nevertheless, the older actor also gave conflicting signals praising Wú Xuānyí's dedication and good organization to please the guests with beauty and health treatments (where she did not hesitate to both prepare and check in person the results).  

怼就是了 [duì jiùshìle]  (He) just complains 我就觉得这姑娘情商不高   [wǒ jiù juédé zhè gūniáng qíngshāng bù gāo] I just think this girl has low emotional intelligence

The two actors found they had similar ideas on some things (such as not calling boyfriends or girlfriends husband or wife before marriage), and Zhāng Hàn touched her heart when he thought of a special gift certificate for her, which read "Best New Actress Award".  Later, they drew closer, went motorcycling together, and the audience was delighted when he praised her, comparing her to a red-crowned crane : long legs, long neck, beautiful appearance and white skin !  [Considered the sacred crane of the Orient, red-crowned cranes are a symbol of fidelity in marriage, good luck, long life and love. ]  The audience (and the press) who had come for the talks about marriage by the actual celeb wives got interested in the possible budding romance between the two actors.

Zhāng Hàn  seemed to approve of Wú Xuānyí  is a rather romantic way, in the show, despite the "shadows of Zhèng Shuǎng and Gǔlì Nàzhā" !

 (These two were Zhang Hàn's former girlfriends of 2009-2014 and 2014-2017 who broke up with him, after they were too much scolded by Chinese Netizens. The actor did not appear too heartbroken then, and posted as conclusion "If youth can't be kept, how about a bowl of beef noodles?" in his Weibo. So together with some statements he made about women, he was  considered by a number of Chinese women as an uncaring scumbag with male chauvinist ideas - especially after the scandal of the 2022 drama he wrote and acted in: Gentlemen of East 8, that almost got pulled off air! Since 2018, he's been rumored together and even been said secretly married to Taiwanese actress Janine Chang, but his fan club denies the past or imminent marriage rumors. )  

Really, it was a bit awkward to think Wú Xuānyí and Zhāng Hàn ever could be more than just friends, since they have a much too big age difference (11 years) for a romance, and --  she already had stated firmly that she had no boyfriend and was not looking for one on set! 

Yay!!!  You finished it 👏... I must applaud your dedication towards your voluntarily undertaken projects.... It is done so well and you have managed to include  many details about her personal and professional life... I will enjoy reading them once and keep revisiting in future...

PS: deleting my previous comment from this thread as it was standing out like 'an eyesore'... Will paste that comment along with this one... I will also change the links on Wu Xuanyi's profile page to start with the new entry.



 *PREVIOUS COMMENT*

Very thorough compilation.... You have a flair for presentation that makes reading a delight... You have included everything I know about her + added more. Excellent job!!!! 👍

If possible add the Link to this and CCC on Wu Xuanyi's profile page. Even I could add them but it would be better coming from you.