Youth With You (season 2) (Chinese:《青春有你 2》; pinyin:Qīngchūn Yǒu Nǐ Èr), is a Chinese girl group reality competition show that premiered on 12 March 2020, on the video streaming platform iQiYi. The program was hosted by Cai Xukun, with Lisa, Jony J, and Ella Chen serving as mentors. It featured 109 female trainees from various entertainment companies, who were voted on by viewers. The nine contestants with the highest number of votes in the final episode debuted as members of the girl group The9.[1][2]
Overview
Background
Youth With You (season 2) was intended to promote China's contemporary youth culture to overseas audiences.[citation needed]
The series adopted the themes of "interpreting self" and "not defining self," reflecting the trainees' perspectives and experiences during the competition.[3]
Format
The program featured 109 female trainees who participated in singing and dancing performances over a four-month training and competition period.[4] The final lineup consisted of nine members, selected through votes cast by viewers, referred to as "youth producers."[4]
Features
The concept of "Concept X," introduced in the series, was intended to highlight the open-ended possibilities for both the program and its trainees.[3] The inclusion of original singer-songwriters and participants from diverse backgrounds was presented as a way to emphasize emotional development, cultural awareness, and life experience, alongside singing and dancing, in the cultivation of young idols.[3]
An "X Mentor" role was also added to broaden the mentor structure and introduce different perspectives to the program.[citation needed] Cai Xukun appeared as the "youth producers' representative," serving as a senior figure who provided professional guidance and emotional support to the trainees.[3]
Cai Xukun, who debuted after participating in season 1, appeared as the youth producers' representative in season 2.[5] His role was to provide professional guidance and serve as a senior figure for the trainees.[5]
Ella Chen, a member of the Taiwanese girl group S.H.E, served as the music mentor.[6] With over 19 years of experience in the music industry, she offered trainees both professional advice and personal guidance.[6]
Lisa, a member of the South Korean girl group Blackpink, was the dance mentor.[7] She was noted for her performance skills and popularity, and she guided trainees in dance and stage presence.[7]
Chinese rapper Jony J served as the rap mentor.[7] Known for his large-scale concerts and distinctive lyrical style, he was described in Chinese media as a "hip-hop poet."[7]
The four mentors arrived at a welcome party where they met the 109 trainees. In previous seasons, mentors first encountered the trainees during the preliminary rating stage; however, in this season they met in advance to learn more about the trainees' personalities and backgrounds. Each trainee introduced herself at the party and was seated around a long table.
On the following day, the mentors performed on stage for the trainees. Dance mentor Lisa performed In the Name of Love and Attention; rap mentor Jony J performed My Man; vocal mentor Ella Chen performed How Old Are You; and youth producers' representative Cai Xukun performed Young. Afterward, the preliminary rating stage began.
During preliminary rating, trainees who selected the same song were paired against each other in one-on-one performances. This format was intended to make it easier to observe and compare individual trainees. Based on these performances, the mentors assigned grades ranging from Class A to F.[10][11]
The preliminary rating stage continued in this episode. Kong Xueer became the first trainee to be assigned to Class A. She and Zhao Xiaotang discussed their prior debut experiences and how these contributed to their maturity and independence, a topic that resonated with other trainees who had similar backgrounds.
Wang Qing and Zhang Yu performed Theme Song of Love with a comedic style that entertained both the mentors and the trainees. Wang Qing's stage presence and facial expressions impressed the mentors, earning her a place in Class A. A strong competition emerged between Shangguan Xiai, An Qi, and Xu Jiaqi, all of whom delivered notable solo performances and were placed in Class A.
Trainee Chua Zhuoyi shared her struggles with online criticism, with some claiming her background made her unqualified to join a girl group. She expressed determination to remain true to herself despite the negativity. Vocal mentor Ella Chen encouraged the trainees by emphasizing that girl groups should not be limited to a single image and that Youth With You season 2 aimed to promote diversity in female idols.[12][13]
The preliminary rating stage continued in this episode. Duan Xiaowei impressed the mentors with a performance that incorporated Japanese sign dance and was placed in Class A. Esther Yu, described as talkative, spent several minutes explaining her acting approach, but Cai Xukun advised her to focus on specific highlights rather than overexplaining.
Later in the episode, Yu Yan delivered a strong performance that earned her placement in Class A. XIN Liu was the only trainee to choose No Joke as her performance song and competed without a rival. Her performance was praised as outstanding in all aspects, and Lisa remarked that it was the standard she had been anticipating.
Luna Qin also appeared on stage, stating that online impressions were limited and that she wanted to present a fuller image of herself through the program. A performance battle between trainees from AKB48 Team SH and SNH48 attracted attention due to their shared origins. Mentor Ella Chen commented that the performances from both groups were overly formulaic and lacked individuality, encouraging the trainees to develop distinct identities within a girl group. All of the trainees from both groups were placed in Class D.[14][15]
The preliminary rating stage continued, beginning with performances from the rap team. Mentor Jony J commented that rappers in the program were "playing away from home," as the competition was designed primarily for idol trainees. He applied stricter standards than many participants expected, notably criticizing GIA Jin's performance.
NINEONE, who had released more than 30 original songs prior to the show, was told by Jony J that her chosen track was not competitive enough to demonstrate her abilities. Cai Xukun and Jony J disagreed on the evaluation of Shaking Chloe: while Cai felt she was strong enough for Class A, Jony argued that she needed clearer feedback to improve further. She was ultimately placed in Class B.
Later, Hana Lin attracted attention as a well-known influencer and entrepreneur. She explained that she joined the show because she considered the influencer profession unstable and wanted to expand her skills. The trainees from Yuehua Entertainment performed as a group, but mentors felt their performances lacked individuality, and all were placed in Class C.[16]
With the preliminary rating concluded, the first mission—position assessment—was introduced. The three categories were vocal, dance, and rap. Trainees initially chose their preferred position, but only Class A trainees were allowed to select songs first. Afterward, Class A trainees also chose their teammates through a random draw. Remaining songs were distributed through a lottery system, and any unassigned trainees were placed into other groups.[16][17]
Once groups were formed, leadership and center positions were assigned within each team. For the group performing Oh Boy, Sharon Wang and Shen Jie both sought the center role. The three Shen sisters (Shen Bing, Shen Qing, and Shen Yu) supported Shen Jie, arguing that she stood out more, while other group members favored Sharon. After debate, Shen Jie was chosen as the center.[17]
Filming for Youth With You season 2 was affected by the COVID-19pandemic. The production location in Guangdong was sealed, and filming was suspended beginning on 22 January 2020.
For promotional activities, Cai Xukun and Jony J appeared alongside five trainees—Xu Jiaqi, Shangguan Xiai, An Qi, Kong Xueer, and Wang Qing—on the program Happy Camp on 29 February 2020.[18]
Controversy
Shen Bing
On 25 March 2020, a man claiming to be Shen Bing's boyfriend posted a statement alleging that he had been in a relationship with her since September 2019 while concealing his marriage. He claimed that Shen Bing had made threatening comments to his wife after discovering his marital status.[19] Following this, Shen Bing withdrew from the show, stating that she had been unaware of his marriage, contradicting the claims made by the man.[8]
Final episode
During the final episode of Youth With You season 2, the live performance of the song Hunt received criticism for poor audio quality, which reportedly made some trainees' vocals difficult to hear. Netizens expressed disappointment with the performance and the audio production, and the topic trended on Weibo. In response, trainee Yu Shuxin performed an additional song to demonstrate her vocal abilities after some viewers criticized her performance in Hunt.[citation needed]
On the same day, Dove posted on Weibo to congratulate Liu Yuxin for placing first in the competition before the official results were announced. The post was later deleted. Dove subsequently clarified that congratulatory messages had been prepared in advance by staff.[citation needed]
↑ 許皓婷 (26 August 2019). "《青春有你》第二季導師陣容曝光！爆有「超夯韓團女神」" (in Traditional Chinese). 東森新聞. Archived from the original on 15 October 2019. Retrieved 18 September 2019.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
