The Taiwanese idol boy group “F4” was set to kick off their much-anticipated reunion tour in December from Shanghai. However, recent reports claim that Kenny Zhu (Zhu Xiaotian) has been excluded from the tour due to a series of controversial statements he made during live streams, leaving F4 to perform as a trio. On the 15th, Kenny Zhu held a solo concert in Guangdong. When singing “About In Winter,” he first choked up, then directly pulled out a towel to cover his face—as if wiping away tears—and even turned his back to the audience for a while. Many linked these poignant actions to the fact that the “About In Winter” themed tour will now proceed without him, making the moment feel particularly bittersweet.
As a member of the boy band, Kenny Zhu was never known for his vocals, often straying off-key during performances. Coupled with the simplistic stage design, netizens feel that if he were performing with F4, not only would the collective memories and mutual support cover up shortcomings, but it would also give his career a much-needed boost. Now that things have turned out this way, it’s really a shame.
However, netizens also dug up a past live stream in which Kenny Zhu bluntly said, “I won’t play F4’s songs. What’s the point? If you like them, go listen to them yourself. Personally, I don’t like F4’s songs at all, hahaha (laughs). It’s enough that you guys like them.” He apparently isn’t that fond of F4’s music.
Although he’s not reuniting with F4, Kenny Zhu hasn’t stood still. He has founded a new company, “Panyin Media”, and besides his actress wife Han Wen, has signed acts from the crosstalk comedy scene as well. At his concert, he wore several prayer bead bracelets, and on XiaoHongShu was seen introducing unique bracelet designs. He has not addressed anything about the F4 reunion tour.
Source: Apple Daily News