INTERVIEW: T.U.B.S x Highway Star

“The Untamed” is certainly one of the biggest hits for Asian drama in the recent times. The story was adapted from the Boys Love novel "Mo Dao Zu Shi", which was released in 2019, and since then it has been conquering more and more audiences beyond Asian borders.

Right here in Brazil, the drama has become a success, and it has helped to popularize other Chinese productions. Also the stars of the series.Hitchhiking on the success of “The Untamed”, some actors in the drama decided to unite and took risks in their musical career. The group “The Untamed Boys”, known by the acronym T.U.B.S, was formed in 2019, by the actors Yu Bin (Wen Ning), Li Bowen (Song Lan), Cao Yuchen (Jin Zixuan), Ji Li (Nie Huai Sang), Song Jiyang (Xiao Xing Chen) and Zheng Fanxing (Lan Sizhui).

Hitchhiking on the success of “The Untamed”, some actors in the drama decided to unite and took risks in their musical career. The group “The Untamed Boys”, known by the acronym T.U.B.S, was formed in 2019, by the actors Yu Bin (Wen Ning), Li Bowen (Song Lan), Cao Yuchen (Jin Zi Xuan), Ji Li (Nie Huai Sang), Song Jiyang (Xiao Xing Chen) and Zheng Fanxing (Lan Sizhui). Recently, Jiyang and Fanxing left the group to pursue an acting career, but the new quartet remains firm and strong with the release of their first album, “LOVE: ONE-ACT” In an exclusive chat with the Highway Star, Yu Bin, Ji Li, Li Bowen and Cao Yuchen spoke about the album's release, and “The Untamed” and sent a message to Brazilian fans. We started trying to understand where the idea of forming T.U.B.S. Yu Bin and Yuchen say that Luffy Huang, the vice president of NSMGroup, who manages T.U.B.S. career, came up with the idea of forming the group. “When we came together to form the group, part of it was our affection for CQL and other part because we were interested in the music career,”explained Li Bowen. “We had this idea after the show in Shanghai. When the show ended, we were all very close friends and we like to perform on stage, so we decided to try to form a group ”,recalled Ji Li.

The musical career is a novelty for almost all members of T.U.B.S. Yu Bin started his career in the distant year of 2013 in the M4M group, launched by Korean Label Cube Entertainment in 2013, and was one of the contestants of “Idol Producer” in 2018. According to him, the inspiration for his musical career came from anime "Music Up", released in the early 2000s, when he was still in high school. For his colleagues, music is a novelty. For Yuchen, the interest in the artistic career came from acting. “I decided to work in entertainment when I was in high school. Then, I graduated from the Central Drama Academy (theater school in Bejing) and then I learned to act”he recalled. Ji Li also sought training in the performing arts before he started acting. “I

graduated in Performing Arts at college and I already wanted to act as soon as I graduated. I toured with the play 'The Legend of Sword and Fairy 3' when I was a freshman and in the second year I did some commercials ”, Ji Li tells us about the beginning of his career. Bowen, for his part, started out in entertainment as a model: "But I always wanted to work as an actor, so I went after it." Now also with a musical career, the group works to promote its first album, “LOVE: ONE-ACT”, which was first released in EP format, with seven tracks recorded by the

actors and singers. The first video clip of the work has already been released: from “The Beauty of Following Our Hearts”, a partnership with the Canadian Daniel Powter. The album is another expression of ours about the beautiful things in life”, described Ji Li. Li Bowen added: “All the songs on the album represent a side of us” In the midst of promoting the album, one of the group's challenges is to reconcile a career in music with work in dramas and films. Yuchen guarantees that the

group will continue to dedicate itself to acting. “We will meet you with good songs and good characters”,joked Ji Li. While Yubin said that his next TV job is still “confidential”, Bowen took the opportunity to talk about his next year: “I am currently recording and you can see me in many jobs this year. Please wait for “Be Together, in which I play Dr. Mark”. Still on dramas, the group confessed that they were surprised by the success of “The Untamed” in Brazil. “To tell you the truth, I never thought that‘ CQL ’could be so successful in Brazil,” confessed Yubin. "I thought it would be popular in Asia, but not in

Brazil," added Yuchen. “ CQL was one of my first dramas and I didn’t imagine it would be popular like that, so I didn’t even think it would be known abroad. Thank you very much, "said Ji Li "Good work has the power to spread naturally. Many thanks to our friends from Brazil for giving so much love to 'A-ling' ”,said Li Bowen, citing the “ nickname” that the series received in China. “Brazil is still a mysterous country for me. What I know most about is football. I hope to be able to go to Brazil to learn about other things and the food” said Yubin. "From what I see on the internet and on TV, Brazil is an incredible and very beautiful country, I look forward to seeing you up close," said Bowen. Yuchen on the other hand, feels closer to our culture: “I have a certain knowledge about Brazil, I've seen some films and I've seen a lot about football, Rio de Janeiro, carnival…it's a country that I like a lot and I want to know more ”. "I am looking forward to getting to know Brazil after the end of the pandemic," saidJi Li, who dreams of a group tour. "I hope that everyone is healthy and safe and that, when it is safe, we can go to more countries." "I hope everyone is taking care of themselves and staying healthy until we can go to Brazil," said Yubin, who thanked the public for their support for the group's first album. “I am very grateful for your support and for liking us. I feel very honored to have fans in Brazil and I look forward to presenting good works for you ”, concluded Cao Yuchen.

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