Jackson Wang is a famous artist from Hong Kong known across Asia for contributions to music, entertainment, and fashion. Growing up, he was trained to be an Olympic fencer as his parents were both athletes. He won many awards and was offered a scholarship to Standford for fencing. However, at 16 years old he was discovered by a talent scout while playing basketball and was invited to South Korea to audition. There, he became a member of the band GOT7 under a company he mistakenly signed with. He began to gain popularity for his charisma, singing, rapping, and dancing.
After the group disbanded, Jackson went on as a solo performer and fashion designer. He collaborated with a wide variety of artists that contributed to his diverse musical style. Because of his international activities, he is fluent in Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, and English. He also makes an effort to learn a bit of the language of the country where he performs.
In “The Creative Spark,” art and music are described as an evolutionary mechanism by which we “express our imaginations.” Language was developed out of melodious sounds that communicated emotions. Gestures commonly accompanied these sounds that then evolved into dance. Jackson is a multi-talented performer who excels in song, dance, and language skills. Jackson's works aim to promote the expression of emotion of both himself and his audience.
LMYL or Leave Me Loving You is one of his most popular songs (English) under his own company “Team Wang.” Inspired by Hong Kong in the 1990s, this music video is set in a Chinese restaurant. Jackson plays a dishwasher who’s in love with a girl who doesn’t know he exists. He normally does music videos with dance choreo but decided to try something different. He explains that this is a concept he has always liked but never got around to doing. LMYL is filmed like a Hong Kong movie. The song is him speaking to a girl he is hopelessly in love with. He imagines a relationship with her, but it is all just his imagination.
Jackson has been diagnosed with ADHD and is one of the few Asian celebrities open about his mental health. Traditionally, Asians do not believe mental health is a thing. We tend to say “Just shut up and get over it” or believe it is a result of old-timey justifications like demonic possession or ancestral sin. Because he would talk too much and be hyperactive, his teachers at his old school suggested he change schools to somewhere that would be more accommodating to his needs. ADHD is the reason he had the opportunity to be noticed. Neurodivergence can contribute to his creative process and set him apart from hundreds of other idols. Jackson is resilient and also uses his platform to speak out for social issues and philanthropy in addition to his music career.
This is really cool to read about. I love the connection you made between language and Wang's abilities to express himself in many different ways (and languages). It's clear that Wang connects with a wider audience due to this cultural understanding he exhibits. I've never heard a song by GOT7 or Wang as a solo artist, but now I'm inclined to.
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