[Reporter Qiu Yiqin/Special Report] The Chinese girl group S.H.E celebrates the 25th anniversary of their debut today (11th). From "Not Yet Lovers" to "Super Star", they have accompanied countless fans through their youth and become one of the most representative girl groups in the history of Chinese pop music. However, what few people know is that on the first day of their debut, S.H.E was hit by the 911 terrorist attacks that shocked the world. News of their release was almost completely covered up by major international news, and they were even regarded as a short-lived "singer" by the outside world.
S.H.E officially debuted on September 11, 2001. This year they celebrate their 25th anniversary and have become the most representative girl group legend in the Chinese music industry. (File photo, provided by Hele Music)
[The day of debut was hit by the 911 terrorist attacks, and news of the release of the film was overwhelmed by global events]
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On September 11, 2001, Selina Ren Jiaxuan, Hebe Tian Fuzhen and Ella Chen Jiahua officially debuted with their first album "Girls' Dormitory". However, on the same day, the World Trade Center in New York, USA was hijacked by terrorists. The plane crashed, triggering the 9/11 terrorist attacks that shocked the world; at the time, Taiwan was also being hit by Typhoon Nali. Major news at home and abroad occupied the media one after another, making the release day of the film, which was supposed to be an important starting point in the lives of the three girls, unexpectedly lose focus.
In the past, Selina's father "Ren Dad" Ren Mingting once revealed that when he saw such a major international incident on the day of the release of the film, he even thought that his daughter's acting career might be affected. Unexpectedly, looking back many years later, this unexpected episode has become one of the most representative memories in S.H.E's debut history.
["Not Yet Lovers" became an instant hit and the newcomer's album sold 750,000 copies]
Despite the unfortunate timing of their debut, "Girls' Dormitory" still managed to gain popularity with its title song "Lovers Are Not Enough". This song was adapted from the American girl group Destiny's Child's "Brown Eyes" and quickly set off a craze on campuses and KTVs with its fresh R&B style. It not only became S.H.E's debut masterpiece, but is also regarded as one of the classics of Chinese pop music.
"Girls' Dormitory" sold about 170,000 copies in Taiwan, and its cumulative sales across Asia were about 750,000. The following year, it was nominated for the Best Newcomer Award at the 13th Golden Melody Awards, making the outside world begin to pay attention to this girl group composed of three girls.
[It was once criticized but only 3 albums were released, but the sales volume tripled]
In fact, S.H.E was not optimistic when they first formed the group. The three people have revealed in the past that they often heard comments from the outside world that they were just "one-piece singers" who became famous with "Not Yet Lovers", and some even predicted that they would not be able to last three albums.
However, S.H.E quickly proved themselves with results. Just over 4 months after their debut, S.H.E released their second album "Youth Co., Ltd.", which sold approximately 280,000 copies in Taiwan and exceeded 1.25 million copies in Asia. In the same year, they released their third album "Brave New World", which sold approximately 300,000 copies in Taiwan and 1.76 million cumulative sales in Asia. The album won the Best Duo Group Award at the 14th Golden Melody Awards.
From "Girls' Dormitory", "Youth Co., Ltd." to "Brave New World", they not only achieved a triple jump in sales, but were also regarded by many fans as the most important "Trilogy of Heavenly Groups" in S.H.E's early days, witnessing them step by step to establish themselves in the Chinese music scene.
[From a new girl group to a Chinese-speaking top group, creating a record that is hard to copy]
After breaking the curse of being a "one-piece singer", S.H.E continued to achieve success with albums such as "Super Star", "Fantasy Journey", "Encore", and "Don't Want to Grow Up", and created popular masterpieces such as "Super Star", "Persian Cat", "Don't Want to Grow Up", "Chinese", etc., which not only swept the major charts, but also became the common youth memory of the millennium generation.
Looking back 25 years later, the three girls whose debut news were covered up by the September 11 terrorist attacks were not knocked down by fate, nor did they become what the outside world said was a flash in the pan. Instead, they gradually wrote a record that is difficult to copy for Chinese girl groups. From receiving little attention on the first day of its release to becoming a recognized girl group in the Chinese music scene, the story of S.H.E is still one of the most inspiring legends in the history of pop music.
