Wang Feifei (Chinese: 王霏霏; born April 27, 1987),[1] also known professionally as Fei, is a Chinese singer and actress. She was a member of the South Korean girl group miss A from the group's debut in 2010 until its disbandment in 2017.[2] She debuted as a solo artist in 2016 in Korea with the mini album "Fantasy". After departing Korea in 2018, Fei has been pursuing her solo career in mainland China. In 2021, Fei released Chinese mini album "Fearless", an independent production by Wang Feifei Studio. She had also ventured into acting in China with roles in My Marvelous Fable and One and Only.
Early life
Fei was born Wang Feifei on April 27, 1987, in Haikou, Hainan, China. She displayed a talent for dancing at an early age and went to study dance at a school in Guangzhou, where her talents caught the eye of JYP Entertainment in 2007. She later attended Seoul Institute of the Arts, alongside miss A member Jia.[3]
Prior to debuting in South Korea, Fei appeared in a dance audition show at Zhejiang TV in 2009 and became a member of the project group, Sisters, the Chinese version of the Wonder Girls.[4] However, changes within the company led to the project group's early termination.
In March 2010, Fei, with fellow members Jia and Suzy, formed the group miss A. The trio began promoting in China by releasing the song "Love Again" for Samsung Electronics' Samsung Beat Festival. The group was later joined by a fourth member, Min. The four-member girl group made their debut in South Korea in July 2010, under the management of JYP Entertainment, with the hit single "Bad Girl Good Girl." Over the next several years, the group released a series of successful albums and singles, including "I Don't Need a Man," "Hush," “Touch,” “Only You,” and “Good-bye Baby” etc.
Fei in 2011
In addition to music, Fei made her acting debut with cameo appearances in the KBS drama Dream High in 2011 and its sequel in 2012.
In 2013, she appeared on the South Korean variety shows, MasterChef Korea Celebrity and Dancing with the Stars 3, in which she won second place and first place, respectively. She appeared on the Chinese reality show, If You Love, in 2014.[5] That same year, she made a cameo appearance in the SBS drama Temptation,[6] and contributed the song, "One Summer Night," featuring 2AM member Jo Kwon, to the soundtrack.[7]
In 2015, Fei was confirmed to star in the web drama Swan, alongside Nam Gyu-ri and Cho Min Sung. She was also confirmed to star in the Chinese movie, Select Game.[8][9]. For miss A's mini album 'Colors' (Chinese version), Fei made an attempt to write lyrics for the songs "I Caught Ya" and "Stuck".
After the departure of Jia in May 2016 and Min in November 2017, miss A disbanded in December 2017.[2] In 2017, Billboard ranked miss A at number ten on their "Top 10 K-pop Girl Groups of the Past Decade" list.[citation needed]
2016–2017: Solo career debut
Fei made her solo singing debut in Korea on July 21, 2016, with the digital single "Fantasy". The title track “괜찮아 괜찮아 Fantasy” was ranked #14 on the 20 best K-pop songs of 2016 by Billboard critics.[10] Other tracks in the album include “Sweet Sexy Fei” and “One More Kiss”.
2018–present: Rising popularity in China
Music and entertainment shows
On September 17, 2018, Fei collaborated with Gen Neo in the single "Will You Won't You". It was the first time Fei was involved in production works as a composer, lyricist and singer.[citation needed]
By December 8 of the same year, Fei dropped another single, “Hello”, including a rap featuring from Jackson Wang. The following January, Fei confirmed that she had parted ways with JYP Entertainment in late 2018 after her contract expired.[11]
In January 2019, Fei joined Youku's idol group survival show, All for One (以团之名), as the dance coach and one of the judges. Her discerning coaching style and candid critiques resonated with fans, sparking significant discussions on China's major social platforms Weibo and Bilibili.[citation needed]
In June 2020, Fei participated the female celebrity idol group reality show Sisters Who Make Waves (乘风破浪的姐姐), centered around the themes of women's empowerment and self-realization. Featuring 30 celebrities aged 30 and above competing for a spot in a seven-member girl group, the show skyrocketed in popularity and became China's most-watched entertainment program for the year. Fei emerged as one of the top contenders, and despite not making the final cut for the girl group, her rising star didn't go unnoticed. In Weibo’s 2020 Entertainment White Paper,[12] she clinched the top spot among the 30 participants in terms of surging popularity.
Following the success, Fei went on to join another popular variety show, I Am The Actor (我就是演员), in December 2020. Under the mentorship of Zhang Ziyi, Fei progressed to the finals and won the "Bright Star" award.
On August 12, 2021, Fei unveiled "Stalker 窥探者", the title track of her much-anticipated Chinese mini album "Fearless 不霏". Produced by Wang Feifei Studio and with Fei at the helm as Executive Producer, "Stalker" is an anthem championing women to stand against manipulation and gaslighting. After its release, the song's music video amassed over 12 million views on Weibo in under 12 hour and received widespread accolades and rave reviews. "Stalker" climbed to the top spot on the weekly Rising Popularity chart (2021.08.09 - 2021.08.15) at QQ Music, China's largest music streaming platform.
On October 25, 2021, "Hunting Adonis 狩猎阿多尼斯", the 2nd single of the album, was released. Inspired by Shakespeare's portrayal of the unconventional romance between Venus and Adonis, this song encourages people, especially women, to ardently pursue their love and passion. Within the song's narrative, Adonis epitomizes transcendent beauty, love and moments of revival and awakening.[citation needed]
On December 2, 2021, the rollout of the 3rd and final single, “Freaky Cinderella 疯狂灰姑娘”, marked the full release of the album. With its catchy melody and novel lyrics, the song paints a metaphorical wonderland for those who dare to be different. It boldly embodies Fei’s vision of shattering conventions in pursuit of freedom and self-discovery. In April 2022, the physical album of "Fearless" hit the shelves, distinguished by its lavish photography and meticulous graphic design.[citation needed]
On December 20, 2021, Fei delighted her fans amid the holiday season with the release of “At Christmas”, a cozy and romantic Christmas duet co-created with Chinese singer-songwriter Ryan. B.
In April 2022, Fei joined Youku's hit dance variety show, Great Dance Crew (了不起! 舞社), as one of the four dance team leaders. The show brought together 60 female dancers from all walks of life, challenging them to ascend the ranks and ultimately assemble an elite dance crew destined for the World Hip Hop Dance Championship.[citation needed]
Acting
Along with her music releases and presence on stage and in entertainment shows, Fei has diversified her career, placing a growing emphasis on acting. In June 2023, the much-anticipated web series My Marvelous Fable (夏日奇妙书) aired on Mango TV, portraying Fei in the lead role as a whimsical best-selling writer. By July, Fei took on a supporting role as a dance crew leader in the dance-themed cinematic hit One and Only (热烈). The film amassed over USD $100 million in its first two weeks of release in China[13] and was premiered in Southeast Asia, the U.S. and the UK in August 2023, garnering even wider international acclaim.
Brand partnerships
In recent years, Fei has garnered millions of followers on major Chinese social platforms, such as Weibo, Red, Douyin and Bilibili. She has cemented her reputation as an influencer and trendsetter (人间种草机) through uncovering and sharing beauty and lifestyle tips in her vlog series. According to CBNData,[14] Fei claimed the top spot in the "Celebrity Influence in Beauty" rankings for the first two quarters of 2021. Her credibility and wholesome image have fostered collaborations with an array of brands spanning beauty, clothing, footwear and food & beverage sectors. Between 2020 and 2022, she was the brand ambassador for Bebe, OUAI, Sephora Collection Makeup, Skechers, Kahlua, Rituals, L'Oréal Paris hair color, Dr.Ci:Labo and Sisley Paris Sisleÿa in China. As of 2023, she continues to serve as the brand ambassador for Michael Kors in Greater China and Unilever in China.[citation needed]
In collaboration with luxury fashion powerhouses like Louis Vuitton, Celine, and Fendi and avant-garde designers like Creepyyeha, Fei has carved out a unique fashion identity - audacious and consistently unveiling fresh and unexpected twists. Her partnership with Balmain emerged as one of the brand's most iconic global celebrity features in 2021.[citation needed] In July 2022, Balmain introduced its QIXI capsule collect[citation needed]ion in honor of Chinese Valentine's Day, presenting Fei as the face of the campaign.
E-commerce endeavors
On September 26, 2021, Fei ventured into hosting livestream shopping sessions for Alibaba's e-commerce platform Tmall. Her inaugural livestream drew nearly 3 million viewers and brought about 74 million views to the hashtag "Tmall Celebrity Pick" on Weibo.[15]
In 2022, Fei debuted her own pilot e-commerce platform, Play Beauty (玩美好物), selling beauty and fashion products to her fan base and general beauty shoppers.[citation needed]
