In the vast landscape of Chinese pop music, Dao Lang stands out as a unique and highly controversial figure. His musical journey, from his sudden rise in the early 2000s to his recent resurgence in popularity, is like a thrilling saga, which profoundly reflects the complex contradictions and collisions within the realm of popular culture.
The Rise and Popularity of the Dao Lang Phenomenon
In 2004, Dao Lang shot to fame overnight with his album "The First Snow in 2002". The album sold over 2.7 million copies, a remarkable feat in the highly competitive Chinese pop music scene at that time. His songs, characterized by plain, straightforward lyrics full of life's flavor and simple yet infectious melodies, quickly captured the hearts of the general public. Songs like "The Punishment of Impulse" and "Lover", which tell stories of ordinary people's love and life, were widely sung on the streets and alleys, becoming the emotional sustenance of the masses.
Years later, in 2023, Dao Lang's concept album "Shan Ge Liao Zai" once again triggered a huge wave of discussion. Among them, the song "Rakshasa sea city" became a hit on the Internet within just a few days, with its unique satirical meaning and innovative use of traditional folk music elements. On a short - video platform alone, the topic related to "Rakshasa sea city" has received 5.81 billion views. The online concert "Where the Mountain Songs Ring" held in 2024 was also a great success. Just 28 minutes after the broadcast, the number of viewers exceeded 10 million. At the end of the 3.5 - hour concert, the number of online viewers reached 54 million, the live - broadcast room cheer heat reached 720 million, the exposure in the WeChat ecosystem reached 1.8 billion, and the cumulative number of likes was as high as 700 million, setting multiple platform online concert records.
Analysis of the Controversial Focus
Musical Style and Aesthetic Prejudice
Dao Lang's musical style is unique and forms a sharp contrast to the mainstream pop music style at that time. Rooted in the folk culture, he combines the musical elements of the Western Regions with a popular narrative method. However, this plain style is regarded by some as "rustic" and "crude", which is incompatible with the pursuit of luxury and refinement in mainstream aesthetics. In an environment where pop music increasingly emphasizes elaborate production and exquisite packaging, Dao Lang's simple and direct musical expression is seen by some as low - level musical creation. But precisely because of this simplicity, countless ordinary people struggling in life find emotional resonance. They hear their own stories, joys, sorrows, anger, and happiness in Dao Lang's songs.
Industry Discourse Power and Elite Anxiety
In 2004, Dao Lang's album sales far exceeded those of mainstream singers like Jay Chou. His grassroots background and unique style broke the traditional evaluation system of "elegant music", touching the nerves of the vested interests in the music industry. Na Ying, Wang Feng and others once denied Dao Lang on the grounds of "lack of musicality". Behind this kind of judgment is the struggle for industry discourse power. Mainstream music media and some musicians hold the discourse power of music evaluation. They are accustomed to using established standards to measure all music works, and Dao Lang's emergence broke this rule, making them feel threatened. When Dao Lang demonstrated profound literary skills and musical innovation ability with "Rakshasa sea city", the critics were questioned by the public for being "double - standard", which also exposed the cover of the solidified music circle.
Artistic Creation and Over - interpretation
The song "Rakshasa sea city" has been overly interpreted by netizens as a revenge manifesto against the "elite class" in the music industry because of the lyrics such as "Ma Hu", "You Niao", and "Turning around before speaking". From the perspective of artistic creation, this song is based on the fable story in "Strange Tales from a Lonely Studio" that satirizes the "reversal of beauty and ugliness", and adopts the technique of combining traditional folk music elements with literary metaphors, with a more profound social - critical meaning. However, some audiences narrow it down to the projection of personal grudges. This "decoding carnival" reflects the conflict between artistic expression and the audience's subjective interpretation. Dao Lang's friends pointed out that he "spends his free time reading and creating, and his pattern is not that small". The over - interpretation precisely exposes the anxiety of some groups who feel self - conscious.
The Deep - seated Connection between the Dao Lang Phenomenon and Popular Culture
The Dao Lang phenomenon is a vivid manifestation of the diversity of popular culture. Popular culture should inherently be inclusive, covering various cultural elements of different styles and backgrounds. Dao Lang's music has injected new vitality into popular culture. He brings folk culture and regional culture into the public eye, making popular culture no longer limited to urban and fashionable expressions. His success shows that the audience of popular culture is extensive and diverse, and people from different classes and with different aesthetic preferences can find their own preferences in it.
At the same time, the controversies Dao Lang faces also reflect the contradictions in the development of popular culture. In the process of commercialization and industrialization, popular culture has gradually formed some established models and standards, which to a certain extent limit innovation and diversified development. Dao Lang's music challenges these standards, triggering reflections on the nature and development direction of popular culture: Should popular culture cater to the existing aesthetics of the public, or should it lead the public's aesthetics? Should it follow commercial rules or stick to artistic originality?
Enlightenment for the Development of Popular Culture
The Dao Lang phenomenon reminds us that popular culture needs to respect the freedom of creation. Creators should have the right to express their own views and styles without excessive external interference and judgment. Only in a free creative environment can more innovative and thought - provoking works be born.
The aesthetics of popular culture should move towards diversity. We should not use a single standard to measure all popular culture works. We should respect different styles of music, film and television, literature and other works, and appreciate their unique values. Whether it is high - brow or popular, elegant or vulgar, everything has its meaning of existence.
The popular culture industry also needs to reflect on its evaluation system and industry ecology. Break the solidification of the circle, enable more talented creators to stand out, and promote the healthy development of popular culture.
The Dao Lang phenomenon is a unique wave in the long river of popular culture. The controversies and reflections it has triggered will continue to influence our understanding and exploration of popular culture, and promote popular culture to develop in a more diverse, inclusive and innovative direction.
