The program, Show It All, provides a platform for Chinese singers and dancers to engage in exchanges and compete with international counterparts, such as the American group Boys World, the Thai girl group Pixxie and the Malaysian girl group Dolla.

The program allows young female singer-dancers to compete to match international standards by performing alongside talented female music groups from around the world.

Simultaneously, it fosters cross-cultural dialogue between Chinese and foreign youth across various dimensions of cultural life. For example, the adoption of the mutual visa-free policy between China and Malaysia enabled the Malaysian girl group Dolla, on their inaugural visit to China, to perform local songs and present traditional Malaysian attire to Chinese singers and dancers.

Zhou Kui, director of the China Online Video Research Center affiliated with the Communication University of China, says that, for Chinese participants, this peer-to-peer competitive pressure is not only a series of challenges but also a force driving progress. The program assists these Chinese contestants in exploring and defining their unique cultural and stylistic positioning in the international arena, providing multiple rounds of simulation before they formally enter the international market.

"I hope to introduce our Chinese girl group to the world and offer these young women a broader global perspective," says Zhang.

"Balance" is something Zhang used to highly value in pop performances. Now, it's what he also values in his life and work, and effort and talent. Yet the 32-year-old says he is still on the journey to achieve balance.

Contact the writer at [email protected]