All About C-Pop Group Loong9

Get to know the members of Loong9, both as individuals and as a group, with this exclusive interview!

Please introduce yourselves and share what special traits or skills each member adds to the group!

Ollie: My name’s Ollie! I am the main rapper of our group. I’m usually identified as the group translator, because I had many overseas experiences [that] made me familiar with English and Korean. These language skills allow me to help out [my] teammates during overseas activities. 

Ely: I am Li Quanzhe, a vocalist [and] the team captain. Because I [am] more mature [and] have more stage experience than the other members, I am usually the one who takes care of [them]. 

Andrew: My name is Jiang Xinxi. I am also a vocalist in our group. I think my unique [trait] is that I’m really tall! Also, since I’m from Macau, I have the ability to speak [and teach the] other members Cantonese.

Liang Shiyu: My name is Liang Shiyu. I am a dancer in our group. Since I practice martial arts, if there are some difficult moves in the choreography, they are usually handed over to me!

Albin: My name is Bai Ziyi. I am [a] dancer in our group. My personal skills are baking and crafting. I usually make desserts to share with [the other] members. 

Felix: My name is Chen Liang. I am also a dancer in our group. I think I’m good at providing emotional value to the team. I also have ideas about OOTDs and accessories, so I sometimes give members clothing advice. 

Ashley: I am Zhang Haolian, a dancer from Hong Kong. Like [Andrew], my [special traits] are my height and Cantonese skills. In addition, I like to dance during my [free] time, so I am pretty good at various girl groups’ dances. 

Guo Dianjia: I am Guo Dianjia from Loong9. I am in charge of dancing and comedy in the group. Because I tend to be an extrovert, I am often the one who breaks the ice in unfamiliar environments, leads the members to have fun together, and protects the introverts on our team. 

Chen Xinhao: I am Chen Xinhao from Loong9. I am probably the person in charge of fitness in the group; I am usually good at body management. Everyone says that they can’t beat me in fitness! Another thing is that I am quite imaginative and am relatively good at picking up jokes or providing interesting ideas during shootings.

For those who have not heard your music before, how would you describe it to them? How would you finish the sentence “Loong9 is ___” or “Loong9’s music is ___”?

“Loong9 is diverse” [and] “Loong9’s music is courageous.” We are a diverse group in terms of personalities, regions, and individual characteristics. We are also open to trying various styles. We strive to digest and present a wide range of concepts so we can say that we are a group that is highly versatile and full of possibility. In terms of music, we do not limit ourselves to our comfort zone. We experiment with fusing traditional Chinese music and electronic music, and we try to record songs in Cantonese, Korean, and more. 

We hope that everyone who listens to Loong9’s music can gain courage, become fearless and bold, and face all [of their] challenges and setbacks. This is the energy we aim to convey through our music. 

Option two: “Loong9 is positive [and] warm.” Since our average age is quite young, we hope to leave a lively, upbeat impression, and through our music, we hope to bring warmth and healing energy to those who listen. 

What are the biggest differences between the Loong9 subunits?

The members of our two subunits differ slightly and are targeted towards different markets. Loong9-S mainly focuses on mainland China, while Loong9-V is aimed at the Hong Kong market. However, the overall goal of Loong9 is the same: to expand [and get] our music and performances appreciated by more people. 

What are the best and worst things about being in a group with so many members?

There are many benefits! A large group looks more powerful on stage [and has] more choreography possibilities, resulting in better visual effects. Offstage, each of us has gained a group of great friends, so whatever we do, we always have someone with us, and it’s always lively when we hang out together. 

The downside might be that it’s too lively; sometimes it can get a bit noisy! For instance, when we’re filming or live-streaming together, it can get so loud that it’s hard to tell who’s talking! Also, in a large group, it takes more effort to make our dance routines perfectly synchronized, so we have to practice harder. 

Please describe your new album, First Light!

First Light is the first album we’ve released since our debut, and it's a significant step in our growth. [The title] symbolizes the first beam of light at dawn, just like us fearlessly pursuing a bright future. We hope through our album and songs, we can bring strength, courage to chase dreams, warmth, and hope to those going through tough times. 

Can you share some fun facts about the making of the “Go for Broke” music video?

We shot at an abandoned hotel in the mountains. The surroundings were very quiet, even a bit scary! The locations we filmed at included the rooftop, hallways, and an underground hot spring. 

There are lots of scenes with flames in the background, [and] the shooting location itself was also super hot. It was the middle of summer, and our clothes were quite thick, so after each take, we were all drenched in sweat. During breaks, we would constantly touch up [our] makeup and wipe off sweat, and as soon as they yelled “Cut,” we’d quickly take off our jackets, only to put them back on for the next shot. 

Also, there was a lot of kicking choreography in this dance, and at one point, Albin accidentally kicked his shoe off, which made everyone laugh for a long time. 

Even though it was our first time shooting [a music video] together, it went very smoothly, and the atmosphere on set was great! 

What is the meaning behind your fandom name?

Our fandom name is “奶龙,” aka “Milk Dragon,” which is a homophone of the pronunciation of our group name in reverse. In Chinese, it can be understood as a very cute little dragon. We voted for this name because in our eyes, our fans are as cute and warm as little milk dragons, and they always stay with us. 

What makes C-pop unique? What are the similarities and differences between C-pop and other kinds of pop music?

C-pop has always combined pop and traditional music elements, using newer and more fashionable music forms to spread traditional Chinese culture. As an example, our new song "Go For Broke" includes some elements of traditional Chinese instruments and integrates folk music and electronic music in an innovative way. We will not abandon this style in future works. We hope [that by] using these combinations, we can attract more fans to C-pop. 

Not everyone is participating in First Light promotions. Will Loong9 ever promote with every single member at the same time?

There might be member shifts during different events, but no matter if [we all] participate or not, all [of the] members focus on new stages [and] look forward to [them]. “First Light” doesn’t only [represent each] member; [it is] more like a representation of the whole group. This album is unique and significant for all of us. 

What have your experiences been like on different TV programs, and what are the biggest lessons you have learned from being on those shows?

We all participated in Asia Super Young together. [Programs like that] can make people grow a lot. They create a relatively tense, competitive atmosphere and [involve a lot of] high-intensity training in a short period of time. And stage performances can quickly improve singing and dancing skills. During the competition, we also needed to form teams with different members, which helped us with our communication, cooperation, and organizational skills. Moreover, we got comments and guidance from celebrity mentors, so everyone could understand the shortcomings of their stage performances. 

Fans and friends gave us a lot of support. They are the ones who helped and encouraged us to go further on this road of being idols.

Who do you look up to in the music industry, and why?

As a boy group, we really admire our mentors [in] the company, UNIQ. Their singing, dancing, stage performances, and other aspects of their abilities are very good. 

What are your short-term and long-term career goals?

Our short-term hope is that our first album, First Light, will be heard by more people, because we have put a lot of effort into this album and “Go For Broke.” We also hope to have more stage opportunities, so that we can use singing and dancing to present our songs and meet more fans. 

The long-term goal is [to] be known by more people and bring better music [and performances] to everyone. We also hope that we can slowly explore more, eventually finding Loong9’s own unique path and style.

Lastly, is there anything else you want to say about yourselves or your music?

The name “Loong9” might be relatively unfamiliar. We know that it takes long-term persistence [and] hard work to go from being unknown to being known by everyone. This is a very long process, but we have enough patience. We will do our best and persist until people who like us can proudly introduce us to others. We will continue to chase the light and bring [people] a brighter light. 

We would like to thank everyone for all [of the] support of Loong9. Please look forward to our future works and stages!

Learn more about Loong9 here!

Answers have been edited and condensed for length and clarity. Photos courtesy of Yue Hua Entertainment.