Not considered beautiful by China’s exacting pop star standards, Wang has developed a cult following of fans who find her relatable and an inspiration

Wang Ju swaggers on stage, stepping out in front of the other female contestants competing to be China’s next pop idol. Wearing white boots and a short pink windbreaker, she leans toward the audience as she sings in English lyrics that she wrote: “You don’t have to put a ring on me. I can buy my own.”

She raps in English and Chinese as the camera pans to a crowd of mostly young women cheering. “Free your mind, fight [for] your right. Cold moonlight shines on my warrior coat. With a gorgeous attitude, my life is in my own hands.”

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Wang, 25, is a contestant on the singing competition, Produce 101, a new Chinese remake of a South Korean show of the same name. Over the course of the contest she has also become China’s latest female icon and an unlikely hero remaking beauty standards in an industry that has long prized women who are doe-eyed, fair-skinned, girlish and cute.

Wang is not beautiful by Chinese pop’s exacting standards. Just under 5’5 tall and weighing 60kg - her height and weight are listed on the show’s website – she is considered too short and too heavy. When she first appeared on the show in April viewers called her dama or “old auntie,” for being older than most of her rivals. One wrote, “Wang Ju is chunky and dark. I’ll never vote for her.”

很酷 A post shared by naomi (@naomiwangjv) on Feb 14, 2018 at 8:31pm PST

Yet, she has developed a cult following of people who find her both relatable and inspirational. Fans refer to Wang fondly as Jujie, or Ju big sister. Fan clubs canvass for her – her ranking depends on viewers’ votes. Dozens of memes have emerged to honour her. She has also spawned her own lexicon. Among her fans, people who aren’t familiar with Wang are called Juwairen or “Ju outsiders.”

Chinese media have breathlessly covered her rise, including China’s state-run Global Times, which described her as “a cultural phenomenon worthy of attention.” “Many viewers have found themselves, or the power they wish to have, in Wang Ju,” it said in an editorial on June 8. In the past week, her rank on the show has shot up to 23rd place, from 94th out of 101 contestants.

“I think we’ve always lacked of a female role model who is confident and dares to challenge conventional standards,” said Echo Wu, an interior designer based in Beijing, who runs a fan club for Wang Ju called “Naomi Wang Ju backup,” after the singer’s English name. The club makes posters and rhymes to circulate online to raise support for Wang.

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Wang’s so-called “queen style” has drawn more comparisons to Beyonce, Nicki Minaj, Rihanna, or Cardi B than China’s own more demure stars, earning her nicknames like “Juyonce,” “Nicki Minaju,” “Juhanna” or “Cardi Ju.” In a recent interview, Wang asked why it was easier for people with pretty faces to win over audiences than those with actual talent.

Speaking after a performance in May, she also said, “Some people say girls like me cannot be idols. But what exactly are the standards for being a girl idol? I’ve eaten up all the standards.”

What exactly are the standards for being a girl idol? I’ve eaten up all the standards Wang Ju

Wang hails from Shanghai. After graduating from university and working as a primary school teacher and then a recruiter, she joined a talent agency, Esee Model, in Shanghai where she now manages models. When Produce 101 sent notice to the agency of auditions earlier this year, Wang asked if there was a height requirement. When she learned there was not, she signed up.

Michelle Chien, who runs PR at the agency, says she doesn’t believe Wang is deliberately trying to run against convention. In their days of ordering take-away or shooting short videos when work was slow, Wang never mentioned she wanted to become a performer.

“I wouldn’t say she is a rebel. I’d say she is real. She faces things and speaks about what she wants honestly,” Chien said.

Yet Wang has become a poster child for minority voices. Before gaining widespread popularity, she was a hit with China’s LGBT community. Late last month, LESDO, a WeChat account for lesbians endorsed Wang. Another publication Danlan, wrote, “Everything Wang Ju has been through, we gays have been through.”

Wei Tingting, a cultural studies scholar in Guangzhou, said of Wang and marginalised groups, “They have the same experience of being excluded by a certain standard, thus they share the same sense of belonging.”



Wang herself has pushed back against standards. After photos of a younger, thinner and paler Wang emerged online, one of the show’s judges asked if she would like to return to her earlier look.

“I wouldn’t want to go back. The standard of being beautiful is to be yourself,” she said. “I control my own life. Having an independent spirit is too important.”