Rock star finds her own beat

Reality TV show reveals a performer with incredible stage presence and a clear goal for the future, Chen Nan reports.

Zhao Meng is known for her punk rock image entailing a de rigueur leather jacket, short high-waisted skirt, boots, and powerfully wielding a bass guitar in front of a packed audience.

As the bassist of Chinese rock band New Pants, she has demonstrated how to stand out when being in a position that's often overshadowed by the frontman.

When Zhao appears in the popular reality TV show, Sisters Riding the Winds and Breaking the Waves, produced and broadcast by Mango TV, a livestreaming platform, she attracts a large fan base by displaying different sides of herself with a constantly evolving fashion style, a powerful stage presence and a private persona that she rarely shows in public.

Featuring 30 female celebrities as contestants, all above 30 years of age, the reality show premiered in 2020 and immediately became a hot topic nationwide, as the entertainment industry in China traditionally favors women in their early 20s or even younger. In its third season, the show was launched on May 20 and makes headlines weekly.