Zhang Bichen vs. Silence Wang: Why The Journey of Flower Song ‘Nian Lun’ Can No Longer Be Performed

Who’s the original singer of Annual Ring (Nian Lun 年轮), the hit song from Zhao Liying’s hit drama The Journey of Flower? That’s the question stirring up Chinese music circles this week, after a messy dispute recently broke out between songwriter Silence Wang Sulong (汪苏泷) and singer Diamond Zhang Bichen (张碧晨) — a fallout that has now led to Silence Wang revoking the performance rights to one of his most iconic songs.

A Livestream Comment Ignites a Storm

It all started with a livestream where an influencer named “Wang Zai Xiao Qiao” confidently claimed that Zhang Bichen was the only original singer of Nian Lun, dismissing Silence Wang’s version entirely. Despite criticism, the influencer refused to take it back. The comments triggered heated debate online and some confusion as to who should be credited as the original singer in music platforms.

Silence Wang Revokes Rights to Perform the Song

Just past midnight on July 25, Silence Wang’s team had already taken action. They announced that all performance rights to Nian Lun had been withdrawn, which means no one is authorized to perform the song publicly anymore. Silence Wang’s side explained that they didn’t want to get involved at first, but the ongoing online attacks forced their hand. They also clarified that from the very beginning, the song had been planned as a dual-version release, and that Zhang Bichen’s team was aware of this.

Backing that up, Silence Wang’s label, Elephant Music, even posted email records from ten years ago confirming that both the male and female versions of Nian Lun were approved at the start of production for the drama. Silence Wang wrote the song and owns its copyright, meaning he has control over who can sing it.

Zhang Bichen’s Side Fires Back

An hour later, Zhang Bichen’s studio stepped in to air stress that the are the one and only original singer. They pointed to official copyright records and release dates to back up their claim: her version of Nian Lun came out first — June 15, 2015 — and was used in the hit drama The Journey of Flower. Silence Wang’s male version, they noted, came out two weeks later. The statement emphasized that Zhang was the only version initially released and that there was never any mention of the song having dual original singers.

Meanwhile, Zhang Bichen’s studio posted another message on Weibo expressing regret over how a dispute started by a blogger had unexpectedly pushed a decade-old beloved song into the public firing line. The statement thanked fans for their shared memories over the past ten years — the emotions, the tears, and the strength it brought. Now, with the song’s tenth anniversary approaching, the studio announced a symbolic farewell to the work, choosing to “properly say goodbye” to it amidst the controversy.

Public opinion is split with support for the respective singers. Still, there’s also disappointment from many who hate to see such a beloved song caught in the middle of an industry spat. Both Zhang Bichen and Silence Wang have sang the song either solo or even together in the past.

Photos: Zhang Bi Chen Studio, Wang Su Long Studio