The recent release of the new MV “Forever Forever,” composed by Jay Chou and written by Ashin featured a god tier lineup as they sang together with Jerry Yan, Vanness Wu, Vic Chou to the delight of many fans. Following this, the trio, joined by Mayday’s Ashin, is set to kick off the “F☆FOREVER City of Stars Concert Tour” this December in Shanghai. Ashin explained that the letter F in the context of “F☆FOREVER” is a stage that welcomes more friends to join in the future.
F4 Becomes F3 Without Ken Chu: What Happened?
It can be remembered that F4 recently reunited at Mayday’s concert and Ashin was credited for being instrumental in making it happen. When news of another reunion for their upcoming tour was still only rumored, the group was also rumored to have removed Ken Chu due to several controversial remarks he made during livestreams. Ken had even leaked that F4 would release a new song, which some believe contributed to the decision to continue the project without him. Fans also noticed that he’s been effectively “erased.” In the “Forever Forever” music video, a young girl’s pencil case shows only the three members without Ken Chu, and a re-created scene of the original Meteor Garden opening also features only the three.
Ken Chu’s Wife Han Wenwen Speaks Out
Ken Chu’s wife, Han Wenwen, spoke during a livestream yesterday and said she was heartbroken after watching her husband lose 15 kg in preparation. She hoped that people would stop spreading rumors or attacking him.
On the 8th of last month, Ken also announced the launch of a new company, saying he had ended some bad things and was starting something better. During her livestream, Han Wenwen said, “Seeing him like this these past weeks made my heart ache. To be in good shape so the four of them could stand together in a harmonious way, he lost 30 jin, which is 15 kilograms, in just over a month. He kept telling me that for the F4 reunion, he needed to get healthy again. From July until now, he has not relaxed for even a moment.” She added that Ken wanted to give fans a warm and harmonious F4 reunion.
She continued, “But suddenly all kinds of baseless accusations and rumors came flooding in. They really hurt him. These past two years have been peaceful and happy for us. We never wanted to fight for anything. We just wanted a simple and steady life together. I feel very content with that.” Han Wenwen ended by asking for understanding. “Please show a little more kindness. Do not use harsh words to hurt someone, especially someone who only wanted to keep a long-awaited promise. Meteor Garden is not only your youth or my youth. It is also his.”
Fans Are Nostalgic
With all the buzz surrounding the tour, whether F4 continues as three or eventually finds a new balance, fans are feeling nostalgic, especially since Jay Chou and Ashin are also icons in the music industry such that having all of them appear together is considered the ultimate treat. Many even joke that their ages add up to over 230 years, as most of them are in their forties and Ashin just turned 50 on December 6. Nevertheless, everyone agrees that they all look incredibly good.
Update: Ken Chu Airs His Side of What Happened
On December 8, Ken Chu issued a vlog to air his side of the story. He revealed that he “never signed a formal contract” with the organizer, ‘Believe in Music’ and that they were only at the stage of discussing intentions. “After I refused three requests from them, they unilaterally cut off all contact with me.” He said he found out that he was “removed” only through the news reports online and said that all sorts of rumors cropped up after that, such as him being removed for “leaking information.”
Ken Chu explained that for him, F4 is a symbol that carries a generation’s memories, but that they are all individuals at the end of the day and he respects the choices of the other three members and wishes them well. He hopes that they could one day reunite as four once all their intentions are aligned and that it would be a true “after-sales service of youth.” However, he questioned the organizer’s motives, saying that “Aijie” from Bin Music invited him in the name of reuniting youth memories, but instead of achieving that, he was not only taken out of the picture but also feels they used smear tactics against him. He said he’s still willing to communicate, but he refuses to accept malicious manipulation.
Source: Bin Music / Youtube
