The story in Lay's "Lit" MV, he said, is based on his favorite Chinese historical figure. In the MV he is portraying a Chinese general who has been trapped by the Han soldiers while trying to rescue his wife. The general -- who is portrayed as the character with the mask -- is a real historical figure named Xiang Yu, who fought in the battle of Gaixia. In the beginning of the MV you hear a Peking opera singer performing “The Song of Gaixia” (A traditional Chinese Opera song), which is a song that Xiang Yu composed for his wife, Lady Yu, who eventually took her own life. (Fun fact: In Lay's song "Jade," which is a song also on this album, the story is supposed to be about Lady Yu and Xiang Yu's love story.) The dancer with the long nails is a traditional Chinese dance style, and, along with the drummers, I believe it's also part of the Chinese opera performance. Because he is a Chinese artist, the song is in Mandarin and it was produced in China, this normally would be considered C-Pop. However, Lay is an ambassador for China, so one of his goals is to share Chinese culture with the world. One way he is doing this is by creating his own style of music, which he has labeled M-pop. M-Pop stands for Mixed-pop, which he means he mixes traditional Chinese elements and sounds with mainstream pop and hip-hop beats and styles -- combining old school Chinese culture with new modern hip-hop and contemporary beats and styles. As he says in "Lit," "I am the King ... bringing China to the world." And that's pretty much a fact: He has king-maker status in the music and entertainment industry and he has a lot of international influence, which allows him to bring Chinese culture to the world. Everything about this song and MV is a poetic, cinematic masterpiece. For example, the word Lotus in Chinese sounds a little like Lit in English. (Another play on words, just like the Chinese pronunciation of Jade sounds like Yu, or you in English, which Lay cleverly used in his song "Jade." Get it? Jade = Yu and Jade = you.) Lay used lotus (Lit) as a metaphor for no matter how hard people try to bring him down, he will stand strong and survive through anything the world throws at him, like a lotus flower. The Lotus often represents purity. The Lotus is special because it grows in the mud, but out of the most dirty and unforgiving conditions, blooms one of the most beautiful flowers. The Lotus is a famous symbol in Chinese culture and it often represents how something good and pure can grow and triumph despite what you would think are harsh conditions. Lay has said that the idea for "Lit" comes from the fact that his haters have been calling him "White Lotus," which refers to someone who acts innocent, and uses it for his gain and plays the victim all the time. So when he wrote the song he took that negativity and embraced it and turned it into something positive. So, in other words, he is saying: "You thought you could bring me down, but you are wrong. I am not a fake white lotus, but I am a true lotus who is LIT. I am more powerful than you know and I will rise above all your negativity and show you how I grow even stronger and more beautiful no matter how much mud and dirt I have to go through," etc. The dragon is a very powerful symbol in Chinese culture, and it is even said that if you are Chinese you are a descendant of the dragon. Chinese dragons traditionally symbolize vitality, strength and good luck. In one interview I read, Lay also talked about how he has two dragons inside him -- a good dragon and a bad dragon. He said he always chooses to listen to the good dragon. The good dragon is the one who is protecting him and helping him through all his hardships and difficult times. So the main theme of "Lit" is about fighting his inner self and learning to ignore and overcome the people who are trying to knock him down. Lay is is a singer, rapper, songwriter, composer, producer actor, director, editor, dancer, designer, etc. -- genius -- and with every new release of his, he just one ups himself. And "Lit" is a prime example of that. As you can see from the credits at the end of this video, this MV was produced by Zhangyixing Studios, which is named after Lay (Zhang Yixing is Lay's real name, Lay is a stage name given to him by SM Entertainment) -- he owns the studio. So, the credits show, Lay has his hand in almost every aspect of this production. It's his name we see dozens of times in the credits. He is the one that wrote and composed the song, as well as the beat. He is also executive producer (So, this production was all financed by him), he came up with the storyline, he helped choreograph and he helped direct the MV, etc. This MV took more than 6 months to make and more than $1.4 million to produce. And it was all done by Lay. They actually filmed at one of the largest and most well known film studios in China and had more than 50 extras. What you saw was the real temple. The dragon was CGI, but the rest of the set is all real. You should check out the making of film, ruclips.net/video/x_K39ntCEXw/видео.html, and Lay's "dance practice"/choreography video for "Lit," ruclips.net/video/9Yefy6iw0As/видео.html, to really see how things were made. Within the Chinese music industry and dance community, Lay is regarded as an industry expert that pretty much all other dancers and musicians look up to -- he is one of EXO's main dancers. He has even been credited with making Krump a mainstream dance style in China, and he is one of China's leading experts when it comes to Krump. (Lay's first Krump teacher is Trix who is from Korea and is considered one of the best Krumpers in the industry.) Lay's dancers are always very international, they are usually from all over the world, all races and genders and they speak all different languages. Lay's goal is always to seek out the best of the best and to surround himself with experts in everything he does. He wants to learn as much as possible and to be as diverse as possible about all styles of dance and cultures. And he doesn't just casually learn a new style of dance, when Lay puts his mind to something he goes all in and immerses himself in it with a goal of becoming the best at it. That is why he is regarded as an expert at so many different things, because he becomes so involved and studies and practices so much that he eventually surpasses his teachers.
Ah, one of the best Vs of all time! If only you've watched Street Dance if China 3! LAY is there, and Jackson Wang with Wang Yibo (The Man of China for sure as of recent years) as well! It's so cool to watch!
NOTE: This was filmed months ago and has been on my Patreon: Early Access ever since :)
www.patreon.com/kross_reacts
Lay‘s Lit is a masterpiece! One of the best MV‘s I‘ve ever seen.
I was speechless as I watched it first time.
The story in Lay's "Lit" MV, he said, is based on his favorite Chinese historical figure. In the MV he is portraying a Chinese general who has been trapped by the Han soldiers while trying to rescue his wife. The general -- who is portrayed as the character with the mask -- is a real historical figure named Xiang Yu, who fought in the battle of Gaixia. In the beginning of the MV you hear a Peking opera singer performing “The Song of Gaixia” (A traditional Chinese Opera song), which is a song that Xiang Yu composed for his wife, Lady Yu, who eventually took her own life. (Fun fact: In Lay's song "Jade," which is a song also on this album, the story is supposed to be about Lady Yu and Xiang Yu's love story.)
The dancer with the long nails is a traditional Chinese dance style, and, along with the drummers, I believe it's also part of the Chinese opera performance.
Because he is a Chinese artist, the song is in Mandarin and it was produced in China, this normally would be considered C-Pop. However, Lay is an ambassador for China, so one of his goals is to share Chinese culture with the world. One way he is doing this is by creating his own style of music, which he has labeled M-pop. M-Pop stands for Mixed-pop, which he means he mixes traditional Chinese elements and sounds with mainstream pop and hip-hop beats and styles -- combining old school Chinese culture with new modern hip-hop and contemporary beats and styles. As he says in "Lit," "I am the King ... bringing China to the world." And that's pretty much a fact: He has king-maker status in the music and entertainment industry and he has a lot of international influence, which allows him to bring Chinese culture to the world.
Everything about this song and MV is a poetic, cinematic masterpiece. For example, the word Lotus in Chinese sounds a little like Lit in English. (Another play on words, just like the Chinese pronunciation of Jade sounds like Yu, or you in English, which Lay cleverly used in his song "Jade." Get it? Jade = Yu and Jade = you.) Lay used lotus (Lit) as a metaphor for no matter how hard people try to bring him down, he will stand strong and survive through anything the world throws at him, like a lotus flower. The Lotus often represents purity. The Lotus is special because it grows in the mud, but out of the most dirty and unforgiving conditions, blooms one of the most beautiful flowers. The Lotus is a famous symbol in Chinese culture and it often represents how something good and pure can grow and triumph despite what you would think are harsh conditions.
Lay has said that the idea for "Lit" comes from the fact that his haters have been calling him "White Lotus," which refers to someone who acts innocent, and uses it for his gain and plays the victim all the time. So when he wrote the song he took that negativity and embraced it and turned it into something positive. So, in other words, he is saying: "You thought you could bring me down, but you are wrong. I am not a fake white lotus, but I am a true lotus who is LIT. I am more powerful than you know and I will rise above all your negativity and show you how I grow even stronger and more beautiful no matter how much mud and dirt I have to go through," etc.
The dragon is a very powerful symbol in Chinese culture, and it is even said that if you are Chinese you are a descendant of the dragon. Chinese dragons traditionally symbolize vitality, strength and good luck. In one interview I read, Lay also talked about how he has two dragons inside him -- a good dragon and a bad dragon. He said he always chooses to listen to the good dragon. The good dragon is the one who is protecting him and helping him through all his hardships and difficult times. So the main theme of "Lit" is about fighting his inner self and learning to ignore and overcome the people who are trying to knock him down.
Lay is is a singer, rapper, songwriter, composer, producer actor, director, editor, dancer, designer, etc. -- genius -- and with every new release of his, he just one ups himself. And "Lit" is a prime example of that.
As you can see from the credits at the end of this video, this MV was produced by Zhangyixing Studios, which is named after Lay (Zhang Yixing is Lay's real name, Lay is a stage name given to him by SM Entertainment) -- he owns the studio. So, the credits show, Lay has his hand in almost every aspect of this production. It's his name we see dozens of times in the credits. He is the one that wrote and composed the song, as well as the beat. He is also executive producer (So, this production was all financed by him), he came up with the storyline, he helped choreograph and he helped direct the MV, etc.
This MV took more than 6 months to make and more than $1.4 million to produce. And it was all done by Lay. They actually filmed at one of the largest and most well known film studios in China and had more than 50 extras. What you saw was the real temple. The dragon was CGI, but the rest of the set is all real.
You should check out the making of film, ruclips.net/video/x_K39ntCEXw/видео.html, and Lay's "dance practice"/choreography video for "Lit," ruclips.net/video/9Yefy6iw0As/видео.html, to really see how things were made.
Within the Chinese music industry and dance community, Lay is regarded as an industry expert that pretty much all other dancers and musicians look up to -- he is one of EXO's main dancers. He has even been credited with making Krump a mainstream dance style in China, and he is one of China's leading experts when it comes to Krump.
(Lay's first Krump teacher is Trix who is from Korea and is considered one of the best Krumpers in the industry.)
Lay's dancers are always very international, they are usually from all over the world, all races and genders and they speak all different languages. Lay's goal is always to seek out the best of the best and to surround himself with experts in everything he does. He wants to learn as much as possible and to be as diverse as possible about all styles of dance and cultures.
And he doesn't just casually learn a new style of dance, when Lay puts his mind to something he goes all in and immerses himself in it with a goal of becoming the best at it. That is why he is regarded as an expert at so many different things, because he becomes so involved and studies and practices so much that he eventually surpasses his teachers.
Stunning. Seriously, what can’t he do?
Yes Lay is really super talented
Lay ❤❤❤❤❤
Lay always work hard for his dream❤
Ah, one of the best Vs of all time!
If only you've watched Street Dance if China 3! LAY is there, and Jackson Wang with Wang Yibo (The Man of China for sure as of recent years) as well! It's so cool to watch!