Meet Jackson Wang of Got7 – the Chinese K-pop singer who topped the iTunes US Pop Chart

Jun 4 , 2018

Jackson Wang composed ‘FendiMan’ for the Italian luxury brand.

The hip-hop star talks about his chart-topping song ‘FendiMan’, fashion, style and millennials

Jackson Wang is a man of the world. The 24-year-old singer-songwriter was born in Hong Kong. He honed his skills in South Korea and is now based in China.

Wang, as a member of K-pop boy group Got7, is among the many Chinese young artists tapped by South Korean entertainment firms hoping to expand into the Chinese market. The star is fluent in English, Cantonese, Mandarin, Shanghainese, Japanese and Korean.

Before joining showbiz, Wang was an avid fencing athlete and was a sabre fencer for Hong Kong’s fencing team. After passing a music audition organised by JYP Entertainment in 2011, he moved to Seoul to pursue a career in K-pop.

Jackson Wang starring in Fendi’s ‘F is For’ campaign

Wang was invited by Italian luxury fashion brand Fendi to create a song that would resonate with his millennial following and give the brand a youthful vibe. The song, titled FendiMan, was unveiled last Friday in Shanghai at the FF Reloaded Party and quickly became No.1 on the iTunes US Pop Chart.

The event, which took place in underground club Arkham – located 10 metres beneath Sunken Plaza – attracted Shanghai’s young fashionistas. Local hip-hop artists and DJs such as DJ Wordy, Miss Vava and Higher Brothers performed on stage. The party was also attended by Silvia Venturini Fendi, the brand’s creative director for Men’s, Accessories and Kids Collections, and Fendi’s newly appointed CEO and chairman, Serge Brunschwig.

Jackson Wang in the ‘FendiMan’ music video

The party was held to plug Fendi’s FF Reloaded collection, which features garments and accessories covered with the brand’s iconic “FF” logo. The logo was first designed by Karl Lagerfeld in 1965 and has evolved through the years. Fendi collaborated with JD.com’s Toplife platform to sell the capsule collection. The collection was also sold via the brand’s own WeChat platform. We asked the star about music and lifestyle.

What is the definition of a Fendi man and how did you compose the song?

“FendiMan” is a word I created. It represents a fearless spirit that respects differences. The millennials have the same view as each one of us is a unique individual who is irreplaceable, which also echoes the spirit of the brand. I believe that a person’s history and background does not decide if he or she can succeed. It is whether the person has persistence and determination. I created FendiMan with this in mind.