Taiwan singer-songwriter Jay Chou (周杰倫) has long been hailed as the “King of Mandopop” and continues to make headlines every time he is named an ambassador or takes part in a marketing campaign. Currently, the social media platform that hosts his official account is a major talking point. For quite some time, the short-form video app Kuaishou held a monopoly on Chou’s social presence, but not anymore. After a day of speculation surrounding a rumour, Chou is now officially on Douyin, TikTok’s Chinese sister app.
His Douyin handle is @周同學 (lit. “Student Chou”), and the profile picture features a 3D rendering of Chou’s figurine. On the first day of launch, without posting any content to the channel itself (Chou posted via Douyin Big Star, the platform’s celebrity promotion channel), he gained over 9.79 million followers. According to reports, Chou will soon be posting his first Douyin video, which was shot in Australia and includes magic tricks.
Just before the official launch, rumour had it that Douyin spent 9 figures (RMB) to secure the Mandopop megastar, a claim the platform has denied. Fake Jay Chou accounts also grew exponentially on Douyin, resulting in his official fan club stepping in to tell fans that these were fake. The launch of the new account also coincides with the 25th anniversary of Chou’s debut as a singer.
As news spread, the “Jay Chou concept stock”, Star Plus Legend Holdings, an entertainment company connected to the star, saw its share price surge in Hong Kong, rising by as much as 165% at one point.
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Pundits believe Chou’s move to Douyin was for multiple reasons. Firstly, Kuaishou hasn’t produced any internet-breaking viral moments with such a huge star, and the trending topics were mostly confined to its own platform. Meanwhile, Douyin reportedly has over 1 billion monthly active users as of March, up 12.3% year-on-year. Its e-commerce capabilities have already surpassed JD.com, ranking third among e-commerce platforms. With stars such as Daniel Wu and Nicholas Tse on the platform earning from social commerce, this collaboration is likely a win-win situation for both parties.