Chinese actress Zhao Lusi recently opened up about several controversies surrounding her career during a livestream with fans. One of the most talked-about moments was her revelation that both she and people close to her suffered professional setbacks during one of the most difficult periods of her life. She shared the story of a close friend who worked on an advertising campaign for a brand she endorsed and revealed that she herself had once been unofficially blacklisted from the industry.
“She stayed by my side during my hardest moments. Because of me, she was also sidelined, abandoned by the industry, and unable to work for a period of time. Yet she still stood by me,” Zhao Lusi said.
The actress also addressed her Stay Romantic concert in Thailand, a topic that has generated significant discussion since the event took place. According to Zhao Lusi, despite the concert’s strong ticket sales, the event did not bring in the financial gains many people assumed.
“To be honest, the concert lost quite a bit of money. But the most important thing wasn’t profit—it was the chance to meet everyone. We deliberately created this opportunity for us to connect. From rehearsals and performances to the final moment on stage, making money was never our priority,” she explained.
Her comments quickly attracted attention because Stay Romantic was considered a major milestone in Zhao Lusi’s career. On May 9, she held the concert at IMPACT Arena in Thailand, a venue capable of hosting approximately 12,000 attendees. It marked the first time she had organized a ticketed overseas concert, with the show lasting nearly four hours.
During the event, Zhao Lusi opened with the song Different Shade of Red, presenting a sweet and elegant image before transitioning through multiple concepts during performances of Champagne Drop, Black Queen, and other tracks. She also prepared a Thai-language song specifically for local fans and spent considerable time interacting with the audience.
One of the most praised aspects of the concert was its visual presentation. Zhao Lusi invested heavily in Haute Couture costumes and frequently changed looks, moving from feminine and elegant styles to more glamorous and mature concepts. Thanks to her strong social media influence and immense popularity, photos and videos from the event quickly spread across online platforms, turning Stay Romantic into one of the hottest entertainment topics across Asia.
However, the positive buzz did not last long before criticism began to emerge. The biggest controversy centered on allegations of lip-syncing. Videos shared by audience members appeared to show moments when Zhao Lusi’s lip movements did not fully match the audio playing through the venue’s sound system.
Many attendees expressed disappointment, especially after paying ticket prices ranging from 488 RMB to 1,940 RMB. Some argued that excessive use of backing tracks diminished the emotional impact expected from a live concert experience.
Beyond vocal concerns, Zhao Lusi’s stage performance also became a topic of debate. During several performances featuring a more mature and seductive concept, she incorporated dance routines that some viewers felt appeared stiff and lacked fluidity.
Critics suggested that Zhao Lusi was attempting to establish herself as a professional stage performer but still faced a considerable gap between her ambitions and her current abilities. Comparisons were frequently drawn with K-pop and J-pop idols who undergo years of intensive training. Some social media comments harshly criticized her dancing, stage presence, and overall performance skills.
Production quality also came under scrutiny. A number of concertgoers felt the stage design was relatively simple compared to other concerts in the same ticket-price range. They argued that the lighting, sound effects, and supporting dancers were not impressive enough to justify a four-hour show.
As a result, discussions emerged about whether some Chinese celebrities are leveraging their popularity to launch large-scale concerts before fully developing the skills expected of live performers. Stay Romantic was often compared to concerts by Korean and Japanese artists with similar ticket prices, with some viewers concluding that Zhao Lusi’s production felt less polished.
Nevertheless, Zhao Lusi’s fanbase quickly came to her defense. Supporters pointed out that she is primarily an actress rather than a professionally trained idol. They argued that performing on stage for nearly four hours while constantly changing costumes, interacting with fans, and delivering multiple performances was already a remarkable achievement.
Fans also highlighted that before the Thailand concert, Zhao Lusi had held two free performances in China attended by roughly 6,000 people each. In their view, this demonstrated that financial gain was not her primary motivation. They further noted that organizing an overseas concert involves enormous expenses, including venue rental, equipment transportation, staffing, and production costs. These factors could easily explain how a sold-out event still ended up losing money.
Born in 1998 in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, Zhao Lusi began her career through low-budget web dramas such as Untouchable Lovers and Oh! My Emperor. Her breakthrough came with The Romance of Tiger and Rose, followed by successful projects including The Long Ballad, Love Like the Galaxy, and Hidden Love.
With her sweet image, strong social media influence, and massive fan following, Zhao Lusi quickly became one of the most prominent actresses of her generation. Few people realize that before achieving fame through acting, she had a connection to music. She participated in the preliminary rounds of Super Girl in 2016 and frequently uploaded cover songs online. Her idol-like visuals even led some viewers to mistakenly assume she had trained under an idol agency.
Musically, Zhao Lusi possesses a gentle voice well suited for ballads and drama soundtracks. She has contributed songs to several projects she starred in, though she has never been regarded as a technically outstanding vocalist. Her biggest weakness has long been live singing, which became one of the main reasons why Stay Romantic generated so much controversy. Meanwhile, her dance content on TikTok and Douyin has largely been viewed as casual entertainment rather than evidence of professional-level performance skills.
Her increasing focus on music comes at a time when her acting career appears to have slowed. Zhao Lusi previously stated that she wanted to wait for the right script before returning to television. However, many industry observers believe deeper factors may be involved, including controversies surrounding the project Almost Lover and reported conflicts with her former management company.
Toward the end of 2024, Zhao Lusi faced health issues following a stressful period connected to the production of Almost Lover. She publicly criticized her former agency and expressed reluctance to complete remaining scenes for the project. Those comments reportedly affected how some producers viewed her, creating concerns about potential risks beyond acting performance.
As a result, Zhao Lusi’s more than 400-day absence from new drama projects has attracted considerable attention. What was once the career of one of China’s most sought-after young actresses has gradually become the subject of speculation regarding her future opportunities.
Following the Thailand concert, Zhao Lusi announced plans for another concert in Macau on July 11. At a time when her acting career has yet to regain momentum, she appears determined to expand her activities in music. From releasing the music video Champagne Drop to organizing solo concerts and building a more versatile entertainer image, Zhao Lusi is clearly searching for a new path.
However, that journey may prove challenging. The debates surrounding lip-syncing, performance skills, and concert quality demonstrate that while star power can sell tickets, earning recognition as a legitimate music performer is a very different challenge. For Zhao Lusi, winning over audiences through her live stage abilities may remain her greatest test at this stage of her career.
Sources: k14
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