Yang Chaoyue

2016–2017: Girl group contest and CH2

In 2016, the eSports game Battle of Balls hosted a girl group contest offering a 2000 RMB salary with accommodation and meals. Yang was voted to be the most popular contestant during the contest and began her idol trainee career along with ten other contestants.^[6][7] In 2017, eight of the trainees formed the girl group CH2.^[7][8] Due to Wenlan Culture's video game industry background and the lack of a dedicated performance theater, Yang did not receive proper training; instead, her jobs were mostly involved in promoting video games at various events.^[9][10]

2018–present: Produce 101, Rocket Girls 101 and acting debut

In April, Yang Chaoyue and three of her CH2 teammates were chosen to represent Wenlan Culture on reality girl group survival show Produce 101 aired from April 21 to June 23, 2018, on Tencent Video.^[11] During her time on the show, Yang was the subject of intense online debate due to a perceived lack of singing and dancing ability. Despite a poor performance during the evaluation stage, when the first episode aired, Yang soon gained popularity for her "rags-to-riches backstory, doll-like looks, [and] sweet-mannered personality", and was voted by fans into A-class.^[10] This resulted in debate and put her on multiple Weibo trending topics.^{[5][10][12][13]} Yang was subjected to hateful internet comments that degraded her stage performances and her personality, leading to debate on cyberbullying.^[14][15] Some netizens anonymously reported Yang to the Ministry of Culture, claiming that she did not have any singing or dancing talent and that allowing her to debut in Rocket Girls 101 "violated the Core Socialist Values".^[1] Wang Sicong, son of tycoon Wang Jianlin, also criticised Yang and made her a trending topic on Weibo once again.^[10][16] Despite debate, Yang remained one of the most popular contestants throughout the course of the show, never ranking outside the top 9. She ultimately finished third with over 139 million votes and debuted as a member of Rocket Girls 101 on June 23.^[17][18][15] In response to critics, Yang stated "I can't do anything well. I am [only] good at arguing with my boss … But God doesn't just like clever people. He blesses stupid children like us, too. So don't give up on yourself [even if] you are mediocre and stupid".^[19]

While promoting with Rocket Girls 101, Yang also pursued solo activities. In September 2018, she released her first solo song, a promotional single, titled Follow Me.^[20] In November, Yang was announced to make her acting debut in the historical drama The Promise of Chang'an.^[21] Also in 2018, Yang was cast as a panelist in the first season of the dating reality show Heart Signal, an adaptation of the South Korean reality show of the same name.^[22] In March 2019, she appeared in the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup draw ceremony as a special guest and World Cup draw ambassador.^[23][24] The same year she played her first leading role in the youth sports drama Project 17: Side by Side.^[25] As Yang had never been formally trained as an actor, the casting placed Yang's acting skills under scrutiny, with director Chiang Hsiu-chiung reporting that the pressure drove Yang to tears multiple times during filming.^[26] In evaluating her performance, Chiang praised Yang for her hard work and motivation to improve.^[26] Also in 2019, Yang returned for the second season of Heart Signal.^[27] Yang was later ranked 58th in the Forbes China Celebrity 100 list for 2019.^[28][29] Forbes China listed Yang under their 30 Under 30 Asia 2019 list which consisted of 30 influential people under 30 years old who have had a substantial effect in their fields.^[30]

After Rocket Girls 101 disbanded on June 23, 2020, Yang chose to focus on pursuing acting and variety shows.^[31][32] In 2020, Yang starred in the fantasy historical web series Ever Night playing Hao Tian/Tian Nu.^[33] She then played lead roles in xianxia romance drama Dance of the Phoenix and romantic comedy-drama Midsummer Is Full of Love.^[34][35] Yang's transition to leading roles attracted mixed reviews, with praise focused on her natural charm as an actor and criticism focused on her ability to portray more dramatic scenes.^[36][37][32] In addition to acting, Yang was a main cast member in multiple variety shows, including When We Write Love Story, The Great Wall, and the third season of Heart Signal.^[38][39][40] She ranked 80th on Forbes China Celebrity 100 list.^[41]

In 2021, Yang played a supporting role in the iQiyi drama series The Ideal City [zh].^[42] With The Ideal City, Yang willingly took a step away from leading roles in order to further hone her acting skills and work alongside experienced actors such as Sun Li and Mark Chao.^[43][44] In 2022, she starred in the wuxia drama Heroes [zh] and the family sitcom Sisterhood [zh].^[45][46] In 2023, Yang starred in the xianxia romance Love You Seven Times alongside Ding Yuxi. Though she continued to receive criticism for her dramatic acting, Yang was praised for the improvements she had made as a leading actor.^[47][48] However the drama underperformed relative to expectations, and was considered a commercial flop.^[49] Also in 2023, Yang starred in the xianxia romance The Journey of Chong Zi, and made guest appearances in the dramas Fireworks of my Heart, Never Give Up, and Gone with the Rain.^{[50][51][52][53]}

2024 was a breakthrough year for Yang.^[54] In January, Yang starred in the family drama Born to Run as Chen Ruoha, an unloved daughter who becomes the sole object of her controlling mother's affections after the sudden death of her brother. The show was a ratings success for CCTV-8, with many viewers finding Yang's performance sympathetic and relatable.^[55][56] In June, Yang made a guest appearance in the historical romance drama The Double as Jiang Li. The drama was a hit, becoming the most-watched drama on Youku that year.^[57] Though her appearance was brief, Yang received widespread praise for her role, prompting renewed interest in her career.^[57][58][59] Also in 2024, Yang made her theatrical debut with the play The Insanity, where she received positive reception for her performance.^[60][61] That same year, Yang released her debut EP Authentic, which she also co-wrote, with lyrics reflecting on her struggles as an artist and her journey of self-growth.^[62]

Extended plays

Singles

Film

Television series

Television show