With each song that becomes popular, the pop duo Phoenix Legend somehow gains more fans but less respect.

The duo's songs have a wide appeal among fans, from migrant to white-collar workers, children to retirees. They also rank high in the must-play list of public places, such as KTVs, restaurants and supermarkets.

However, some critics consider their music rustic and meaningless. The duo has never answered back, but keeps releasing music that blends indigenous melodies with rap and dance beats.

However, they unveiled their upcoming Beijing concert with the title I Am a Legend, and a huge poster, which features the duo within an image of a soaring phoenix.

Says Ling Huang, the lead vocalist from the grasslands of Inner Mongolia, who is known for her high-pitched voice: "It's time for Phoenix Legend to be high profile."

The duo has the numbers to back it up. Since they released their first song, Moon Above, in 2005, the group sold more than 6 million albums in China, and 10 songs from their four albums have recorded 1 billion online hits.

One of their hits, Most Dazzling Ethnic Trend, a popular track played as background music for aerobic exercises around the country, was even used by cheerleaders during a Houston Rockets NBA game in April 2012.

In four years, they have moved their concerts from the 2,000-seat Beijing Exhibition Hall to Beijing Workers' Stadium, which holds 40,000 people.

"We know we are considered as the online singers," says Zeng Yi, the other member of the duo, who is in charge of rapping.

While Ling Hua came from a family of herdsmen, Zeng once worked as a television repairer.

"The title I Am a Legend is not used to fight those opinions. We made lots of efforts to become who we are today and we want to let people know that anyone can be a legend as long as they stick to their dreams," Zeng says.

The two met in 1998 when they worked at nightclubs in Guangzhou. With the same passion for music, they formed a group called Cool Fire, singing South Korean and US pop songs. It took them nearly 10 years to become successful.

According to Xue Liping, CEO of Compass Culture Company, who has run the duo's concerts for three years, Phoenix Legend breaks the performance market pattern in China, which usually has audience aging from 20 to 45.

"Their fans range from children to senior people so the people that come to their shows are usually families," Xue says.

chennan@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 04/21/2013 page15)