How China’s ‘Ugliest’ Girl Group Turned Cyber Bullying Into Internet Stardom

Classmates Abby, Cheryl, Cindy, Dora and Nancy decided to join a singing contest back in 2015 with hopes of nabbing the mobile phone prizes being offered. The 17-year-old high school students ended up posting a music video along with numerous group portraits on Chinese social media site Weibo simply as their means of joining the contest.

However, the Chinese girl group didn’t anticipate that their post was already garnering the attention of millions of social media users. According to South China Morning Post, the girl group’s post went viral but not exactly in the way that they intended it to be. The high school students were met with harsh criticisms with one social media user even feeling “so disgusted” after hearing the girl group’s song.

Despite the amount of negativity surrounding the group, their popularity still grew to a point where they received interview requests from various media outlets all while being followed by numerous fans. “Even when we went to the toilet, people would follow us,” Sunshine member Cheryl added.

The girl group was able to turn their negative image into their selling point and eventually caught the attention of record label Xin Nian Music. The record label saw potential in Sunshine since their rise to fame tells a story that “can inspire others.”

Just as their popularity was peaking, the group eventually parted ways in November. Former Sunshine members Nancy and Cheryl decided to focus on their studies as they prepare for their college entrance exams. Abby, Cindy and Dora opted to pursue their musical career as they formed a new group called 3unshine.

With all that said, Sunshine attributes their success to their youthfulness and purity, something that they believe isn’t often seen in girl groups today. “We didn’t undergo any plastic surgery, this is the authentic look of a high school pupil in China,” Abby explained.