Faye from F.I.R is now Zhan Wen-ting: The story of perseverance

Zhan Wen-ting, formerly of Taiwanese pop band F.I.R, has dropped her stage name 'Faye' in order to perform under her legal name. However, this was unavoidable for the singer due to circumstances such as the alleged betrayal by her ex-bandmates. Here's the complete story.

All images are from faye.officialpage / Instagram unless otherwise stated.

Zhan Wen-ting is a Taiwanese singer who is best known for being the ex-lead singer and face of the Taiwanese C-pop group F.I.R.

Born on August 27, 1981, in Taipei, Taiwan, Zhan Wen-ting started singing in a band while at college and continued on when she made the fateful decision to join and form F.I.R.

F.I.R is a Taiwanese pop group that is best known for being one of the key bands leading the C-pop movement during the 2000s. The band was founded in 2004.

Image: Warner Music

The original lineup of F.I.R consists of Faye (Zhan Wen-ting), Ian Chen, and Real Huang.

Image: Warner Music

The band’s name also derives from the initials of the stage names of its original members and has not changed since then, despite the departure of Faye/Zhan Wen-ting in 2018.

Image: Warner Music

Some of the best known hits F.I.R is known for include ‘Lydia’, ‘I Wanna Fly’, and ‘Our Love’.

Image: Warner Music

Despite it’s rather mired reputation today, F.I.R was once among Taiwan’s most iconic bands and has earned several awards and accolades for their work.

Image: Warner Music

To date, F.I.R has earned approximately 38 awards for their contributions to the C-pop scene, most notably during their debut with ‘Lydia’ and for their release of ‘Our Love’.

Image: Warner Music

Many people were surprised, including Faye/Zhan Wen-ting, when she discovered she had been kicked out of F.I.R without notice in 2018. The account of how it happened differed between Faye's/Zhan Wen-ting's sides and the rest of F.I.R.

According to HK01, a new F.I.R song was supposed to be released in 2018 following the band's hiatus. According to Zhan Wen-ting's account, she had planned to upload a Facebook post to announce the news and promote the band's new song.

From the same report, Zhan Wen-ting's access to the band's Facebook page had been revoked. When she attempted to clarify the situation with the rest of her bandmates, Ian and Real, she received the shocking and unexpected news that she had been expelled from the group due to their decision.

In the same report from HK01 in 2018, Ian and Real stated that they too were unaware of this matter but had different accounts regarding Faye/Zhan Wen-ting’s expulsion.

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Real opted to also withdraw from his role as an admin on their Facebook page after discovering that Faye/Zhan Wen-ting had lost her admin rights and stated that Faye/Zhan Wen-ting had decided to depart the group amicably after a discussion between the three.

Image: Warner Music

Ian, on the other hand, claimed that the decision was made simply to reduce confusion over the management of the band's socials by bringing them all under "official unified management." The two's explanation, however, did not clearly explain the band's betrayal of Faye's trust by making the decision without her consent and notifying her in advance.

Image: Warner Music

Many people were perplexed by the conflicting accounts of the original F.I.R's three members. According to INF News, fans unanimously agreed that the decision was disrespectful to the band's fans and to Faye/Zhan Wen-ting herself.

Another HK01 report could have revealed why the band made such a decision behind Faye/Zhan Wen-ting's back. According to a 2017 whistleblower article published prior to the drama, band leader Ian Chen was reported to have signed F.I.R to a new label back in 2015 without Faye/Zhan Wen-ting's consent, causing a conflict between the two.

According to the same HK01 report, the band allegedly lost millions in advance royalties as a result of signing with HIM International, prompting an enraged Faye/Zhan Wen-ting to refuse to sing for any new records under the new management and contract.

Another reason for the band's breakup, as fans speculated, was reported on Dayday News to be relationship drama. It was alleged that Faye/Zhan Wen-ting and Real Huang had been dating for a while before breaking up, and the breakup spilled over into band business.

Regardless, HK01 reports that the remaining members of the original F.I.R lineup announced on their socials that Faye/Zhan Wen-ting ended up agreeing to leave the band due to contract issues when she refused to ultimately sign with HIM International.

Image: Warner Music

It may appear that there is more truth to the entire incident, as Faye/Zhan Wen-ting decided to sue the remaining members of F.I.R in 2023. According to Yahoo News, the singer has decided to sue Ian Chen and HIM International for forging her signature on certain performance contracts, such as for the band’s transfer to HIM International back in 2015.

According to Yahoo, Ian Chen countersued Faye/Zhan Wen-ting for defamation in retaliation, insisting that the singer had in fact agreed to the band's change in management and other issues raised in the court case.

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According to INF News, the court ruled in favour of Ian Chen and HIM International, stating that the signatures on the documents were not forged.

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Nevertheless, the court declared that the accusation against Faye/Zhan Wen-ting in Ian's countersuit would not be pursued due to Ian's prior assertion of Faye/Zhan Wen-ting's lapse of memory in the initial lawsuit. This comment enabled the judge to dismiss the defamation charge.

However, INF News continued the report, stating that there was more to be uncovered in the case with Faye/Zhan Wen-ting and with F.I.R, as investigations are still ongoing.

Regardless, as the face of F.I.R and the powerful voice in their songs, it's no surprise when Hype reported that fans were upset when F.I.R replaced Faye with another new singer, Lydia.

Image: HIM International

Many people have complained online that the new singer's voice is inferior to Faye's when she was the face and voice of F.I.R's music, especially when performing original classics like ‘Lydia’, according to Dayday News.

Image: HIM International

After 'Faye' was replaced, many fans suggested changing the band's name from 'F.I.R' to 'I.R' or something else to honour the original lineup and Faye/Zhan Wen-ting's contributions to the band's heyday.

Image: HIM International

Despite the drama and setbacks, it seems that Zhan Wen-ting is making a new name for herself, especially in 2023! She has since discarded the stage name ‘Faye’, to perform under her given name and is now climbing back on top as an independent singer to distance herself from F.I.R.

Since the singer's return in 2019 on season 4 of China's 'The Mask Singer,' where her conflict with F.I.R bandmates was renewed in the spotlight on several other TV shows, public opinion has returned to support Zhan Wen-ting in both her case against F.I.R and her career.