Once celebrated as the “Queen of Livestreams” in China, Feng Timo captivated millions with her sweet vocals and girl-next-door charm. Rising to fame through Douyu, she built a powerful online presence, amassing over 20 million fans and earning up to 4 million USD per year at her peak. But when she ventured into the mainstream music world, her journey quickly turned turbulent.
In 2019, Feng Timo made a bold career shift, leaving Douyu for Bilibili to pursue a full-time singing career. She released music, appeared on TV shows, and aimed to rebrand from internet celebrity to serious artist. That same year, she announced her first solo concert, setting ticket prices between 299 and 1,219 RMB — on par with A-list pop stars. This move stirred major backlash.
Netizens questioned her vocal abilities and mocked the ticket prices, claiming they didn’t match her skills. Rumors of poor ticket sales and free giveaways flooded platforms like Zhihu and Bilibili. In reality, demand for the concert exceeded expectations, causing ticket scalping to spike — with some seats resold for up to 30,000 RMB.
Despite this, Feng’s transition came at a cost. Her fanbase on Bilibili dropped sharply to just 2.53 million within months. Her fan club numbers nosedived from 100,000 to only 4,000 members, and livestream revenues plummeted. Although her streams attracted 6,000–8,000 viewers, only about 300 fans regularly contributed virtual gifts, cutting her income to an average of 10,000 RMB per stream.
Then came a major personal blow: in July 2023, Feng revealed she had been diagnosed with thyroid cancer. Though surgery was successful, it threatened her voice — her core asset. She underwent months of recovery and retraining, hoping to return stronger.
Unfortunately, the entertainment world had moved on. Her new releases failed to spark interest, and the evolving landscape, filled with younger, trendier talents, pushed her further into the shadows. Netizens, once enamored, now refer to her as a “faded internet idol.”
Feng Timo’s story is a cautionary tale about the fleeting nature of online fame and the steep challenges of transforming internet stardom into lasting artistic respect. While she remains committed to her music, it’s clear that reclaiming her former glory will take more than nostalgia — it will require reinvention.
Sources: kenh14