A Chinese beat for the world stage

Singer-songwriter Zhang Yixing enables mainstream music from his homeland to go global, Xing Wen reports.

Most Chinese born since the 1990s know the quote: "Genius is one percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration". This saying is frequently found on posters that grace their primary school classrooms' walls.

This adage, widely attributed to American inventor Thomas Edison, emphasizes that great accomplishments rely less on innate talent than on relentless hard work. And it has long served as the motto for pop star Zhang Yixing, who was born in Changsha, Hunan province, in 1991.

Zhang, who's also known by his stage name, Lay, wears many hats, including singer-songwriter, music producer, dancer and actor.