"I often got left behind in the rehearsal room, but my two teammates Wu and Chen supported me a lot," says Su, now 46. "And they often bought me snacks and kept me company as I practiced my dance moves over and over."

That's why Su always highlights the importance of team spirit. And he says he hopes that all the participants in the show can inspire one another to improve themselves.

Speaking about his role, he says: "Coaching in the show is a two-way process－I can give them practical suggestions on how to be a good band member, and these young men can also inspire me with their vigor and vitality."

Besides Su, the show, which premiered on Tencent's video platform on April 6 and will have a new episode released every Saturday, has also invited Hong Kong actor-singer Aaron Kwok, Taiwan actor-singer Stanley Huang and Shanghai-born singer Hu Yanbin to be the other three coaches.

Huang, who started his career in a trio named L.A. Boyz in 1992, also coaches the contestants.

For Huang, being in a band is like playing basketball or soccer with a team－both self-motivation and collaboration are crucial.

Hu says that clear self-recognition is also key for contestants to find out where they are in the entertainment industry and then set achievable goals for their careers.

"I want to select persevering and hardworking band members, who will set a good example to young people," says Hu.

Sun Li, the show's director, says all the four coaches stepped into the entertainment industry at a very young age but have been in the limelight for 20 to 30 years.

"They make unremitting efforts to improve themselves, produce high-quality work and try new ideas.

"I see a mixture of both youth and experience in them, and that's what we want to present to the younger generations in the program," she says, explaining why they were invited to be coaches for the contestants.

"The four entertainers represent different types of male pop stars. And I hope that with their instructions, a promising boy band will be incubated by the show," says a netizen on Zhihu, a Chinese question- and-answer website, who further describes the four coaches' characteristics.

For the netizen, Su represents a docile, intelligent and assiduous teen idol; Huang a pop star with a strong sense of masculinity; Hu an acclaimed singer who composed many hit songs, and Kwok, once hailed as one of Cantopop's "four heavenly kings", a handsome, self-disciplined and multitalented entertainer.

Contact the writer at xingwen@chinadaily.com.cn