Chinese "boy-band" reveal they're not boys

This new group aims to break down gender boundaries in the world's most populous country.

FFC-Acrush Source: Twitter

FFC-Acrush has surprised fans with news that, despite having been marketed at a series of “Husband Exhibitions” as male singers, that they are in-fact female.

Despite the fact that they are yet to officially release any music, the group has already garnered a significant fan base with close to 900,000 followers on Weibo – one of China’s most popular social media accounts, with many fans referring to them as "husbands" - a term usually coined for male stars such as Justin Bieber.

The group’s rise to prominence comes in tandem with a growing acceptance of androgynous dress in Chinese society, helped by singer Li Yuchun’s rise to stardom after winning talent show “Super Girl” in 2005.

Li Yuchun attends a Gucci store opening in Beijing, China. Source: Getty

The group's manager Zhou Xiaobai spoke with Quartz, stating that talent agents within China had been seeking to create an androgynous group for a number of years, with the five-piece lineup finalised in November 2016 after a search began in March the same year. Lu Keran, An Junxi, Peng Xichen, Min Junqian and Lin Fan made the final cut. All members had been dressing androgynously prior to joining the group.

Zhou says Acrush won't use gender-specific terms “boy” or “girl” when introducing the group and will instead use gender-free phrase, meishaonian, or “handsome youths", while the 'A' in the name represents the Greek god Adonis who is recognised as the embodiment of male attractiveness.

Lin Fan & Jun Qian Source: Twitter

FCC-Acrush are set to release their debut video at the end of April.