Following the previous blog…
DJ 小女孩 is basically an internet-born persona. The difference between the real creator and the virtual girl creates a kind of suspension that feels very millennial/Gen Z. Many of us grew up making online identities—QQ names, avatars, skins—so her music feels like a reflection of that era.
A major criticism of the project is cultural appropriation. Critics argue that since Lie is not from the working class and DJ Gurl’s audience is largely middle-class, the concept of elevating “lower-class culture” is compromised by class dynamics. This perspective suggests authenticity might lie in being overlooked, or that art is naturally hierarchical. Others contend DJ Gurl’s work isn’t genuine cultural expression, hearing it as a subcultural spectacle or installation within existing structures. They argue her self-promotion and appeal to “consumable individuals” make her rebellion merely symbolic, with middle-class teenagers using the spectacle for a fleeting sense of identity.
My view is that regardless if whether her protest is “complete” or a pursuit of recognition, the work raises audience awareness. I think what draws me to her is how sincere and contradictory her sound feels. It’s ugly but beautiful, childish but mature, nostalgic but futuristic. Even when I don’t understand the structure, I feel the liveliness and the sense of liberation within it. Just as her frequent interview comment:” Nothing matters, just to have fun.”