Bestards

Bestards (Chinese: 理想混蛋) is a Taiwanese band whose musical style primarily incorporates folk-pop. The group emphasizes “conveying deep emotions through simple music.”

Among the members are one physician and two pharmacists, leading Taiwanese media to dub the band a real-life version of Hospital Playlist.^[1] In 2018, their songs “Planet” (〈行星〉) and “I Love You Not Just Because the Weather Is Fine” (〈不是因為天氣晴朗才愛你〉) secured two spots in the top three of StreetVoice’s annual popular song rankings. The members affectionately refer to their fans as “Little Bastards” (小混蛋).^[2]

In 2020, Bestards released their debut album, The Fool (《愚者》), through crowdfunding.^[3] The following year, the album earned them a nomination for Best New Artist at the 32nd Golden Melody Awards^[4] and they were also named “Rising Star in Music” at the 2nd Condé Nast Social Influencer Awards.^[5] The band released their second full-length original album, Turn Off / Turn On (《關掉／打開》), in 2022. On October 27, 2023, they released their album Sunny-side Up (《半熟理想 Sunny-side Up》).

• Ji-ding (雞丁), born Chiu Chien-hao (邱建豪) - lead vocalist
• A-jhe (阿哲), born Kuo Che-cheng (郭哲成) - guitarist
• Chien-ting (建廷), born Lee Chien-ting (李建廷) - guitarist
• Look, born Lu Ko-pei (盧可沛) - drummer, rapper, vocalist

Lead vocalist Ji-ding and guitarists A-jhe and Chien-ting all studied at Taipei Medical University, where they served as officers in the university’s guitar club. Even before the formation of Bestards, they had already been close musical partners. Although enrolled respectively in the School of Medicine and the School of Pharmacy, and despite the heavy academic workload, they remained deeply devoted to music and never lost their passion and commitment to it. During this time, the three frequently collaborated in intercollegiate competitions, winning numerous awards.

In the autumn of 2017, as the three members were about to enter their senior year of university, they had the idea of organizing a concert as a way to showcase the results of their musical pursuits during their college years. At the same time, Look, who had been guitarist A-jhe’s high school classmate in a neighboring class, happened to see a rehearsal video of the three on social media and was reminded of his own long-held dream of forming a band. Through A-jhe’s introduction, the four met, and from their very first rehearsal they felt an unprecedented sense of chemistry.

When the concert was held—without large-scale publicity—it nevertheless drew an audience of 150 people, who gathered in a small music shop for a warm and memorable evening. Among the songs performed was the debut of their original composition “Planet” (〈行星〉), written jointly by Chicken Ding and A-jhe, which deeply moved the audience. After the performance, the four young men felt boundless potential in their collaboration, and it was at that moment that Bestards was officially formed.

The name "Bestards" (理想混蛋) reflects both self-reflection and the life attitude of the four members as they confront what they describe as both the best and worst of times. They explain that in this world, everyone lives like a “bastard”—taking risks and charging forward recklessly. Yet, because they carry ideals that matter deeply to them, they have direction, passion, and strength to move ahead. This concept embodies the positive energy that Bestards seeks to convey in an era often labeled as the “disillusioned generation”: to discover what one loves and pursue it courageously.

The portmanteau of the words “ideal” (理想) and “bastard” (混蛋) also symbolizes the coexistence of contradictions—just as every individual has both strengths and flaws, making each person unique. The word bastard (混蛋) was inspired by Waa Wei’s song “Still Believe in Love, Bastards” (〈還是要相信愛情啊混蛋們〉). Early in the band's formation, before they had chosen a name, they performed a cover of this song; the audience responded enthusiastically, especially when the lyrics reached “bastards,” which brought particular joy. This experience led them to include the word bastard in their band name.

Look later added that since the term bastard tends to carry a negative connotation, they wanted to balance it with a contrasting positive word. While considering possible options, they realized that the word “ideal” (理想) was, fittingly, the ideal choice. Thus, the band's name Bestards (理想混蛋) was born.

In March 2018, the release of “Planet” (〈行星〉) spread virally online, bringing wider recognition to the name Bestards. Their second single, “I Love You Not Just Because the Weather Is Fine” (〈不是因為天氣晴朗才愛你〉), went on to surpass 10 million views on YouTube and became widely regarded as a popular anthem for love confessions and marriage proposals. The song's high circulation and popularity established Bestards as one of the most anticipated emerging indie bands of their generation.

Their music quickly gained traction among high school and university students, with many covers circulating online, and their songs repeatedly reached the top of the StreetVoice charts. In 2019, Bestards were selected as one of the annual “Top Ten New Bands” by The Next Big Thing and won first place in the audience popularity vote. That same year, they were also named by the KKBOX Music Awards as one of the most promising “New Wave Voices.”

Owing to the members’ medical backgrounds, Bestards frequently address related themes in their music. In 2019, they were invited by the Autism Society to compose the theme song “Dear Star” (〈Dear Star〉) for the event “Sparks of Stars, Lighting Up Hope,” a piece dedicated to raising awareness and funds for children with autism.

In 2020, the single “Stationary Front” (〈滯留鋒〉), written by lead vocalist Ji-ding during his hospital internship while working with patients suffering from depression, ranked fourth in total annual streams on the independent music platform StreetVoice.

Another single, “Garden in the Abyss” (〈絕地花園〉), named after a book documenting the life stories of patients with rare diseases, was performed in collaboration with singer-songwriter Liao Wen-chiang.

Amid growing public attention, Bestards released their first full-length original album The Fool (《愚者》) in 2020 through a crowdfunding campaign. The title is derived from the lead single of the same name, inspired by the Tarot card “0 – The Fool,” symbolizing the positive energy of dreaming boldly, disregarding others’ opinions, and fearlessly facing obstacles.

The album revolves around themes of innocence and courage, comprising eleven tracks, all written and composed by the members themselves. Musically, it marked a departure from their earlier acoustic style, exploring a wide range of subjects while maintaining the directness and fearless spirit embodied by The Fool.

As young men newly entering society—the so-called “post-adolescence” stage—they infused the album with boundless courage and creative energy. The Fool quickly rose to No. 2 on the books.com.tw sales chart and No. 3 on KKBOX's real-time new song chart, receiving strong sales performance and praise from music critics.

In 2021, Bestards began production of their second album, aiming to deliver music with even more distinctive colors while continuing to provide listeners with warmth and positive energy. As part of the album's rollout, they released a series of pre-release singles, including “I Just Miss You” (〈我就想你〉), performed as a solo by drummer Look, as well as “Reset” and “I Ruminate on the Loneliness You Left Behind” (〈我反芻著你留下的寂寞〉). Each single achieved notable chart success and accumulated significant streaming numbers across platforms.

In April 2022, Bestards officially released their second full-length original album Turn Off / Turn On (《關掉／打開》). The album was inspired by the turbulence of the pandemic era, using the metaphor of rebooting an electronic device to encourage listeners to reflect, process their life experiences, and restart with renewed perspective. The lead tracks “Door” (〈門〉) and “Today is Saturday” (〈今天星期六〉) featured dual lead vocals by Ji-ding and Look, showcasing a more evolved version of the band's musical style.

To coincide with the album release, Bestards announced a three-date tour. Ticket sales were initially delayed due to the severity of the pandemic, but when sales for the Taipei, Taichung, and Kaohsiung concerts—totaling 5,000 tickets—opened on May 28, 2022, all tickets sold out within ten minutes [1]. The band completed the three-stop tour in July, and during the encore of the Taipei finale, they performed the then-unreleased song “Easy Peasy” and surprised fans by announcing their first large-scale concert, to be held the following August at Taipei Music Center.

That same year, Bestards were invited for the first time to contribute to a film soundtrack, collaborating with director Gavin Lin on the movie One Week Friends (《一周的朋友》), for which they co-wrote and performed the insert song “Belong to You” (〈屬於你〉). They also participated in Rose Voucher (《玫瑰憑證》), a compilation album released by Galaxy Ark, contributing the single “Zero Distance” (〈零距離〉).

In October 2022, Bestards celebrated their fifth anniversary with the release of the digital single “Easy Peasy.” The track marked the first time all four members collaborated on songwriting, and its chorus incorporates a playful sampling of British composer Edward Elgar’s famous orchestral piece Pomp and Circumstance Marches. This was also the band’s first use of classical music elements in their work.

In December 2022, Bestards made their first appearance at the Taipei New Year’s Eve Countdown Concert, performing alongside Golden Melody Award–winning Indigenous singer Abao. Lead vocalist Ji-ding spent several months studying the Paiwan language in preparation for the collaboration, during which they performed “IZUWA Yo” (〈IZUWA 有〉) and “Stronger” (〈Stronger 堅強〉).

In January 2023, Bestards officially announced their first large-scale concert, Singularity BESTRANGE (【奇異點 BESTRANGE】), to be held on August 19 at Taipei Music Center. Nearly 6,000 tickets went on sale on February 5 and sold out within one minute. A second show, scheduled for August 20, was immediately added, and all tickets for that performance likewise sold out upon release.^[6]

In April 2023, the band performed at the prominent Megaport Music Festival (大港開唱), where they debuted “Cloudy with Occasional Missing You” (〈晴時多雲偶想你〉), a mashup of two of their representative works arranged anew. The track was officially uploaded to YouTube on May 20 and released on June 2.

On June 3, 2023, Bestards were invited to perform at the Hito Music Awards, marking their first appearance on the stage of Taipei Arena. They won the Hito Campus Popular Band Award and received the honor from Sodagreen guitarist Liu Chia-kai. In their acceptance speech, the members expressed that Sodagreen had been an important influence during their student years.^[7]

On August 4, 2023, Bestards released the single “Encountering You in Every Space-Time” (〈相遇在每個時空〉), serving as the conceptual theme song for their upcoming Singularity BESTRANGE concert.

On August 19–20, 2023, the band held Singularity BESTRANGE at Taipei Music Center, their first large-scale ticketed concert since formation, attracting more than 12,000 attendees across the two days. Special guests included Golden Melody Award Best New Artist Hung Pei-yu and Taiwanese pop singer Henry Hsu. During the encore, Bestards premiered the unreleased song “Time Passed, But You Didn’t” (〈時間走了但你沒走〉)^[8] and announced that production of their third album was nearing completion, alongside plans for a follow-up concert at Kaohsiung Music Center on January 27, 2024.

On September 2, 2023, Bestards appeared at the 18th KKBOX Music Awards, where they received the honor of Performer of the Year for the first time. At the ceremony, they collaborated with Trash and Cosmos People in a joint performance of Mayday’s song “Party Animal” (〈派對動物〉). Lead vocalist Chicken Ding also shared the stage for the first time with singer Ivy, performing a rock version of “I Ruminate on the Loneliness You Left Behind” (〈我反芻著你留下的寂寞〉).

On September 26, the band officially released “Time Passed, But You Didn’t” (〈時間走了但你沒走〉), previously debuted during their concert, as the lead single to preface their upcoming third album. The song, praised for its infectious melody and heartfelt lyrics rooted in everyday life, received wide acclaim.

In October 2023, Bestards’ monthly Spotify listenership surpassed one million for the first time. During this period, they announced additional stops for their Singularity BESTRANGE tour, including Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, with a Hong Kong concert in preparation.

On October 14, 2023—the band’s sixth anniversary—the tickets for their Kaohsiung stop of Singularity BESTRANGE went on sale at 10:14 a.m. and once again sold out instantly. A final additional date was later announced for the following day, marking the conclusion of the Singularity BESTRANGE tour.

On October 27, 2023, Bestards released their third full-length original album Sunny-side Up (《半熟理想 Sunny-side Up》).

In November 2023, Spotify released its annual charts, with Bestards ranking as the third most-streamed Mandarin pop group worldwide and the sixth most popular local artist in Taiwan for the year. Their songs “I Love You Not Just Because the Weather Is Fine” (〈不是因為天氣晴朗才愛你〉) and “I Just Miss You” (〈我就想你〉) placed sixth and eighth respectively on Taiwan’s list of the year’s most popular Mandarin songs, making them the only act with two entries in the top ten.^[9]

In January 2024, Bestards launched their first podcast program Bestards Backstage Talkshow (【蛋說無妨 Bestards Backstage Talkshow】). The show features casual conversations among the members, recorded in settings such as backstage areas, artist lounges, and during commutes. Its combination of unexpectedly bold discussions and candid emotional reflections resonated with fans, earning it spots on the KKBOX and Spotify podcast popularity charts. The podcast is updated irregularly and has featured guest appearances by singer Wei Chia-ying and illustrator Mr. Doumiao.

On January 27–28, 2024, Bestards held the final shows of their Singularity BESTRANGE tour at Kaohsiung Music Center. Despite coinciding with performances in Taiwan by major K-pop groups Super Junior and Le Sserafim, the concerts sold out and drew a combined audience of approximately 12,000 fans.^[10] The setlist was extensively refreshed, featuring many tracks from their newest album. During the performances, the members were moved to tears multiple times, expressing gratitude to their families and friends for supporting their decision to pursue their musical dreams.

On March 20, 2024, the lead single “On the Way of Leaving” (〈離開的一路上〉) from Sunny-side Up (《半熟理想 Sunny-side Up》) reached No. 1 on Spotify Taiwan’s daily singles chart, surpassing the band’s previous best chart performance, and later climbed to No. 1 on the weekly chart as well. The music video subsequently exceeded 10 million views on YouTube in May 2024.^[11] On May 25, 2024, Bestards participated in the 2024 Hito Music Awards, where “On the Way of Leaving” (〈離開的一路上〉) won the award for Hit Fm Listeners’ Favorite Love Song^[12]

In July 2024, Bestards launched a new tour, Dateline BESTART (【換日線 BESTART】), which included five acoustic talk-and-sing sessions and four Livehouse performances across Taiwan.^[13] The tour expanded internationally in August, marking the band’s first concerts in Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Nanjing, Shanghai, and Hangzhou.

In September 2024, Bestards were invited by the Wei Chuan Dragons of the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL).^[14]

In October 2024, Bestards released their seventh-anniversary single “Tenacious” (〈頑強〉).^[15] That same month, the band performed for the first time in the Southern Hemisphere, appearing at the Melbourne Oddshapes Mandarin Music Festival, followed by Dateline BESTART tour concerts in Sydney and Hong Kong.^[16]

In December 2024, Spotify released its year-end charts, with Bestards ranking as the second most popular local artist in Taiwan. Their single “On the Way of Leaving” (〈離開的一路上〉) was named the No. 1 most popular Mandarin song in Taiwan and also placed fourth globally among Mandarin-language tracks.^[17][18][19] Other songs ranked on Taiwan’s annual list included “I Love You Not Just Because the Weather Is Fine” (〈不是因為天氣晴朗才愛你〉) at No. 4 and “I Just Miss You” (〈我就想你〉) at No. 23. Their album Sunny-side Up (《半熟理想 Sunny-side Up》) was the most-streamed Mandarin-language album of the year.

On December 16, Bestards released “Balance Beam – Christmas Version” (〈平衡木 - Christmas Version〉), a newly arranged holiday edition of one of their earlier singles, distributed digitally as a Christmas gift for fans.

In January 2025, Bestards brought the Dateline BESTART (【換日線 BESTART】) tour to Macau. The tour concluded in March 2025 with its final stop in Singapore, wrapping up a total of 18 performances.

• The Fool (《愚者》) (2020)
• Turn Off / Turn On (《關掉／打開》) (2022)
• Sunny-side Up (《半熟理想 Sunny-side Up》) (2023)

• 理想混蛋的StreetVoice Archived 2020-08-03 at the Wayback Machine
• Bestards on Facebook
• Bestards on Instagram
• Bestards on Weibo (in Chinese)