The Success Story of Liu Yuning, the King of OST Who is Now Gaining Popularity Through 'The Prisoner of Beauty'

Liu Yuning, born January 8, 1990, in Dandong, Liaoning, is a singer, actor, and voice actor from China who has been active in the entertainment industry since 2018. He is the lead vocalist of the band Modern Brothers and first gained fame through cover song videos on the YY Live and Douyin platforms in mid-2018.

Liu Yuning released his debut single 'Imagination' on September 15, 2018, followed by his first studio album titled TEN in December 2019. Liu Yuning has been noted by Forbes China in the 30 Under 30 Asia list in 2019 and has received various prestigious music awards such as the Media Recommended Album at the Chinese Top Ten Music Awards 2020.

Liu Yuning's career actually began long before 2018. Since 2010, he attempted to audition for Hunan TV's Super Boy but was unsuccessful, then formed Modern Brothers in 2014 and actively performed at local cafes. His patience and hard work paid off when his short videos on Douyin went viral, leading to invitations to perform on Day Day Up (Hunan TV) and Finding Gold Song (Jiangsu TV).

In addition to being an actor, Liu has also achieved great success as a soundtrack singer (OST), even being dubbed the King of OST. He has sung more than 30 OSTs for various series and films, including 'Toast the Wine' for Tomb of the Sea, 'Heavenly Questions' (天) for Word of Honor, as well as 'Looking for You' for Love Between Fairy and Devil, which topped the Tencent Music charts consecutively. Other popular songs include 'Fireworks and Stars' for You Are My Glory and 'Light Chaser' for Light Chaser Rescue.

His acting debut occurred through the web series Hot-blooded Youth (2019) before he then starred in various major dramas.

In the field of acting, Liu has appeared in several successful dramas such as Ultimate Note (2020), The Long Ballad (2021), Heroes (2022 and 2024), Legend of Anle (2023), Be Your Own Light (2023), and A Journey to Love (2023). He is also the main character in the series Eternal Brotherhood (2024), The Story of Pearl Girl (2024), and is now known for his leading role as Wei Shao in The Prisoner of Beauty (2025).

In the realm of variety shows, Liu Yuning participated in Singer 2019, Our Brilliant Masters, Our Song (2019, 2021, 2024), Fresh Chef 100 (2020–21), Chinese Restaurant Season 4, Go Fighting! Treasure Tour, and The Truth (2022–24).

With a height of 189 cm, Liu Yuning is one of the tall actors in China, often receiving the nickname most adorable height difference when acting alongside actresses who are 160–170 cm tall, such as Song Zu'er. His tall stature is one of the visual attractions in various film and television pairings.

The Prisoner of Beauty, which was unexpectedly released on May 13, 2025, on Tencent Video, set a new record; in less than 30 minutes after release, the heat index on the platform reached 22,000, the fastest for a new series in 2025, and the following day exceeded 28,000, then on the sixth day reached 30,000, thus joining the Tencent Video Hit Club.

This phenomenal success is driven by a fanbase of the Jinjiang novel with 12 billion readers, the long wait for the trailer since 2023, and the strong chemistry between Liu Yuning and Song Zu'er showcased in the promotional material. Who is WeiShao-WeiShao?