In China, the color red is not a warning sign, it's actually the color of good luck. So when the 12 Girls Band all turned up in red at the press conference to launch their latest album, nobody was surprised. With ' Shining Energy ', they're hoping to break into the US market. And the color red might just be that little bit of luck they need.

The 12 Girls Band launched 'Shining Energy' on the back of their previous big hit, 'Miracle.' However, if these young woman get their way, it won't be a miracle that gets them into the US market. Rather it will be their Chinese roots, and talent.

12 Girls Band Zhou Jiannan said: "When we were in Taiwan, someone asked whether we were from Japan. We said no. We're "Made in China". This is important to us. The reason for our success in the overseas market is the traditional Chinese music that is the core of our style. Those roots mean everything to us."

So, the 12 girls are all Chinese. And they're not only beautiful and talented, they're also hard-headed business women. Their marketing strategy was a masterstroke. Sidestep the super competitive domestic market and launch overseas right from the start.

The Japanese market saw them rocket to fame. After that, the rest of South-east Asia was only a matter of time.

Now though, they're hoping to break into the huge US market. They have a two month tour of Japan and the US coming up. But if everything goes right, soon life will be moving to a much faster beat.

(CCTV.com July 9, 2004)