Li Yuchun
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Li Yuchun | ||
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| Background information | ||
| Birth name | Li Yuchun | |
| Born | March 10，1984 Chengdu, Sichuan, China |
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| Genre(s) | Pop Pop rock |
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| Years active | 2005–present | |
| Label(s) | Taihe Rye Music | |
| Website | http://lyc.trmusic.com.cn/ | |
Li Yuchun (Chinese: 李宇春), born on 10 March 1984, is a Chinese pop singer, who achieved instant fame when she won the nation-wide singing contest Super Girl in 2005. She is now working with Taihe Rye Music and released her first album in September 2006.
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[edit] Early Years
Born into a middle-class family in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, Li Yuchun (love,love!) was not encouraged to pursue a career in entertainment. Her father, a railway police officer, and her mother, a retired housewife, wanted her to be a doctor. At the age of 18, just before the national university entrance exam, she told her parents that she wanted to get into a music conservatory. Although shocked by her ambition, her parents found a music tutor for her. They thought she would give up because her chance of getting in was very small. To their surprise, after one month of intensive training she passed the artistic exam. Ecstatic with the admission offer, Li carried out her first live concert, "The Last Battle", which was performed in front of her high school before the graduation ceremony. After graduation, she went to study at Sichuan Music Conservatory.
[edit] Super Girl competition
While still a 21-year old student at the Conservatory, Li participated in the Super Girl singing contest (similar to the Idol series of contests around the world) in 2005. She won the qualifying competition in Chengdu, then went on to win the nation-wide contest, beating out Zhou Bichang and Zhang Liangying. This competition drew the largest audiences in Chinese TV history. Her win came as a surprise to many people because she didn't fit the stereotype of female singers.
"The Li Yuchun phenomenon, however, goes far beyond her voice, which even the most ardent fans admit is pretty weak... What Li did possess was attitude, originality and a proud androgyny that defied Chinese norms. ... Li wore loose jeans and a black button-down shirt, with no make-up and the haircut (and body) of David Bowie during his Space Oddity phase."[1]
Although many regard her androgynous voice the weakest of the final 3, she was the most popular, based on vote counts.
[edit] Music career
Her first single was Sweetheart, I Love You, recorded during the time when she was on Super Girl. She joined Taihe Rye Music in October 2005, and released the single, Happy Winter (Chinese: 冬天快乐), as a Christmas gift to her fans. In March 2006 she released Give Me Five, a Latin-flavored dancing song. And lately, another new release, Happy Wake Up, is the song used in her Crest toothpaste ad. All of these songs were released online by digital distribution, a new move in the Chinese music world. She also released an EP Give Me Five.
Li Yuchun has held two unplugged concerts to date. The first was in her hometown of Chengdu on March 10, 2006 — her 22nd birthday. The second was in Shanghai on May 22, 2006.
Her debut album titled Queen and Dream (Chinese: 皇后与梦想) was released on September 15, 2006. It presold 100,000 copies and more than 430,000 copies in the first month. She held a promotional concert in Beijing Exhibition Center on September 20, 2006 with songs from the album.
[edit] Charity work
Li Yuchun triggered a donation craze after she was chosen in March, 2005 as the ambassador for the "Yu Mi Loving Fund" of the China Red Cross Foundation (CRCF) to help children with leukemia. The CRCF has reported several website crashes after Li Yuchun spoke about the charity during recent public appearances. She gave her costumes worn in the Super Girl finale to charity auctions and donating the entire income of her second concert in Shanghai. So far the foundation has received more than 6,000 donations from Li Yuchun fans throughout the world, amounting to 560,000 RMB and helped 21 children.
In her mission as Hewlett-Packard Ambassador from August to December 2006 to promote genuine printing supplies and accessaries, HP will donate part of sale incomes to the "Yu Mi Loving Fund" to help 30 children in poverty with leukemia.
From December, 2006, Li Yuchun will be the ambassador for Viva Glam Lipstick M.A.C. Aids Fund in China.[1]
[edit] Current life
Li Yuchun's success has drawn a lot of attention from the commercial world. She has signed deals with Amoi Electronics, Swatch, Coca-Cola, Crest, and Hewlett Packard to promote their products or activities
Despite her fame, Li Yuchun still leads the simple life she did before becoming a national icon. Non-brand-name T-shirts and jeans are her usual outfits, and unlike other celebrities, she doesn't mind wearing the same outfit many times in front of the media.
[edit] Trivia
- Li Yuchun made the cover of Time Magazine Asia special issue, October 2005, named as one of "Asia's Heroes".[1]
- The China National Philatelic Corporation issued a postage stamp bearing her image in January of 2006 -- a first for a mainland Chinese pop star.
- Li Yuchun's fans have an interesting name - "corns". The two Chinese characters that make up "corn" are "yu" and "mi". "Yu" stands for Yuchun while "mi" is a homophone for the Chinese words for "fan".
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
[edit] Singles
- 2005 Sweetheart, I Love You (Chinese: 甜蜜的, 我爱你)
- 2005 Happy Winter (Chinese: 冬天快乐)
- 2006 Give Me Five
- 2006 0.5 Miles
- 2006 Happy Wake Up
- 2006 The Queen and the Dreams
[edit] Awards
The 6th Global Chinese Music Awards - Singapore, 2006
- Top 5 most popular female artists
- Media Recommendation
- Top 20 Hits of the Year: "Happy Winter"(冬天快乐)
See the complete list of awards and honors on her official site (Chinese) [3]
[edit] References
- ^ a b Jakes, Susan (2005-10-03). Li Yuchun Loved for Being Herself. Time Asia. Retrieved on January 1, 2007.
[edit] External links
- Official site hosted by Tiahe Rye Music (Chinese)
- Official blog (Chinese)
