Li Yuchun
| Li Yuchun Chris Lee | |||||||||
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| Chinese name | 李宇春 | ||||||||
| Pinyin | Lǐ Yǔchūn (Mandarin) | ||||||||
| Origin | Chengdu, Sichuan, China | ||||||||
| Born |
March 10, 1984 Chengdu, Sichuan, China | ||||||||
| Other name(s) | Chris Lee, Chunchun, Xiao Cong, Miss Lee | ||||||||
| Occupation | Singer, songwriter, actress, director, ambassador | ||||||||
| Genre(s) | Mandopop | ||||||||
| Instrument(s) | guitar, drum set, piano, Micro KORG, ukulele | ||||||||
| Voice type(s) | mezzo-soprano | ||||||||
| Label(s) |
Record Label(s): Taihe Rye Music (2005-2011) EE-Media (2011–present) Manage Label(s): EE-Media (2005–present) | ||||||||
| Years active | 2005–present | ||||||||
| Official Website | http://e.weibo.com/chrisleestudio | ||||||||
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Awards
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Li Yuchun (Chinese: 李宇春; pinyin: Lǐ Yǔchūn), also known as Chris Lee, is a Chinese pop singer and actress who achieved fame when she won the nationwide singing contest Super Girl in 2005. She was working with Taihe Rye Music and released her albums: The Queen and the Dream (September 2006) Mine (November 2007) Youth of China (May 2008) "Li Yuchun" 2009) Dancing Young Literati (April 2011) Old If Not Wild (September 2012) . She made her film debut in Bodyguards and Assassins (2009).[1] She gained international fame in November 2013 after winning the 2013 MTV Europe Music Award for Best Worldwide Act.[2]
Early years
Born in a working-class family in Chengdu, Li Yuchun 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 hired a music tutor for her. They thought it was impossible for her to be admitted with her inadequate professional basis. To their surprise, after one month of intensive training she passed the artistic exam and got first. Ecstatic with the admission offer, Li carried out her first live concert, "The Last Battle", which was performed in front of her entire school before the graduation ceremony. After graduation, she started college at Sichuan Music Conservatory.
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 championship of the qualifying competition in Chengdu, then went on to win the nationwide contest among 120,000 applicants. This competition drew the largest audiences in Chinese TV history. Her win came as a surprise to many people because she was so radically different from the usual stereotype of female singers, being somewhat androgynous-looking and sounding.
Li's national fame rose rapidly and she quickly gathered a large fanbase across China in early episodes. Li usually 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.
She received the most votes (3,528,308) in the final contest. According to Chinese voters, her unorthodox style and aggressive singing captivated the audience.[3]
History
Her first single was "Sweet Love, I Love You" (Chinese: 甜蜜的, 我爱你), 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. Another release, "Happy Wake Up", was the AD song used in her Crest toothpaste. All of these songs were released online by digital distribution, a new move in the Chinese music world. She also released an EP titled "Give Me Five".
Li Yuchun has held seven unplugged concerts to date. The first was in her hometown of Chengdu on March 10, 2006 — her 22nd birthday. The second was in Beijing on March 24, 2007. The other being in Shanghai on May 22, 2006... These unplugged concerts, entitled "Why Me" have become an annual celebration, always held around Li's birthday. And so far six other "Why Me" concerts has been held.
Her debut album, titled The Queen and the Dreams (Chinese: 皇后与梦想), was released on September 15, 2006. It presold 100,000 copies and sold more than 430,000 copies in the first month. She held a promotional concert with songs from the album in Beijing Exhibition Center on September 20, 2006.
Her 2nd album, titled Mine (Chinese: 我的), was released in November 2007. In the meantime, her nationwide 2007 MINE Concert Tour began in October and had been held in Nanjing, Guangzhou, Chongqing, Chengdu and Hangzhou, attracting tens of thousand of music lovers.
Her 3rd album, titled Youth of China (Chinese: 少年中国), was released in May 2008 as a gift blessing the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. This album was developed and designed by her. It includes one documentary DVD of her 2007 national live tour concert and one CD with six songs.
Her 4th album, titled Chris Lee(Chinese: 李宇春), was first digitally released on August 31, 2009. The songs, mainly created by herself, received widespread praise.The official album was released in December 2009. On December 26, Lee gave her AMO Chris Lee Beijing Live Show at Wukesong Arena, which gained great success. The tickets were sold out in three hours.
Original brand: Why Me
Li Yuchun has held her first personal concert in March, 2006, when she was 22 years old. The original purpose of this concert is to celebrate Li Yuchun's birthday, and she named this concert "why me". From Li Yuchun's perspective, this concert gives her a significant opportunity to thanks her families, fans and friends. "Why me" means she always asks herself why could her win in the Super Girl singing contest, and she also motivates herself by constantly asking herself.
After the first extremely successful "why me" concert, it has been a significant sign for Li Yuchun. Since then every March, Li Yuchun has her "Why Me" personal concert in different cities in China and she also direct the concert for herself. Li Yuchun tells the public that she is always improving herself for her loved music. Finally, Li Yuchun gets her original brand-"Why Me".
Host city of "Why Me" concert: Cheng Du (2006), Peking (2007), Shang Hai (2008), Guang Zhou (2009), Nan Jing (2010), Wu Han (2011), Shen Zhen (2012).
Charity work
Li Yuchun triggered a donation craze after she was chosen in March 2006 as the ambassador for the "LIYUCHUN Fans Charity Fund" of the Chinese 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 7,700 donations from Li Yuchun fans throughout the world, amounting to over 1,000,000 RMB and helping 21 children. Recently, this fund has raised more than 7,500,000 RMB.
In her mission as Hewlett-Packard Ambassador from August to December 2006 to promote genuine printing supplies and accessories, HP donated part of its sales incomes to the "LIYUCHUN Fans Charity Fund" helping 30 children in poverty with leukemia.
In December 2006, Li Yuchun became the ambassador for Viva Glam Lipstick M.A.C. Aids Fund in China.
Current life
Li Yuchun's success has drawn a lot of attention from the commercial world. She has signed deals with many notable companies, including Amoi Electronics, Swatch, Coca-Cola, Crest, Hewlett Packard and L'Oreal Paris. Her popularity on the world stage increased following her nomination and win for Best Worldwide Act at the 2013 MTV Europe Music Awards.[4]
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Awards |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Bodyguards and Assassins | Fang Hong 方紅 | Nominated - Hong Kong Film Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated - Hong Kong Film Award for Best New Performer Nominated - Hong Kong Film Award for Best Original Film Song |
| 2011 | The Flying Swords of Dragon Gate | Gu Shaotang 顾少棠 | |
| 2012 | The Guillotines | Guaerjia Musen 穆森 |
Discography
Albums
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Singles
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References
- ↑ "IMDB: Shi yue wei cheng (2009)". Retrieved November 29, 2009.
- ↑ "2013 MTV EMA LIVE SHOW UPDATES!". MTV. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
- ↑ Joffe-Walt, Benjamin (2005-10-07). "Mad about the girl: a pop idol for China". The Guardian. Retrieved 2007-07-30.
- ↑ "2013 MTV EMA LIVE SHOW UPDATES!". MTV. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
External links
- Trmusic.com (Chinese)
- Official Weibo (Chinese)
- Official blog on Sina.com (Chinese)
- Chinese Red Cross Foundation (Chinese)
- Yumi Love Fund (Chinese)