Valen Hsu

Valen Hsu

Performing at National Taiwan Normal University in 2007, Taipei, Taiwan.
Chinese name 許茹芸 (traditional)
Chinese name 许茹芸 (simplified)
Pinyin Xǔ Rú Yún (Mandarin)
Birth name 許宏琇 (pinyin: Xǔ Hóng Xiù)
Origin Republic of China (Taiwan)
Born September 20, 1974
Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China
Other name(s) Hsu Ru-yun, 琇琇
Occupation Singer, composer, songwriter, actress
Genre(s) Mandopop, adult contemporary
Instrument(s) Piano, keyboard
Label(s) What's Music (1995–2000)
EMI Music Taiwan (2001–2003)
Silver Fish Productions (2004–2006)
Seed Music (2007–2009)
Valen Voice Production (2010–present)
Years active 1994–present
Spouse(s) Choi Jae-sung (m. 2013)[1]
Official Website Official Website

Valen Hsu, also known as Xiu Xiu (琇琇), (simplified Chinese: 许茹芸; traditional Chinese: 許茹芸; pinyin: Xǔ Rúyún) was born on 20 September 1974 in Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China. She is a Taiwanese Mandopop singer-songwriter. Hsu is widely known for her sad love ballads which have earned her the nickname "The Queen of Love Songs". Her songs are mostly sung in Mandarin Chinese and some in Cantonese.

Biography

A classically trained pianist, she started playing the piano when she was 4. While she was attending high school in 1993, she was discovered while performing in a restaurant in Taipei, where many known pop artists began their careers. She was offered a contract with Taiwan’s What’s Music Record label and began work on her first commercial album, all before the age of 19.

Career

Valen Hsu is known for her vocals, which are wispy yet strong and crystal-clear. Her singing voice and technique have been compared to Hong Kong's Faye Wong. In 1998, the Japanese magazine publication Asia Pop voted her as the best female pop vocalist in Asia. She has been known to deliver CD-quality live performances. Occasionally, she will play the piano while singing live at her concerts.

Career peak (1995 - 2000)

Valen Hsu has recorded 14 studio albums over the span of eight years, as well as four "Best Of" compilations. Her first album, Tau Hao, was completed in 1994 and received critical acclaim from the Asian music industry. However, record sales did not exceed expectations, only selling a little over 50,000 copies. Her next studio album was what significantly changed her career. Lei Hai, or Tear Sea as translated, sold more than 300,000 copies in Taiwan. And her third album, If the Cloud Knows, sold over 2.2 million copies alone in Taiwan. Her fourth album, Ri Guang Ji Chang (Sunlight Airport) was completed in 1998 and sold 800,000 copies in Taiwan, but over 3 million copies in Asia, permanently placing her in the company of Asian divas such as Faye Wong and Sandy Lam and becoming an integral part of a new Mando-Pop era including Coco Lee and A-Mei.

In 1999, after the sale of What’s Music to Universal Records (Taiwan), she recorded a duet with Enrique Iglesias entitled You’re My No. 1, released on Enrique’s Asian version of his Enrique album.

Career stabilise (2001 - 2004)

She ended her contract with What’s Music in 2001 and signed on with EMI Taiwan. The first album with her new record label was titled I Just Want to Tell You, and it was produced by Yosinori Kameda, a famous Japanese music producer. In 2001, she decided to broaden her professional career by acting in her first TV drama with F4, Taiwan’s boy-band equivalent to 'N Sync. She further broadened her acting career in 2003 by performing on stage with Zuni Icosahedron, an independent cultural collective concentrating on alternative theater and multi-media performances. In 2004, she decided to take a hiatus from the music industry to pursue other interests, including learning English in New York City.

Back from hiatus (2007-2010)

Her 13th studio album entitled 66° Pohjoista Leveyttä was released on December 21, 2007. She traveled to Finland's Arctic Circle to film her music videos for this new album. Filming took place mainly in two cities: Helsinki and Rovaniemi. The first single is called "Fireworks". She recorded a duet with Amguulan, a very talented singer from Mongolia, "Man and Woman" became one of the most popular song throughout 2008.

After a 19 months hiatus, Valen released her latest album My Love Journey 1 km. She invited her friend Josh to co-produced this album with her. Her first single is called 'Let's go when love arrives', 2nd song is a soft rock 'With You'

Valen voice production, world tour (2010-present)

In 2009, Valen ended her contract with Seed Music and decided to travel to Cuba. After returning from Cuba, she released a series of travelogues and photography books. In 2010, Valen decide to re-ignite her music career by setting up her own music studio, Valen Voice Production. Her new album When The Night Falls... Do You Hear (Me)? was released on November 10, 2011.[2]

In October 2011, Valen announced the start of her concert in Shanghai Grand Stage, which will span from Taiwan, other cities in mainland China and South-east Asia.

Other works

Acting

In 2006, she filmed a full-length movie with famed Hong Kong Director Patrick Lam entitled Fu Zhi, or "After This Our Exile" as translated. She stars alongside Hong Kong actors Aaron Kwok and Charlie Yeung. The film was released in 2006 and subsequently won several Golden Horse Awards (Asia's equivalent to the Academy Awards) on the same year, including Best Picture and Best Actor.

Writing

In addition to composing and writing some of her songs, she has also published two books, one of them a compilation of short poems and the other a beauty book entitled Beauty Sense, which were published in 2003 and 2006, respectively.

In 2010, she published a travelogue, Vis-à-Vis, which comprises short poems and photos shot in Cuba. A digital version on iPad was released in 2011.[3]

Charity work

In 1999, she traveled to Rwanda, Africa with the World Health Organization and other Asian celebrities to perform charity work, filming a commercial and raising funds for donation through sales of an E.P. entitled Wo Niu (which means "Snail"), written by Jay Chou, one of Asia’s male mega pop stars.

Hope Education Foundation

In 2006, Valen and her friends, Charlie Yeung, Gigi Leung and Angelica Lee formed "Hope Education Foundation", which is a non-profit organization to help children in need.

Discography

Studio albums

English Chinese Release date
Ingratiate 討好 June 1995
Tear Sea 淚海 March 1996
If the Cloud Knows 如果雲知道 September 1996
Sunlight airport 日光機場 June 1997
Still loving you 我依然愛你 June 1998
Best love 你是最ㄞˋ(愛) December 1998
Victory 真愛無敵 August 1999
I’m This Happy (Cantonese) 我就是這麼快樂 November 1999
Good Day 難得好天氣 May 2000
Flower Blossom 花開 December 2000
Just Want to Tell You 只說給你聽 September 2001
Rue Blossom 芸開了 November 2002
66° Pohjoista Leveyttä 北緯六十六度 December 2007
My Love Journey 1 km 愛·旅行·一公里 July 2009
When The Night Falls... Do You Hear (Me)? 許茹芸的微醺音樂 你聽見了(我)嗎 November 2011

Compilations

English/Pinyin title Chinese (Traditional) Release date
Ru Ci Jing Cai "Best Of..." (Hong Kong Version) 茹此精彩十三首新歌加精選 香港版 September 1997
Ru Ci Jing Cai "Best Of..." (Taiwan Version) 茹此精彩十三首新歌加精選 台灣版 November 1997
Liu Jin Shi Zai "Best Of..." 流金十載 － 許茹芸全記錄 June 2001
Single Diary "Best Of..." 單身日記 － 1995 - 2001 June 2001
Valen Hsu’s Movie Ballads – Cloud Stay 許茹芸的愛情電影主題曲 － 雲且留住 June 2003
I love the nights of autumn "Best Of..." 我愛夜 December 2003
Valen Hsu "Best Of Classic..." 許茹芸 － 國語真經典 February 2005

Instrumental

English/Pinyin title Chinese (Traditional) Release date
Piano Diary 鋼琴記事簿 September 1999

EP/Singles

English/Pinyin title Chinese (Traditional) Release date
Neighbor (Fan Club single — not for sale) 鄰居 November 1996
Snail 蝸牛 July 1999
Pleasant to Hear 好聽 April 2007

Musical theatre performances

Film and television

Books

Endorsements and charities

References

  1. ↑ "Valen Hsu held wedding banquet in Korea". XinMSN. Retrieved 27 September 2014.
  2. ↑ "许茹芸的微醺音乐 你听见了(我)吗?". YesAsia.com. Retrieved 11 December 2011.
  3. ↑ "《對照》：許茹芸古巴印象集". iTune. Retrieved 11 December 2011.

External links