Uncover China’s Melody: Noteworthy Singers to Discover

Born in 1953, Teresa Teng was a famous Taiwanese singer, musician, actress, and philanthropist. She contributed many to Mandopop and was named “Asia’s eternal queen of pop.” People named her Far East’s first cross-cultural singing star for incorporating the Western and Eastern styles in her music. Her famous songs are:

• Sweet Honey 甜蜜蜜 (Tián mì mì)
• Little Town Story 小城故事 (Xiǎochéng gùshì)
• The Moon Represents My Heart 月亮代表我的心 (Yuèliang Dàibiǎo Wǒ de Xīn)

Jacky Cheung was born in 1961 and is also one of the “Four Heavenly Kings” like Andy Lau. He was hailed the “God of Songs” (歌神, gē shén) for contemporary Chinese music. Jacky is also the best-selling Chinese music artist with sales of more than a 120million records globally.

Jacky sings Cantonese, Mandarin, modern English, Japanese, and Korean pop songs. He is famous for his rich baritone voice and dramatic vibrato. You can listen to some of his best-selling albums as below:

• Goodbye Kiss 吻别 (Wěn bié)
• I’ve Been Really Hurt 我真的受伤了 (Wǒ zhēn de shòu shāng le)
• Wait You Till My Heartache 等你等到我心痛 (Děng nǐ děngdào wǒ xīntòng)

Faye Wong is a Beijing-born Hong Kong singer, songwriter, and actress born in 1969. People referred her as the “Diva of Asia” (乐坛天后, Yuè tán tiān hòu). She always combines music with mainstream Chinese pop. The Guinness World Records also enlist her as the Best Selling Canto-pop Female. 

In her career years of more than 30 years, Faye is one of East Asia’s biggest pop stars. Her renowned songs include:

• Legend 传奇 (Chuán qí)
• Red Bean 红豆 (Hóng dòu)
• Fleet of Time 匆匆那年 (Cōngcōng nà nián)

Jay Chou is a famous Taiwanese singer, songwriter, rapper, and record producer born in 1979. He is dubbed the “King of Mandopop,” with over 30 million records sold worldwide. Jay is also one of the best-selling artists with a significant fans base in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, and Malaysia. 

Jay Chou is reputed as a musically gifted singer and songwriter. He combines R&B, classical music, rap, and other genres in his music. You can listen to some of his popular songs here:

• Far Away 千里之外 (Qiān lǐ zhī wài)
• Orange Jasmine 七里香 (Qī lǐ xiāng)
• Blue and White Porcelain 青花瓷 (Qīng huā cí)

Jolyn is a 1980-born Taiwanese singer, songwriter, and actress. She is one of the most influential Chinese female singers and is hailed as the “Queen of C-Pop”. Jolyn often makes versatile musical styles and visual images on stage and for her music videos.

Many regard Jolyn as the main figure to popularize dance-pop in China. Some of her trending songs are as below:

• Say I Love You 说爱你 (Shuō ài nǐ)
• Sun Will Never Set 日不落 (Rì bù luò)
• Lady in Red 红衣女孩 (Hóng yī nǚhái)

Born in 1990, Hua Chenyu is one of the most influential Chinese singers and songwriters in China. He is famous for his wide vocal range, powerful vocals, composing skill, and dramatic stage performances.  

Hua Chenyu has won many awards for his songs like Most Popular Album and Most Popular Song. You can listen to his top songs here: 

• Seek 寻 (Xún)
• Equal to Heaven 齐天 (qí tiān)
• The Rampage 横冲直撞 (Héng chōng zhí zhuàng)

G.E.M. is also known as Get Everybody Moving. She is a 1991-year born Hong Kong singer and songwriter, who was originally born in Shanghai. G.E.M. was also the only Asian artist who was listed in the Forbes 30 Under 30.

Her popularity can be seen from her four Youtube music videos that achieved over 100 million views. She is the first female Chinese singer to accomplish such a result. Here are some of her popular songs:

• Bubble 泡沫 (Pào mò)
• Like You 喜欢你 (Xǐ huān nǐ)
• Intoxicated 你把我灌醉 (Nǐ bǎ wǒ guàn zuì)