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Huang Zitao
Huang Zitao at Ports 1961 Shanghai.jpg
Huang at the Ports 1961 Opening Ceremony in Shanghai 2015
Born (1993-05-02) May 2, 1993 (age 32)
Other names Tao, Z.Tao
Alma mater Qingdao Foreign Service Vocational School
Occupation
  • Rapper
  • singer
  • songwriter
  • businessman
  • record producer
  • actor
Years active 2011–present
Spouse(s)
Xu Yiyang
(m. 2024)
Musical career
Origin Seoul, South Korea
Genres
Instruments Vocals
Labels
  • SM
  • TH
  • Z.TAO Studio
  • L.TAO
Chinese name
Simplified Chinese
Traditional Chinese
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyin Huáng Zǐtāo
Yue: Cantonese
Jyutping Wong4 Zi2-tou1
Korean name
Hangul 타오
Transcriptions
Revised Romanization Tao
McCune–Reischauer T'ao

Huang Zitao (Chinese: 黄子韬; pinyin: Huáng Zǐtāo), born on May 2, 1993, is a talented Chinese singer, songwriter, and rapper. He is also known by his stage name, Tao. He first became famous as a member of the South Korean-Chinese boy band Exo and its Chinese group, Exo-M.

After leaving Exo, he started his solo career in China in 2015. He released his first mini-album called TAO under the name Z.Tao. Huang Zitao has also acted in movies like You Are My Sunshine and TV shows such as Negotiator and The Brightest Star in the Sky. He has been recognized on the Forbes China Celebrity 100 list multiple times.

Early Life and First Steps

Huang Zitao was born in Qingdao, China, on May 2, 1993. When he was a kid, he trained in Wushu, which is a type of Chinese martial arts. He was even a student athlete! In late 2010, someone from SM Entertainment, a big entertainment company, discovered him at a talent show.

Music Journey

Starting with Exo

Edison Huang (Tao Huang) at the Fashion Kode 2014 01
Huang Zitao (Z.TAO) at the Fashion Kode 2014

On December 27, 2011, Huang Zitao was officially introduced as the third member of the K-pop group Exo. He used the stage name Tao.

During his time with Exo, Huang also appeared on TV shows. In 2013, he was part of a diving show called Splash!, but he had to leave because of an injury. In 2014, he joined the reality show Laws of the Jungle in the Solomon Islands. He left that show early too, due to a foot injury and other work plans. He also helped write rap lyrics for two songs on Zhou Mi's album Rewind.

Solo Career and Success

In June 2015, Huang Zitao started his own company in China called 黄子韬Z.TAO Studio. He then began his solo music journey.

On July 23, 2015, he released his first solo digital album, TAO. It sold over 670,000 copies in just one week! He followed this with another album, Z.TAO, which included the popular song "Crown." The music video for "Crown" was like a mini-movie, showing off Huang's amazing stunts and martial arts skills.

Huang ZiTao at IS BLUE Concert Shanghai
Huang Zitao (Z. Tao) at Is Blue Concert in Shanghai, June 15, 2019

Huang held his first solo concert in Beijing on August 23, 2015. It was a special show to help people affected by the Tianjin explosions. Later that year, he released "Reluctantly," a ballad he composed himself. He won the "Best Stage Performance" award at the 2015 Migu Music Awards. His song "I'm the Sovereign" even reached number one on China's Billboard chart!

In 2016, Huang won the "Most Influential Male Singer" award at the Mobile Video Festival. His first full album, The Road, came out on August 22, 2016. It was a huge hit, selling out quickly and topping the music charts. The album included a song called "Hello, Hello" featuring the famous rapper Wiz Khalifa.

In 2017, Huang was named a Promotional Ambassador for the 17th Top Chinese Music Awards, where he also won the "All-Round Artist" award. He started his first Asia Tour, called Z.Tao Promise Concert Tour. In 2018, he joined the dance show Street Dance of China and became a main producer and host for the Chinese version of Produce 101.

His Art and Style

After leaving Exo, Huang Zitao decided to focus on the Chinese music scene. He wanted to help C-Pop (Chinese pop music) become famous around the world. He writes and composes his own songs, often inspired by his own life experiences.

Even though he is mainly a rapper, he also sings Mandopop ballads. His music mixes different styles like hip hop, EDM, and even sounds from Chinese musical instruments. He looks up to Jay Chou as his biggest musical inspiration.

Acting Roles

Huang Zitao has starred in many movies and TV shows.

Movies

  • In 2015, he made his movie debut in the romance film You Are My Sunshine.
  • In 2016, he acted alongside the legendary Jackie Chan in the action comedy Railroad Tigers.
  • He also appeared in the martial arts film The Game Changer and the thriller Edge of Innocence in 2017.
  • In 2022, he had a role in the movie Moon Man.

TV Shows

  • In 2017, he played the famous Monkey King in the web drama A Chinese Odyssey: Love You A Million Years. This show was watched over 5 billion times online!
  • He starred in the drama Negotiator in 2018.
  • In 2019, he played a Chinese pop star in the music romance drama The Brightest Star in the Sky.
  • He also appeared in Hot Blooded Youth and Forward Forever.

Other Cool Things He Does

Brand Partnerships

Huang ZiTao at IS BLUE Concert in Shanghai
Huang Zitao (Z.Tao) at Is Blue Concert in Shanghai, June 15, 2019

Huang Zitao has worked with many big brands.

  • In 2017, he teamed up with Loewe, a famous fashion brand, for their "FIRE OF YOUTH" campaign. He was the first Asian artist to work with them!
  • He became the Brand Ambassador for Hanhoo, a beauty brand, and Yves Saint Laurent's beauty ambassador.
  • He has also promoted phone brands like Sugar Phone and worked with popular companies like KFC, EVISU, Tuborg, Skechers, and Baidu.
  • In 2019, he endorsed Hershey's and Nescafe Dolce Gusto. He also became the brand ambassador for Kappa and Lacoste in Asia Pacific.

His Own Businesses

On July 17, 2018, Huang Zitao started his own company called L.TAO Entertainment. This company manages his own work and also helps other artists, like Xu Yiyang, who is now his wife.

He has also opened a restaurant called "Hao Shi" and an architecture and design company called L.TAO Architecture and Design in June 2019.

Z.TAO's Man

In April 2019, Huang Zitao launched "Z.TAO's Man," a comic and 2D animation character. This superhero character represents many parts of Huang Zitao himself, and his superpower is C-pop music! Weekly episodes of the comic are released online, and a 2D animation is planned.

Personal Life

In May 2020, Huang Zitao became a mentor on the show Produce Camp 2020. Xu Yiyang, an artist from his company, was a contestant on the show. They later started dating and confirmed their relationship in July 2024. They got engaged in August and married in December of the same year.

Discography

  • The Road (2016)

Songwriting

Year Song Album Lyrics Music
2014 "Rewind" (Chinese Version) Rewind YesY (with Zhou Mi, Zhou Weijie)
"Love Tonight" YesY (with Zhou Mi)
2015 "T.A.O" T.A.O YesY (with Chen Hongyu) YesY
"One Heart" YesY (with Dai Yuedong)
"Yesterday" YesY
"M.O.M" The Road YesY YesY
"Crown (皇冠)" Z.TAO YesY (with Osamu)
"Cinderella Girl" YesY YesY (with Palace Court)
"Feel Awake"
"Alone" YesY YesY
"Intro (Vox Up)" N/A YesY YesY
"Reluctantly (舍不得)" The Road YesY YesY
"I'm the Sovereign(我是大主宰)" YesY (with Wang Yunyun) YesY (with Palace Court)
2016 "The Road" YesY YesY
"Underground King" YesY YesY
"Hello, Hello" YesY (with Daryl K, Kenn Miel, Wiz Khalifa)
"Adore" YesY (with Daryl K, Andie Sandoval) YesY (with DarylK, Andie Sandoval, Calvin C)
"Mystery Girl" YesY YesY
"19(十九岁)" YesY (with Wang Yunyun)
"Black White (AB)" YesY YesY
2017 "New Day" YesY YesY
"Promise" N/A YesY YesY
"Collateral Love" YesY YesY
"Uncover(揭穿)" YesY YesY
"Still in Time(還來得及)" YesY YesY
"You(想成为你)" YesY (with Wang Yunyun) YesY
2018 "Beggar" YesY YesY
"Hater" YesY YesY
"Misunderstand" YesY YesY
"Silently(默默)" YesY
"Stay Open" YesY YesY
"KOC" YesY YesY
"Break Up (分手不分離)" YesY YesY
2019 "Single (单身)" YesY YesY
"Once Beautiful (好不好)" YesY YesY
"NPNG (不劳不获)" Art is Blue YesY (with GAI) YesY (with GAI)
"One (你也会像我一样)" YesY YesY
"Fault (错)" Music is Blue YesY YesY
"AI" YesY YesY
"The Legendary Man (带风的少年)"
"The Best of Us (最好的我们)" YesY YesY
2020 "Wish (心愿)" YesY YesY
"Ice Cream (冰激凌)" YesY YesY
"The Happiest Moment (最开心的瞬间)" YesY YesY
"Attack (抨击)" YesY YesY
"Black Card ( 黑卡)" YesY (with GAI) YesY (with GAI)
2021 “She and You (她与你)”
“Ending (后果)”

Filmography

Film

Year English title Chinese title Role Notes
2015 You Are My Sunshine 何以笙箫默 William
2016 Railroad Tigers 铁道飞虎 Da Hai
2017 The Game Changer 游戏规则 Fang Jie
Edge of Innocence 夏天十九岁的肖像 Kang Qiao
2022 Moon Man 独行月球 Huang Zitao

Television series

Year English title Chinese title Role Notes
2015 Exo Next Door N/A fictional version of himself
2017 A Chinese Odyssey: Love You A Million Years 大话西游之爱你一万年 Zhi Zunbao Web series
2018 Negotiator 谈判官 Xie Xiaofei
2019 The Brightest Star in the Sky 夜空中最闪亮的星 Zheng Boxu
Hot Blooded Youth 租界少年热血档案 Wu Qian
2020 Forward Forever 热血同行 Chong Liming
2022 Legally Romance 才不要和老板谈恋爱 Lu Xun
2023 New Vanity Fair 春日暖阳 Song Yang
Loving You 甜蜜的你 Ke Mi

Variety show

Year English title Chinese title Role Notes
2015–2016 Charming Daddy 闪亮的爸爸 Cast member
2016 Law of The Jungle 我们的法则
Takes a Real Man 真正男子汉
2018 Street Dance of China 这就是街舞
Produce 101 创造101 Presenter
2019 The Protectors 小小的追球 Cast member
2020 Produce Camp 2020 創造營2020 Mentor
Rap For Youth 说唱新时代 Rap manager

Music videos

Title Year
"Rewind" Zhou Mi (Feat. ZTao) (Chinese Version) 2014
Zhang Liyin's "Agape" (Feat. with Victoria)
Zhang Liyin's "Not Alone" (Feat. with Victoria)
"Do You Know" (Remake; Jo Sung-mo)
"T.A.O" 2015
"Crown (皇冠)"
"Reluctantly (舍不得)"
"I'm the Sovereign(我是大主宰)"
"The Road" 2016
"Hello Hello" (feat. Wiz Khalifa)
"Black White (AB)"
"Beggar" 2018
"Stay Open" (with Diplo&M∅)
"AI" 2019

Concerts and Tours

Headliner

  • Z.Tao Mini Concert Tour (2015)
  • Z.Tao The Road Concert (2016)
  • Z.Tao Promise Concert Tour (2017)
  • Z.Tao 2018 Is GoØd Concert Tour (2018)
  • Z.Tao 2019 Is Blue Concert (2019)

Awards and Nominations

Year Award Category Nominated work Result Ref.
2015 Migu Music Awards Best Stage Performance N/A Won
2016 Mobile Video Festival Most Influential Male Singer N/A Won
Tencent Video Star Awards N/A Won
Weibo Night Awards Most Popular Singer N/A Won
2017 The 5th V Chart Awards All Round Artist of the Year N/A Won
17th Top Chinese Music Awards N/A Won
Asian Music Gala Top 10 Songs "New Day" Won
2018 Baidu Baike All-Round Artist of the Year N/A Won
2019 China Music Awards Asian Influential Power Male Singer N/A Won
Versatile Artist Of The Year N/A Won
Golden Bud - The Fourth Network Film And Television Festival Best Actor The Brightest Star in the Sky, Hot Blooded Youth Nominated
2020 The 29th Huading Awards Best Actor in a Television Series Hot Blooded Youth Nominated
7th The Actors of China Awards Best Actor (Web series) Forward Forever Nominated
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