Jane Zhang facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jane Zhang
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Zhang in 2019
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| Born |
Zhang Liangying
October 11, 1984 |
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| Education | Sichuan University | ||||||||||||||
| Occupation |
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| Years active | 2003–present | ||||||||||||||
| Spouse(s) |
Michael Feng Ke (冯柯)
(m. 2016; div. 2018) |
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| Awards | Full list | ||||||||||||||
| Musical career | |||||||||||||||
| Genres |
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| Instruments | Vocals | ||||||||||||||
| Labels | |||||||||||||||
| Chinese name | |||||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 张靓颖 | ||||||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 張靚穎 | ||||||||||||||
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Jane Zhang (Chinese: 张靓颖; pinyin: Zhāng Liàngyǐng) is a famous Chinese singer, songwriter, and music producer. She was born on October 11, 1984. Jane is known for her amazing singing voice, especially her ability to sing in the "whistle register." This is a very high vocal technique, like a whistle. Because of this, people sometimes call her the "Dolphin Princess."
Jane started singing in pubs when she was a teenager to help her family. In 2005, she became famous after competing in a singing contest called Super Girl. She then signed with Huayi Brothers Media Corporation. Her first album, The One, came out in 2006.
Over the years, Jane Zhang has achieved many great things. She performed at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show and was featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show. She has been invited to the Grammy Awards twice. Her song "Dust My Shoulders Off" even reached the top of the iTunes music video chart. Jane has a huge following, with over 40 million fans on Weibo, a popular Chinese social media platform. She has won the "China Best Female Artist" award seven times. In 2019, she released her first English album, Past Progressive.
Contents
Early Life and Start
Jane Zhang, whose real name is Zhāng Liàngyǐng, was born in Chengdu, Sichuan, China. She chose the English name "Jane" because she liked the novel Jane Eyre.
When Jane was 15, her father passed away. Her mother also lost her job. To help her family, Jane began singing in a public bar. She continued singing there for about six years.
In 2003, Jane started studying at Sichuan University. In 2005, she joined the Chinese singing contest Super Girl. She finished in third place, but her unique voice gained her many fans. After the show, she signed with Huayi Brothers Company and Hurray Company to start her music career.
Music Journey
Early Albums and Soundtracks (2004–2009)
Before Super Girl, Jane won another singing competition in 2004. After signing her first record deals, she released her first EP (a mini-album) called Jane, Love in 2006. It sold over 500,000 copies in China.
In October 2006, Jane sang the theme song "Only for Love" for the Chinese film The Banquet. Her first full studio album, The One, was released that same month and sold over a million copies.
Her second album, Update, came out in 2007. This album showed a new side of her music, including R&B and jazz styles. It became one of the best-selling albums in China that year. In 2008, she sang "One World, One Dream" with Andrea Bocelli for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.
Jane was invited to perform in Tokyo in 2008 as part of a cultural exchange. Her third album, Jane@Music, was released in 2009. This album featured more jazzy and upbeat songs. She also performed on The Oprah Winfrey Show to share her music with an American audience.
New Labels and Tours (2009–2015)
In November 2009, Jane Zhang signed with Universal Music Group. She released her fourth album, Believe in Jane, in February 2010. This album included the popular song "If This Is Love." She also sang "Wavin' Flag" with Jacky Cheung and K'naan at the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai. Later that year, she started her first "Believe in Jane Tour" across several Chinese cities.
On June 1, 2011, Jane released her fifth album, Reform. This album featured a mix of styles like R&B, rock, and hip-hop. Many songs were created with American musicians. Jane also wrote lyrics for three songs on the album. Reform was very successful, selling 80,000 copies in just one month.
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In 2012, Jane released a live album called Listen to Jane Z Live. She was inspired to create this album after seeing a live show in Las Vegas. In July 2014, Jane signed with Sony Music. Her sixth album, The Seventh Sense, was released at the same time. This album took two years to make and included two English songs. Jane also became a jury member at the Montreal World Film Festival in 2014.
International Recognition and Past Progressive (2015–2019)
In 2015, Jane participated in the Chinese music show I am a Singer. She sang English songs like "Bang Bang" and "All of Me," which became very popular in China. She also recorded "Fighting Shadows" with Big Sean for the American film Terminator Genisys. This was her first song for an English-language movie.
Jane's "Bang the World Tour" in 2015 celebrated her ten years in music. During one concert, she had an accident on stage, which led to the tour being canceled. Later that year, she won the "Best World Act of the Asia region" at the 2015 MTV Europe Music Awards. However, she chose not to attend the main ceremony due to what she felt was unfair treatment.
On October 14, 2016, Jane released "Dust My Shoulders Off" with Timbaland. This song was the first single from her English album, Past Progressive. It quickly became popular, reaching the top 10 on the US iTunes songs chart. In November, she released "Battlefield" for the film The Great Wall.
In May 2017, Jane attended the Billboard Music Awards. In October, she performed at the 2017 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. She was the first Asian singer to perform there. Her songs "Work for It" and "808" were featured. "808" even made it onto the Billboard Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart.
In 2018, Jane held her "Jane's Secret" World Tour. Her album Past Progressive was finally released on April 27, 2019, after five years of work. This album helped her win the Best Female Singer Award at the Beijing Pop Music Awards for the ninth time.
Recent Activities (2023–Present)
In 2023, Jane Zhang worked with Japanese rock star Yoshiki on the song "Hero" for the documentary film Yoshiki: Under the Sky. She also started her "Light World Tour," performing in 25 shows across Asia and North America.
Musical Style
Jane Zhang is known for her amazing singing voice and technique. She sings in many different styles, including pop, R&B, rock, hip hop, and dance. Her voice is clear and expressive. She can change her tone and key easily. Her performance of "Painted Heart" from the film Painted Skin showed off her folk singing skills and wide vocal range.
Influences
Jane grew up listening to famous artists like Teresa Teng, Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, Whitney Houston, Beyoncé, Rihanna, and P!nk. These artists have all influenced her music. When she started singing in pubs, she often performed English cover songs. Many people compare her to her idol, Mariah Carey, because of her versatile singing style.
Other Activities
Helping Others
Jane Zhang uses her fame to help others. She has worked with the China Health Education Center to create anti-smoking ads. She wants people to understand the dangers of secondhand smoke. In 2007, she joined World Peace One to record a song called "Give Your Love" with many other famous singers.
Jane cares deeply about children's rights. In 2010, she invited children from poor families to visit the Shanghai Expo. In 2011, she became a volunteer for the WWF to protect the endangered narrow-ridged finless porpoise. She continues to raise awareness about protecting these animals. In 2013, she released a charity song called "One Woman" for UN Women to celebrate International Women's Day. In 2014, she started 'Blue Action' to raise money for children with autism.
Public Roles
Jane has also taken on public roles. In 2007, she became an ambassador for the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) University Volunteer Program. She wrote a song called "We are together" for this program. She has also given speeches at events hosted by the US Embassy in Beijing.
In 2013, Jane attended the Young Leaders Roundtable of the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA). This is a meeting where important leaders discuss global issues. During the discussion, she spoke about the importance of parents paying attention to their children's mental health. In 2014, she attended the Hong Kong Youth Music Festival, which helps young people from Asia connect through music.
Sports Events
Jane has also been involved in sports events. On August 16, 2014, she sang the theme song "Light up the Future" at the opening ceremony of the 2014 Youth Olympic Games. In 2015, she became an ambassador for a baseball reality show in China. In 2019, she was chosen as an ambassador for the 31st Summer Universiade (a global sports event for university athletes).
Awards and Achievements
Jane Zhang has won many awards throughout her career. These include nine Beijing Pop Music Awards for Best Female Singer, two China Gold Record Awards, and an MTV Europe Music Award.
Personal Life
Jane Zhang's personal life has sometimes been in the news. In 2015, she shared that she had been in a relationship with Michael Feng, the CEO of Show City Times, for 12 years. They got married in Italy in November 2016 but later divorced in April 2018.
Jane is a supporter of gender equality and has spoken out against discrimination.
Music Albums
- The One (2006)
- Update (2007)
- Jane@Music (2009)
- Believe in Jane (2010)
- Reform (2011)
- The Seventh Sense (2014)
- Past Progressive (2019)
Movies
- McDull, the Alumni (2006)
- The Olympic Adventures of Fuwa (2007)
Concert Tours
- Celebrate Tour (2009)
- Believe in Jane Tour (2010)
- Jane's Appearance Tour (2011–2012)
- Bang the World Tour (2015)
- Jane's Secret Tour (2018)
- Light World Tour (2023–2024)
See also
In Spanish: Jane Zhang para niños
- List of sopranos in non-classical music
