Joker Xue facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

In this Chinese name, the family name is Xue (薛).

Quick facts for kids

Joker Xue

薛之谦

Xue in June 2025, Bilibili Forever 22 Graduation Concert

Born

Xue Zhiqian

July 17, 1983 (age 42)

Shanghai, China

Nationality

Chinese

Alma mater

Glion Institute of Higher Education

Occupation

Singer-songwriter
record producer
businessman

Years active

2005–present

Spouse(s)

Leixin Gao

(m. 2012⁠–⁠2015)

(m. 2017)

Children

Awards

Full list

Musical career

Genres

Mandopop

Instruments

Vocals
guitar
piano

Labels

Chaoshi Music

Chinese name

Traditional Chinese

薛之謙

Simplified Chinese

薛之谦

Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyin	Xuē Zhīqiān

Joker Xue (Chinese: 薛之谦; pinyin: Xuē Zhīqiān), born on July 17, 1983, is a famous Chinese singer, songwriter, and music producer. He was once known as Jacky Xue. He is one of the most popular Mandopop artists, and his songs are streamed by millions.

Joker Xue is known for singing with lots of feeling in different music styles. These include slow ballads, rock music, and R&B. His song, "Actor", is one of the most-watched Chinese music videos on YouTube. His "Extraterrestrial World Tour" has been super popular, with over 5 million people attending. It is one of the biggest concert tours ever! He is also the only Chinese artist to perform over 100 stadium shows in a single tour.

Early Life

Joker Xue grew up in Shanghai, China. When he was four years old, his mother passed away from a heart condition. As a young boy, he studied painting. Later, he studied Hotel Management at Glion Institute of Higher Education in Switzerland. However, he decided to leave school to follow his dream of becoming a musician.

Music Career

Early Days: 2005–2010

In 2004, Xue passed an audition for a singing competition called My Style, My Show. But he decided not to compete because he felt he was not ready. In 2005, he returned to the show and finished in fourth place. After the show, he signed with Shang Teng Entertainment.

In 2006, he released his first album, Jacky, under the name Jacky Xue. This album included popular songs like "Serious Snow" and "Yellow Maple Leaves". It sold over 200,000 copies very quickly! Joker Xue won the Most Popular New Artist award at the 2006 Global Chinese Music Awards. In 2007, his second album, How Are You?, sold more than 150,000 copies in just one month.

In 2008, Joker Xue was a torchbearer for the 2008 Summer Olympics torch relay. A song from his second album, "Once Upon a Time in Zurich", was changed to honor Olympic athletes. It was renamed "Origin of the Dream" and included on his third album, Deeply Loved You. This album was very successful and received seven nominations at the Beijing Pop Music Awards. He also held his first concert in Shanghai in December 2008.

In 2009, Xue released Unfinished Songs, which was a collection of his best songs plus three new ones. In 2010, he acted in a movie called The University Days of a Dog. Even with his success, his music company would not pay for his next album. During this time, he felt very sad and lost a lot of weight.

Funding His Own Music: 2011–2015

In 2011, Joker Xue opened his own hotpot restaurant called Shang Shang Qian. The restaurant did well, which allowed him to keep making music. In 2012, he acted in a TV show called The Queen of SOP and also provided music for its soundtrack. In July, he announced his fifth album, Several Of..., marking the end of his seven-year contract with his old company.

In 2013, Xue signed with Ocean Butterflies and released his sixth album, An Unexpected Journey. This album quickly became number one on the Sino Chart and stayed there for two weeks. In 2014, he acted in the TV show Mother Like Flowers. He also appeared on many Chinese variety shows. He said he did these shows to earn money, so he could keep making music.

In 2015, Joker Xue started his own clothing brand called Dangerous People. He became even more popular by sharing funny jokes on Weibo (a Chinese social media site). He was thankful that this new fame helped more people discover his music. On June 8, he released his first EP (a shorter album), Gentleman, which included the very popular song "Actor". On October 17, his second EP, Half, had over 100 million streams in less than a month.

Big Success: 2016–2018

Xue in June 2017, I Think I've Seen You Somewhere Tour

In 2016, Joker Xue changed his English name from "Jacky" to "Joker". He said "Jacky" was chosen randomly when he started, but "Joker" better showed his sense of humor. After "Actor" became a hit, he appeared on over 40 variety shows so people would connect his name to his music. He was called the "No. 1 Model Worker in Variety Shows". However, this busy schedule made him tired and affected his health. In July, he released his seventh album, Beginner, which won many awards and was named Album of the Year by Apple Music in 2016.

In January 2017, Joker Xue had to go to the hospital because of a stomach illness while filming a show. He later said he would focus more on music and less on variety shows. In April, he started his first concert tour, I Think I've Seen You Somewhere Tour. That same year, he acted in the movie What a Day! and the TV show Boy Hood. In December, he released his eighth album, The Crossing, which also won many awards. By the end of 2017, his songs had been streamed over 12.7 billion times across Chinese music platforms.

In early 2018, Joker Xue had a throat problem for several months and worried he might not be able to sing again. Luckily, he fully recovered. In July, he started his Skyscraper World Tour. On December 31, he released his ninth album, Freak, which was very popular.

Extraterrestrial World Tour: 2019–2023

Xue in December 2019, Baidu Boiling Point Concert

In 2019, Joker Xue finished his Skyscraper World Tour in Hong Kong, setting a record for the highest concert ticket sales by a male singer from mainland China. In December, he released his tenth album, Dust, and was named Male Singer of the Year at the CMIC Music Awards. Billboard magazine even listed "Puppet", a song from Dust, as a global number one hit that many people might not have heard of. In 2020, he held his first online concert, Dust in the World Online Concert, on May 23. On December 31, he released his eleventh album, Extraterrestrial. The main song, "Extraterrestrial", was named one of the Best Songs of the Year.

In 2021, Joker Xue started his Extraterrestrial World Tour with shows in Suzhou and Guangzhou. He was ranked first in concert ticket sales for the year. He was also listed among the Top 20 Artists and Top 10 Singer-Songwriters of the Year by Tencent Music. In 2022, he released his twelfth album, Countless. He won Best Male Singer at the 15th Migu Music Awards and Male Singer of the Year at the CMIC Music Awards again. In December, he continued the Extraterrestrial World Tour, which had been paused due to COVID-19 rules.

In February 2023, Joker Xue held his second online concert, Ke, which had over 160 million views. From March to December, he continued the Extraterrestrial World Tour with 75 shows. The city of Quzhou became the fastest-growing city for concert ticket sales in China because of his shows there. In July and August, Xue was a judge on Sing! China, but the show was stopped due to issues with how a former coach was treated. By December, Joker Xue had the most fans across all music streaming platforms in China, with 83.62 million followers. He was named one of the Top 10 Artists and Top 10 Songwriters of the Year by Tencent Music. His songs "Adoration" and "Conviction" were among the Top 10 Songs of the Year. He was also the 8th Most Streamed Mandarin Pop Male Singer worldwide on Spotify.

Xue in April 2024, Extraterrestrial World Tour

Recent Activities: 2024–Present

In January 2024, Joker Xue performed three sold-out shows in Singapore Indoor Stadium. He then took his Extraterrestrial Tour to North America and Oceania in February and March. After that, he returned to China and continued performing two or three shows each week from April to July. On June 15, he became a brand ambassador for QQ Speed (a video game) and released its theme song, "Relieve Boredom", on August 8. This song topped the QQ Music rap chart, which was a first for Xue. In August, the Extraterrestrial World Tour ended after 140 shows and about 4.9 million attendees. He also shared a preview for his next tour, "King of Beasts".

In September, Xue performed "Rent or Purchase" on the music show Melody Journey. This song quickly became number one on QQ Music. On October 15, he announced more international stadium shows for the Extraterrestrial Tour. This made him the first mainland China artist to have an international stadium tour with the same big stage design as his shows in China. On November 21, he announced that the studio version of "Rent or Purchase" would be the final song on his 13th album, The Guardian. From August 25 to December 15, Xue performed at 18 music festivals, mostly in China, but also at the One Love Asia Festival in Singapore.

In January 2025, TVBS News reported that Joker Xue now owns the rights to his music videos. All his videos were moved from Taihe Rye Music's YouTube channel to his own official YouTube channel. On January 28, Xue performed at the CMG New Year's Gala, being one of only four artists to have a solo performance. He chose the song "Fang's Words" by Zhao Yingjun, which is a play on the word "dialect". He said he chose it because dialects are important in Chinese culture and he wanted to fulfill Zhao's dream of performing at the Gala.

On February 14 and 15, Xue performed two shows at the Singapore National Stadium as part of his extended Extraterrestrial World Tour. He received a good review from Straits Times. On February 27, Mars Intelligence Agency, a long-running variety show he was on, finished after 7 seasons. On April 17, the physical version of The Guardian was released. It sold over 128,000 copies and earned more than ¥15 million (about $2 million) on QQ Music in just 7 hours. On April 21, NetEase Cloud Music named Xue the most-streamed Chinese artist, with over 34.1 billion streams. He also has the third-highest number of songs (64) that have been streamed over 100 million times on the platform. During the Labor Day Golden Week in May, Xue was the main performer at five music festivals in a row. On July 17, he released a new song called "Leap" for his birthday, continuing a tradition.

Artistry

Music Style

Joker Xue is famous for his emotional ballads, which are often called "Xue Style Love Songs". These songs often tell stories about love, like unrequited love in "Gentleman" or the end of a relationship in "Actor". His songs feel real and connect with listeners because they show subtle, everyday love stories.

Besides love, Xue's songs also talk about important social issues. He believes music should have a sense of responsibility. For example, his songs address cyberbullying in "The Martian Has Come", materialism in "Skyscrapers", and marine pollution in "Leap".

His music often uses keyboards and string instruments, along with acoustic guitar and R&B beats. He also mixes in other styles like rock, Chinese style, folk music, blues, classical music, and rap.

Song Lyrics

Every one of Joker Xue's songs tells a story, and the lyrics are very important. His writing is praised for being "sensitive" and "detailed". His lyrics connect deeply with his listeners and are a special part of his love songs. For songs about life's philosophy, his sharp thoughts on society and "bold but careful" words are admired. They encourage people to think and make positive changes.

The Straits Times newspaper has noted how he uses metaphors in his lyrics. For example, a relationship is like a performance in "Actor", and a lover is like a force of nature in "Like the Wind". He also uses conversational storytelling, vivid pictures, and gives human qualities to things in his songs, like in "Yellow Maple Leaves" and "Serious Snow".

Joker Xue enjoys writing, but he can be very focused on it. He is especially careful about choosing the right words. He believes good lyrics should be able to be listened to many times without getting boring. Most of his songs have a sad or critical tone. He has said he is "not very good at writing songs that are really happy". In 2018, he shared that he had not yet written a song he was completely satisfied with.

Xue in October 2023, as his "Joker" persona at Love Forward Music Festival

Stage Performances

Joker Xue performs differently when recording songs compared to live shows. He says recordings are for people listening with headphones, so the music should be good for repeated listening. Live shows are for people who come to see him, so his job is to make them feel strong emotions. He is known for his emotional stage style, showing "drama in performance without being showy" and singing with "a pleading intensity".

The Straits Times praised Xue's concerts for his "authenticity, spontaneity and the fact that he can sing". They also noted that his "duality in his persona has created an unpredictability, almost mystery, about what he is going to do or say next".

In 2021, Joker Xue officially started using his "Joker" stage persona at a music festival in Shanghai. He has continued to use different Joker-inspired styles since then. This idea started in 2018 when he wrote the song "Freak" for a music show. For that performance, he and his partner wore makeup and outfits inspired by the Joker.

Free Music Access

Joker Xue's music can be streamed for free on many Chinese music platforms. He famously told fans not to buy the physical copy of Gentleman because it only had three songs. He suggested listening to his songs online for free. This is unusual because Chinese music streaming platforms often require listeners to buy songs or have a paid subscription to listen to them fully.

He made this choice because he wants his fans to "just come and listen to my songs, no need to spend money or worry". He feels he can be more honest about his music if money is not involved. Because he provides his music digitally for free, his albums do not appear on digital sales charts.

Social Impact

Helping Others

Joker Xue has been a generous helper for a long time. He supports groups like Beijing Hanhong Love Charity Foundation, Project Hope, Red Cross Society of China, and Social Assistance of China. He also helps with many causes, including children and youth, disaster relief, education, and environmental protection.

In April 2007, Xue took part in the "Friendship Tour along the Volga River", a project by China and Russia. In July 2008, he carried the torch for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Zhengzhou. In April 2016, he was the lead runner for Meifubao's Sunshine Charity Run. In June 2018, he was an ambassador for the "Run Beijing" charity project, which aimed to teach people about the importance of physical and mental health.

Joker Xue was ranked 24th on the 2016 China Charity Celebrity List.

Protecting Consumers

On July 28, 2018, some fans could not attend Joker Xue's Shenzhen concert because many high-speed rail trains were delayed or stopped. To make up for it, fans with tickets for the Shenzhen concert and train tickets could trade them for similar tickets to the Foshan concert.

On September 10, 2023, Joker Xue had to cancel the second show of his Extraterrestrial World Tour in Chengdu because he had a high fever. He announced the news and explained the refund policy himself. He felt it was important to do this since fans had already traveled to the stadium. He then stayed and talked with the audience for an hour before leaving. Fans could choose to get a refund or keep their tickets for a future show. Also, those from out of town could get all their travel and hotel costs paid back. This kind of full refund policy had never been done before and was widely praised. The Tianjin Consumers Association approved his decision, saying it showed "the social responsibility that public figures should have". Other artists later started offering similar refund policies, but with limits on travel and hotel costs.

Joker Xue has said many times that he is against ticket scalping (people buying tickets to sell them for a much higher price). He often adds more shows at each stop to make it easier for fans to get tickets and harder for scalpers to take advantage. He has also asked his fans to only attend one show per tour and to spend their time and money enjoying other things in life.

Business Ventures

Restaurants

Joker Xue has said, "I want to use the money I earn from business to make music." He felt that relying only on music to live was "very tiring". Having other ways to earn money means "making music is no longer a burden". In 2011, he opened a hotpot restaurant called Shang Shang Qian. At its busiest, Shang Shang Qian had many locations across China. As of 2023, only two locations remain in Shanghai and Guangzhou. In 2025, the Shanghai restaurant was updated and reopened in April.

Clothing Brand

In 2015, Joker Xue started his streetwear (casual clothing) brand called Dangerous People (DSP). The brand's logo is a person wearing a paper bag. This represents someone who wants peace but feels they need to hide because of the world's problems. Xue is the brand manager and often promotes it on social media. Dangerous People mainly sells online, but it opened its first physical store in Shanghai in August 2019. In 2025, Dangerous People announced Lars Huang as its first spokesperson.

Music Company

In July 2020, Chaoshi Music was started. This company handles cultural and artistic events, TV and radio show production, and managing performances. Joker Xue's father owns 33% of the company and is a director. Chaoshi Music is part of Grand Vista Music Group, which is part of Tencent Music.

On December 24, 2021, Joker Xue released a new song, "Phoenix Feathers and Unicorn Horns", through Chaoshi Music. On May 31, 2022, he announced the opening of Chaoshi Music on his Weibo page. All of Xue's albums are now owned by Chaoshi Music. Chaoshi Music also produced and organized Xue's Extraterrestrial World Tour. In December 2024, Chaoshi Music managed Essay Wang's "The Sleepless" tour. In March 2025, Chaoshi Music was announced as the organizer for Han Hong's "I Want To Become You" tour, Roy Wang's "Under Universe" tour, and the new "New Bee" touring music festival.

Awards and Recognition

Other music professionals have praised Joker Xue's artistic talent. Producer Zhang Yadong said, "Through these lyrics, you can understand his particularly delicate thoughts, which are very, very good." Songwriter Yuan Weiren said, "I think a musician like Xue actually possesses the most important part of many Chinese music creations." Lyricist Cui Shu said, "Xue is now on his way to becoming a national singer. He is well-known and has popular songs."

Throughout his career, Joker Xue has won many awards for his music and popularity. These include awards from the Chinese Top Ten Music Awards, Global Chinese Music Awards, Music Radio China Top Chart Awards, Migu Music Awards, CMIC Music Awards, and Tencent Music Entertainment Awards.

Music Albums

Studio Albums

Jacky (2006)
How Are You? (2007)
Deeply Loved You (2008)
Unfinished Songs (2009)
Several Of... (2012)
An Unexpected Journey (2013)
Beginner (2016)
The Crossing (2017)
Freak (2018)
Dust (2019)
Extraterrestrial (2020)
Countless (2022)
The Guardian (2024)

Movies and TV Shows

Joker Xue has acted in movies like The University Days of a Dog and What a Day!. He has also been in TV shows such as The Queen of SOP and Boyhood. However, he is even more famous for appearing on variety shows. Since 2017, he has focused more on music and concert tours. So, he has been more careful about which variety shows he appears on, choosing mostly long-running or music-focused programs.

Mars Intelligence Agency is the longest variety show Joker Xue has been on. He was a main cast member from the first season in 2016 until the final season in 2024. Xue has also appeared on many singing competition shows. The most notable ones are The Coming One (2017) and Sing! China (2023). Both shows had controversies about fairness, which Xue spoke out about publicly.

Earlier in his career, Xue often hosted or was a panel member on music shows like Hidden Singer and Golden Melody. He did this to get chances to perform. In recent years, he has been more of a collaborator or mentor on shows like Singer with Legends 3 and Melody Journey.