Zhang Li Yin
Encyclopedia
Zhang Liyin better known in South Korea
as Jang Ri-in, is a Chinese
solo singer active in China and South Korea. Subject to much publicity, Zhang has been nicknamed the "Chinese BoA
" and the next leader of the Korean wave
. She speaks both Mandarin
, which is her first language, and moderate Korean
, and has released singles in both Korea and China, singing in both languages. Her fan club color is Gold and her fans call themselves "Chocolate".
Zhang has released only one studio album
since her debut in 2006, but its singles carried a few top ten titles, such as "Timeless
," which was a #1 hit, as well as "I Will". She is also the first foreign artist to win Best New Solo Artist at the M.net Asian Music Awards. Her first album, I Will has sold over 260,000 copies since its release in March 2008.
, China
as a native from Chengdu
. Her parents took her to their classical concerts and exposed her to a variety of music. At three years old, she began to learn the violin
. Zhang was so accustomed to classical, American, and European pop music that she claims she never sang children's songs when she was a child. She also developed the ability to sing a song after hearing it only once. When she was nine years old, she showed her musical ability when she sang Celine Dion
's "My Heart Will Go On
".
As she grew older, Zhang became more absorbed into pop music than classical music. She secretly listened to pop music because her parents were against it. When she was twelve, she was accepted into a middle school affiliated to Sichuan Conservatory of Music
after scoring the highest with her violin talents, but she opted to become a singer instead. Eventually, her parents began to support her dream to become a singer and she gained confidence when she was selected as the top 10 adult singers in a national singing competition under the sponsorship of Shanghai.
Zhang was discovered after Beijing partners informed the head of South Korean talent agency SM Entertainment
of a young talent. In 2003, she moved to South Korea and started training at the age of fourteen. She received two years of special singing and dance training under SM Entertainment. Under the direction from producer Lee Soo Man
, Zhang discovered her R&B voice.
member Xiah
, which generated even more interest in her. Before the official release of her single, "Timeless
" was available for free download between August 31 and September 6 on her official website. "Timeless" is a South Korean cover of the original single by Kelly Clarkson
.
On September 8, 2006, "Timeless" was released. She made her stage debut on MBC's
Music Core on September 9, 2006 singing "Timeless" with Xiah. The first day Zhang debuted she was ranked #2 on the famous Korean music website, Melon; the following day she topped this chart and held her place respectively for two full weeks. The same day she also ranked #2 on the online charts of SBS's Popular Songs, just after popular boy band, Shinhwa
's "Throw My Fist". "Timeless" was also placed first on Daum's Music Video chart as well as hitting the highest search number on the famous search engine, Naver. The "Timeless" music video, which is a two-part installment starring Lee Yeonhee and Super Junior
members Han Geng and Siwon, was ranked #1 on Melon's Video Chart for four full weeks. Within ten days of debuting, Zhang entered the "Take 7" chart on SBS's Popular Songs (complied from internet and industry statistics).
Zhang promoted the second track of her debut single, "Y (Why...)," in early 2007. SM Entertainment also released a "Timeless" documentary version of her "Y (Why...)" music video. This music video reveals her hardships during training; it also showed many behind the scenes clips of her promotion of "Timeless", including never-before-seen footage of her with Xiah. However, promotions for "Y (Why...)" ended quickly, and SM Entertainment announced that she would be on hiatus from the music industry throughout the rest of the year to prepare for her major debut in China
in the end of the year. Zhang made a surprising guest appearance at TVXQ's second Asia tour concert in Seoul
on February 23, 2007. She performed "TRI-ANGLE" with TVXQ, singing a part in the song that was previously performed by BoA. She made a second appearance with TVXQ on November 24, 2007 in Malaysia for the same concert, and was TVXQ's regular guest star for their "O" Asia tour until its finale in June 2008.
After the album's release, Zhang received praise from various industry professionals. Golden Melody Award
-winning Taiwanese-American singer-songwriter Leehom Wang complimented Zhang's singing and was surprised to hear such a strong voice coming from only a nineteen-year-old. During a radio broadcast, award-winning Hong Kong
-based singer-songwriter, Hins Cheung
compared her "soulful" vocals to well-known R&B vocalists such as Whitney Houston
, Leona Lewis
and Christina Aguilera
. He was impressed at the "international-level music" of the release and said he felt there was a lot of "power in this nineteen-year-old."
On May 25, 2008, Zhang received her first award, following the release of her Chinese album, at the 5th Annual Music King Global Chinese Ultimate Song Chart Awards for Female Mainland Newcomer with Most Potential. In her speech, she expressed wishes for more financial support towards the Sichuan earthquake
that had devastated home province two weeks earlier. Throughout the months of May and June, Zhang attended many online interviews and made numerous variety show appearances, as well as a short university tour to raise money for the Sichuan earthquake. A solo fan meeting for Zhang Liyin was held on July 5, 2008 in Beijing. Besides performing songs from I Will, she also covered songs from notable R&B female singers Whitney Houston
and Christina Aguilera
.
On September 13, 2008, fans first heard confirmed news of Zhang's repackage album, which would feature the track "Believe in Love", as well as plans for her second Chinese album. Despite this, the repackage album still has not been released and there has been no other announcements of it being sold in the future.
While Korea's M.NET/MK Music Festival was being held on the same night, Zhang Liyin attended the 6th Annual Southeast Music Ranking on November 15, 2008, winning the award for Best Mainland Newcomer. Her win was followed by numerous invitations to other award shows throughout the month of December, including the 2008 Starlight Grand Ceremony, BQ 2008 Celebrity Ranking, and the 1st Annual Mengniu New Music Festival.
to many activities, including her first appearance on China’s biggest television broadcaster, CCTV, for the Dance & Music Spring Festival Gala. She was also in Shanghai
on January 9 to film for a song collaboration between many popular Chinese pop artists, such as Show Luo
, Fish Leong
and BoBo
.
On February 6, 2009, Zhang flew to Thailand for the second time in her career to attend the Bangkok
concert stop in the SMTown Live '08
tour. For that weekend, her activity schedule was tight as she was required to fly throughout Asia for activities. Less than 10 hours after the end of the Bangkok concert, Zhang flew with members of SJM to Guangzhou
, China
to participate in the 8th Annual Future Star Competition, which also featured JJ Lin
, Eric Tsang
and Dicky Cheung
. She returned to South Korea for album preparations on February 9, 2009.
Aside from a performance at the Descendants of the Dragon concert hosted by Jackie Chan
, Zhang was relatively inactive as she remained in Korea to record her second single.
Finally, a year and a half after the release of her first album, a teaser for her upcoming song, "Moving On
" was released on October 15. Four days later, the full music video was released through SM Entertainment and Sohu
. The music video features Liyin reflecting back on her memories of the relationship between Donghae
(of Super Junior
) and herself before they break up. Despite fans' general disappointment towards the music video being only a slideshow of photos, it was highly anticipated. On October 23, a week before the single's release across China, a joint press conference was held for both Liyin and SJM for them to officially announce their new releases to the Chinese media.
After three short months of promotions for "Moving On", Zhang announced on her Cyworld that she would be returning to Korea on January 24 to prepare for her second Chinese album.
, which is why she only performs on the two stages. On August 1, 2008, the Korean government's law of restrictions on foreigners were lifted, and foreign entertainers in Korea are now allowed to perform in every station. However, Zhang was unable to perform on MBC due to the channel's conflict with SM Entertainment. As of late 2008, MBC has removed the ban of SM Entertainment's artists on their channel.
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
as Jang Ri-in, is a Chinese
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
solo singer active in China and South Korea. Subject to much publicity, Zhang has been nicknamed the "Chinese BoA
BoA
Boa Kwon , commonly stylized and known by her stage name BoA, which is a backronym for Beat of Angel, is a Korean singer, active in South Korea, Japan, and the United States and sometimes referred to as the "Queen of Korean Pop Music"....
" and the next leader of the Korean wave
Korean wave
The Korean Wave, also known as the Hallyu , refers to spread of South Korean culture around the world. The term was coined in China in mid-1999 by Beijing journalists surprised by the fast growing popularity of Korean entertainment and culture in China...
. She speaks both Mandarin
Standard Mandarin
Standard Chinese or Modern Standard Chinese, also known as Mandarin or Putonghua, is the official language of the People's Republic of China and Republic of China , and is one of the four official languages of Singapore....
, which is her first language, and moderate Korean
Korean language
Korean is the official language of the country Korea, in both South and North. It is also one of the two official languages in the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture in People's Republic of China. There are about 78 million Korean speakers worldwide. In the 15th century, a national writing...
, and has released singles in both Korea and China, singing in both languages. Her fan club color is Gold and her fans call themselves "Chocolate".
Zhang has released only one studio album
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
since her debut in 2006, but its singles carried a few top ten titles, such as "Timeless
Timeless (Zhang Liyin song)
"Timeless" is Zhang Liyin's debut single, released on September 8, 2006 in South Korea and featuring Xiah of boyband TVXQ. The song is a remake of Kelly Clarkson and Justin Guarini's duet, originally recorded in 2003; it has also been remade by Tina Arena and Kane Alexander in 2006...
," which was a #1 hit, as well as "I Will". She is also the first foreign artist to win Best New Solo Artist at the M.net Asian Music Awards. Her first album, I Will has sold over 260,000 copies since its release in March 2008.
Early life
Zhang was born in SichuanSichuan
' , known formerly in the West by its postal map spellings of Szechwan or Szechuan is a province in Southwest China with its capital in Chengdu...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
as a native from Chengdu
Chengdu
Chengdu , formerly transliterated Chengtu, is the capital of Sichuan province in Southwest China. It holds sub-provincial administrative status...
. Her parents took her to their classical concerts and exposed her to a variety of music. At three years old, she began to learn the violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
. Zhang was so accustomed to classical, American, and European pop music that she claims she never sang children's songs when she was a child. She also developed the ability to sing a song after hearing it only once. When she was nine years old, she showed her musical ability when she sang Celine Dion
Celine Dion
Céline Marie Claudette Dion, , , is a Canadian singer. Born to a large family from Charlemagne, Quebec, Dion emerged as a teen star in the French-speaking world after her manager and future husband René Angélil mortgaged his home to finance her first record...
's "My Heart Will Go On
My Heart Will Go On
"My Heart Will Go On" is the theme song/love theme of the 1997 blockbuster film Titanic. With music by James Horner, lyrics by Will Jennings, and production by Simon Franglen, James Horner and Walter Afanasieff ,, it was recorded by Céline Dion...
".
As she grew older, Zhang became more absorbed into pop music than classical music. She secretly listened to pop music because her parents were against it. When she was twelve, she was accepted into a middle school affiliated to Sichuan Conservatory of Music
Sichuan Conservatory of Music
Sichuan Conservatory of Music , founded in 1939, is an interdisciplinary higher education institution focused on comprehensive art subjects.-External links:*...
after scoring the highest with her violin talents, but she opted to become a singer instead. Eventually, her parents began to support her dream to become a singer and she gained confidence when she was selected as the top 10 adult singers in a national singing competition under the sponsorship of Shanghai.
Zhang was discovered after Beijing partners informed the head of South Korean talent agency SM Entertainment
SM Entertainment
S.M. Entertainment is an independent Korean record label, talent agency, producer, and publisher of pop music, founded by Lee Soo-man in South Korea...
of a young talent. In 2003, she moved to South Korea and started training at the age of fourteen. She received two years of special singing and dance training under SM Entertainment. Under the direction from producer Lee Soo Man
Lee Soo Man
Lee Soo Man is a South Korean entrepreneur and the founder & chairman of S.M. Entertainment Co.,Ltd. Group, which includes two subsidiaries specializing in K-pop groups....
, Zhang discovered her R&B voice.
2006–2007: Early commercial success
Zhang's debut was anticipated not only in South Korea, but all of Asia, due to SM Entertainment's advertising of her being the "Chinese BoA" as well as Lee Soo Man himself stating he was training her to be the next leader of the Korean wave. Before her official debut, it was already known that her first song was a duet with popular TVXQTVXQ
TVXQ, an acronym for Tong Vfang Xien Qi , is a South Korean pop group formed in 2003 under SM Entertainment. In South Korea they are known as Dong Bang Shin Ki , often abbreviated by international fans as DBSK; they were later introduced in Japan as Tohoshinki under the Avex sub-label Rhythm Zone...
member Xiah
Xiah
Kim Junsu , also known by his stage name Xiah , is a South Korean singer-songwriter, composer and occasional actor...
, which generated even more interest in her. Before the official release of her single, "Timeless
Timeless (Zhang Liyin song)
"Timeless" is Zhang Liyin's debut single, released on September 8, 2006 in South Korea and featuring Xiah of boyband TVXQ. The song is a remake of Kelly Clarkson and Justin Guarini's duet, originally recorded in 2003; it has also been remade by Tina Arena and Kane Alexander in 2006...
" was available for free download between August 31 and September 6 on her official website. "Timeless" is a South Korean cover of the original single by Kelly Clarkson
Kelly Clarkson
Kelly Brianne Clarkson is an American pop rock singer-songwriter and actress. Clarkson came into prominence after becoming the winner of the inaugural season of the television series American Idol in 2002 and would later become the runner-up in the television special World Idol in 2003.In 2003,...
.
On September 8, 2006, "Timeless" was released. She made her stage debut on MBC's
Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation
Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC (Hangul : 문화방송주식회사, Munhwa Bangsong Jushikoesa) is one of four major national South Korean television and radio networks. Munhwa is the Korean word for "culture". Its flagship terrestrial television...
Music Core on September 9, 2006 singing "Timeless" with Xiah. The first day Zhang debuted she was ranked #2 on the famous Korean music website, Melon; the following day she topped this chart and held her place respectively for two full weeks. The same day she also ranked #2 on the online charts of SBS's Popular Songs, just after popular boy band, Shinhwa
Shinhwa
Shinhwa is a popular South Korean boy band and hip hop group. The group has six members , and debuted on March 24, 1998. It has enjoyed massive success alongside the likes of Sechs Kies, g.o.d., Turbo , Fin. K.L., H.O.T. and S.E.S...
's "Throw My Fist". "Timeless" was also placed first on Daum's Music Video chart as well as hitting the highest search number on the famous search engine, Naver. The "Timeless" music video, which is a two-part installment starring Lee Yeonhee and Super Junior
Super Junior
Super Junior is a South Korean boy band. Formed in 2005 by producer Lee Soo-man of SM Entertainment, the group comprised a total of thirteen members at its peak, and was once claimed to be the world's largest boy band...
members Han Geng and Siwon, was ranked #1 on Melon's Video Chart for four full weeks. Within ten days of debuting, Zhang entered the "Take 7" chart on SBS's Popular Songs (complied from internet and industry statistics).
Zhang promoted the second track of her debut single, "Y (Why...)," in early 2007. SM Entertainment also released a "Timeless" documentary version of her "Y (Why...)" music video. This music video reveals her hardships during training; it also showed many behind the scenes clips of her promotion of "Timeless", including never-before-seen footage of her with Xiah. However, promotions for "Y (Why...)" ended quickly, and SM Entertainment announced that she would be on hiatus from the music industry throughout the rest of the year to prepare for her major debut in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
in the end of the year. Zhang made a surprising guest appearance at TVXQ's second Asia tour concert in Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
on February 23, 2007. She performed "TRI-ANGLE" with TVXQ, singing a part in the song that was previously performed by BoA. She made a second appearance with TVXQ on November 24, 2007 in Malaysia for the same concert, and was TVXQ's regular guest star for their "O" Asia tour until its finale in June 2008.
2008: Chinese market
Zhang's first Mandarin album, I Will was originally announced to be released in late 2007, but the release date was pushed to early March 2008. The album was finally released in different regions of China starting March 3, 2008 and on March 28, 2008, I Will made its Asia-wide release. Before the release of the album, two music videos were released on February 27, 2008 to promote the album. Similar to "Timeless", the two music videos "I Will" and "The Left Shore of Happiness", are one story but separated to two parts. Han Geng, Choi Siwon, and Lee Yeonhee are also the cast for those two music videos.After the album's release, Zhang received praise from various industry professionals. Golden Melody Award
Golden Melody Award
The Golden Melody Awards is an annual Taiwanese music award, founded in 1990, presented by Government Information Office , Republic of China. It is usually presented in May, June or July each year and presented for music in Mandarin, Taiwanese, other Chinese dialects, and Taiwn's aboriginal...
-winning Taiwanese-American singer-songwriter Leehom Wang complimented Zhang's singing and was surprised to hear such a strong voice coming from only a nineteen-year-old. During a radio broadcast, award-winning Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
-based singer-songwriter, Hins Cheung
Hins Cheung
Hins Cheung is a Cantopop singer and songwriter in Hong Kong. He studied and graduated from the Guangzhou City 7th Secondary School. He is now under contract with Universal Records.He is 175 cm tall. In 2008, he performed at the S.U.C.C.E.S.S...
compared her "soulful" vocals to well-known R&B vocalists such as Whitney Houston
Whitney Houston
Whitney Elizabeth Houston is an American singer, actress, producer and a former model. Houston is the most awarded female act of all time, according to Guinness World Records, and her list of awards include 1 Emmy Award, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among...
, Leona Lewis
Leona Lewis
Leona Louise Lewis is a British singer and songwriter. Lewis first came to prominence in 2006 when she won the third series of the British television series The X Factor....
and Christina Aguilera
Christina Aguilera
Christina María Aguilera is an American recording artist and actress. Aguilera first appeared on national television in 1990 as a contestant on the Star Search program, and went on to star in Disney Channel's television series The Mickey Mouse Club from 1993–1994...
. He was impressed at the "international-level music" of the release and said he felt there was a lot of "power in this nineteen-year-old."
On May 25, 2008, Zhang received her first award, following the release of her Chinese album, at the 5th Annual Music King Global Chinese Ultimate Song Chart Awards for Female Mainland Newcomer with Most Potential. In her speech, she expressed wishes for more financial support towards the Sichuan earthquake
2008 Sichuan earthquake
The 2008 Sichuan earthquake or the Great Sichuan Earthquake was a deadly earthquake that measured at 8.0 Msand 7.9 Mw occurred at 14:28:01 CST...
that had devastated home province two weeks earlier. Throughout the months of May and June, Zhang attended many online interviews and made numerous variety show appearances, as well as a short university tour to raise money for the Sichuan earthquake. A solo fan meeting for Zhang Liyin was held on July 5, 2008 in Beijing. Besides performing songs from I Will, she also covered songs from notable R&B female singers Whitney Houston
Whitney Houston
Whitney Elizabeth Houston is an American singer, actress, producer and a former model. Houston is the most awarded female act of all time, according to Guinness World Records, and her list of awards include 1 Emmy Award, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among...
and Christina Aguilera
Christina Aguilera
Christina María Aguilera is an American recording artist and actress. Aguilera first appeared on national television in 1990 as a contestant on the Star Search program, and went on to star in Disney Channel's television series The Mickey Mouse Club from 1993–1994...
.
On September 13, 2008, fans first heard confirmed news of Zhang's repackage album, which would feature the track "Believe in Love", as well as plans for her second Chinese album. Despite this, the repackage album still has not been released and there has been no other announcements of it being sold in the future.
While Korea's M.NET/MK Music Festival was being held on the same night, Zhang Liyin attended the 6th Annual Southeast Music Ranking on November 15, 2008, winning the award for Best Mainland Newcomer. Her win was followed by numerous invitations to other award shows throughout the month of December, including the 2008 Starlight Grand Ceremony, BQ 2008 Celebrity Ranking, and the 1st Annual Mengniu New Music Festival.
2009–present: 2nd Chinese album
The beginning of 2009 saw Zhang's Chinese activities come to an end as she started preparations for her second album. Activities for Chinese New Year brought her alongside Super Junior-MSuper Junior-M
Super Junior-M, often referred to as SJ-M or SJM, is the third official sub-unit of Korean boy band Super Junior. They are the first international music group in the Chinese music industry to have members of both Chinese and Korean descent, and is also the first group produced by Korea's CT ...
to many activities, including her first appearance on China’s biggest television broadcaster, CCTV, for the Dance & Music Spring Festival Gala. She was also in Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
on January 9 to film for a song collaboration between many popular Chinese pop artists, such as Show Luo
Show Luo
Show Luo also known as Xiao Zhu was born on 30 July 1979. He is a Taiwanese entertainer: Mandopop singer, dancer, host and actor. He has been dubbed "Dancing King of Asia" for his dancing skills.-Biography:...
, Fish Leong
Fish Leong
Fish Leong is the stage name of Jasmine Leong, a Malaysian Chinese singer in the Mandarin pop scene who has had much success in Taiwan, Mainland China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore and Japan...
and BoBo
BoBo (band)
BOBO is a Chinese boy band composed of two members, Jing Boran and Fu Xinbo .The two became famous after competing in the 2007 My Hero competition, with Jing Boran winning first and Fu Xinbo third. In 2008, the two released their own EP, Glory , and then the album, The Big World...
.
On February 6, 2009, Zhang flew to Thailand for the second time in her career to attend the Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
concert stop in the SMTown Live '08
SMTown Live '08
SM Town Live 2008 is the 2008-2009 Asia-wide live concert tour by SM Town. The tour kicked off from South Korea and will expand its route to Thailand and China.- History :SM Town is the name for the artists under Korean record label SM Entertainment...
tour. For that weekend, her activity schedule was tight as she was required to fly throughout Asia for activities. Less than 10 hours after the end of the Bangkok concert, Zhang flew with members of SJM to Guangzhou
Guangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
to participate in the 8th Annual Future Star Competition, which also featured JJ Lin
JJ Lin
JJ Lin is a Singaporean Mandopop Singer-songwriter, Composer and Actor based in Taiwan. JJ Lin is managed by Ocean Butterflies. Lin won Best New Artist for his work on his debut album Music Voyager at the 15th Golden Melody Awards in 2004....
, Eric Tsang
Eric Tsang
Eric Tsang Chi-wai , MH is a prolific Hong Kong actor, film director, film producer and television host best known for hosting the Super Trio series on TVB over the course of 10 years.-Biography:Due to his popularity, he is often the MC in events organized by TVB, and is nicknamed "the Prize Master"...
and Dicky Cheung
Dicky Cheung
-Career:He entered show business in the early 1980s, signing a contract with television station TVB. He won the 3rd annual New Talent Singing Awards in 1984. Up until the mid 90's, Dicky struggled for many years working as a low-paid actor, singer, and appeared occasionally in films...
. She returned to South Korea for album preparations on February 9, 2009.
Aside from a performance at the Descendants of the Dragon concert hosted by Jackie Chan
Jackie Chan
Jackie Chan, SBS, MBE is a Hong Kong actor, action choreographer, comedian, director, producer, martial artist, screenwriter, entrepreneur, singer and stunt performer. In his movies, he is known for his acrobatic fighting style, comic timing, use of improvised weapons, and innovative stunts...
, Zhang was relatively inactive as she remained in Korea to record her second single.
Finally, a year and a half after the release of her first album, a teaser for her upcoming song, "Moving On
Moving On (Zhang Liyin song)
"Moving On" is Zhang Liyin's first Chinese single , released on October 29, 2009. The title song is a remake of Ana Bárbara's "Deja", originally recorded in 2003; while "Love Me" is a remake of a song called "Baila"...
" was released on October 15. Four days later, the full music video was released through SM Entertainment and Sohu
Sohu
Sohu.com, Inc. is a search engine company headquartered in the Sohu.com Internet Plaza in Haidian District, Beijing, People’s Republic of China. This company and its subsidiaries offer advertising, a search engine, on-line multiplayer gaming and other services. For the fiscal year ended December...
. The music video features Liyin reflecting back on her memories of the relationship between Donghae
Donghae (entertainer)
Lee Donghae , better known mononymously as Donghae , is a Korean singer and occasional actor. He is a part of the thirteen member South Korean boyband Super Junior. He is one of the three main dancers alongside fellow band members Eunhyuk and Shindong, and is part of its subgroup, Super Junior-M...
(of Super Junior
Super Junior
Super Junior is a South Korean boy band. Formed in 2005 by producer Lee Soo-man of SM Entertainment, the group comprised a total of thirteen members at its peak, and was once claimed to be the world's largest boy band...
) and herself before they break up. Despite fans' general disappointment towards the music video being only a slideshow of photos, it was highly anticipated. On October 23, a week before the single's release across China, a joint press conference was held for both Liyin and SJM for them to officially announce their new releases to the Chinese media.
After three short months of promotions for "Moving On", Zhang announced on her Cyworld that she would be returning to Korea on January 24 to prepare for her second Chinese album.
Visa
Like label mate Han Geng, Zhang holds an E-6 (Entertainment industry) passport, for foreigners in South Korea. Foreign artists carrying out promotional activities have limitations in terms of location and other factors. Han's passport only allows him to work under SBS and KBS, while Zhang's allows her to work only with SBS and MBCMunhwa Broadcasting Corporation
Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC (Hangul : 문화방송주식회사, Munhwa Bangsong Jushikoesa) is one of four major national South Korean television and radio networks. Munhwa is the Korean word for "culture". Its flagship terrestrial television...
, which is why she only performs on the two stages. On August 1, 2008, the Korean government's law of restrictions on foreigners were lifted, and foreign entertainers in Korea are now allowed to perform in every station. However, Zhang was unable to perform on MBC due to the channel's conflict with SM Entertainment. As of late 2008, MBC has removed the ban of SM Entertainment's artists on their channel.
Singles
- 2006: "TimelessTimeless (Zhang Liyin song)"Timeless" is Zhang Liyin's debut single, released on September 8, 2006 in South Korea and featuring Xiah of boyband TVXQ. The song is a remake of Kelly Clarkson and Justin Guarini's duet, originally recorded in 2003; it has also been remade by Tina Arena and Kane Alexander in 2006...
" - 2009: "Moving OnMoving On (Zhang Liyin song)"Moving On" is Zhang Liyin's first Chinese single , released on October 29, 2009. The title song is a remake of Ana Bárbara's "Deja", originally recorded in 2003; while "Love Me" is a remake of a song called "Baila"...
"
Awards
| Years | Awards |
|---|---|
| 2006 |
|
| 2008 |
|