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Joker Xue

Joker Xue (Chinese: 薛之谦; pinyin: Xuē Zhīqiān, born 17 July 1983) is a Chinese singer-songwriter and record producer. Formerly known as Jacky Xue, Xue is known for his signature style, stage charisma, and sense of humor. Since his 2006 debut, Xue has produced a string of ballads. His musical style melds the classic pop pairing of piano and strings with folk-tinged acoustic guitar and R&B beats; in recent years, he has incorporated more rock elements into his music.

Joker Xue
薛之谦
Xue in 2019
Born (1983-07-17) 17 July 1983 (age 40)
Shanghai, China
NationalityChinese
Alma materGlion Institute of Higher Education
Occupations
  • Singer-songwriter
  • record producer
Years active2005–present
Notable work"演员" Actor, "丑八怪" Ugly
Spouses
Leixin Gao
​
(m. 2012⁠–⁠2015)​
Leixin Gao
​
(m. 2017)​
Children1
Chinese name
Simplified Chinese薛之谦
Traditional Chinese薛之謙
Musical career
GenresMandopop
Instrument(s)Guitar, Piano
LabelsChaoshi Music

Throughout his career, Xue has received more than 160 awards for his songwriting, vocals, songs, popularity, streaming achievements, stage performances, concerts, and more. He is among the most-streamed Mandopop artists on Spotify and YouTube as well as one of six Chinese artists to perform more than 100 shows in a single tour.[1]

Early life

Xue was born and raised in Shanghai, China. At age four, his mother died of a heart disease.[2] He studied painting in his youth, then Hotel Management at Glion Institute of Higher Education in Switzerland, before dropping out to pursue a music career.

Music career

2005–2010: Debut and career beginnings

In 2005, Xue participated in the singing competition show 我型我秀 My Style, My Show and released his self-titled debut album "薛之谦" Xue Zhiqian as Jacky Xue the following year. His debut album sold over 200,000 copies within a month and a half and included major hits such as "认真的雪" Serious Snow, "黄色枫叶" Yellow Maple Leaves..[3] The same year, he was awarded the Most Popular New Artist at the 6th Global Chinese Music Awards.[4]

In 2007, Xue recorded his second album "你过得好吗" How Are You, which sold 150,000 copies within one month of its release.[5] He made history by receiving seven nominations at the Beijing Pop Music Awards, which established his reputation as a promising singer-songwriter.[6] He headlined his first concert in Shanghai on December 20.

In 2008, Xue released his third album "深深爱过你" Loved You Deeply. After listening to the song "传说" Legend in this album, Shinji Tanimura was impressed by Xue's compositions and invited him to the Asia Music Festival held in Osaka, Japan.[7] Xue was honored as a torchbearer for the 2008 Summer Olympics torch relay.[8] In 2009, Xue released a compilation album "未完成的歌" Unfinished Songs, composed of selected tracks from several of his albums, along with three new songs.

In 2010, new management of his company was unwilling to fund Xue's album despite his previous successes. Xue, wishing to continue his music career, afforded all the expenditure to produce and advertise his album. During this period, he fell into depression, and lost weight sharply during those days.[9]

2011–2015: Self-funded music and alternate paths

Xue continued to self-fund his music by opening his own hotpot restaurant 上上谦, its success allowed him to keep pursuing music. He also appeared on Chinese variety shows, which can be quite harsh and punishing to the guests. On such shows, he was asked to eat inedible items (e.g. lipstick, glasses, paper, and centipedes) and to open a durian using his bare hands or his head. Reflecting back on those years, Xue said "If I go to more reality shows, I will definitely go insane, but appearing on these reality shows and acting like a crazy man have given me two things: making money for creating new songs and keeping exposure during the time when no new music production is published."[10]

In 2012, Xue released his fifth album, "几个薛之谦" Several Xue Zhiqians. That year also marked the end of his seven-year contract with "上腾娱乐" Shangteng Entertainment, which went out of business soon after he left. It is worth noting that he is the only artist who debuted via 我型我秀 My Style, My Show to fulfill the entirety of his contract as the others had terminated their contracts earlier by paying the penalty. Xue stated he chose to honor it because they opened the door to his music career.[11]

In 2013, Xue released his sixth album "意外" An Unexpected Journey, under the record company Ocean Butterflies.[12] Notable songs from the album include "丑八怪" Ugly and "你还要我怎样" What Do You Want Me To Do, which have more than 76 million and 42 million views on YouTube, respectively.[13][14]

In 2015, Xue established his own streetwear brand Dangerous People. That same year, Xue released an EP, "绅士" Gentleman, which contained three tracks, one of which is the highly popular song "演员" Actor. The music video for "演员" has been viewed over 212 million times on YouTube and surpassed 100 million streams on Spotify.[15][16]

2016–2020: Promotional activities and commercial success

Xue in 2017

In 2016, Xue produced his seventh album "初学者" Beginner, which includes three songs from the EP "绅士" and the notable single "剛剛好" Just Right. The music video for "剛剛好" has over 50 million views on YouTube.[17] In the list of the top ten internet celebrities with the most marketing value, Xue ranked at number ten.[18] Despite the success of his songs, Xue pushed himself to appear in more than 40 variety shows in order to maintain exposure and for the audience to connect his name to his music.

In 2017, Xue released his eighth album "渡" The Crossing. Songs favored by critics from this album include “高尚” Noble and “动物世界” Animal World, both reflecting and critiquing the darker side of human nature. In the same year, Xue held his first concert tour "我好像在哪见过你巡回演唱会" I Think I've Seen You Somewhere Tour, which was very well-received.[19] At the 2017 Kugou Music Awards, he was recognized as the most popular male solo singer of the year in terms of total plays, downloads, and searches.[20]

In 2018, Xue announced he would decrease his variety show appearances to better focus on music and he suffered from laryngitis for several months before making a full recovery.[21] He released his ninth album "怪咖" Freak with songs like “摩天大楼” Skyscraper and “肆无忌惮” Reckless incorporating different musical elements, while “最好” The Best featured a more balladic composition. He ranked first amongst solo artists in terms highest cumulative playback volume on QQ Music for the second consecutive year.[22] Later that year, he embarked on his "摩天大楼世界巡回演唱会" Skyscraper World Tour.

In 2019, after concluding his "摩天大楼世界巡回演唱会" Skyscraper World Tour that spanned spanned China, North America, Australia, and Europe, Xue released his tenth album "尘" Dust, which contained ten songs. He was named Male Singer of the Year at CMIC Music Awards, a prestigious award modelled after The Grammys and The BRIT Awards with the aim of creating a more fair evaluation of music without influences from sponsors and focusing on artistry over entertainment[23]

In 2020, Xue released his eleventh album "天外来物" Alien From The Sky, which contained ten songs. However, only nine are available for streaming in the US as "小尖尖" is unavailable on Spotify or Apple Music. "天外来物" Alien From The Sky was named one of the Best Songs of the Year and Xue won awards as "The Most Covered Singer on WeSing" and "Most Influential Male Singer (Mainland China)" at the 2021 Tencent Music Entertainment Awards.[24]

2021–present: Extraterrestrial World Tour

Xue began on his Extraterrestrial World Tour in October 2021, which began at the Suzhou Sports Center in Suzhou. In 2022, he performed at Wuyuan River Stadium.[25] Due to COVID-19 restrictions, he only held four shows in 2021 and one show in 2022.

The Extraterrestrial World Tour fully took off in 2023. Xue headlined 75 shows, with consecutive shows at most stops and a series of three consecutive shows at the Beijing National Stadium on August 11–13, 2023, attracting around 60,000 people per show.[26] Many of the Chinese cities he toured in were categorized by Chinese city tier system as second- and third- tier cities, typically not sites for large-scale consecutive concerts. Quzhou, a third-tier city and the first stop of Xue's 2023 shows, placed first as fastest-growing city in the country’s box office rankings and prompted Quzhou News Media Center voicing their gratitude to Xue in a video on their official Douyin account.[27]

On April 21, 2024, Xue performed the 100th show of the Extraterrestrial World Tour in Luoyang, becoming the sixth Chinese artist to reach the milestone of 100 shows in a single tour. As of May, 2024, the Extraterrestrial World Tour spanned 30 of the 34 Province-level divisions of China.

In 2022, Xue released his twelfth album, "无数" Countless, which included ten songs, including the lead single "变废为宝" Turning Waste Into Treasure, "可" But featuring Jane Zhang, and "你不是一个人" You Are Not Alone featuring Jeff Chang.[28] At the 15th Migu Music Awards, "变废为宝" Turning Waste Into Treasure was named one of the Best Songs of the Year and Xue won Best Male Singer; Xue's previous album "天外来物" Alien From The Sky won Album of the Year (Male Singer).[29]

In 2023, Xue released "银河少年" Youth of the Galaxy,[30] "Nothing",[31] "崇拜" Worship,[32] "念" Idea,[33] and "情书" Love Letter.[34] In 2024, Xue released "AI".[35]

Social impact

In 2007, Joker Xue went to Russia with other artists to participate in the China Cultural Festival key project "Friendship Tour along the Volga River" jointly organized by the Ministry of Culture of the People's Republic of China and the Russian Federation Cultural Film Agency.[36]

On 20 January 2008, Joker Xue presented the "Wings of Happiness" charity evening;[37] then, he was elected torchbearer and passed the torch in Zhengzhou, Henan Province, and passed the torch.[38] In March, a new book release was held in Shanghai. Not only donating part of the manuscript fee, he also took out 10 photos for auction. The proceeds were donated to the snow disaster-stricken area through the Shanghai Red Cross to support the reconstruction.[39]

In 2018, Xue served as promotion ambassador for the "Run Beijing" charity project, aimed to raise awareness for the importance of physical and mental health.[40]

In September 2023, Xue was forced to cancel the second show on his Chengdu stop due to a high fever. He announced the news in person because he felt it was only right to do so given the fans had already travelled to the stadium. Not only were fans offered to choice to refund or keep their tickets for a future show, but those from out of town could also be reimbursed for their travel and lodging expenses. This considerate gesture drew widespread praise.[41][42] Other artists began providing more comprehensive accommodations for concert cancellations in the following year.[43][44]

Xue has stated multiple times that he is against Ticket resale. To protect his fans, he often adds one or two more shows at each location to increase the likelihood that his fans can get tickets and decrease the chances that his fans will engage with scalpers. He has also urged his fans to only come to one show and to spend their time and money on other things in life.[45]

Accolades

Xue's artistry has received praise from other acclaimed musicians, producers, and songwriters.

Zhang Yadong said: "Through these lyrics, you can understand his particularly delicate thoughts, which are very, very good...” Yuan Weiren said: "I think that for a musician as good as Xue Zhiqian, he has many of the most important aspects of Chinese music." Li Jian described him as: "a true pioneer of mainland music, a great singer who can be compared with and compete with any singer in Hong Kong and Taiwan." Zhao Yingjun said: "he is one of the best lyricists in the music industry."[46]

Both of his Skyscraper World Tour and Extraterrestrial World Tour received positive reviews from The Strait Times. Of the Skyscraper World Tour, Xue's voice "smouldered at its lower end and shimmered in its higher register" and he was able to "play up the drama in performance without being showy."[47] Of the Extraterrestrial World Tour, Xue's style was "playful and wisecracking", his voice "rang with a pleading intensity perfect for the grand anthems he is known for", and he familiarized "himself with all things Singapore" to include local details into his performance.[48]

Discography

Xue takes an active role the creation of his albums, writing the majority of his songs. He has written more than 75 songs as a lyricist and more than 70 songs as a composer.

Extended plays:

  • (2015.06) Gentleman (绅士)[92]

Albums:

  • (2006.06) Jacky (薛之謙)[93]
  • (2007.07) How Are You? (你過得好嗎)[94]
  • (2008.11) Deeply Loved You (深深爱过你)[95]
  • (2009.12) Unfinished Songs (未完成的歌)
  • (2012.08) Several Of... (幾個薛之謙)
  • (2013.11) An Unexpected Journey (意外)[96]
  • (2016.07) Beginner (初學者)[97]
  • (2017.12) The Crossing (渡)[98]
  • (2018.12) Freak (怪咖)[99]
  • (2019.12) Dust (塵)[100]
  • (2020.12) Extraterrestrial (天外來物)[101]
  • (2022.09) Countless (无数)[102]

Singles:

  • (2023.01) Youth of the Galaxy (银河少年)[103]
  • (2023.04) Nothing[104]
  • (2023.06) Worship (崇拜)[105]
  • (2023.07) Idea (念)[106]
  • (2023.12) Love Letter (情书)[107]
  • (2024.02) AI [108]

Concert tours

Xue held his first concert in 2007 in Shanghai, as it was a single show, it did not count as a tour. Since 2017, he has headlined three tours. His first tour, I Think I've Seen You Somewhere, had 10 shows and was based in China. He expanded the scope for his second and third tours, Skyscraper World Tour and Extraterrestrial World Tour, to include stops in other Asian countries and cities in North America, Europe, Australia.

He holds numerous records as the first Mainland China and/or first artist to hold a concert at specific stadiums, both due to his willingness to travel to second- and third-tier cities (as categorized by Chinese city tier system) and his widespread fanbase. He is the first Mainland China artist to hold two consecutive concerts at Taipei Arena[109] as well as the first Chinese male artist to perform at top venues in Australia and New Zealand (Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, The Trusts Arena, and Qudos Bank Arena).[110] On August 11–13, 2023, Xue held three consecutive concerts at Beijing National Stadium, fulfilling his ultimate wish of headlining the venue as stated in an interview eighteen years ago.[111]

Xue headlined the 100th concert of his career on November 11, 2023 in Wenzhou. He held the 100th concert of the Extraterrestrial World Tour on April 21, 2024 in Luoyang, placing him among the handful of artists (Jacky Cheung, Eason Chan, Jay Chou, and Mayday (Taiwanese band)) who have also held more than 100 concerts in a single tour. As of May 2024, his Extraterrestrial World Tour has stopped at 30 of the 34 Province-level divisions of China.

References

External links

Wikiquote has quotations related to Joker Xue.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Joker Xue.
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