Zhang Liangying (Chinese: 张靓颖; pinyin: Zhāng Liàngyǐng; born October 11, 1984), also known as Jane Zhang, is a Chinese singer, songwriter and record producer. She is known for her signature use of the whistle register and has been dubbed the "Dolphin Princess" (海豚公主). Zhang began performing as a teenager by singing in pubs to help earn money for her family. After signing with Huayi Brothers Media Corporation in 2005, Zhang released her first studio album, The One (2006). Her second album, Update, was released in 2007. Zhang's third studio album, Jane@Music, was released in 2009. Her fourth studio album, Believe in Jane, was released in 2010. In 2011, Zhang released her fifth studio album, Reform, which was certified double platinum by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI).
Jane performed in the 2017 Victoria's Secret Show and was featured in the Oprah Winfrey Show. Her single "Dust My Shoulders Off" topped iTunes 4th and 1st in music video. She was invited and attended the Grammys twice. She was the judge for the Montreal international film festival. She has 40 million followers on Weibo and won China Best Female Artist seven times. Zhang released her first English-language studio album Past Progressive in 2019.
Zhang has received numerous awards, including nine Beijing Pop Music Awards for Best Female Singer, two China Gold Record Awards, and a MTV Europe Music Award. She has been included in the annual Forbes China celebrity lists from 2006 to 2013. In 2016, the Chengdu government estimated her annual output value at ¥1.1 billion ($160 million).
Zhāng Liàngyǐng, known popularly as Jane Zhang, was born in Chengdu, Sichuan, on October 11, 1984. She took the English name "Jane" when she was at school, stating in an interview that she had "always liked the novel Jane Eyre" and paid homage to the novel in an EP. Her father, Zhang Huaqing (张华清), was a long-distance truck driver whose work frequently took him away from home; her mother, Zhang Guiying (张桂英), was a department-store assistant during that time. Zhang noted in an interview that "her parents divorced early [though she] did not realize the secret until years later". At the age of 15, Zhang's father died and "her mother was laid off from her job", so Zhang sang at a public bar to help support the family, adding to the 100 yuan per month she received from her late father's family. She told an interviewer in 2007 that she "lived in a bar for 6 years".
Zhang entered Sichuan University Foreign Language College for undergraduate studies in 2003. She began her singing career by winning third place at the Chinese singing contest Super Girl in 2005, and signed with Huayi Music the following year.
2004–2009: Career beginnings, The One, Update and Jane@Music, and soundtracks
In July 2004, Zhang won the "Chinese College Student Singer Competition", organized by Warner Music. In 2005 she won third place in the Chinese singing contest Super Girl. Although she did not win the competition, her voice still won her a huge following. A number of recording companies began to contact Zhang. Zhang finally chose to sign with Huayi Brothers Company and Hurray Company. Among them, Huayi Brothers are responsible for Zhang's traditional recording productions and promotion, and Hurray Company is responsible for her digital music marketing and promotion. Zhang began preparations for her first EP, Jane, Love, and the production team invited American musicians Denise Rich and Toby Gad to create singles for her. This EP has three songs, which were released in China on January 12, 2006. The EP has sold more than 500,000 copies in China.
In October 2006 Zhang sang the theme song "Only for Love" for the Chinese film The Banquet, joining hands with composer Tan Dun and pianist Lang Lang. Her first studio album The One was released in October 2006. It sold more than a million copies in China.
Zhang's second studio album, Update, was released in 2007 and contained R&B and jazz elements. It was a notable change from the Chinese pop genre that many expected from her. Promoted by the success of her pop single "We said", Update became one of the best-selling albums of 2007 in China. In 2008 she released a song with Andrea Bocelli—"One World, One Dream", which was used for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.
In May 2008, Zhang was invited to perform in Tokyo. As part of Chinese President Hu Jintao's "warm spring" tour of Japan, Zhang performed at the residence of Japanese prime minister Yasuo Fukuda. China Daily commented that Zhang actively helped promote cultural understanding and friendship between the youth of both countries through her music.
Her trademark style is considered to be soft and heartbreaking love songs in songs prior to her third studio album, Jane@Music. Zhang has always been fascinated by live music and prefers singing live as opposed to recording in a studio. Jane@Music was released in January 2009 and includes more jazzy and faster songs. Subsequently, Zhang held a small concert at the Duo Music Exchange in Shibuya, Japan to promote the album. In May 2009, Zhang appeared on an episode of American television program The Oprah Winfrey Show, "The World's Got Talent", performing a medley of Chinese songs and "Hero" by Mariah Carey.
2009–2015: Believe in Jane, Listen to Jane Z Live, The Seventh Sense and soundtracks
On November 2, 2009, Universal Music announced the signing of Zhang, at a press conference in Hong Kong. She stated she had no plans to further her career abroad and has focused on the Chinese market.
After signing with Universal Music Group in 2009, Zhang released her fourth studio album, Believe in Jane in February 2010, which included the successful single "If This Is Love". On May 8, 2010, Zhang and Hong Kong singer Jacky Cheung, along with Somali rapper K'naan, original performer for the 2010 FIFA World Cup theme song, they are singing "Wavin' Flag" together at the Coca-Cola Pavilion at World Expo 2010 Shanghai. In August, she embarked on her first Believe in Jane Tour and travelled to Shanghai, Beijing, Tianjin, and Chengdu. In October 2010 she performed on Asia Song Festival in Seoul, South Korea.
On June 1, 2011, Zhang announced the release of her fifth studio album, Reform, stating that "more than 60 percent of the album ... can be labeled as typical Jane Zhang style". In China Daily, Han Bingbin and Qin Zhongwei wrote that the songs "cover a range of styles, from R&B to rock, hip-hop, and dance," that seven of the album's ten songs "were composed by US musicians" and that "a US postproduction team was involved to guarantee top quality". In addition, "Zhang wrote the lyrics for three songs, including one she composed herself". In the same year, she produced a single, "Summer of Love", for Chinese actor Yang Mi. The album sold 80,000 copies within a month in China and was certified double platinum by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI).
Listen to Jane Z Live is a live album recorded by Zhang in 2012 and produced by Jim Lee. At that time Zhang flew to Las Vegas to see Cirque du Soleil's The Beatles Love, which inspired her to release a live album that she rehearsed for in 11 days. Zhang's love for English songs also led to the original production, I Didn't Know, which showcased her wide vocal range.
In July 2014, Zhang announced she signed with Sony Music. Simultaneously, her sixth studio album The Seventh Sense was released. It took her two years to complete the 12-song album. The disc contains two English-language songs: "Get out of My Life" and "Unwind". She wrote the lyrics of "The Seventh Sense", the theme song and namesake of the new album, based on her experiences during the past nine years. This album is the first in the Chinese music industry to be explicitly related to Chinese fashion. Zhang collaborated with the fashion magazine Harper's Bazaar to hold a custom show of cross-border music and fashion and released the song "Bazaar". In 2014, Zhang was a jury member at the 38th Montreal World Film Festival.