Culture Club | Faye Wong and the love songs that are the story of her life

Other people's relationships aren't any of our business. But in the case of Faye Wong's relationships, apparently they are everybody's business.

The Chinese pop queen's shocking divorce from mainland actor Li Yapang after eight years of marriage has stunned the Chinese speaking community around the world. Stories and rumours speculating on the reasons behind the divorce – Li's purported extra-marital affairs, Li's alleged financial troubles, and even Wong's “plan” to become a Buddhist nun – have claimed news headlines.

Despite Wong having denied all the rumours, the divorce settlement, her post-divorce career move and the fate of Wong’s daughters – Dou Jingtong, her 16-year-old elder daughter with first husband Dou Wei, and Li Yan, seven-year-old younger daughter with Li Yapang, born with a cleft palate – will continue to grace the covers of many gossip magazines to come.

Juicy stories sell. But in the case of Wong's divorce, it isn't all just about prying into her privacy. Everyone from A-list stars like Andy Lau Tak-wah to tens of thousands of fans from all walks of life is saddened by the unexpected separation. They are genuinely sorry for one of the, if not the, greatest and most loved singers of our times, because the star's troubled love life is somewhat a self-fulfilling prophecy of her music that many of us grew up with.

Wong was discovered by Chan Siu-bo, former chief of record label Cinepoly, in the late 1980s. The Beijing-born Wong, who was only 18, embarked on her music journey as a packaged Canto-pop idol under stage name Shirley Wong Ching-man, singing poppy romantic tunes. But it wasn't until her return from a two-year hiatus in New York City did she – and her music - start to become interesting.

Video: Chan Siu-bo: What makes Faye Wong a superstar