Video | Ahead of Hong Kong shows, G.E.M. on how Chinese pop is finding its voice and heartbreak over Linkin Park singer’s death
Currently on her Queen of Hearts World Tour, G.E.M., known as ‘China’s Taylor Swift’, says she hopes her music inspires fans as they experience life’s ups and downs, ahead of September Hong Kong shows
When Gloria Tang Tsz-kei wrote her first song at the age of 13, she can’t have known she was embarking on a music career that would make her Hong Kong’s biggest pop export since the handover.
But while the singer, better known as G.E.M., has won millions of fans in China and around the world, her heart remains in Hong Kong no matter where she goes.
“Hong Kong is my home. Whenever I’m in Hong Kong, I feel a sense of security,” says Tang, who will be turning 26 this month.
G.E.M. stands for “get everybody moving”, a stage name that has been her motivation to make music since she started her professional career at 16. Nearly a decade on, she has certainly achieved what she set out to do.
Her powerful voice and songwriting skills have earned her wide recognition from the industry and fans alike. She’s managed to get millions to move along with her music: her Weibo account (China’s equivalent of Twitter) has 23 million followers, to add to her three million on Instagram and almost three million on Facebook.
Her previous tour, X.X.X. Live, involved 75 shows around the world over two years, including a sold-out gig at Wembley Arena in London and a tour around North America in 2015. Now the woman the Western media calls “China’s Taylor Swift” is currently engaged in another tour, the Queen of Hearts World Tour, which calls in on the Hong Kong Coliseum on September 16 and 17.
