Jolin Tsai | |||||||||||||
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.jpg) Tsai at the Valentino show in Paris, March 2024 | |||||||||||||
| Born | Tsai I-ling September 15, 1980 | ||||||||||||
| Alma mater | Fu Jen Catholic University | ||||||||||||
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| Years active | 1999–present | ||||||||||||
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| Awards | Full list | ||||||||||||
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| Origin | Taipei, Taiwan | ||||||||||||
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| Instrument | Vocals | ||||||||||||
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| Chinese name | |||||||||||||
| Chinese | 蔡依林 | ||||||||||||
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Jolin Tsai (Mandarin: [tsʰaɪ˥˩] ; Chinese: 蔡依林; born September 15, 1980) is a Taiwanese singer, songwriter, and actress. Widely recognized as the "Queen of C-Pop", Tsai is one of the most influential figures in the Chinese-speaking world’s pop culture. Her continuous reinvention and versatility in musical style and visual presentation have established her as a leading figure in popularizing dance-pop music in Greater China. Tsai exercises significant creative control over her career, and her work, which often addresses societal issues and ideological themes, has achieved both commercial success and critical acclaim.
Born in Hsinchuang, Taiwan, Tsai gained prominence in 1998 after winning a singing competition organized by MTV Mandarin. Her debut album, 1019 (1999), was a commercial success and cemented her status as a teen idol with a significant following among teenagers. With the release of Magic (2003), Tsai transitioned to a more dance-oriented musical style, further establishing her reputation with Dancing Diva (2006), which solidified her role as a prominent dance-pop artist in the Chinese music scene.
In 2009, Tsai founded her own company, Eternal, and began to assert creative control over all aspects of her career. The album Myself (2010) marked a turning point, showcasing themes of girl power and concern for minority issues. Her subsequent album, Muse (2012), combined mainstream appeal with independent music elements, while Play (2014) was noted for advancing Chinese dance music on a global stage. Her album Ugly Beauty (2018) delved into themes of societal beauty standards and psychological complexity.
Tsai has sold over 25 million records, making her the highest-selling Taiwanese female recording artist since 2000. Since the release of Magic (2003), each of her studio albums has been the highest-selling album by a female artist in Taiwan for the year of its release, with four also being the highest-selling album overall in the country. She has won seven Golden Melody Awards, the most by any dance-pop artist in the award's history. Tsai has frequently appeared on the Forbes China Celebrity 100 list, ranking in the top 20 for six out of ten years since 2010 and being named the number one Chinese female singer three times. Her net worth surpassed NT$2 billion in 2014, and she has been ranked as the highest-paid Taiwanese female singer 16 times between 2003 and 2022.