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Joker Xue
Musical artist From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Joker Xue (Chinese: 薛之谦; pinyin: Xuē Zhīqiān, born July 17, 1983) is a Chinese singer-songwriter and record producer, formerly known as Jacky Xue. One of the most-streamed and most popular Mandopop artists, he is known for his emotional vocal delivery with works that span various styles such as ballads, rock music, and R&B. His song, "Actor" is one of the most viewed Chinese music video on YouTube.
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Xue's Extraterrestrial World Tour, drawing more than 5 million people, is among the most-attended concert tours of all-time. He is one of five Chinese artists to surpass 100 shows, counting both arena and stadium venues, in a single tour and the only Chinese artist to surpass 100 stadium shows in a single tour.
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Early life
Xue was born and raised in Shanghai, China. At age four, his mother died of a heart disease.[1][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.[3]
Music career
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2005–2010: Debut and career beginnings
In 2004, Xue passed the audition for the singing competition show My Style, My Show (我型我秀), but chose to resign because he felt he "was not qualified to compete."[4] In 2005, he returned to My Style, My Show, finishing in fourth place and signing with Shang Teng Entertainment (上腾娱乐).[5] In 2006, he released his debut album Jacky (薛之谦) as Jacky Xue. His self-titled album, including major hits such as "Serious Snow" (认真的雪) and "Yellow Maple Leaves" (黄色枫叶), sold over 200,000 copies within one and a half months[6] and Xue was awarded the Most Popular New Artist at the 2006 Global Chinese Music Awards.[7] In 2007, Xue released his second album How Are You? (你过得好吗), which sold more than 150,000 copies within one month of its release.[8]
In 2008, Xue was a torchbearer for the 2008 Summer Olympics torch relay.[9] The song "Once Upon a Time in Zurich" (苏黎世的从前) from his second album was adapted to pay tribute to Olympic athletes and renamed "Origin of the Dream" (梦开始的原点).[10] It was included on his third album Deeply Loved You (深深爱过你) which was considered a critical and commercial success, making history with seven nominations at the Beijing Pop Music Awards[11] and prompting his company to release an upgraded commemorative album in April of the following year.[12] He closed out the year with his first concert in Shanghai on December 20.
In 2009, Xue released Unfinished Songs (未完成的歌), a compilation album composed of selected tracks from his previous albums with three new songs. In 2010, Xue starred in The University Days of a Dog (一只狗的大学时光).[13] Despite his successes, Shang Teng Entertainment's new management was unwilling to fund Xue's next album.[14] During this period, he fell into depression, and lost weight sharply.[15]
2011–2015: Self-funded music
In 2011, Xue opened his own hotpot restaurant, Shang Shang Qian (上上谦), its successes allowed him to keep pursuing music.[16] In 2012, Xue starred in and provided music for the soundtrack of the television series The Queen of SOP.[17] In July, he marked the end of his seven-year contract with Shang Teng Entertainment with the announcement of his fifth album Several Of... (几个薛之谦).[18][19] Xue briefly signed with Shanghai Kunhong Media but soon terminated the contract due to Kunhong's inability to fulfill said contract.[20]
In 2013, Xue signed with Ocean Butterflies and released his sixth album An Unexpected Journey (意外).[21] It debuted at the top of Sino Chart and remained there for two weeks.[22][23] In 2014, Xue starred in the television series Mother Like Flowers (妈妈像花儿一样).[24] He also appeared on many Chinese variety shows because "doing variety shows is to make money, and the ultimate goal of making money is to return to making music."[25] He later called his style of humor during this period "hard humor" because he had to force himself to exaggerate his affectations for comedic effect.[26]
In 2015, Xue founded his own streetwear brand Dangerous People.[27] He gained significant popularity through sharing jokes on Weibo[28] and later said the sudden fame was jarring but he was grateful for the chance to share his music with more people.[29] On June 8, he released his first EP, Gentleman (绅士), which contained the highly popular song "Actor" (演员). On October 17, Xue released his second EP Half, which surpassed 100 million streams in less than a month.[30]
2016–2018: Commercial success
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In 2016, Xue changed his English name from "Jacky" to "Joker" as "Jacky" was the result of a guessing game he played at his debut and "Joker" reflected his sense of humor.[3] In an effort for the audience to connect his name to his music after the success of "Actor", Xue pushed himself to appear in more than 40 variety shows.[25] He was named "No. 1 Model Worker in Variety Shows"[31] and ranked tenth on data analysis agency Standard Ranking's list of internet celebrities commercial value.[32] However, the packed schedule took its toll on his physical[33] and mental[34] health. In July, Xue produced and released his seventh album Beginner (初学者), which won multiple awards,[35][36][37] and was named Album of the Year on Apple Music's 2016 year-end list.[38]
In January 2017, Xue was hospitalized due to acute gastroenteritis while filming the variety show Our Challenge (我们的挑战).[33] He later said his focus will be on music going forward, shedding the variety show star persona and working toward the goal of becoming "Eason Chan of mainland."[25] In April, he embarked on his first concert tour I Think I've Seen You Somewhere Tour (我好像在哪见过你巡回演唱会). That same year, he starred in the film What a Day! (有完没完)[39] and the television series Boy Hood (我们的少年时代).[40] In December, Xue released his eighth album The Crossing (渡) and received multiple awards.[41][42][43] By the end of 2017, the total stream count of his songs across all Chinese platforms exceeded 12.7 billion[44] and he ranked first amongst solo artists cumulative playback volume on QQ Music.[45]
In early 2018, Xue suffered from laryngitis for several months and at one point feared he would not be able to perform anymore before making a full recovery.[46][47] In July, he began his Skyscraper World Tour. On December 31, he released his ninth album Freak (怪咖), which was well-received,[48][49][50] and again ranked first amongst solo artists cumulative playback volume on QQ Music.[51]
2019–2023: Extraterrestrial World Tour
In 2019, Xue concluded the Skyscraper World Tour in Hong Kong on May 19, setting the record for highest concert box office by a mainland China male singer.[52] In December, Xue released his tenth album Dust (尘) and was named Male Singer of the Year at CMIC Music Awards.[53] Billboard magazine included "Puppet" (木偶人), the lead single from Dust, on their The Global No. 1s You (Probably) Never Heard list.[54] In 2020, Xue held his first online concert Dust in the World on May 23. On December 31, he released his eleventh album Extraterrestrial (天外来物). The lead single "Extraterrestrial" was named one of the Best Songs of the Year and Xue was named Most Influential Male Singer of mainland China at the 2021 Tencent Music Entertainment Awards.[55]
In 2021, Xue held the first two shows of his Extraterrestrial World Tour in Suzhou in October followed by two shows in Guangzhou in November, ranking first in the annual comprehensive concert box office.[56] He was listed among the Top 20 Artists of the Year and Top 10 Singer-Songwriter of the Year on Tencent Music Year End Charts.[57] In 2022, Xue released his twelfth album, Countless (无数). He was named Best Male Singer at the 15th Migu Music Awards[58] and Male Singer of the Year by the CMIC Music Awards for a second time.[59] In December, he resumed the Extraterrestrial World Tour, previously paused due to COVID-19 restrictions, with one show at Wuyuan River Stadium.[60]
In February 2023, Xue held his second online concert Ke, the total number of views exceeded 160 million. From March to December, he continued the Extraterrestrial World Tour with 75 shows, with two or three consecutive shows at most stops; Quzhou, the first stop of Xue's 2023 shows, placed first as fastest-growing city in the country's box office rankings due to his concerts.[61] In July and August, Xue briefly served as a judge on Sing! China before the show was suspended for alleged mistreatment of former coach Coco Lee.[62] In December, Xue ranked number one in total number of fans across all music streaming platforms in China with 83.62 million fans.[63] Xue was named one of the Top 10 Artists of the Year and Top 10 Songwriters of the Year on Tencent Music's year-end chart, and his singles "Adoration" (崇拜) and "Conviction" (念) were among the Top 10 Songs of the Year, making him the only artist with more than one song on the list.[64] He ranked 8th Most Streamed Mandarin Pop Male Singers Worldwide on Spotify.[65]
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2024–present: Recent activities
In 2024, Xue performed three sold-out shows at the Singapore Indoor Stadium in January[3] before embarking on the North American and Oceanic stops of his Extraterrestrial Tour in February and March. He then returned to China and continued performing two consecutive shows each week, sometimes three,[66][67] from April to July.[68][69][70] On June 15, Xue was announced as a brand ambassador for QQ Speed[71][72] and released the theme song, "Relieve Boredom" (解解闷), on August 8. "Relieve Boredom" ranked first on QQ Music rap chart, marking Xue's first appearance on that chart.[73] In August, Xue concluded the Extraterrestrial World Tour,[74] totaling 140 shows with an attendance of approximately 4,900,000,[75] and shared a trailer for his next tour: "King of Beasts" (万兽之王).[76]
In September, Xue performed "Rent or Purchase" (租购) on the music variety shows Melody Journey (音乐缘计划), which quickly topped the charts on QQ Music.[77][78] On October 15, Xue extended the Extraterrestrial Tour with international stadium shows, bringing the same production design as his shows in China to his overseas fans, and became the first mainland China artist to hold an international stadium tour.[79][80] On November 21, Xue announced the studio version of "Rent or Purchase" will be released at midnight and it is the final song of his 13th album, The Guardian.[81] From August 25 to December 15, Xue performed at 18 music festivals, all were in China except for the One Love Asia Festival in Singapore.[82]
In January 2025, TVBS News reported Xue has acquired rights to his music videos after all of his music videos were reuploaded on Xue's own YouTube official channel.[83] On January 28, Xue made his debut at the CMG New Year's Gala as the one of four artists and the only male artist to have a solo stage.[84] As one of the exceptionally few singers granted song selection autonomy for the event, Xue chose "Fang's Words" (方的言) by Zhao Yingjun; the title is a wordplay on "dialect" (方言). During the post-performance interview, Xue said he chose "Fang's Words" because of the significance of dialect in Chinese culture and his own wish of fulfilling Zhao's dream of appearing on the CMG New Year's Gala.[85]
On February 14 and 15, Xue performed two shows at the Singapore National Stadium as part of the extended Extraterrestrial World Tour, and received a positive review from Straits Times.[86] On April 17, the physical version of The Guardian was released, selling more than 128,000 copies and exceeding ¥15 million (approximately $2 million) on QQ Music within 7 hours.[87] On April 21, NetEase Cloud Music named Xue as the most-streamed Chinese artist with more than 34.1 billion streams[88] and the artist with the third-highest number of songs surpassing 100 million streams at 64 songs in the platform's 12-year history.[89] During the Labor Day Golden Week, Xue headlined five music festivals consecutively from May 1–5.[90] On July 17, Xue continued the tradition of releasing a song on his birthday with the single "Leap" (跃).[91] On August 5, Xue released "Axe Trick" (金斧子銀斧子), based on Aesop's Fable The Honest Woodcutter.[92]
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Artistry
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Musical styles
Xue is known for his distinctive emotional ballads, referred to as "Xue Style Love Songs" (薛式情歌/薛氏情歌) by music critics, the media, and listeners.[93][94][95][96][97] Examples include unrequited love in "Gentleman", a relationship nearing its end in "Actor" and the aftermath of breakup in "Serious Snow."[98] The love stories depicted in his songs tend to be more subtle and less dramatic, but that is precisely why they resonate with the audience and sound believable.[99]
In addition to the ins and outs of love, Xue's songs also critique the distorted values of today's society and raise awareness for social issues because he believes "making music cannot be without a sense of responsibility."[100] Examples include cyberbullying in "The Martian Has Come",[101] materialism in "Skyscrapers,[102] information disorder in "Cooperate",[103] minority groups in "The Guardian",[104] and marine pollution in "Leap".[105]
His music often combines keyboard and string instrumentations with folk-tinged acoustic guitar and R&B beats.[106] He has also incorporate other elements into his music, including rock,[107] Chinese style,[108] folk music,[109] blues,[110] classical music,[111] urban contemporary music,[112] electronica,[113] rap,[114] and industrial rock.[115]
Lyricism
Each of Xue's songs contains "a story and lyrics play an important role."[116] Xue's writing has received praise for its "sensitive observations" and "delicate depictions".[117][118] His lyrics resonate among his listeners and have become the unique feature of his love songs.[119][120] For his songs focused on exploring the philosophy of life, Xue's keen reflections of society and "bold but measured" expressions were lauded[121][122] and have encouraged introspection and inspired change among his listeners.[111][123]
The Straits Times noted the use of metaphors in his lyrics, such as a relationship being a performance in "Actor" and a lover being a force of nature in "Like the Wind".[117] Conversational narration, imagery, and personification are also utilized in his writing, such as "Yellow Maple Leaves", "What Do You Want from Me" and "Serious Snow", respectively.[119]
Xue has stated that he enjoys writing but can be overly intense about the process, particularly about choosing the correct words because he thinks "good lyrics must stand up to scrutiny, you can't have people get tired of them after listening to them twice." The majority of his songs carry a sorrowful or critical tone, as he revealed that he is "not very good at writing songs that are really happy, at all."[124] In 2018, he revealed that he has not written a song that he is completely satisfied with.[3]
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Stage performance
Xue intentionally tailors his performance to differ between recording and live stages, stating the former is "for the people who are willing to wear headphones" so his responsibility is to make the music suited for repeated listening while the latter is "for the people who are willing to come to the live performances" so his responsibility is to evoke emotional responses.[125] He is known for his emotive stage performance style, playing up "the drama in performance without being showy"[117] and singing with "a pleading intensity perfect for the grand anthems he is known for."[126]
The Straits Times praised Xue's "authenticity, spontaneity and the fact that he can sing" and the "duality in his persona has created an unpredictability, almost mystery, about what he is going to do or say next" for his concerts' success.[86]
In 2021, Xue officially adopted the stage persona "Joker" at Flower Sea Beauty Music Festival in Shanghai[127] and has continued the trend since with a variety of Joker-inspired styles.[128] Its origin can be traced back to 2018, when Xue composed and wrote the song "Freak" on the music variety show Infinite Song Season (無限歌謠季); for the performance, Xue and his partner Di Yang donned makeup and outfits inspired by the Joker.[129]
Access to music
Xue's music are free to stream on various Chinese music platforms.[130] He famously advised fans against purchasing the physical copy of Gentleman because it only contained three songs and recommended listening to his songs online for free; a rarity as Chinese music streaming platforms, such as NetEase Cloud Music and QQ Music, follow the freemium model and often require listeners purchase the song in addition to having an active subscription in order to listen to the songs in full.
He made this decision because he wanted his fans to "just come and listen to my songs, no need to spend money or worry"[131] and he felt he can be more sincere about his music if money was not involved.[132] Because he provides his music digitally at no charge, his albums do not appear on any digital sales charts.
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Social impact
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Philanthropy
Xue is a longtime philanthropist,[133] supporting organizations such as Beijing Hanhong Love Charity Foundation,[134][135] Project Hope,[136] Red Cross Society of China,[137] and Social Assistance of China,[138] as well as a variety of causes including but not limited to: children and youth,[139] disaster relief,[140] education,[141] and environmental protection.[142]
In April 2007, Xue participated in China Cultural Festival's 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.[143] In July 2008, he passed the torch for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Zhengzhou.[144] In April 2016, Xue served as the lead runner for Meifubao's Sunshine Charity Run.[145] In June 2018, Xue served as promotion ambassador for the "Run Beijing" charity project, aimed to raise awareness for the importance of physical and mental health.[146]
Xue ranked 24th on the 2016 China Charity Celebrity List.[147]
Consumer protection
On July 28, 2018, some fans were unable to attend the Shenzhen stop of Xue's Skyscraper World Tour due to the large-scale suspension and delay of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen high-speed rail trains.[148] As compensation, fans with tickets for the Shenzhen concert and Guangzhou-Shenzhen high-speed rail can submit them in exchange for comparable tickets for the Foshan concert.[149]
On September 10, 2023, Xue was forced to cancel the second show of the Chengdu stop of his Extraterrestrial World Tour due to a high fever. He announced the news and refund policy in person because he felt it was only right to do so given the fact that fans had already travelled to the stadium. He then stayed and chatted with the audience in an impromptu mini meet-and-greet session for an hour before leaving.[150] 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 in full.[151] This kind of comprehensive refund policy has never been done before and drew widespread praise.[152] Tianjin Consumers Association voiced their approval of the decision, stating that "refunding the ticket of a cancelled concert is the basic responsibility of the performer," Xue's proactive reimbursement of travel and lodging expenses demonstrates "the social responsibility that public figures should have" and serves to "maintain a harmonious consumption environment."[153] Other artists began providing similar refund policy, but with limits on travel and lodging reimbursement amounts, for concert cancellations in the following year.[154][155]
Xue has stated multiple times that he is against ticket scalping.[156] He will add one or two more shows at each stop to increase the likelihood that his fans can get tickets and decrease the chances of scalpers taking advantage.[157][158] He has also urged his fans to only come to one show per tour and to spend their time and money on enjoying other things in life.[159]
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Business ventures
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Restaurant
Xue stated "I want to use the money I earn from business to make music" because relying on music to make a living is "very tiring" and having other means of income means "making music is no longer a burden".[26] In 2011, Xue opened a hotpot restaurant named Shang Shang Qian (上上谦, a play on 上上签 meaning the luckiest draw and the character 谦 in his name). At its peak, Shang Shang Qian had multiple locations across the country. As of 2023, only 2 locations remain in Shanghai and Guangzhou.[160] In 2025, the Shanghai location underwent a comprehensive brand image upgrade in February[161] and reopened in April.[162]
Streetwear
In 2015, Xue established the streetwear brand Dangerous People (abbreviated as DSP). The brand's logo is a figure wearing a paper bag, representing a person with yearning for peace but due to the darkness and misunderstanding of the world, he felt the need to hide himself.[163] Xue serves as the brand manager[164] and frequently promotes the brand on social media.[165] Primarily sold online, Dangerous People opened its first brick and mortar store in Shanghai in August 2019.[166] In 2025, Dangerous People announced Lars Huang as its first spokesperson.[167]
Music label
In July 2020, Chaoshi Music was registered and established, its business scope includes cultural and artistic exchange activities, radio and television program production, performance management, and Internet cultural engagement. Xue's father owns 33% of the stocks and serves as a director.[168] Chaoshi Music is part of Grand Vista Music Group, which is part of Tencent Music.[169][170]
On December 24, 2021, Xue released a new single "Phoenix Feathers and Unicorn Horns" (凤毛麟角) through Chaoshi Music.[171] On May 31, 2022, Xue posted a photo on his Weibo announcing the opening of Chaoshi Music.[172] All of Xue's albums are acquired and currently owned by Chaoshi Music.[173] Chaoshi Music produced and organized Xue's Extraterrestrial World Tour.[174] In December 2024, Chaoshi Music served as the management company for Essay Wang's tour "The Sleepless".[175] In March 2025, Chaoshi Music is announced as the organizer for Han Hong's "I Want To Become You" (我想成为你) tour,[176] Roy Wang's "Under Universe" (宇宙超级无敌大狂欢) tour,[177] and the newly established "New Bee" touring music festival (新蜂音乐节).[178]
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Accolades
Xue's artistry has received praise from other music industry professionals. Producer Zhang Yadong said "Through these lyrics, you can understand his particularly delicate thoughts, which are very, very good" when reviewing Xue's song "Skyscrapers".[179] Songwriter Yuan Weiren said "I think a musician like Xue actually possesses the most important part of many Chinese music creations. I especially hope to have the opportunity to work with Xue" when discussing mainland China singer-songwriters.[180] Lyricist Cui Shu said "Xue is now on his way to becoming a national singer. He is well-known and has popular songs" at a forum hosted by Sina Entertainment.[181]
Throughout his career, Xue has been recognized by Chinese Top Ten Music Awards, Global Chinese Music Awards, Music Radio China Top Chart Awards, Migu Music Awards, CMIC Music Awards, Tencent Music Entertainment Awards and many more for his music and popularity.
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Discography
Studio albums
- Jacky (2006)
- How Are You? (2007)
- Deeply Loved You (2008)
- Unfinished Songs (2009)
- Several Of... (2012)
- An Unexpected Journey (2013)
- Beginner (2016)
- The Crossing (2017)
- Freak (2018)
- Dust (2019)
- Extraterrestrial (2020)
- Countless (2022)
- The Guardian (2024)
Filmography
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While Xue has starred in films (e.g. The University Days of a Dog, What a Day!) and television series (e.g. The Queen of SOP, Mother Like Flowers, Boyhood), he is better known for his variety show presence.[28] Because Xue has shifted his focus to music and concert tours since 2017, he has been more discriminating with his variety show appearances in recent years, choosing either long-standing or music-focused programs.[25]
Mars Intelligence Agency (火星情報局) is the longest-standing variety show Xue has appeared on, starring as a main cast member from the first season in 2016 to the final season in 2024.[182] Xue has appeared on multiple singing competition shows, the most notable being The Coming One (明日之子) in 2017 and Sing! China (中国好声音) in 2023 due to both shows having controversy regarding fairness that Xue called out publicly.[183][184]
Earlier in his career, Xue tended to be the host or a panel member on music-oriented variety shows, such as Hidden Singer (誰是大歌神),[185] Golden Melody (金曲捞),[186] and Golden Melody 2 (金曲捞之挑战主打歌),[187] in exchange for a chance for perform. In recent years, he tended to be a collaborator or mentor on shows such as Singer with Legends 3 (我们的歌第三季),[188] In China (中國潮音),[189] and Melody Journey (音乐缘计划).[190]
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Concerts
Headlining tours
- I Think I've Seen You Somewhere Tour (2017)
- Skyscraper World Tour (2018–2019)
- Extraterrestrial World Tour (2021–2025)
Concerts
- Live Concert in Shanghai (2008)
- Dust in the World Online Concert (2020)
- Douyin Online Concert: Ke (2023)
See also
References
External links
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