Even those who may not be up to date on latest in the world of Taiwanese music might be familiar with the so-called “King of Mandopop” - Jay Chou. Originally born in 1979 in Taipei, Chou’s music has been a hit across the sinophonic world and beyond, selling over thirty million records. His two decade career in the spotlight has seen him not only produce music but also act and direct for the silver screen.

Chou’s first foray into music was through his mother, a music teacher, who took him to piano lessons from the age of four. At the age of ten, Chou began an interest in the cello and music theory, developing an appreciating for the composer Chopin and writing his songs.

Chou’s music career would not kick off until an appearance on the talent show Super New Talent King in 1998, however, where he accompanied his friend on the piano. Catching the eye of the host, who ran the label Alfa Music, he was offered a job as a contract composer – which would eventually lead to his first album release, Jay, in 2000. With classical knowledge helping to inform his R&B/pop rhythm, Chou found popularity in Taiwan, Mainland China, Hong Kong and the countries of Southeast Asia. His music offered something new to listeners, touching on contemporary topics whilst paying including elements of traditional Chinese music.

His second album, Fantasy, came out in 2001, selling millions of copies in Taiwan and earning him five Golden Melody Awards (Taiwan’s answer to the Grammys) in 2002. Chou continued to produce music throughout the 2000s, earning recognitions through Golden Melody Award nominations for 2003’s The Eight Dimensions and winning the ceremony’s Best Album award in 2004 for Yeh Hui-mei, an album named after his mother. He founded his own record label, JVR Music, in 2007.

Chou made an acting debut on the silver screen in the 2005 Hong Kong film Initial D, picking up a Golden Horse Award for Best New Performer in the process. Having starred in several films, including directing 2007’s Secret, and working with renowned directors such as Zhang Yimou, Chou branched out into Hollywood in 2011, starring alongside comedian Seth Rogen in the superhero film The Green Hornet.

Chou continued to his music and film career throughout the early 2010s, and in 2015, married Taiwanese Australian actress and model Hannah Quinlivan at Selby Abbey in Yorkshire. A year later, he would go on a three-year hiatus from music making, before returning to the scene in 2019 with Won’t Cry. Chou continues to produce music, with his most recent release being 2020s Latin-infused Mojito.