My Musical Inspiration Jane Zhang 张靓颖

My biggest musical inspiration and favourite artist for over 15 years now is Chinese pop artist Jane Zhang 张靓颖. She rose to fame after placing third in a competition in China called Super Girls. Today she is one of the biggest names in the Chinese entertainment industry. She has won just about every award in China, and internationally she was on Oprah and has been at the Grammy’s. She also has a host of Asian firsts being the first Asian artist to sing the global theme song for a Hollywood blockbuster. The song is called Fighting Shadows (ft. Big Sean) for the movie Terminator Genisys released in 2015. She became the first Asian artist to perform at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show in 2017.

Incredible Range

Jane Zhang is known for her super wide range and high head voice that is so high it sounds like a whistle. She utilizes it to great effect using it like an instrument. This inspired me to practice my head voice and while my head voice isn’t quite as high, I’ve worked on the tone so it has a similar ethereal quality. But it’s not just about high notes, she also has an incredibly solid lower register, with lots of tone and support and a darker tone in that range not many females have.

English Album

In 2019 Jane released her first English album aimed at the overseas market, with collaborations featuring Migos, the Chainsmokers, 50 Cent, Eminem, Ne-Yo, Steve Aoki, Timbaland etc. Some of the MVs like the one for her single “Dust My Shoulders Off” are incredibly innovative and the MV for DMSO had actually won a Red Dot Design Award for its creativity. Everything from her concepts, vocals to her personality is amazing. I have witnessed her growth over the years and as one of the pillars of the Chinese pop industry, she continues to motivate and inspire countless individuals like me.