Lexie Liu
![]() | This article may be written from a fan's point of view, rather than a neutral point of view. (April 2019) |
Lexie Liu | |||||||
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刘柏辛 | |||||||
![]() Lexie Liu, 2019 | |||||||
Born | Liu Yuyu (刘昱妤) December 21, 1998 Changsha, Hunan, China | ||||||
Occupation(s) | Singer, rapper, songwriter | ||||||
Years active | 2016–present | ||||||
Chinese name | |||||||
Traditional Chinese | 劉柏辛 | ||||||
Simplified Chinese | 刘柏辛 | ||||||
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Alternative Chinese name | |||||||
Traditional Chinese | 劉昱妤 | ||||||
Simplified Chinese | 刘昱妤 | ||||||
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Musical career | |||||||
Genres | Mandopop, hip hop, R&B | ||||||
Instrument(s) | Vocal, piano | ||||||
Lexie Liu, also known as Liu Boxin (Chinese: 刘柏辛; pinyin: Liú Bóxīn; born December 21, 1998), is a Chinese singer, rapper and songwriter. In 2015, she participated in K-pop Star 5, a South Korean reality TV competition series where her group came in fourth place. In July 2018, she participated in The Rap of China and won fourth place, which launched her career as a solo artist.[1] In February 2019, Liu released her debut EP 2030.[2] She also featured as Seraphine in the K/DA song "More".[3] In 2022, Liu released her album The Happy Star.
Early life
Liu was born and raised in Changsha, Hunan.[4] She has been interested in music since she was young; she started to dance when she was four years old and learned to play the piano starting at six years old. When Liu was in grade eleven, she transferred to an international high school. However, she took a gap year when she was in grade twelve to make music. She went to Korea and participated in the reality TV competition series, K-pop Star 5, under her birth name Liu Yuyu, as a member of a 4-person girl group named "Mazinga S" which won fourth place.
While shooting the TV show K-pop Star 5, Liu applied and was accepted to Fordham University to study global business. However, she later left to pursue her music career.[5]
Career
2016–2021: Indie career, 2030, Meta Ego, and Gone Gold
In January 2017, Liu's first original single "Coco Made Me Do It" was released and achieved more than 5 million views. In February 2017, she performed at SXSW music festival, one of the largest music festivals in the world, bringing Chinese Pop music to the US audience.
In January 2018, she composed a song called "Role" for Li Yifeng, a Chinese popular idol, singer, and actor.[6] In July 2018, Liu participated in The Rap of China, entered the final round with a song "Mulan," and eventually won fourth place.[1] While competing in The Rap of China, Liu signed with American label 88rising.[7] In November, she released her new song "Sleep Away" from her upcoming debut EP 2030 which was previously released in China.[8] The Fader named the track as one of “10 Songs You Need in Your Life”,[9] Nylon listed it as the “Best Music Releases Of The Week",[10] and Refinery29 said “their ears are very into Lexie.”[11] On December 18, 2018, Liu released her new cyberpunk-influenced single "Nada", complete with futuristic-themed music video.[citation needed] The Line of Best Fit described "Nada" as it "sees Lexie Liu's fierce, cross-cultural grit thrust into a science fiction dimension where language barriers don't exist, She fuses Mandopop with grimy beats against the visuals of her accompanying Tron-esque video, directed by mamesjao, in a retro-futuristic digital world."[12] "Nada" also made its appearance on "Best Of the Week" by Apple Music once it came out.
In February 2019, Liu released her debut EP 2030 in the United States, which included two new singles "Outta Time" featuring Killy and "Love and Run".[13][14] In September 2019 her single "Ok, Ok, Ok" was released.[15] On December 27, 2019, her album Meta Ego was released.[16] On October 28, 2020, Liu voiced the champion Seraphine in Riot Games' virtual K-pop group, K/DA, in their new song "More" from their extended play All Out.[17] Liu also performed on stage at the 2020 League of Legends World Championship in Shanghai.[18]
On January 28, 2021, Liu released her second EP Gone Gold internationally (released as Online 上线了 in China), featuring her then-newest single "ALGTR" which was self-written and self-produced alongside the rest of the EP.[19] It marked yet another change in sound direction, with the EP taking in significantly more electro-pop influences compared to previous efforts. The project's contemporary theme, reflected in the title track's music videos and the rest of the track list's visualisers which were directed by frequent collaborator Jeremy Z. Qin, revolves around the idea of living in an online game as a character. It was inspired by the unrest experienced throughout 2020 as a result of the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, where Liu's only source of understanding the world was solely through a screen - leading her to imagine what life would be like without this source.
2021-Present: The Happy Star
On November 21, 2022, Liu released a single by the name of "Fortuna" with an accompanying music video. "Fortuna" marks a slight change in Liu's style as a high-energy, electropop-inspired track making use of Mandarin, English, and Spanish in the lyrics. The song's lyrics and music video were heavily inspired by Egyptian mythology and tarot divination, having been named after the Roman goddess Fortuna, and making references to the Egyptian deities of Set and Anubis. On November 29, 2022, Liu followed up the release of "Fortuna" with a single entitled "Magician," with both songs having been inspired by the same theme of tarot divination. The lyrics make reference to the major arcana of the Magician, the Moon, the Sun, and the general suits of the Cups, the Wands, and the Pentacles found in tarot decks. The musical style of "Magician" is a further exploration of heavy electronic music and was performed in English and Mandarin.
On December 6, 2022, Liu released the full-length album The Happy Star. [20] The album was composed of twelve tracks with “Fortuna" and "Magician" as singles.
On April 23, 2024, Liu was featured in the single of EP Yuq1 "On Clap".
Public image
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/db/Lexie_Liu3.jpg/220px-Lexie_Liu3.jpg)
Lexie Liu's distinct appearance caught the attention of the fashion industry where she landed placements in Paris Fashion Week 2019 as the brand ambassador for Yves Saint Laurent eyewear in the Asia Pacific Region,[21] Louis Vuitton Show 2018 in China, Puma's Suede 50 campaign and Levi's New Years TVC campaign. Lexie Liu has also been featured on the print pages of East Asia's most prominent fashion publications, including Vogue me (China), BAZAAR China, Nylon Japan, and Nylon China. The American fashion magazine V described her as "the face of a generation of new Chinese artists breaking into the American mainstream with a uniquely, cross-cultural sound."[22]
"Lexie Liu proves her status as China’s next global superstar with the futuristic 'Nada'," described by The Line of Best Fit, "born and raised in Changsha, China, 19-year-old Lexie Liu's "Nada' is her third single release after signing to 88rising." "Lexie Liu is spearheading the new generation of East Asian artists making waves in the global music industry. She became the youngest Chinese artist to ever perform at SXSW last year after rising to fame on South Korean TV show 'K-pop Star' and finishing fourth on the heavily male-dominated rap talent show 'The Rap of China'".[12]
After the release of her single "Like A Mercedes", the cyberpunk-inspired music video of the song was Lexie Liu's first introduction to a global audience, showing off how "her provocative sound is transcending language barriers."[23] Her debut EP released in February 2019 was highly recommended, "with a feature from Killy on Outta Time, plus new singles Sleep Away, Hat Trick and Nada, the eight-tracker is an impressive bilingual project showcasing the Changsha born and raised artist’s skills across rap, R&B vocals and production."[24]
American fashion and culture magazine Flaunt also made a praising comment on Lexie's debut EP 2030, which is said to "narrates her life and journey within music; manifesting her inner-psyche through dream-like vocals and vibrant musical films. Dynamic in all aspects, Lexie holds a promising trajectory in the years to come."[25]
Filmography
Variety shows
Year | English title | Original title | Network | Role | Notes |
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2018 | The Rap of China | 中国新说唱 | iQiyi | Contestant | |
2020 | Singer 2020 | 歌手.當打之年 | Hunan TV | Challenge Contestant | |
2021 | Stage Boom | 爆裂舞台 | iQiyi | Contestant |
Discography
- 2029 (2018)
- Meta Ego (无限意识) (2019)
- The Happy Star (幸福星) (2022)
Collaboration with brands
- In January 2022, Lexie Liu became the new model of Ford EVOS.
- In October 2021, Liu became the brand ambassador for Miu Miu in the China region.
- In March 2019, Liu became the brand ambassador for Saint Laurent Eyewear in the Asia Pacific Region.[26]
- In November 2018, Liu was invited as one of the celebrity guests to attend the Louis Vuitton show named "Volez Voguez Voyage."
- In December 2017, Liu participated in the shooting of Levis' New-Year TVC campaign called Gan Jiu Xing.She also appeared as the model in posters in local Levis stores across the globe.
- In October 2017, Liu collaborated with Puma and became a member of the Puma's Group, and attended Puma SUEDE, the Puma's 50th-anniversary party.
Awards and nominations
Year | Nominated work | Event | Award | Result | Ref. |
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2019 | 2029 | 30th Golden Melody Awards | Best New Artist | Nominated | [27] |
2021 | "More" | Game Audio Network Guild Awards | Best Original Song | Won | [28] |
2023 | The Happy Star | 34th Golden Melody Awards | Best Mandarin Female Singer | Nominated | [29] |
References
- ^ a b 《中国新说唱》艾热夺冠 那吾克热惜败获亚军 October 6, 2018 新浪娱乐
- ^ 2030 by Lexie Liu, retrieved February 14, 2019
- ^ "K/DA - MORE ft. Madison Beer, (G)I-DLE, Lexie Liu, Jaira Burns, Seraphine (Official Music Video)". YouTube. Retrieved December 6, 2020.
- ^ Bergado, Gabe (June 27, 2019). "Lexie Liu Wants to Make Music Perfect for Exploring Outer Space". Teen Vogue. Retrieved September 27, 2022.
- ^ "Lexie Liu's Got Tricks, and Tracks You Need to Hear". PAPER. January 21, 2019. Retrieved February 14, 2019.
- ^ 刘柏辛晒合照称合作愉快 李易峰比手势可爱又搞怪 January 2, 2018 爱豆APP
- ^ Dunn, Frankie; Pressigny, Clementine de (June 19, 2018). "meet 88rising's newest signing: chinese r&b star lexie liu". I-D. Retrieved February 14, 2019.
- ^ Watch Lexie Liu Traverse a Pastel Dreamscape in Her Video for ‘Sleep Away’ November 30, 2018 RollingstoneIndia
- ^ 10 songs you need in your life this week December 5, 2018 The Fader
- ^ Best Music Release of the Week December 1, 2018 Nylon
- ^ New Music To Know This Week December 1, 2018 Refinery29
- ^ a b Lexie Liu proves her status as China’s next global superstar with the futuristic “Nada” December 8, 2018 The Line of Best Fit
- ^ 2030 by Lexie Liu, retrieved February 14, 2019
- ^ "Why Chinese Rapper Lexie Liu Is All About Having a Signature Minimalist Look". Allure. Retrieved February 14, 2019.
- ^ Ok, Ok, Ok - Single
- ^ Meta Ego by Lexie Liu, retrieved February 3, 2021
- ^ Lara Lunardi (October 16, 2020). "K/DA ALL OUT EP to feature (G)-IDLE, Kim Petras, Madison Beer, Lexie Liu, TWICE, and more". Invenglobal.
- ^ Huang, Zheping (April 7, 2021). "Tencent Bets Billions on Gamers With More Fans Than NBA Stars". Bloomberg News. Retrieved April 18, 2021.
- ^ Jake Newby (January 28, 2021). "Gone Gold: Lexie Liu On Her New Musical Direction and Having "the Courage to Reshape the Future"". Radii China.
- ^ "[Exclusive] Discover Lexie Liu's fortune in her deck of tracks in 'The Happy Star'". Genius. Retrieved April 24, 2024.
- ^ 2019秋冬巴黎时装周盘点:宋佳自夸帅女孩,老佛爷告别秀泪点足,这一季的时装周有“猛料”! March 11, 2019 海报时尚网
- ^ LEXIE LIU RETURNS WITH “SLEEP AWAY” November 30, 2018 V Magazine
- ^ 认识 88Rising 的流行新星:Lexie Liu 刘柏辛 June 20, 2018 i-D
- ^ lexie liu’s debut ep and everything else you need to listen to today February 1, 2019 i-D
- ^ Q&A | LEXIE LIU February 1, 2019 Flaunt Magazine
- ^ SAINT LAURENT 宣布刘柏辛成为亚太区眼镜形象大使 March 13, 2019 Vogue
- ^ TTV. "THE 30th Golden Melody Awards - Nomination & Winners". THE 30th GMA. Retrieved July 16, 2023.
- ^ Antonio Ferme (April 28, 2021). "G.A.N.G. Awards Winners: 'The Last of Us Part II' Leads With Eight Wins". Variety.
- ^ TTV. "THE 34th Golden Melody Awards - Nomination". gma.tavis.tw. Retrieved July 16, 2023.