Joker Xue

Joker Xue (, born July 17, 1983) is a Chinese singer-songwriter and record producer, formerly known as Jacky Xue. Since his 2006 debut, Xue has produced a string of ballads. His musical style melds the classic pop pairing of piano and strings with folk-tinged acoustic guitar and R&B beats; in recent years, he has incorporated more rock elements into his music. Xue is known for his "jokester" nature, a trait that contributed to his popularity as it's "not just about good music, but it is also about him showing his funny side to fans.”

Xue is among the most-streamed and most popular Mandopop artists on QQ Music, NetEase Cloud Music, KuGou, Spotify and YouTube. In April 2024, he joined Jacky Cheung, Eason Chan, Jay Chou, and Mayday as one of five Chinese artists and the only one from mainland China to perform more than 100 shows in a single tour. On May 30, 2024, Xue announced two stadium shows in Shantou and became the first Chinese artist to have 100 stadium shows in a single tour.

Early life
Xue was born and raised in Shanghai, China. At age four, his mother died of a heart disease. 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.

2005–2010: Debut and career beginnings
In 2005, Xue participated in the singing competition show My Style, My Show (我型我秀) and released his self-titled debut album Jacky (薛之谦) as Jacky Xue the following year. His debut album sold over 200,000 copies within a month and a half and included major hits such as "Serious Snow" (认真的雪), "Yellow Maple Leaves" (黄色枫叶). The same year, he was awarded the Most Popular New Artist at the 6th Global Chinese Music Awards. In 2007, Xue recorded his second album How Are You (你过得好吗), which sold more than 150,000 copies within one month of its release. He made history by receiving seven nominations at the Beijing Pop Music Awards.

In 2008, Xue was honored as a torchbearer for the 2008 Summer Olympics torch relay. The song "Once Upon a Time in Zurich" from his previous album was adapted to pay tribute to Olympic athletes and renamed "Origin of the Dream". It was included on his third album Deeply Loved You (深深爱过你) which was considered a commercial and critical success, prompting his company to release an upgraded commemorative album in April the following year. He ended the year with his first concert in Shanghai on December 20.

In 2009, Xue released his fourth album, Unfinished Songs (未完成的歌), a compilation album composed of selected tracks from several of his albums with three new songs. In 2010, Xue starred in The University Days of a Dog (一只狗的大学时光). New management of his company was not willing to fund Xue's next album despite his previous successes. During this period, he fell into depression, and lost weight sharply during those days.

2011–2015: Self-funded music and alternate paths
Xue opened his own hotpot restaurant to fund his music and its success allowed him to keep pursuing music. Xue also appeared on many Chinese variety shows because he needed to make money and to keep exposure during the time when no new music production is released.

In 2012, Xue released his fifth album, Several Xue Zhiqians (几个薛之谦). This year also marked the end of his seven-year contract with Shang Teng Entertainment (上腾娱乐), which went out of business soon after he left; Xue is the only artist who debuted via My Style, My Show (我型我秀) to fulfill the entirety of his contract as the others had terminated their contracts earlier by paying the penalty or left to pursue other ventures. Xue stated he chose to honor the contract because Shang Teng opened the door to his music career. Xue also starred in and provided music for the soundtrack of the television series The Queen of SOP.

In 2013, Xue released his sixth album An Unexpected Journey (意外), under the record company Ocean Butterflies. In 2015, Xue gained significant popularity through sharing jokes on Weibo. On June 8, Xue released an EP, Gentleman (绅士), which contained three tracks, including the highly popular song "Actor" (演员), the 4th most viewed Chinese music videos on YouTube with more than 200 million views. However, Xue advised against purchasing the EP because it only contained three songs and recommended listening to the songs online for free, a rarity as popular Chinese music streaming platforms, such as NetEase Cloud Music and QQ Music, follow the freemium model, which requires listeners to either subscribe or purchase in order to listen to the songs in full. Xue has made his music available for free because he wants his music to be accessible and he feels he can be more sincere about it if money is not involved.

In 2014, Xue starred in the television series Mother Like Flowers (妈妈像花儿一样). Four of his songs were listed on the soundtrack: "Serious Snow", "What Do You Want From Me", "Actually", "Radius Around You", and a cover of Teresa Deng's "Thousands of Words" that later became the prelude of and inspired Xue to write "Wandering with You" on his 2019 album Dust.

2016–2020: Promotional activities and commercial success


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. That same year, Xue produced his seventh album Beginner (初学者), which includes three songs from the EPs Gentlemen and Half. In the list of the top ten internet celebrities with the most marketing value, Xue ranked at number ten. Despite the success, Xue pushed himself to appear in more than 40 variety shows in an effort for the audience to connect his name to his music; the physical demands of the packed schedule led to him being hospitalized in May.

In January 2017, Xue was again hospitalized in January due to acute gastroenteritis while filming the variety show Our Challenge (我们的挑战); he later said he will decrease his variety show appearances going forward. In April, Xue starred in the film What a Day! (有完没完). Later that month, 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). Xue also starred in and provided "I'm Afraid" as the ending theme for the television series Boy Hood (我们的少年时代). In December, Xue released his eighth album The Crossing (渡) and was recognized as the most popular male solo singer of the year in terms of total plays, downloads, and searches at the 2017 Kugou Music Awards.

In 2018, Xue suffered from laryngitis for several months before making a full recovery. Throughout the year, he released the songs that would eventually end up on his ninth album Freak (怪咖). Xue ranked first amongst solo artists in terms highest cumulative playback volume on QQ Music for the second consecutive year. In July, he began his Skyscraper World Tour.

In 2019, Xue released his tenth album Dust (尘) and was named Male Singer of the Year at CMIC Music Awards. In 2020, Xue released his eleventh album Extraterrestrial (天外来物). "Extraterrestrial" was named one of the Best Songs of the Year and Xue won awards as "The Most Covered Singer on WeSing" and "Most Influential Male Singer (Mainland China)" at the 2021 Tencent Music Entertainment Awards.

2021–present: Extraterrestrial World Tour
Xue began on his Extraterrestrial World Tour in October 2021, which began at the Suzhou Sports Center in Suzhou. He was among the Top 20 Artists of the Year and Top 10 Singer-Songwriter of the Year on Tencent Music Year End Charts. In 2022, he released his twelfth album, Countless (无数). At the 15th Migu Music Awards, "Turning Waste Into Treasure" from the album was named one of the Best Songs of the Year and Xue won Best Male Singer; Xue's previous album Extraterrestrial won Album of the Year (Male Singer). He was also named Male Singer of the Year by CMIC Music Awards for a second time. He also resumed the Extraterrestrial Tour and performed one show at Wuyuan River Stadium.

The Extraterrestrial World Tour fully took off in 2023. Xue headlined 75 shows, with consecutive shows at most stops and a series of three consecutive shows at the Beijing National Stadium on August 11–13, 2023, attracting around 60,000 people per show. Many of the Chinese cities he toured in were categorized by Chinese city tier system as second- and third- tier cities, typically not sites for large-scale consecutive concerts. Quzhou, a third-tier city and the first stop of Xue's 2023 shows, placed first as fastest-growing city in the country's box office rankings and prompted Quzhou News Media Center voicing their gratitude to Xue in a video on their official Douyin account.

In 2023, Xue released "Youth of the Galaxy" (银河少年), "Nothing", "Worship" (崇拜), "Idea" (念), and "Love Letter" (情书). "Worship" and "Idea" were both among the Top 10 Songs of the Year and Top 10 Singer-Songwriter Songs of the Year on Tencent Music's year-end chart while Xue was among the Top 10 Artists of the Year and the Top 10 Singer-Songwriters of the Year. Xue briefly served as a judge on Sing! China before the show was suspended for alleged mistreatment of former coach Coco Lee. His cover of "Make Me Happy Make Me Worry" from the show ranked second as Best Variety Show Song of the Year by KuGou music. In December, Xue ranked number one in total number of fans across all music streaming platforms in China with 83.62 million fans.

In 2024, Xue released single AI on February 14. On April 21, Xue performed the 100th show of the Extraterrestrial World Tour in Luoyang, becoming the fifth Chinese artist to reach the milestone of 100 shows in a single tour. As of May 2024, the Extraterrestrial World Tour spanned 30 of the 34 province-level divisions of China. As of June 2024, Xue is the first Chinese singer to have 100 stadium shows in a single tour. On July 3, Xue announced on his Weibo that the tour is coming to an end with an 18-show finale, 6 shows each at Beijing, Shenzhen, and Suzhou. On July 17, Xue released "The Guardian" (守村人).

Discography
Albums
 * Jacky (薛之謙, 2006)
 * How Are You? (你過得好嗎, 2007)
 * Deeply Loved You (深深爱过你, 2008)
 * Unfinished Songs (未完成的歌, 2009)
 * Several Of... (幾個薛之謙, 2012)
 * An Unexpected Journey (意外, 2013)
 * Beginner (初學者, 2016)
 * The Crossing (渡, 2017)
 * Freak (怪咖, 2018)
 * Dust (塵, 2019)
 * Extraterrestrial (天外來物, 2020)
 * Countless (无数, 2022)

Accolades
Xue's artistry has received praise from other acclaimed musicians, producers, and songwriters.

Zhang Yadong said: "Through these lyrics, you can understand his particularly delicate thoughts, which are very, very good...” Yuan Weiren said: "I think that for a musician as good as Xue Zhiqian, he has many of the most important aspects of Chinese music." Li Jian described him as: "a true pioneer of mainland music, a great singer who can be compared with and compete with any singer in Hong Kong and Taiwan." Zhao Yingjun said: "he is one of the best lyricists in the music industry." Jay Chou said: "His live performances resonate well. He really puts his heart into making music."

Both of his Skyscraper World Tour and Extraterrestrial World Tour received positive reviews from The Straits Times. Of the Skyscraper World Tour, Xue's voice "smouldered at its lower end and shimmered in its higher register" and he was able to "play up the drama in performance without being showy." Of the Extraterrestrial World Tour, Xue's style was "playful and wisecracking", his voice "rang with a pleading intensity perfect for the grand anthems he is known for", and he familiarized "himself with all things Singapore" to include local details into his performance.

Concerts and tours
Xue held his first concert in 2007 in Shanghai, as it was a single show, it did not count as a tour. Since 2017, he has headlined three tours. His first tour, I Think I've Seen You Somewhere, had 10 shows and was based in China. He expanded the scope for his second and third tours, Skyscraper World Tour and Extraterrestrial World Tour, to include stops in other Asian countries and cities in North America, Europe, Australia.

He holds numerous records as the first mainland China and/or first artist to hold a concert at specific stadiums, both due to his willingness to travel to second- and third-tier cities (as categorized by Chinese city tier system) and his widespread fanbase. He is the first mainland China artist to hold two consecutive concerts at Taipei Arena as well as the first Chinese male artist to perform at top venues in Australia and New Zealand (Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, The Trusts Arena, and Qudos Bank Arena). On August 11–13, 2023, Xue held three consecutive concerts at Beijing National Stadium, fulfilling his ultimate wish of headlining the venue as stated in an interview eighteen years ago.

Xue headlined the 100th concert of his career on November 11, 2023, in Wenzhou. He held the 100th concert of the Extraterrestrial World Tour on April 21, 2024, in Luoyang, making him one of 5 artists who have also held more than 100 concerts in a single tour. As of May 2024, his Extraterrestrial World Tour has held concerts at 30 of the 34 Province-level divisions of China with more than 120 total shows attended by approximately 3,600,000 people, in addition, with the May 30 announcement of two stadium shows in Shantou, Xue now holds the record as the first Chinese artist to have 100 stadium shows in a single tour. A significant milestone as stadiums have much larger capacity compared to arenas, therefore demand more of the artist's performance, tour equipment, and ticket sales.

Tours

 * I Think I've Seen You Somewhere Tour (2017)
 * Skyscraper World Tour (2018–2019)
 * Extraterrestrial World Tour (2021–2024)

Concerts

 * Live Concert in Shanghai (2008)
 * Douyin Online Concert: Ke (2023)

Variety shows
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 to the viewing audience for his variety show presence. After appearing in more than 40 variety shows in 2016 and having his health suffer as a result of the demanding schedule, he decided to decrease his variety show appearances. In recent years, most of the variety shows Xue participates in are either long-standing ones or music-oriented programs.

Mars Intelligence Agency (火星情報局) is the longest-standing variety show Xue has appeared on. He has been a main cast member since the first season in 2016 and is scheduled to return for the seventh season in 2024. 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 as both shows had controversy regarding fairness that Xue called out publicly.

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), Golden Melody (金曲捞), and Golden Melody 2 (金曲捞之挑战主打歌). In recent years, he tended to be a collaborator or mentor on shows such as The Next Banger (我的音樂你聽嗎), Singer with Legends 3 (我们的歌第三季), and In China (中國潮音). In 2024, Xue joined the variety shows Music Fate Project (音乐缘计划) and ''Run! Live Performance for Ten Thousand People'' (奔赴! 万人现场).

Social impact
In 2007, Xue went to Russia with other artists to participate in the China Cultural Festival 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. In 2008, Xue presented the "Wings of Happiness" charity evening on January 20. In March, a new book release was held in Shanghai. Not only donating part of the manuscript fee, he also took out 10 photos for auction. The proceeds were donated to the snow disaster-stricken area through the Shanghai Red Cross to support the reconstruction. In July, He was elected as a torchbearer for the 2008 Summer Olympics and passed the torch in Zhengzhou, Henan Province. In 2016, Xue donated a large sum to and appeared at Han Hong's charity initiative "Han Hong Love, 100 People Aid". In 2018, Xue served as promotion ambassador for the "Run Beijing" charity project, aimed to raise awareness for the importance of physical and mental health.

In September 2023, Xue was forced to cancel the second show on his Chengdu stop due to a high fever. He announced the news in person because he felt it was only right to do so given the fans had already travelled to the stadium. 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. This kind of comprehensive refund policy has never been done before and drew widespread praise. Other artists began providing more comprehensive accommodations for concert cancellations in the following year.

Xue has stated multiple times that he is against Ticket resale. To protect his fans, he often adds one or two more shows at each location to increase the likelihood that his fans can get tickets and decrease the chances that his fans will engage with scalpers. He has also urged his fans to only come to one show and to spend their time and money on other things in life.

Business ventures
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.

In 2015, Xue established the streetwear brand Dangerous People and said in an interview that he doesn't want it to only rely on fan economy but also be accepted by others who aren't his fans. In January 2019, he is no longer a shareholder but remains the brand manager. As of December 2023, he still promotes the brand on social media.

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. Chaoshi Music is part of Grand Vista Music Group, which is part of Tencent Music. On December 24, 2021, he released a new single "Phoenix Feathers and Unicorn Horns" (凤毛麟角) through Chaoshi Music. On May 31, 2022, Xue posted a photo on his Weibo announcing the opening of Chaoshi Music. All of Xue's albums are acquired and currently owned by Chaoshi Music, and Chaoshi Music produces Xue's Extraterrestrial World Tour.