Wanting Qu

Wanting Qu (; born October 10, 1984), known simply as Wanting , is a Chinese pianist and singer-songwriter who is currently based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Career Wanting Qu was born and raised in Harbin, Heilongjiang, China, where her mother worked as a city official. She moved to Canada at 16 to study, eventually earning a degree in international business, and relocated to Vancouver where she began her musical career.

In 2009, she became the first Chinese artist to be signed to the Nettwerk label; she is managed by Terry McBride. Her first album, Everything in the World (produced by Winston Hauschild and jointly released with Universal Music China in 2012) went platinum in China within its first week on sale, and her singles "You Exist in My Song" and "Drenched" were used in the soundtrack for the Hong Kong film Love in the Buff. The music video for "You Exist in My Song" is one of seven Chinese music videos to reach 200 millions on YouTube.

In 2013, she became the first ever tourism ambassador for Vancouver, with the intention of raising Canada's profile among destinations for Chinese visitors.

Qu appeared on the 2013 CCTV New Year's Gala, where she performed "You Exist in My Song".

The song "Star in You" from the album Everything in the World was featured in Degrassi: The Next Generation in the episode "Bitter Sweet Symphony, Part II" on February 22, 2013.

On October 26, 2015, while making the third album; Qu released her new English single "Love Birds" on her YouTube channel.

Personal life It was reported in January 2015 that Qu and Vancouver mayor Gregor Robertson were dating, and they publicly confirmed that they were in a relationship in February 2015. The relationship drew criticism from some as Robertson was still married to Amy Robertson (although the two had separated). Qu and Robertson broke up in May 2017. In 2016, it was reported that Qu's mother is facing the death penalty in China.

On March 9, 2018, Qu gave an update on her mother's case, saying that she believed Chinese law was "perfect and righteous" and that she had faith there would be a positive outcome. She added that no judgment had been issued since the trial's end in 2016. Qu's comments regarding her mother being "her hero" have caused controversy in China, with some accusing Qu of overlooking the seriousness of the case and refusing to believe her mother could be guilty. On 18 November 2021, Qu's mother Zhang Mingjie was sentenced to life imprisonment after the courts of China found her guilty of bribery and abuse of power.

Discography

Everything in the World (2012) Say the Words (2013) LLL (2017)

Awards

Global Chinese music awards

Qu has won three Global Chinese Music Awards.

Chinese music awards

Qu has won four Chinese Music Awards.

Music Times Awards

Qu has won one Music Times Award.