Jason Zhang

Biography

Zhang Jie (Chinese: 张杰; pinyin: Zhāng Jié; born 20 December 1982), also known as Jason Zhang, is a Chinese singer, producer, and songwriter. He gained national recognition through two television singing competitions, winning My Style and My Show in 2004 and ranking 4th on Super Boy in 2007. In 2016, he founded his own music label, Planet Culture.

1982–2003: Early life

Zhang was born on 20 December 1982, in Chengdu, Sichuan. He enrolled at Sichuan Normal University in 2000, where he studied Hospitality and Tourism while performing as a resident singer at local venues to support himself financially. In 2003, he took part in the MTV-Samsung Anycall National Singing Competition and won second place.

2004–2006: Debut and Sum Entertainment (Universal Music China)

In 2004, Zhang gained national recognition after winning the first season of the television singing competition My Style and My Show (我型我秀), where he performed the original song Love of the Big Dipper (北斗星的爱) in the final. Following the competition, he signed a six-year contract with Sum Entertainment.
In 2005, he released his debut studio album The First Album (第一张) and received several honors including the Most Popular Newcomer Award at the Global Chinese Music Chart and the Best New Male Singer Gold Award at the TVB8 Awards. His second album, Love Me Again (再爱我一回×再爱我一回26 September 2006 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1风5:482再爱我一回4:373如果爱4:224你和我4:055为了遇见你4:176演唱会3:207我们的歌4:278你是特别的女孩3:519真的不能离开你5:0410写下寂寞4:5211友忆思3:5612征途4:17), followed in 2006. Changes in management at his record label affected the continuity of his early career, leading Zhang to issue an unilateral letter of termination to Sum Entertainment.

2007–2015: EE-Media

In May 2007, Zhang entered another singing competition show, Super Boy, and finished in fourth place. However, his action triggered a contractual conflict with Sum Entertainment, whose contract with Zhang was still active. Sum Entertainment then filed a lawsuit against Zhang for breach of contract. The court ruled that Zhang violated his contract with Sum Entertainment and ordered him to pay a fine of 500,000 yuan. Following the lawsuit, Zhang reached an agreement with Sum Entertainment to pay a terminate fee of 1,250,000 yuan to end his contract, bringing his total payment to Sum Entertainment to 1,750,000 yuan. Of the 1,750,000 yuan, Zhang paid 350,000 yuan and the remaining 1,400,000 yuan was raised by his fans. Zhang promised to hold two free concerts in return.
After, Zhang signed with EE-Media, marking a turning point in his career. Zhang participated in the Super Boy national tour, winning the City Star award in Chengdu, Nanjing, Hangzhou, and Chongqing, and gained significant popularity. In December 2007, Zhang released the EP The Most Beautiful Sun (最美的太阳×最美的太阳21 December 2007 · EPSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1最美的太阳3:262花手绢4:393I'm a dreamer4:544消失4:49), which reached multiple year-end sales milestones on Amazon China.
In 2008, Zhang held his first solo concert at the Beijing Exhibition Center. Due to high demand, additional standing tickets were released. The success led to a second concert held at Hangzhou Gymnasium. In October, he released the album The Day After Tomorrow (明天过后), which received the Album of the Year award at the 4th BQ Celebrity Score Awards, Mainland Most Popular Male Singer Award at the 6th Southeast Music Chart Awards.
In April 2009, Zhang won the Most Popular Male Singer Award in Mainland China at the MusicRadio China TOP Chart Awards. In November, Zhang released Through Trilogy (穿越三部曲). In 2010, he received the Best Asian Artist award at the Mnet Asian Music Awards, becoming the first Chinese-language singer to receive the award. He released his It’s Love (这，就是爱) on November 13. He also attended the TVB8 Awards in Hong Kong as the only invited male singer from mainland China and received the Mainland Audience’s Favorite Male Singer Award and a Top Ten Golden Songs Award.
In 2011, Zhang released Stand Up (最接近天堂的地方) and received the Most Popular Album award at the China TOP Rankings.. In April 2012, Zhang launched his first concert tour, beginning at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. In May, Zhang issued a public apology for not fulfilling his promise of holding two free concerts for the fans who raised the funds to pay off the breach of contract fine and termination fee to Sum Entertainment in 2007. He promised to donate 200,000,000 yuan to charity and to hold one free concert soon. In December, Zhang received the Most Popular Idol of the Decade Award at Baidu Music’s 10th anniversary ceremony and the Mainland Most Popular Male Singer Award at the China POP Chart in Taipei.
In 2013, Zhang made his debut appearance at the CCTV Spring Festival Gala, in a duet with Yoga Lin. In 2014, Zhang participated in the television competition I Am a Singer finishing third and launched the Fight Back For Love (为爱逆战) tour. In November, he was presented with the International Artist Award at the American Music Awards, becoming the first Chinese singer to receive the award. He served as a mentor for the first time on The Most Beautiful Harmony Season 3 (最美和声第三季) in 2015 and collaborated with Xiaomi to release the album 10 (拾).

2016–present: Planet Culture

In February 2016, Zhang held the “Just For Star” concert in Los Angeles, featuring guest performers David Foster and Lindsey Stirling. In April, he established his music label Planet Culture. In May, Zhang launched his first world tour The Sound of My Heart (我想). Throughout the year, Zhang recorded songs connected with international film releases, including "Lost in the Stars" for Star Trek Beyond and "Give You My World" for Allied, and collaborated with X Ambassadors on "Torches" for Transformers: The Last Knight.
In 2017, he rejoined the singing competition I Am a Singer and expanded his world tour both domestically and internationally, covering cities including New York, Vancouver, Kuala Lumpur, London, and Milan, and became the first mainland Chinese singer to perform at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. In December, he received the Best Pop Singer Award at the China Golden Record Awards.
In 2018, he released his 12th studio album FUTURE·LIVE (未·LIVE×未·LIVE20 May 2018 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Intro2一路之下3Millionaire4做梦5Pretty White Lies6无药可救7Jump8谁赢9Perfume10没说什么11Slow Down), introducing a “Mix-Pop” approach that blends electronic, rock, and traditional Chinese elements, including the integration of operatic vocal techniques, rap, and electronic production. The album achieved Gold, Platinum, and Double Platinum certifications from the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) in mainland China. On August 11, the FUTURE·LIVE (未·LIVE) tour debuted at Beijing National Stadium, where more than 80,000 tickets sold out in 2 minutes and 38 seconds, setting a single-show box office record at the venue.
In 2019, he continued the FUTURE·LIVE (未·LIVE) tour across 17 cities before concluding it at Beijing National Stadium, where he again set new box office records. He also crossed into theater, starring in the stage play Ago (曾经如是) directed and written by Stan Lai, in which he played the male lead Dorje. In 2020, he released his first English studio album Risk It All and the reinterpretation album Listen! Our Song (听！我们的歌), followed by an online concert (due to COVID-19) on July 30, which attracted nearly 15 million viewers.
In 2021, he released album Deserve Better (值得更好的×值得更好的19 October 2021 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1你值得更好的4:242仿佛昨天3:543然后我们成了想成为的人3:104看呐看3:085染色体3:586最用过心的3:107又到梧桐吐绿时4:198像真的一样4:149幸福的本能3:4510安忍4:00) and began the Future Live: Brilliance concert tour in December. In 2023, he released his sixteenth studio album Wainan Street 1982 (外南街1982×外南街198220 December 2022 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 9 tracks1白鸽天鹅3:342辞海3:323Layla蕾拉3:054你你你3:325拜托爱上我3:296开不起玩笑3:207世界欠你一个微笑^_^3:108那 就是我们吗3:329外南街小孩3:46) on January 11 and released EP The Seventh Day of Winter on December 27. He held his year-end concert series Future, Hello (未·你好吗), from December 29-31 in Chengdu. Its stage design later received the MUSE Award, the iF Design Award, and the French Design Gold Award.
In December 2024, the concert film, Jason Zhang Brilliance Tour, was released in China and ranked first at the daily box office with approximately 28 million yuan. In addition, the 45-minute music film associated with his album Not Bad (要得) was also released online in December 2024. In 2025, the film received six international awards, including Best Music Video, Best Foreign Language Short Film, and Best Actor at the Los Angeles Independent Shorts Awards.
In 2026, from March 27 to April 19, Zhang held 16 consecutive concerts at the Beijing National Stadium over a 24-day period, marking it the longest consecutive concert run at a single stadium. The performances formed the final domestic leg of his FUTURE·LIVE: Leave for 1982 (未·LIVE开往1982) world tour, which began in 2024 and had reached 141 shows to date, with international dates yet to be announced.

Studio albums

The First Album 第一张 (2005-03-15)
Love Me Again 再爱我一回 (2006-09-20)
Most Beautiful Sun 最美的太阳 (2007-12-17)
The Day After Tomorrow 明天过后 (2008-09-15)
Through Trilogy 穿越三部曲 (2009-11-02)
It's Love 这，就是爱 (2010-11-21)
Stand Up 最接近天堂的地方 (2011-11-16)
One Chance 新歌+精选 (2012-09-29)
The Love Songs We Once Encountered 那些和我们打过招呼的爱情 (2012-11-26)
Just Love 爱，不解释(2013-12-18)
Ten 拾 (2015-04-15)
Future Live 未·LIVE (2018-10-12)
Risk It All 声来无畏 (2020-06-24)
Songs of Youth (2020-07-23)
You Deserve Better 值得更好的 (2021-10-26)
Wainan Street 1982 外南街1982 (2022-12-20)
Not Bad 要得 (2024-03-22)

EP

Love, and Courage 越爱越强 (2016-08-20)
Lover 爱人啊 (2020-04-28)
The Seventh Day of Winter 冬月初七 (2023-12-27)

Tour

Begin With Star 闪耀星空、从星开始 (2008, 2 shows)
Love · Uniquely Jie 爱·杰然不同 (2012, 2 shows)
Fight Back The Love 为爱逆战 (2014, 8 shows)
Sound Of My Heart 我想 (2016–2017, 25 shows)
FUTURE·LIVE 未·LIVE (2018–2019, 17 shows)
FUTURE·LIVE: Brilliance 曜·北斗 (2021-2023, 23 shows)
FUTURE·LIVE: Leave For 1982 开往1982 (2024-2026, 141 shows)

Single concerts

Through the Crowd 穿越人海 (2009, 1 show)
It's Love 这，就是爱 (2010, 1 show)
It's Love 这，就是爱 (2011, 1 show)
It's Love 这，就是爱 (2012, 1 show)
It's Love 这，就是爱 (2013, 1 show)
Looking Up at the Starry Sky free concert 仰望星空 (2012, 1 show)
Just For Star (2016, 1 show)
FUTURE, Hello New Year concert 未·你好吗 (2023, 3 shows)
FUTURE, Hello New Year concert 未·你好吗 (2024, 3 shows)
FUTURE, Hello New Year concert 未·你好吗 (2025, 3 shows)

Philanthropy

The “Jason Zhang Music Dream Classrooms” is a charitable initiative founded by Zhang under the Beidou Stars Love Fund (北斗星空爱心基金), which operates within the China Population Welfare Foundation. Zhang personally contributed RMB 2 million as initial funding for the project, which was launched in October 2012.
As of August 2025, a total of 107 Music Dream Classrooms had been established across various regions in China. The project focuses on improving access to music education for young people. In December 2015, it received the Top Ten Fashion Role Models Award at the Global Fashion Ceremony, and in November 2019, it was selected as one of the S20 Celebrity Charity Classic Cases (2018) by the China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation.

Education and academic activities

From June to September 2013, Zhang undertook further studies in music at the Berklee College of Music. On 4 December 2019, he was appointed as a specially appointed vocal instructor and associate researcher at the Film and Television Arts Department of Shanghai University. On 3 September 2021, he appeared at the university’s freshman opening ceremony, where his “Jason Zhang Music LIVE” public course was officially launched.

Family

On 6 August 2011, Zhang and Chinese television host Xie Na, who holds the Guinness World Records as the first person to accumulate 100 million followers on Weibo, announced their engagement via social media. On 5 May 2011, they registered their marriage in Chengdu, China. On 26 September 2011, they married in Shangri-La, Diqing Prefecture, China. On 1 February 2018, their twin daughters were born. In May 2021, their third daughter was born in May 2021.