Meet Xin Liu, Dior’s androgynous new brand ambassador: the Chinese pop star shot to fame through girl band The9, releasing a successful solo album Xanadu – and even collaborated with K-pop queen Boa
- Chinese pop star Xin Liu used to be part of girl group The9 before flying solo, releasing a hugely successful album Xanadu; she’s also a darling for brands like Dior, Calvin Klein and Ray-Ban
- The 26-year-old is almost as bankable as Chinese actors Fan Bingbing and Xiao Zhan – although she almost got cancelled by netizens after she said she was ‘thankful for the pandemic’
Xin Liu, also known as Liu Yu-xin, has become a notable figure in the Chinese pop music scene due to her exceptional singing and dancing abilities. However, she has also gained attention for her distinctive androgynous style that challenges conventional gender norms – especially in the music industry, which is known to be rigid and patriarchal.
Notably, Dior’s latest fragrance is genderless and inclusive, mirroring Liu’s own gender neutral approach to self-expression, indicating that their partnership represents a fusion of innovative and boundary-pushing attitudes towards fashion and beauty.
Here’s everything you need to know about the 26-year-old trailblazer.
Xin Liu has been dancing since the age of 10
Liu was born into a musical family – her mother was a local opera actress and her father worked in the Chinese classical music industry. According to Sina, from a young age, she travelled with her mother to performances and discovered her passion for music and dance. Liu began training in ballet and street dance at the age of 10 and, more impressively, she travelled to Beijing aged 12 to study at the Beijing Contemporary Music School.
Liu’s dedication to street dance led her to become the sole mentee of James Lin – a renowned figure in the Chinese street dance scene – in 2010. In a recent interview with Elle Singapore, Liu shared that she was drawn to street dance for the love of the art.
“The motivation is love. You’ll never get tired if you do what you like. That is the plain truth,” she said in the interview.
Not only is Liu a gifted artist, she also demonstrates exceptional academic prowess, graduating with a degree in music recording from Tianjin University of Sport’s College of Art and Culture.