Biography
A classically-trained pianist, she started playing the piano when she was 4. While she was attending high school in 1993, she was discovered performing in a restaurant in Taipei, where many known pop artists began their careers. She was offered a contract with Taiwan’s What’s Music Record label and began work on her first commercial album, all before the age of 19.
Career
Valen Hsu has recorded 14 studio albums over the span of eight years, as well as four "Best Of" compilations. Her first album, ''Tau Hao'', was completed in 1994 and received critical acclaim from the Asian music industry. However, record sales did not exceed expectations, only selling a little over 50,000 copies. Her next studio album was what significantly changed her career. ''Lei Hai'', or ''Tear’s Sea'' as translated, sold more than 300,000 copies in Taiwan. And her third album, ''If the Cloud Knows'', sold over 2.2 million copies alone in Taiwan. Her fourth album, ''Ri Guang Ji Zhang'' was completed in 1998 and sold 800,000 copies in Taiwan, but over 3 million copies in Asia, permanently placing her in the company of such Asian divas as Faye Wong and Sandy Lam and becoming an integral part of a new era including Coco Lee and A-Mei. In 1999, after the sale of What’s Music to Universal Records , she recorded a duet with Enrique Iglesias entitled ''You’re My No. 1'', released on Enrique’s Asian version of his ''Enrique'' album. She ended her contract with What’s Music in 2001 and signed to EMI Taiwan. The first album with her new record label was titled ''I Just Want to Tell You'', and it was produced by Yosinori Kameda, a famous Japanese music producer. In 2001, she decided to broaden her professional career by acting in her first TV drama with , Taiwan’s boy-band equivalent to 'N Sync. She further broadened her acting career in 2003 by performing on stage with Zuni Icosahedron, an independent cultural collective concentrating on alternative theater and multi-media performances. In 2004, she decided to take a hiatus from the music industry to pursue other interests, including learning English in New York City.
Valen Hsu is known for her vocals, which are wispy yet strong and crystal-clear. Her singing voice and technique have been compared to Hong Kong's Faye Wong. In 1998, the Japanese magazine publication ''Asia Pop'' voted her as the best female pop vocalist in Asia. She has been known to give CD-quality live performances. Occasionally, she will play the piano and sing live at her concerts.
In addition to composing and writing some of her songs, she has also published two books: one a compilation of short poems and the other a beauty book entitled ''Beauty Sense'', which were published in 2003 and 2006, respectively.
In 1999, she traveled to Rwanda, Africa with the World Health Organization and other Asian celebrities to do charity work, filming a commercial and raising funds for donation through sales of an E.P. entitled ''Gua Niou'' , written by Jay Chou, one of Asia’s male pop stars.
Past endorsements include Esprit, Head & Shoulders Shampoo and other brands in Asia, mostly in Taiwan and mainland China.
Recently in 2006, she filmed a full-length movie with famed Hong Kong Director Patrick Lam entitled ''Fu Zhi'', or "''After This Our Exile''" as translated. She stars alongside Hong Kong actors Aaron Kwok and Charlie Yeung. The film was released in 2006 and consequently won several Golden Horse Awards that same year, including Best Picture and Best Actor.
Her 13th studio album entitled 66 Pohjoista Leveytt? was released on December 21, 2007. She traveled to Finland's Arctic Circle to film her music videos for this new album. Filming took place mainly in two cities: Helsinki and Rovaniemi. The first single is called "Fireworks".
Record companies
* 1995～2000
* 2001～2003
* 2004～2006
* 2007～Present
Discography
* June 1995 - ''Tau Hao''
* March 1996 – ''Lei Hai ''
* September 1996 – ''Ru Guo Yun Zhi Dao ''
* 1996 - ''Neighbor'' - Fan Club single
* June 1997 – ''Ri Guang Ji Chang ''
* September 1997 – ''Ru Ci Jing Cai "Best Of''…" – Hong Kong Version
* November 1997 - ''Ru Ci Jing Cai "Best Of''…" – Taiwan Version
* June 1998 – ''Wo Yi Ran Ai Ni ''
* December 1998 – ''Ni Shi Zui Ai ''
* August 1999 – ''Zhen Ai Wu Di ''
* September 1999 – ''Piano Diary''
* November 1999 – ''I’m This Happy'' - Cantonese Version
* May 2000 – ''Nan De Hao Tian Qi''
* December 2000 – ''Hua Kai''
* June 2001 – ''Liu Jin Shi Zai "Best Of''…"
* June 2001 – ''Single Diary "Best Of''…"
* September 2001 – ''Zhi Shuo Gei Ni Ting ''
* November 2002 – ''Yun Kai Le''
* June 2003 – ''Valen Hsu’s Movie Ballads – Cloud Stay''
* December 2003 – ''I love the nights of autumn "Best Of…"''
* February 2005 – ''Valen Hsu "Best Of Classics…"''
* April 2007 – ''Pleasant to Hear'' - Single
* December 2007 – ''66° Pohjoista Leveytt?''
Stage performances
* 2003 - ''Good Wind Like Water''
* 2005 - ''Fragments d’un Discours Amoureux''
Film and television
* 2002 - ''Come to My Place'' - Director : Cheng Ze Niou
* 2005 - After This Our Exile "父子" - Director：Patrick Tam （Cast：Aaron Kwok, Charlie Yeung, Valen Hsu）
Books
* 2003 - ''此時快樂的代價''
* 2006 - ''五感美人''
Endorsements and charities
* 1996 - ''Esprit'' Clothing Spokesperson
* 1998 - ''AB Call'' Pager Service
* 1998 - ICRT Charity Concert
* 1999 - ''Head & Shoulders'' Shampoo Commercial – Part 1 (E.P.：All Your Heart）
* 1999 - ''WHO'' Charity Run - Rwanda（E.P. : Gua Niou）
* 1999 - ''Head & Shoulders'' Shampoo Commercial – Part 2 (E.P. : I’m This Happy）
* 1999 - ''Cable & Wireless''
* 2002 - ''Tai Ping'' Soda Crackers Commercial
* 2002 - ''O Smile'' Biscuits Commercial
* 2003 - ''Mei Bei Jia'' Shampoo Commercial
* 2006 - ''Chantecaille'' Spokesperson
* 2006 - ''Rice Beauty'' Products Commercial & Spokesperson
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