Wikipedia

Tzuyu

This is the latest accepted revision, reviewed on 26 November 2024.
This article is about the South Korean–based Taiwanese singer. For other uses, see Ziyu.

In this Chinese name, the family name is Chou.

Chou Tzu-yu (Chinese: 周子瑜; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Chiu Chú-jû; born June 14, 1999), known mononymously as Tzuyu (Korean: 쯔위, Korean pronunciation: [t͈sɯ.ɥi]), is a Taiwanese singer based in South Korea. She is a member of the South Korean girl group Twice, formed by JYP Entertainment in 2015.[1][2][3]

Tzuyu
Tzuyu in March 2024
Born
Chou Tzu-yu

(1999-06-14) June 14, 1999 (age 25)
Tainan, Taiwan
Alma materHanlim Multi Art School
OccupationSinger
Musical career
OriginSouth Korea
Genres
InstrumentVocals
Years active2015–present
Labels
Member ofTwice
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese周子瑜
Hanyu PinyinZhōu Zǐyú
Bopomofoㄓㄡ ㄗˇ ㄩˊ
Wade–GilesChou1 Tzŭ3-yü2
Hokkien POJChiu Chú-jû
Korean name
Hangul저우쯔위
Revised RomanizationJeou Jjeuwi
McCune–ReischauerChŏu Tchŭwi

Tzuyu released her debut extended play (EP), Aboutzu, on September 6, 2024. Its lead single, "Run Away", became her first number-one single on the Billboard Taiwan Songs chart.

Life and career

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Early life and pre-debut activities

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Main article: Sixteen (TV program)

Tzuyu was born on June 14, 1999, in the East District of Tainan, Taiwan.[4][5][6] She started dancing from a young age and trained at a dance academy.[7]

In 2012, Tzuyu was discovered by talent scouts at the Muse Performing Arts Workshop in Tainan, and moved to South Korea in November of that year to begin training.[6][8] In 2015, Tzuyu participated in the South Korean reality television show Sixteen, created by JYP Entertainment and co-produced by Mnet.[1][9] As one of nine successful participants, she went on to join the newly formed girl group Twice.[1]

2015–present: Twice and solo debut

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Main article: Twice
 
Tzuyu in 2015

In October 2015, Tzuyu officially debuted as a member of Twice with the release of their first extended play, The Story Begins.[10] Its lead single "Like Ooh-Ahh" was the first K-pop debut song to reach 100 million views on YouTube.[11] Since then, she has worked as a presenter on multiple South Korean music television shows.[12] As a soloist, Tzuyu released covers of "Me!" by Taylor Swift and "Christmas Without You" by Ava Max as part of the Melody Project series.[13][14]

On August 2, 2024, JYP Entertainment announced that Tzuyu would be making her solo debut with the release of her debut extended play, Aboutzu, on September 6.[15]

Other ventures

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Endorsements

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Tzuyu has featured alone in various advertisements, including those for LG U+[16] and Crocs Korea.[17] She covered the October 2021 issue of L'Officiel Malaysia[18] as a model for the Coach Fall/Winter 2021 collection.[19] In January 2022, Tzuyu was chosen as the new muse of South Korean clothing brand Zooc.[20][21] In October 2022, she was announced as the muse of Visée, one of Japan's most popular cosmetics brands.[22][23] In October 2023, she was appointed as the brand ambassador for the Pond's Skin Institute's Brand Evolution Campaign.[24]

Philanthropy

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On February 29, 2020, Tzuyu donated ₩50 million (US$42,363.34) to the South Korean Community Chest, for helping prevent the spread of COVID-19.[25]

Public image and influence

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Tzuyu in 2018

Public image

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Tzuyu has received widespread attention for her beauty since her debut with Twice,[1][12][26][27] and was nicknamed "Light of Taiwan"[A] by the Taiwanese media due to her popularity.[29][30][31][32]

Influence

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After the flag controversy in 2016, Tzuyu was credited with increasing Taiwanese votes by up to 1-2% in favor of President Tsai Ing-wen.[33][34] According to Gallup Korea's annual music survey, Tzuyu was the third most popular idol among South Koreans in 2016.[35] She ranked ninth in the 2017 survey[36] and twelfth in 2018.[37] In 2019, Tzuyu was ranked as the second most popular female K-pop idol in a survey of soldiers completing mandatory military service in South Korea.[38] In 2023, Tzuyu surpassed Jay Chou and became the most followed Taiwanese celebrity on Instagram with over 10 million followers.[39]

Personal life

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In 2016, she passed an exam at Tainan Municipal Fusing Junior High School to certify her middle school education. She attended high school at Hanlim Multi Art School in South Korea, and graduated in February 2019 along with bandmate Chaeyoung.[40][41][42][43][44]

Flag controversy

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In November 2015, Tzuyu appeared with bandmates Sana, Momo, and Mina on the Korean variety show My Little Television. She introduced herself as Taiwanese and held the flag of the Republic of China (Taiwan) alongside that of South Korea.[45] Mainland Chinese internet users reacted angrily towards Tzuyu's actions due to the political rift between the two countries.[46] Soon after, Twice was barred from Chinese television[47] and Tzuyu was pulled out of her endorsement with Chinese communications company Huawei.[48] Meanwhile, her agency, JYP Entertainment, released a video showing Tzuyu reading an apology, which said in part:

There is only one China, the two sides of the strait are one, and I have always felt proud to be Chinese. I feel extremely apologetic to my company and to Internet friends on both sides of the strait for the hurt that I have caused, and I also feel very guilty.[49]

Tzuyu's apology sparked a furor among the Taiwanese public on election day.[50][51] The incident gained international attention, as it was believed to have affected the 2016 Taiwanese general election.[49][34] A survey found that Tzuyu's video apology affected the decision of about 1.34 million young voters.[52]

In response to criticism, JYP Entertainment announced that it would be adopting new procedures concerning its exports and overseas activities in order to protect employees from future controversies. This included the implementation of cultural sensitivity training for its artists and staff members. In an interview with The Korea Times, a JYP representative stated that the training would include issues pertaining to political conflicts between countries.[53]

Discography

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For Tzuyu's discography with Twice, see Twice discography.

Extended plays

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List of extended plays, showing selected details, selected chart positions, and sales figures
Title Details Peak chart positions Sales Certifications
KOR
[54] 		JPN
[55] 		JPN
Comb
[56] 		US
[57] 		US
World
[58]
Aboutzu 3 3 4 19 1

Singles

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List of singles, showing year released, selected chart positions, and name of the album
Title Year Peak chart positions Album
KOR
DL
[63] 		NZ
Hot
[64] 		SGP
Reg.
[65] 		TWN
[66] 		US
World
[67]
"Run Away" 2024 22 40 29 1 6 Aboutzu

Guest appearances

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List of non-single guest appearances, showing year released, and name of the album
Title Year Album
"Daring Woman" (당돌한 여자)
(with Jihyo, Nayeon and Chaeyoung) 		2015 Two Yoo Project – Sugar Man Pt. 11

Songwriting credits

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All song credits are adapted from the Korea Music Copyright Association's database unless stated otherwise.[68]

List of songs, showing year released, artist name, and name of the album
Title Year Artist Album Notes
"21:29" 2019 Twice Feel Special As lyricist
"Celebrate" 2022 Celebrate
"Fly" 2024 Tzuyu Aboutzu

Videography

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For Tzuyu's videography with Twice, see Twice videography.

Music videos

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List of music videos, showing year released, and name of the director(s)
Title Year Director(s) Ref.
"Run Away" 2024 Yang Soon-Shik (YSS Studio) [69][70]

Filmography

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For Tzuyu's filmography with Twice, see Twice videography.

Television shows

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Year Title Role Note Ref.
2015 Sixteen Contestant A survival show designed to select the members of Twice [9]
2016 Inkigayo Special MC with Nayeon, Minhyuk, and Kihyun [71]
2019 Battle Trip Cast with Chaeyoung and Dahyun, Ep. 141–142 [72]

Bibliography

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Photobooks

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Title Release date Publisher Ref.
Yes, I am Tzuyu. April 28, 2020 JYP Entertainment [73][74]

Notes

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  1. ^ (Chinese: 台灣之光) The light of Taiwan is a term commonly used by Taiwanese news media to refer to internationally famous Taiwanese, people of Taiwanese descent, or Taiwanese products. It is also a term used by Taiwanese to be proud of their local culture.[28]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Moon, Kat (September 20, 2019). "Everything to Know About K-Pop Group Twice". Time. Archived from the original on September 21, 2019. Retrieved June 16, 2020.
  2. ^ "18 fun facts about birthday girl Tzuyu". SBS. June 14, 2017. Archived from the original on June 17, 2017. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
  3. ^ Robidoux, Brandy (December 4, 2019). "Who Is Tzuyu? TWICE's Maknae Will Blow Your Mind With Her Talent". Elite Daily. Archived from the original on December 4, 2019. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
  4. ^ "18 fun facts about birthday girl Tzuyu". SBS. June 14, 2017. Archived from the original on June 17, 2017. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
  5. ^ "周子瑜家境優渥 父母擁3間醫美診所". Apple Daily (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Archived from the original on July 21, 2019. Retrieved February 12, 2019.
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  7. ^ Lau, Jack (April 1, 2020). "Tzuyu of Twice: beautiful, youngest band member wants to be known for more than just her good looks". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on April 3, 2020. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
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  30. ^ 三立新聞網 (June 20, 2017). "周子瑜是台灣之光 陳沂：可悲！台灣別再沾光了 | 娛樂星聞 | 三立新聞網 SETN.COM" [Tzuyu is the light of Taiwan Chen Yi: Sad! "Taiwan don't get dirty anymore"]. www.setn.com (in Chinese). Archived from the original on October 31, 2018. Retrieved June 24, 2023.
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  54. ^ Peak chart positions on the Circle Album Chart:
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  73. ^ "完全是仙女級美貌！TWICE周子瑜推出個人寫真書《Yes, I am Tzuyu.》，滿滿男友視角照片讓人戀愛". May 7, 2020. Archived from the original on November 28, 2020. Retrieved June 16, 2020.
  74. ^ "Yes, I am Tzuyu: 1ST PHOTOBOOK (Blue ver.)". Tower Records Online. Archived from the original on April 14, 2021. Retrieved June 12, 2021.
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  •   Media related to Tzuyu at Wikimedia Commons
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