Tiana Xiao
Encyclopedia
Tiana Xiao is a J-Pop
singer of American nationality and Chinese
descent.
, China
and moved to the United States when she was two years old. Her mother and brother currently reside in Los Angeles
, California, and her father lives in China
.
With an alleged IQ of 170, Tiana graduated from high school at the age of fourteen. After her graduation, although she had already been accepted to Cornell University
, Tiana had decided to pursue her childhood dream of becoming an artist, and deferred her admission so that she could focus on singing
and performing.
In order to improve her vocals and other performance
skills, including stage presence and dance
, Tiana studied singing with several private vocal coaches and attended classes at the Millennium Dance Complex in North Hollywood.
In January 2006, Tiana began attending HIPAC, a vocal school located in Los Angeles
. Her voice teacher
saw tremendous potential in the then 15 year old Tiana, and trained her for about three months before sending a demo CD to a management/production company in Japan
.
A few months later, during the summer of 2006, Tiana was brought by her vocal coach
to Tokyo
for an audition
. Her unique voice earned her a recording contract
with her label
, Imperial Records, a division of Teichiku Entertainment, Inc.
Currently, Tiana is a senior
at Cornell University
.
Tiana also frequently updates an ameblo, a weblog in Japanese
.
CD, Sweet Obsession, was released on January 23, 2008. The music was written and produced by Jeeve. The original lyrics of Sweet Obsession, written in English, were penned by Tiana herself. Tiana also wrote the English portion of the lyrics in the B-side, Temptation. Days after Tiana's debut, a controversial news article surfaced in several popular Japanese websites, including a widely used SNS
(social networking service) website known as mixi
, raising the question of whether or not Tiana Xiao has a shot at becoming the next Utada Hikaru
, due to a similarity in upbringing, educational background, musical style, and specific vocal habits. Tiana has also cited Utada Hikaru
as one of her major musical influences since childhood. However, she does not hope to follow in the footsteps of any artist, but would rather create a distinct image as herself in the music industry. The news article quickly raised awareness of "Tiana Xiao" among the Japanese audience. However, to date, Sweet Obsession has not generated a significant number of sales.
A second single
, titled KIZUNA, was released on April 23, 2008. The two songs on the CD are written and produced by Tom Keane, who wrote and produced music for many well-known artists such as Celine Dion
and Chaka Khan
, and his associate Roycel Cooks. And again, the lyrics of both KIZUNA and the coupling number (B-side) were co-written by Tiana.
Tiana's first studio album
was released in May. The songs featured in the album will include all tracks from her two previous maxi single
s, as well as the highly anticipated songs written and produced by other notable producers from both the United States of America and the United Kingdom
, including Alexis Smith (U.K.) Tom Keane, Jeeve and Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis
(Jam & Lewis) (U.S.).
After an eleven month hiatus, Tiana releases a third single
, Kanashii Uso. Despite receiving a substantial amount of positive critical reviews, the single
did not make the Oricon
charts due to a lack of sufficient promotion from Tiana's label. In contrast to her previous singles
, Kanashii Uso featured three songs. Tiana continues her R&B
style with a mid-tempo A side. Both the music video
and the song itself were highly lauded by fans
and non supporters alike, saying it is Tiana's best A side and music video
to date. The second song on the single
, Promise, is a classic J-pop
ballad, and the third song, You're My Heart, is a power ballad that significantly shows off Tiana's vocal range
and abilities.
On December 1, 2009, Tiana has announced an official return to school, stating that she will continue her career in music after graduation.
J-pop
, an abbreviation for Japanese pop, is a musical genre that entered the musical mainstream of Japan in the 1990s. Modern J-pop has its roots in 1960s music, such as The Beatles, and replaced kayōkyoku in the Japanese music scene...
singer of American nationality and Chinese
Han Chinese
Han Chinese are an ethnic group native to China and are the largest single ethnic group in the world.Han Chinese constitute about 92% of the population of the People's Republic of China , 98% of the population of the Republic of China , 78% of the population of Singapore, and about 20% of the...
descent.
Biography
Tiana Xiao was born in SichuanSichuan
' , known formerly in the West by its postal map spellings of Szechwan or Szechuan is a province in Southwest China with its capital in Chengdu...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
and moved to the United States when she was two years old. Her mother and brother currently reside in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California, and her father lives in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
.
With an alleged IQ of 170, Tiana graduated from high school at the age of fourteen. After her graduation, although she had already been accepted to Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
, Tiana had decided to pursue her childhood dream of becoming an artist, and deferred her admission so that she could focus on singing
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
and performing.
In order to improve her vocals and other performance
Performance
A performance, in performing arts, generally comprises an event in which a performer or group of performers behave in a particular way for another group of people, the audience. Choral music and ballet are examples. Usually the performers participate in rehearsals beforehand. Afterwards audience...
skills, including stage presence and dance
Dance
Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....
, Tiana studied singing with several private vocal coaches and attended classes at the Millennium Dance Complex in North Hollywood.
In January 2006, Tiana began attending HIPAC, a vocal school located in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. Her voice teacher
Voice teacher
A voice teacher or singing teacher is a musical instructor who trains adults and children in the art of singing. This generally involves training in breath control and support, proper tone production, pitch control and musical intonation, proper formation of vowels and consonants as well as...
saw tremendous potential in the then 15 year old Tiana, and trained her for about three months before sending a demo CD to a management/production company in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
A few months later, during the summer of 2006, Tiana was brought by her vocal coach
Vocal coach
A vocal coach is a music teacher who instructs singers on how to improve their singing technique, take care of and develop their voice, and prepare for the performance of a song or other work. Vocal coaches may give private music lessons to singers, or they may coach singers who are rehearsing on...
to Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
for an audition
Audition
An audition is a sample performance by an actor, singer, musician, dancer or other performing artist.Audition may also refer to:* The sense of hearing* Adobe Audition, audio editing software...
. Her unique voice earned her a recording contract
Recording contract
A recording contract is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist , where the artist makes a record for the label to sell and promote...
with her label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
, Imperial Records, a division of Teichiku Entertainment, Inc.
Currently, Tiana is a senior
Senior (education)
Senior is a term used in the United States to describe a student in the 4th year of study .-High school:...
at Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
.
Tiana also frequently updates an ameblo, a weblog in Japanese
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
.
Career
Tiana's debut singleSingle (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
CD, Sweet Obsession, was released on January 23, 2008. The music was written and produced by Jeeve. The original lyrics of Sweet Obsession, written in English, were penned by Tiana herself. Tiana also wrote the English portion of the lyrics in the B-side, Temptation. Days after Tiana's debut, a controversial news article surfaced in several popular Japanese websites, including a widely used SNS
SNS
-Commerce:* SNS Bank, a Dutch bank.* Steak n Shake, a U.S. restaurant chain* Street News Service, a news agency for street newspapers-Computing:* Amazon Simple Notification Service , a multiprotocol "push" messaging web service...
(social networking service) website known as mixi
Mixi
mixi, Inc. is one of several social networking websites in Japan, founded in 2004. As of May 2008, mixi had over 21.6 million users and an 80% share of the social networking market in Japan...
, raising the question of whether or not Tiana Xiao has a shot at becoming the next Utada Hikaru
Utada Hikaru
, known by her stage name Utada in America and Europe, is a Japanese-American singer, song writer, arranger, and producer. Since the release of her Japanese debut album First Love, which went on to become the best-selling album in Oricon history, Utada has had three of her Japanese studio albums...
, due to a similarity in upbringing, educational background, musical style, and specific vocal habits. Tiana has also cited Utada Hikaru
Utada Hikaru
, known by her stage name Utada in America and Europe, is a Japanese-American singer, song writer, arranger, and producer. Since the release of her Japanese debut album First Love, which went on to become the best-selling album in Oricon history, Utada has had three of her Japanese studio albums...
as one of her major musical influences since childhood. However, she does not hope to follow in the footsteps of any artist, but would rather create a distinct image as herself in the music industry. The news article quickly raised awareness of "Tiana Xiao" among the Japanese audience. However, to date, Sweet Obsession has not generated a significant number of sales.
A second single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, titled KIZUNA, was released on April 23, 2008. The two songs on the CD are written and produced by Tom Keane, who wrote and produced music for many well-known artists such as Celine Dion
Celine Dion
Céline Marie Claudette Dion, , , is a Canadian singer. Born to a large family from Charlemagne, Quebec, Dion emerged as a teen star in the French-speaking world after her manager and future husband René Angélil mortgaged his home to finance her first record...
and Chaka Khan
Chaka Khan
Chaka Khan , frequently known as the Queen of Funk, is a 10-time Grammy Award winning American singer-songwriter who gained fame in the 1970s as the frontwoman and focal point of the funk band Rufus. While still a member of the group in 1978, Khan embarked on a successful solo career...
, and his associate Roycel Cooks. And again, the lyrics of both KIZUNA and the coupling number (B-side) were co-written by Tiana.
Tiana's first studio album
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
was released in May. The songs featured in the album will include all tracks from her two previous maxi single
Maxi single
A maxi single or maxi-single is a music single release with more than the usual two tracks of an a-side song and a b-side song.-The first maxi singles:...
s, as well as the highly anticipated songs written and produced by other notable producers from both the United States of America and the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, including Alexis Smith (U.K.) Tom Keane, Jeeve and Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis
Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis
James Samuel "Jimmy Jam" Harris III and Terry Steven Lewis are an American R&B and pop-music songwriting and record production team...
(Jam & Lewis) (U.S.).
After an eleven month hiatus, Tiana releases a third single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, Kanashii Uso. Despite receiving a substantial amount of positive critical reviews, the single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
did not make the Oricon
Oricon
, established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc...
charts due to a lack of sufficient promotion from Tiana's label. In contrast to her previous singles
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, Kanashii Uso featured three songs. Tiana continues her R&B
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
style with a mid-tempo A side. Both the music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
and the song itself were highly lauded by fans
Fan (person)
A Fan, sometimes also called aficionado or supporter, is a person with a liking and enthusiasm for something, such as a band or a sports team. Fans of a particular thing or person constitute its fanbase or fandom...
and non supporters alike, saying it is Tiana's best A side and music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
to date. The second song on the single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, Promise, is a classic J-pop
J-pop
, an abbreviation for Japanese pop, is a musical genre that entered the musical mainstream of Japan in the 1990s. Modern J-pop has its roots in 1960s music, such as The Beatles, and replaced kayōkyoku in the Japanese music scene...
ballad, and the third song, You're My Heart, is a power ballad that significantly shows off Tiana's vocal range
Vocal range
Vocal range is the measure of the breadth of pitches that a human voice can phonate. Although the study of vocal range has little practical application in terms of speech, it is a topic of study within linguistics, phonetics, and speech and language pathology, particularly in relation to the study...
and abilities.
On December 1, 2009, Tiana has announced an official return to school, stating that she will continue her career in music after graduation.
Singles
| Year | Title | Label | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 2008 in music 2008 was a huge year in music history with the emergence of pop superstars Lady Gaga and Katy Perry into the mainstream. Also, this is the year that is widely agreed upon by critics as the start of the fall of hip hop from the mainstream and the rise of Synthpop into the mainstream due to acts such... |
Sweet Obsession | Imperial Records |
|
| 2008 2008 in music 2008 was a huge year in music history with the emergence of pop superstars Lady Gaga and Katy Perry into the mainstream. Also, this is the year that is widely agreed upon by critics as the start of the fall of hip hop from the mainstream and the rise of Synthpop into the mainstream due to acts such... |
KIZUNA | Imperial Records |
|
| 2009 2009 in music The following is a list of notable events and releases in 2009 in music. Susan Boyle's album I Dreamed a Dream became the biggest selling album in the world for 2009, selling 8.3 million copies in five weeks; more than any other artist's in the whole year... |
Kanashii Uso | Imperial Records |
|
Albums
| Year | Title | Label | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 2008 in music 2008 was a huge year in music history with the emergence of pop superstars Lady Gaga and Katy Perry into the mainstream. Also, this is the year that is widely agreed upon by critics as the start of the fall of hip hop from the mainstream and the rise of Synthpop into the mainstream due to acts such... |
Destiny | Imperial Records |
|