Biography
Born with the birth name Gloria Tang, G.E.M.'s unique stage name stands for "Get Everyone Moving" which is a representation of her hopes to inspire everyone with her music.
Coming from a musical family, G.E.M. composed her first song at the tender age of 5 years old and finished her piano study by the time she was 13. With her natural talent, she won many singing competitions.
G.E.M. got her big break in 2006 at the singing competition "Spice It Up, which caught the eye of record company Hummingbird Music. She was merely 15 years old at the time when she first debuted into the music industry.
Her first self-titled EP released in 2008, successfully capturing the attention of the entire Hong Kong music industry and taking home countless "Best Newcomer" awards.
She continued her success with her second album "18..." in 2009 and held her first concert.
Her third and latest album "MySecret" released in 2010, which gave her even more acclaim and commercial success. A majority of the songs were written herself. "MySecret" went on to become the top selling album in Hong Kong, even managing to out sell Taylor Swift's phenomenon "Speak Now".
G.E.M. held her first concert at the Hong Kong Coliseum in May 2011, which was a huge honor as well as accomplishment. At 20 years old, she is the youngest female singer to ever hold a concert at the prestigious concert site.
Critique
The Hong Kong music scene has been a bit lacking lately, and G.E.M. has helped brightened it since her entrance into the industry. With her youthfulness and show stopping vocals, she brought something new and wonderful with her talent. Typically, Chinese people are not born with such a strong voice and vast vocal range, making her voice even more impressive. Most people in the HK entertainment business are in their late 20s to early 30s, so it is refreshing to see someone so young and fresh with such an immense amount of talent.
Upon getting into TVB dramas and C-Pop music in 2008, G.E.M. quickly captured my attention and become one of my favorite singers. I've been closely following her music since. Not only does she have an amazing voice, but her music itself is overall well produced and a great listen. It has been great seeing her grow up and mature and I hope she only continues to release more superb music.
G.E.M. Essentials
"等一個他" : The debut single
Upbeat and catchy, "等一個他" was released as G.E.M.'s first single. The music video is silly yet cute and with the school theme, it is evident how young she was here.
"Where Did U Go" : The break out song
As the second single off her first EP, "Where Did U Go" became G.E.M.'s break out song and is arguably her most popular one. It features a great combination of pop and rock along with many musical elements to make it a simple, soothing, catchy, and memorable song. "Where Did U Go" remains one of my favorite songs.
"睡公主" : The ballad and vocal showcase
Translated to "Sleeping Beauty", "睡公主" was G.E.M.'s first ballad. An overall gorgeous song that thoroughly showed off her amazing vocal range.
"All About U" : The second album hit
G.E.M. followed up to her breakout first album with "18..." with the lead single "All About U", a cute and sweet song about being in love. The catchy song has a great beat, music, and of course, vocals.
"A.I.N.Y." : The haunting show stopper
Unlike any song she's ever released, "A.I.N.Y." (which actually stands for 愛你, the Chinese characters for "loving you") is a phenomenal song with a haunting feel. It starts off slowly and builds up tension before finally letting G.E.M. belt her heart out. The music video on the other hand, was not executed too well.
"Good to be Bad" : The career changer
As the lead single off of her third album "MySecret", "Good to be Bad" showed off a more grown up and mature G.E.M., now 19 years old. Using a catchy beat and chorus with R&B elements, "Good to be Bad" introduced a more edgy side to the singer. Male fans of G.E.M. will probably be drooling from the video as well, which matches the song's title.
"Get Over You" : The heartbreak song
Every singer has their heartbreak song. "Get Over You" is a fantastic heartbreak song that combines emotion and angst with great vocals. This is probably G.E.M. at her most soulful!
"MySecret" : The feel good song
Another personal favorite of mine, "MySecret" is a sweet and uplifting song that just makes you feel good. It is about the wonderful feeling you get when you fall for someone, and the lyrics were written by G.E.M. herself.
Other Song Recommendations
- 回憶的沙漏 http://youtu.be/zZ8T75DdeQQ
- Game Over MV: http://youtu.be/uCIoAwJ_5Ao
- Mascara MV: http://youtu.be/8lg1ymm99CQ
- I Don't Know How to Love 我不懂愛: http://youtu.be/lwm2DBwdxGk
- The Voice Within: http://youtu.be/qTYFN_VVTO8
- The Rose: http://youtu.be/ND2Bkldl_aM
Watch G.E.M. Live
"A.I.N.Y." Live
You're not a true singer unless you can sing live. This is something G.E.M. has no problem with. In fact, she probably sounds better completely raw than anything. A chilling performance of fan favorite "A.I.N.Y."!
Acoustic and Completely Raw
Following the death of king of pop Michael Jackson, G.E.M. uploaded this tribute to him on her YouTube page. This is a beautiful cover that not only contains a lot of emotional and soul, but it is G.E.M. completely raw.
Overall
G.E.M. has a bright future ahead of her and all the success she's received has been deserved. If anybody wants to listen to some great C-Pop by a young artist, definitely give G.E.M. a try!
For more information about G.E.M., visit her official website http://www.geteverybodymoving.com/.
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