Written by Jennifer J. Lau
Updated August 4, 2020

Destined for Stardom

The Shanghai-born Hong Kong-raised superstar, G.E.M. (Get Everybody Moving -- the stage name for Gloria Tang) was destined to rise to stardom. Having come from a family of musicians, G.E.M. would champion various singing competitions throughout her youth beginning at the age of 7. She was the youngest Hong Kong artist to perform at the prestigious Hong Kong Coliseum, where only the most well-known and established singers once held concerts. She was also recognized on the Forbes 30 under 30 List. Just last year, she served as an ambassador for the 30 Hour Famine in Malaysia as part of her philanthropic work.

In 2008 when G.E.M. released her first album at the age of 17, I was her contemporary and discovered that she had strong vocals unlike other Sinophone artists I had come across. “Where Did U Go” became a highly popular song to hum between school classes even miles away in Canada, and her songs grew increasingly sought after to sing at karaoke gatherings too. As talented as we knew she was, her global fame was disproportionate to her potential.

2014 was a major turning point in G.E.M.’s life. She became a household name after proving herself on the entertainment show, I Am A Singer, in Mainland China. The show selected seven veteran Sinophone singers and gave each artist the opportunity to showcase their vocal mastery over the course of six months. She had no confidence that she would make it through the first two rounds. She performed a self-composed song, “Bubbles” in the first show and then covered “To Live” by a famous Chinese superstar Wang Feng. By the end of the show, G.E.M. would place second, and was a very close rival to the winner. She had, however, won the hearts of audiences, sevenfold. Thereafter, her music became more focused on Mandarin-speaking audiences and launched her career in China. This step proved to be wise, offering her the opportunity to cover the Chinese theme song for the Hollywood movie, Passengers (2016) starring Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt.

“The ballad, entitled “Light Years Away,” reached 220,542,163 views on Youtube alone, which broke many records as a Sinophone artist.”

Celebrations continue as G.E.M. finishes her 100th concert at the age of 25.

Her accolades go beyond vocals – she is also a talented songwriter and creative. Her drive and creativity were captured in her documentaries and also in her recent self-directed music videos. In the latest G-Force, directed by Nick Wickham, many fans, established artists, and her colleagues praised G.E.M. for her unrelenting attitude towards music, the maturity in her craft, and her potential to be remembered forever in history. All in all, unforgettable, fulfilling her dream at 14: “I want to be the best singer in Asia.”

In 2017, G.E.M. completed her 100th concert at the age of 25. The Queen of Hearts Tour hence has a special place in her heart. Not a stranger to the North American stage, G.E.M. met Toronto fans once again to get everybody moving on March 20, 2019. Canadian fans experienced an audio and visual treat – G.E.M. style – as the Queen of Hearts Tour was known to be quite a spectacle in addition to musical excellence. Organized by Ultron, the concert took place at the Coca Cola Coliseum, and Fête Chinoise was proud to be the exclusive media sponsor. A portion of concert proceeds benefitted the Sunnybrook Hospital Foundation.

On August 16, 2020, G.E.M. will celebrate her 29th birthday. In less than three decades, she has released a number of best-selling albums (with her latest entitled City Zoo (2019)), won over 100 music awards around the world, and served as a mentor on several music reality competition shows in China. We look forward to seeing what this amazing talented singer will do in the future!

Leave us a comment if you are a G.E.M. fan!