Zhang Li Yin

Chinese name :  张力尹
Birth Name     :  Zhang Liyin
Born                :  February 28, 1989 Chengdu, Sichuan, China
Occupation      :  Singer
Genre              :  Pop, R&B
Instrument       :  Singing, violin, piano

Personal Life

Zhang Liyin born February 28, 1989, better known in South Korea as Jang Ri-in, is a Chinese solo singer active in China and South Korea. Subject to much publicity, Zhang has been nicknamed the "Chinese BoA" and the next leader of the Korean wave. She speaks both Mandarin, which is her first language, and moderate Korean, and has released singles in both China and Korea, singing in both languages. Her fan club color is Gold and her fans call themselves "Chocolate".

Zhang has released only one studio album since her debut in 2006, but its singles carried a few top ten titles, such as "Timeless," which was a #1 hit, as well as "I Will". She is also the first foreign artist to win Best New Solo Artist at the M.net Asian Music Awards. Her first album, I Will has sold over 260,000 copies since its release in March 2008.

Zhang was born in Sichuan, China as a native from Chengdu. Her parents took her to their classical concerts and exposed her to a variety of music. At three years old, she began to learn the violin. Zhang was so accustomed to classical, American, and European pop music that she claims she never sang children's songs when she was a child. She also developed the ability to sing a song after hearing it only once. When she was nine years old, she showed her musical ability when she sang Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On".

As she grew older, Zhang became more absorbed into pop music than classical music. She secretly listened to pop music because her parents were against it. When she was twelve, she was accepted into a middle school affiliated to Sichuan Conservatory of Music after scoring the highest with her violin talents, but she opted to become a singer instead. Eventually, her parents began to support her dream to become a singer and she gained confidence when she was selected as the top 10 adult singers in a national singing competition under a sponsorship in Shanghai, China.

Zhang was discovered after partners in Beijing, China informed the head of South Korean talent agency SM Entertainment of a young talent. In 2003, she moved to South Korea and started training at the age of fourteen. She received two years of special singing and dance training under SM Entertainment. Under the direction from producer Lee Soo Man, Zhang discovered her R&B voice.