Chou Tzu-yu, better known by her stage nickname Tzuyu, is a musical sensation born in Taiwan. She is a member of the nine-member K-pop girl group, Twice, and is probably the most high-profile member of the group following some pretty controversial incidents. Tzuyu was at the center of a major controversy in China after he appeared on South Korean television under the flag of the Republic of China. The 2015 incident sparked a scandal in China, prompting Tzuyu to apologize. However, his apology intensified the controversy, which sparked a major scandal in his country, Taiwan.
Chou Tzu-Yu Biography
Chou Tzu-yu was born on June 3, 1999 in Eastern District located in Tainan City, the oldest city in Taiwan. She attended Fusing Municipal College in Tainan. As a teenager in 2012, she caught the eye of talented scouts at the MUSE Performing Arts Workshop in her hometown of Tainan. This marked a major turning point in his life and also marked the start of an illustrious career in showbiz. She was sent to South Korea for training later that year, then enrolled at the Hanlim Multi Art School in Seoul, South Korea.
After more than two years of training, Chou Tzu-yu took part in the girl-only reality series Sixteen (2015) created by JYP Entertainment and Mnet. Sixteen girls took part in the show which started in May 2015 and were evaluated on their singing and dancing abilities during the two months of the show.
In the finals on July 7, 2015, nine of the contestants, including Tzuyu, were chosen to form the girl group Twice. Tzuyu was initially not among the winners of the series but she was eventually included in the final lineup of the group based on viewer votes. Other group members include Nayeon, Jeongyeon, Momo, Sana, Jihyo, Mina, Dahyun, and Chae-young.
Twice debuted in October 2015 with the release of the EP, The Story Begins. Their chart-topping single “Cheer Up” was released in April 2016 and won several awards. Also in 2016, the band released 2 EPs Page Two and Twicecoaster: Track 1, both of which surpassed the success of their debut EPs.
The band released 2 EPs again in 2017 – What’s Twice? and Signal. They also debuted in Japan with the release of their first compilation album #Deux fois in June 2017. This was followed by the release of two more EPs in 2018 – What is Love? and yes or yes. Their second studio album, BDZ, was released in September 2018 and their second compilation album, #Twice2, was released in March 2019.
His family life
Chou Tzu-yu’s father and mother are HuangYen-Ling and Chou Yi-Cheng respectively. Her father is an independent trader while her mother runs a cafe in her hometown. His mother’s cafe has since become a tourist destination due to the rising popularity of the young music star.
It is unknown if she has any siblings, as there is very little information regarding her family life in the public domain. However, they are known to have a rather famous family dog called Gucci.
Facts to know about The Taiwanese singer
1. Due to her success with music group Twice, Chou Tzu-Yu was ranked as the third most popular teen idol in South Korea for the year 2016.
2. In November 2015, Tzuyu appeared on the South Korean TV show, My Little TV, where she introduced herself as a Taiwanese woman waving the Republic of China flag next to South Korea’s. . This earned her criticism from China-based Taiwanese singer Huang An, who accused her of propagating the Taiwanese independence movement.
3 She was again criticized by Chinese netizens who criticized her for taking advantage of her Chinese audience while maintaining a position of independence. Following public outcry, Tzuyu and her band were banned from Chinese television and she also lost a major endorsement deal with Chinese multinational Huawei.
4 On January 15, 2016, Chou Tzu-Yu apologized for his actions in a video that was released by his agency JYP Entertainment. The apology won him sympathy from the Taiwanese public, and many claimed it was done under duress.
5 Tzu-Yu’s apology also took place a day before the general election in Taiwan and is widely believed to have slightly affected the final election result. The incident was acknowledged in the acceptance speech of Tsai Ing-wen, the election winner.