Deng Zi Qi’s stage moniker, G.E.M, an abbreviation for Get Everybody Moving, which is also the name of her self-titled EP album released in 2008. Growing up in a musical family, she learnt to sing from her grandmother, who was a vocal coach. Her grandfather was a saxophonist and her uncle was a violinist.
She is nicknamed “The Chinese Taylor Swift” as she was the only Asian musician to land on Forbes “30 Under 30 list” in 2016, following an 11th placing on Forbes’ ‘China Celebrity 100 list’ in 2015. In 2016, G.E.M. received the highest number of votes to earn the accolade for Best Mainland China and Hong Kong Act in the MTV EMAs held at Rotterdam, Netherlands. The category included other artists such as Khalil Fong, Momo, Pu Shu and Vision Wei. She is also a Global Ambassador for Mending Kids, where she lends her voice to encourage contribution towards the medical expenses of ill orphaned children.
This December, MTV Asia will be airing the music documentary G.E.M.: <G-FORCE> for the first time. <G-FORCE> tells the story of how G.E.M., an ordinary teenage girl from Hong Kong, became the biggest female singer in China overnight. Through her devotion to music and jaw-dropping talent, G.E.M’s success has inspired many in her generation.
