Nicknamed Milk Tea by fans in reference to her self-confessed “bitter, yet sweet” personality, Rene Liu has catapulted to stardom in her native Taiwan as both an actress and a singer-songwriter since emerging on the scene in the mid-1990s. Born Liu Jo-ying on June 1st, 1970 in Taipei, she grew up in a military family who treated her to piano lessons, and by her late 20s she’d honed her craft making tender, pared-back ballads. Rising to prominence with a string of albums starting with 1995’s 少女小漁的美麗與哀愁 (Beauty and Sadness), she made strides with the 1998 single “為愛痴狂 (Crazy for Love)”. The song, a leisurely pop number about the lengths that people will go to for their nearest and dearest, appeared on her fourth LP, 1998’s 很愛很愛你 (Love You More & More), sowing the seeds for several more chart smashes to come including a 1998 cover of Kiroro’s “很愛很愛你” and the 2001 hit “成全”. Continuing to share new albums periodically into the 21st century, some of which have also amassed tens of millions of streams in the Western world, Liu has toured extensively, breaking the record for the most shows performed by a female soloist in a single year. Pursuing the latest innovations in live music including 3D visuals and bold fashion statements, she has since continued to juggle her music and acting careers, returning in 2021 with the new single “黃金年代 (As Time Goes By)”.
