Chinese singer and songwriter sensation Gloria Tang Tsz-kei, better known as G.E.M. (Get Everybody Moving), is set to take on the world with a North American and European tour.
Known as East Asia's Queen of Pop, G.E.M. hails from Shanghai and has grown to became the dominant pop icon in China. When iTunes opened in China, nine out of the Top 10 singles were hers. She has more than 17 million followers on Sina Weibo, a Chinese social media network akin to Twitter and Facebook.
She has been compared to American pop star and Nashville sweetheart Taylor Swift, and is poised to compete with her when she tours in the U.S.
"I am so complimented [sic] that people compare me to Taylor. I am impressed by her. Not only are her hits like 'Shake It Up' so much fun, but she plays the guitar and writes her own music. That is so rare these days," G.E.M. says.
Like Taylor Swift, G.E.M. plays an instrument (the piano) and she writes her own songs, usually about love.
"I too write about heartbreak because it's real, it's honest, and it can't be avoided," she says.
Among G.E.M.'s hits are the songs "Loss of Innocence," "Bubble," "Sometimes" and "One Way Road."
G.E.M.'s chief inluences are Christina Aguilera and Beyonce. She says her dream is to work in collaboration with both of them, saying that she first heard of Aguilera when she was 13 years old, and thinking her voice was like nothing she had ever heard in her entire life.
Tickets for G.E.M.'s U.S. tour go on sale May 2.