Victoria Song of f(x): one of the first Chinese K-pop group leaders, she took Korea, then China by storm
- After studying dance in China, Song was scouted by K-pop giants SM Entertainment and joined f(x)
- Once established, she branched out into Chinese drama and TV, and launched her solo career
The K-pop industry has embraced idols from China for several years now, but few have scaled the heights like Victoria Song. From her beginning as the leader of a K-pop girl group to eventually becoming one of China’s most powerful celebrities, Song’s success is the result of years of hard work.
Here’s the story of how she became an industry leader.
Her early life
Song Qian was born in February 1987 in the Chinese port city of Qingdao in Shandong province. She left her hometown to study traditional dance in China’s capital at the Beijing Dance Academy, eventually majoring in Chinese dance.
In 2007, the talented dancer was scouted by K-pop giants SM Entertainment after wowing representatives at a competition in Beijing. After passing an audition, she initially prepared for a career focused on acting and modelling in South Korea. The future star made appearances in various music videos and commercials before eventually debuting as a member of the girl group f(x) in 2009 under her stage name Victoria.
Her role in f(x)
Song’s inclusion in f(x) helped the group stand out for several reasons. Not only was she one of the first Chinese members to debut in a group under SM Entertainment, but she was also one of the first non-Koreans to be chosen as the leader of a group.
In addition to being the group’s leader, Song is also f(x)’s main dancer, and plays an important role in rapping and singing. She’s also an alluring visual.
Her solo work
Song has received recognition for her work beyond music.
Less than a year after debuting with f(x), Song became the group’s representative member on the variety show Invincible Youth with six other popular girl group singers. Her fame grew due to her role on the reality show We Got Married, when she was paired with Nichkhun of boy band 2PM as an on-camera married TV couple. Their chemistry was so strong that they won the popularity award at the 2010 MBC Entertainment Awards.
After establishing herself in the Korean entertainment world, Song soon began looking outwards, and in 2012 secured the lead role in the television series When Love Walked In. The drama was a hit with viewers and helped Song win the award for best new actress at the 2012 China TV Drama Awards.
Following her initial successes, she was able to explore different projects, including a photo essay book in 2012, hosting the Korean lifestyle programme Glitter in 2013 and the Korean-Chinese variety show Strongest Group in 2014. She also co-starred in music videos for both Chinese and South Korean artists.
In 2015, Song branched out significantly by setting up a studio focused on her work in China with a manager specifically for the territory. She went on to star in a range of Chinese television dramas, films, reality competitions and TV talk shows.
While she has contributed various songs to television and movie soundtracks, her solo music career officially began in 2018 with the release of the single Roof on Fire. Her self-titled solo album came out in May 2020, topped the local charts and broke sales records for Chinese female artists with strong singles such as Up to Me.
As proof of her success, Song has made the Forbes China Celebrity 100 list three times, most recently hitting a peak of No 14 earlier this year.
Her image
In addition to her hard-working mentality, Song has also continuously shown her philanthropic side.
While she had attended various cultural charity events both as a soloist and with f(x) throughout her career, Song took her philanthropy to a new level when she opened a flea market to sell her personal items and donate the proceeds to the United Nations Children’s Fund in 2014. She has continued her work for the charity by creating handmade dolls and bracelets for Unicef, as well as ordering customised picture books for disabled and hearing-impaired children.
In her own words
“Since when have Weibo, WeChat, and Instagram become the platforms by which we measure ethics, people’s relationships, emotions, and anything that people wish to measure? A public platform is a place where you can share things with others. When did it become a place to put on a show?” Song responded.
“You can post if you want, and if you don’t want to, you don’t have to … who has the right to tell someone else how to live? Focus on your own life. Live in the present. If you live with a kind heart, that is enough.”
