(Photo Source: ntdoor.com)

In the Winter of 1999, upon hearing this angelic voice, the hibernating residents of Beijing woke with a start, especially after hearing so many identically insipid Taiwan and Hong Kong love ballads. It's now been seven years since this singer, Jin Haixin, first met the public's eye, during which time she's already completed the transition from naive debutante to independent female. Xiaohua takes a look at this singer, who some predict will follow Na Ying and Tian Zhen to become the next pop queen of the Chinese mainland.

Jin Haixin possesses both Taiwan singer Shun Za's improvisational style and the crystal clear vocals of Hong Kong star Faye Wang. At the same time however, there is something unique, even nasal about her style of singing, which is always perfectly pleasant upon the ear.

Born into a musical family of China's Korean ethnicity, Jin Haixin began playing the piano and the flute from the age of five. Then, on reaching adulthood, she created a shockwave with her debut album Wake Up the Ears in 1999. In fact, the tune you've been listening to is the title track from that album. Upon release, this song topped the music charts of radio stations across the country, enabling Jin to walk away from many award ceremonies with the prize of Best Newcomer.

Her second album, So Proud came out a year later, and put more emphasis on rhythm. Additionally, its music arrangements were somewhat more internationalized, with Europop, funk, blues and soul. Such diversity also gave Jin Haixin the chance to air her accomplished vocal ability and technique. In this content, from Wake Up The Ear to So Proud, we see Jin's transition from na?ve debutante to mature young woman, who speaks for middle-class urban females everywhere. Let's hear the title track from So Proud, which features some clearly detectable European influences.

Following this second album So Proud, Jin Haixin took over her own production duties for a 2003 eponymous release, which was also seen as her best work to date. Furthermore, the music on this third album was considered even more varied than before, with rock, love ballads, and electronic elements added into the mix, as well as some interesting plucked stringed instruments. Let's take a quick listen to one of the hits from this album, Across the Bank, which even includes some rapping from Jin. 
 
After two years of silence, Jin Haixin's fourth album, Independence Day, came out at the beginning of this year, and announced her rebirth as a feminist. On this effort, Jin worries less about vocal skill and more about emotional expressions. Specifically, Independence Day calls on women to be more independent, both physically and spiritually, and love themselves more, instead of living for others, especially men. It's also Jin's personal declaration as a singer; that is, of her wish to make music independently and without interference, from composition right through to production. To illustrate these new attitudes, we'll finish with the song, Right Hand Ring, where a marriage ring on the left hand emphasizes "We", but a ring on the right hand points to "I" and an independent personality.