As Chinese superstar, Xin Liu celebrates her birthday this month, the genre-blending artist and Dior Global Ambassador invites us into her intriguing, creative space where she effortlessly splices together dance, fashion, modernity and tradition

We are interviewing Chinese singer, dancer and producer, Xin Liu on set while she is getting her hair and makeup done. As our hair stylist and makeup artist are putting on the finishing touches, Liu tells us, &ldquo;This counts as the first time that I&rsquo;m doing a magazine shoot overseas, so I am very happy and honoured, and am looking forward to everyone seeing the issue. It&rsquo;s also my first shoot in Singapore and this coming out around my birthday makes it extra special.&rdquo; A master of numerous dance techniques and an immense talent in mixing Chinese folk music with modern pop elements, Liu dropped by Singapore not long after her much-talked-about March appearance at Paris Fashion Week. While she has attended numerous <a href="https://www.lofficielsingapore.com/fashion/dior-womens-fall-winter-2025-collection-show-celebrities-paris-fashion-week-jisoo-mingyu" title="Dior Exhibits The Power of Metamorphosis for Fall/Winter 2025" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dior shows</a> before, things were a little different this time around &mdash; Liu is now the house&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.lofficielsingapore.com/fashion/celebrities-at-haute-couture-week-fashion-week-paris-fall-winter-2024-dior-blackpink-jisoo" title="All The Best Dressed Celebrities at Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week FW24" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Global Brand Ambassador</a>.
Despite Liu being one of the biggest stars in China now, she remains undeniably humble and authentic. Perhaps surprisingly, one of her favourite fashion items of the moment is the light, comfy and almost effortless sportscore short. Ready to describe another item she loves, she pulls out of her <a href="https://www.lofficielsingapore.com/fashion/step-into-the-new-season-with-dior-s-d-journey-bag-jisoo" title="Step into the New Season with Dior's D-Journey Bag" target="_blank" rel="noopener">D-Journey Bag</a> the Dior Le Baume, a lip, body and hand cream housed in a chic and compact case. She squeezes some of the fluid on my hand for me to feel its texture, and says of the nourishing cream, &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a very handy and practical item.&rdquo;

Hi Xin. Welcome to Singapore! How did you spend your time here before our shoot? 
Yesterday, I witnessed a very special scene. I was along Orchard Road and I looked up and noticed many birds in the trees. They appeared to be &ldquo;arguing&rdquo; over space in the trees. I initially thought that music was playing. Then I realised that there were birds creating a really lively atmosphere. I had never come across a scene like this before. It&rsquo;s my second time in Singapore, and this is my very first shoot in Singapore, so I&rsquo;m very glad to be here.
Congratulations on being named Dior&rsquo;s Global Ambassador. You were recently in Paris for fashion week. How was the experience attending the show as the Maison&rsquo;s Global Ambassador? 
Firstly, I was very happy to be at <a href="https://www.lofficielsingapore.com/fashion/best-dressed-front-row-asian-stars-paris-fashion-week-fall-winter-2025-becky-freen-mingyu-jisoo-lisa" title="The Best Dressed Asian Stars at Paris Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2025" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Paris Fashion Week</a>. This time, at the show venue, we saw a lot of dramatic elements and designs, as well as a blend of imperial and theatrical style. The stage and designs were quite different, including some of the art pieces on the runway, which expressed evolution &mdash; the iceberg, the swing, and the prehistoric bird that came from above. Each time I attend Paris Fashion Week, I have new sources of inspiration &mdash; including the show&rsquo;s playlist, which can evoke strong emotions. Speaking of which, I recently wrote a song called MISS, LADY, which I wrote with women in mind and as a gift to women.
You became the first Chinese artist to grace the Coachella stage last year. Can we look forward to exciting stages from you this year? 
This year, I&rsquo;ll be performing at a different music festival in the US in May. Each time there is an opportunity for me to grace an international stage, it is a great experience for me. Last year, I was very happy to share Chinese culture and music, as well as its fusion with modern and pop elements with the world. Every time I get to go on an international stage, it is a form of encouragement, and also becomes a form of &ldquo;homework&rdquo; and a testimonial.

<strong style="color: var(--darkreader-text-34363a, #c5c0b9); letter-spacing: 0px; --darkreader-inline-color: var(--darkreader-text--darkreader-text-34363a, var(--darkreader-text-c5c0b9, #c0bab2));" data-darkreader-inline-color="">You&rsquo;ve been in the business for 13 years. Looking back, are there any career moments that you are proudest of?
My childhood dream was to present Chinese culture, in my own way, on the international stage, because Chinese culture and heritage needs to be preserved and passed down. And this is still what I aim to do now.
We&rsquo;ve noticed that you have dedicated yourself to promoting the culture of minority ethnic groups from your hometown, such as the Miao Intangible Cultural Heritage. What inspires you to do so and how do you normally blend this into your work and style? 
This is something I&rsquo;ve been wanting to do since a young age because my hometown [of Guizhou] has traditional villages, in which minority groups live. Since I was young, I have been sensitive to these colours, the material silver, music and dance. So later on, I wanted to, in my own way through genre-blending art, music, dance and other ways, express and let more people understand these things that I identify with and like. I also think this is my duty as a young artist.
When my album &ldquo;XANADU&rdquo; came out, it incorporated street dance, Chinese culture and colours, and dance music. As my roots are in street dance, I worked with many top street dance choreographers on the routines for the tracks on the album. We ended up with 10 tracks, each with distinctive dance styles, that blended Chinese folk music with modern pop. At the time, many thought I should have worked on a more mainstream album, but I chose to do something that was more tuned to showing my story and personality. Some people didn&rsquo;t understand this decision, but to me, the album &ldquo;XANADU&rdquo; is something that I will cherish all my life. I&rsquo;m very glad to have created the album, which led to stages and other opportunities. So I firmly believe that as long as one feels strongly about something, you should stand firm and move forward with it.

A new fashion season has begun. What are some objects that you&rsquo;re currently obsessed with? 
Recently, I&rsquo;ve been liking sportscore shorts that are in a thin, soft fabrication. They are so light, and when you wear these, it almost feels like there&rsquo;s no weight. I used to like to wear these heavy garments, and now I like easy pieces. Another item is the Dior Le Baume, for the hands, lips and body, which is in my bag right now. I think it&rsquo;s so cool and looks like an ornament, and I can use it on my hands and lips &mdash; it&rsquo;s a very handy and practical item.
You&rsquo;ve been travelling quite extensively these days. What are some of your secrets to feeling and looking good after long flights and in different time zones? 
There&rsquo;s really just one thing and that is sleep. Before I board a plane, I may think of putting on a facial mask or doing a facial treatment, but when the plane takes off, I am ready to have a rest.

You&rsquo;ll be celebrating your birthday in April when this issue is out. Happy birthday in advance! How would you like to spend it? 
I think I will celebrate it online with everyone. This year, I have three birthday wishes, which I have been thinking about since last year. So my birthday wish this year is for these three wishes to be fulfilled.
What aspirations do you have for the future, both professionally and personally? 
It is still one main goal that I have, which is for more people to listen to my music. As for the rest, I&rsquo;ll wait for the moment when everyone has heard the new music. I also hope that there&rsquo;ll be more opportunities to meet with everyone around the world. This counts as the first time that I&rsquo;m doing a magazine shoot overseas, so I am very happy and honoured, and am looking forward to everyone seeing the issue. It&rsquo;s also my first shoot in Singapore and this coming out around my birthday makes it extra special.

Editor-in-Chief IAN LEE Photography STEFAN KHOO Styling TOK WEI LUN Hair JUNZ LOKE / 35A Makeup KIMBERLY CHEE Photography assistants ALIF and CHONG NG Styling assistant MEGAN LIM

Cover Story: Up Close with Genre-Blending Chinese Superstar, Xin Liu

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