Joanna Wang (; born 1 August 1988), is a Taiwanese-American singer-songwriter, daughter of music producer (王治平). Born in Taipei but raised in Los Angeles, California, Wang dropped out of Gabrielino High School when she was 16. Her debut album, Start from Here, was released in January 2008 as a double-disc set, one in English and the other in Chinese. The album reached No.1 in Taiwan and has been popular throughout Southeast Asia. In June 2008, it was released in Japan. Her second album, Joanna & Wang Ruo-lin, which includes her all-original endeavor The Adult Storybook, was released in January 2009.
Career As she was raised in the United States, Wang was exposed to many pop music acts, including The Beatles, Queen, and Oingo Boingo. Among her major influences are Danny Elfman, Yoeko Kurahashi, Paul McCartney, and video game music, most notably those from the Castlevania, Zelda, and Mario series. She has stated in her YouTube videos and in interviews that she dislikes her debut and rejects it as her own work.
Wang is a left-handed guitarist.
She has performed some of her own work and has covered various popular songs in English and in Chinese on Taiwanese television programs.
Starting in 2013, Wang began occasionally performing with a band under the name Alferd Packer & The Weird Uncles.
In March 2016, Wang performed in a production of the musical Turn Left, Turn Right, based on the illustrated book of the same name, sometimes known as A Chance of Sunshine in English.
Wang's rendition of "Pure Imagination" from her album Midnight Cinema was used for the Samsung Galaxy Fold product unveiling advertisement in February 2019.YouTube
Wang released her twelfth album, Hotel La Rut, in 2024, a concept album inspired by the Kids In The Hall sketch of the same name.
Awards
2008: Singapore Hit Awards 2008 – Outstanding Newcomer 2008: 9th CCTV-MTV Music Awards – Most Popular New Female Artist of the Year in Hong Kong and Taiwan 2008: Metro Hits Music Awards – Metroshowbiz Hits Mandarin Songwriter Singer Big Award 2008: Metro Hits Music Awards – Metro Radio Hits Most Voted Newcomer Award 2008: China Mobile Wireless Music Awards – Most Potential New Female Singer 2008: 2008 Beijing Chinese Pop Music Awards – Best Composer-Singer Newcomer
Discography
Original Albums The Adult Storybook (2009) The Adventures of Bernie the Schoolboy (2011) Galaxy Crisis: The Strangest Midnight Broadcast (2013) Bob Music (2015) House of Bullies (2016) Modern Tragedy (2018) Hotel La Rut (2024)
Cover Albums Start from Here (2008) Joanna & Wang Ruo-lin (2009) The Things We Do for Love (2011) Midnight Cinema (2014) Love is Calling Me (2019)
EP H.A.M. (Happy Accessible Music)(w/ Chinese Title: "火腿") (2016)
Notes
a. Quotation in Chinese: "有壓力的話我也寧可這樣，我想做自己想要的音樂。"
References
Further reading "Taiwan New Jazz Star Starts from Beijing", China Radio International, 2008-04-08. Brownlow, Ron. "Step into the spotlight", Taipei Times, 2006-12-08.
External links
Joanna Wang official website Joanna YouTube Channel New Tokyo Terror YouTube Channel Joanna Hong Kong Fans Forum