Lexie Liu, also known as Liu Boxin is a Chinese singer, rapper and songwriter. In 2015, she participated in K-pop Star 5, a South Korean reality TV competition series where three entertainment agencies hold a worldwide audition to find potential K-Pop stars, and came in fourth place. In July 2018, she participated in The Rap of China and won fourth place. In November, she released her new song Sleep Away. In February 2019, Liu released her debut EP 2030 in the United States with eight singles including Outta Time featuring Killy, Love and Run, Hat Trick, and Nada. In September, her latest single "Ok, Ok, Ok" was released.
Early life
Liu was born and raised in Changsha, Hunan. She has been interested in music since she was young; she started to dance when she was four years old and learned to play the piano starting at six years old. When Liu was in grade eleven, she transferred to an international high school. However, she took a gap year when she was in grade twelve to make music. She went to Korea and participated in the reality TV competition series, K-pop Star 5, under her birth name Liu Yuyu, and won fourth place. While shooting the TV show, K-pop Star 5, Liu applied and was accepted to Fordham University. However, she left the university to pursue her music career.
Career
2016–present: Indie career, ''2030''
In January 2017, Liu's first original single Coco Made Me Do It was released and achieved more than 5 million views. In February 2017, she performed at SXSW music festival, one of the largest music festivals in the world, bringing Chinese Pop music to the US audience. In January 2018, she composed a song called Role for Li Yifeng, a Chinese popular idol, singer, and actor. In July 2018, Liu participated in The Rap of China, entered the final round with a song "Mulan," and eventually won fourth place. While competing in The Rap of China, Liu signed with American label 88rising. In November, she released her new song "Sleep Away" from her upcoming debut EP 2030 which was previously released in China. The Fader named the track as one of “10 Songs You Need in Your Life;” Nylon listed it as the “Best Music Releases Of The Week;” and Refinery29 said “their ears are very into Lexie.” On 18 December 2018, Liu released her new cyberpunk-influenced single Nada, complete with futuristic-themed music video. The Line of Best Fit described "Nada" as it "sees Lexie Liu's fierce, cross-cultural grit thrust into a science fiction dimension where language barriers don't exist, She fuses Mandopop with grimy beats against the visuals of her accompanying Tron-esque video, directed by mamesjao, in a retro-futuristic digital world." Nada also made its appearance on "Best Of the Week" by Apple Music once it came out. In February 2019, Liu released her debut EP 2030 in the United States, which included two new singles Outta Time featuring Killy and Love and Run.
Public image
Lexie Liu's distinct appearance caught the attention of the fashion industry where she landed placements in Paris Fashion Week 2019 as the brand ambassador for Yves Saint Laurent eyewear in the Asia Pacific Region, Louis Vuitton Show 2018 in China, Puma's Suede 50 campaign and Levi's New Years TVC campaign. Lexie Liu has also been featured on the print pages of East Asia's most prominent fashion publications, including Vogue me, BAZAAR China, Nylon Japan, and Nylon China. The American fashion magazine V described her as "the face of a generation of new Chinese artists breaking into the American mainstream with a uniquely, cross-cultural sound." "Lexie Liu proves her status as China’s next global superstar with the futuristic 'Nada'," described by The Line of Best Fit, "born and raised in Changsha, China, 19-year-old Lexie Liu's "Nada" is her third single release after signing to 88rising." "Lexie Liu is spearheading the new generation of East Asian artists making waves in the global music industry. She became the youngest Chinese artist to ever perform at SXSW last year after rising to fame on South Korean TV show 'K-pop Star' and finishing fourth on the heavily male-dominated rap talent show 'The Rap of China'". After the release of her single "Like A Mercedes", the cyberpunk-inspired music video of the song was Lexie Liu's first introduction to a global audience, showing off how "her provocative sound is transcending language barriers." Her debut EP released in February 2019 was highly recommended, "with a feature from rapper on Outta Time, plus new singles Sleep Away, Hat Trick and Nada, the eight-tracker is an impressive bilingual project showcasing the Changsha born and raised artist’s skills across rap, R&B vocals and production." American fashion and culture magazine Flaunt also made a praising comment on Lexie's debut EP 2030, which is said to "narrates her life and journey within music; manifesting her inner-psyche through dream-like vocals and vibrant musical films. Dynamic in all aspects, Lexie holds a promising trajectory in the years to come."
In November 2018, Liu was invited as one of the celebrity guests to attend the Louis Vuitton show named "Volez Voguez Voyage."
In December 2017, Liu participated in the shooting of Levis' New-Year TVC campaign called Gan Jiu Xing. She also appeared as the model in posters in local Levis stores across the globe.
In October 2017, Liu collaborated with Puma and became a member of the Puma's Group, and attended Puma SUEDE, the Puma's 50th-anniversary party.
