

Tsai has taken part in singing competitions since high school, and she won the champion in a singing competition organized by her high school and the runner-up in another competition organized by Broadcasting Corporation of China. She performed the Cranberries' " Zombie" at a welcome party of her high school's popular music association in her sophomore year, and she performed Bette Midler's " The Rose" at another high school event in the sophomore year. She joined the volleyball team of her high school, and she formed a band called Twister with classmates, the band later broke up because their performance was not as good as expected. She joined the track and field team of her elementary school, but she later quit due to an ankle injury.

She has been interested into participating in extracurricular activities since elementary school. She has learned to practice Chinese calligraphy and play the piano since elementary school, and she has passed the grade 9 piano exam. Since the first grade, she has been among the top three in class almost every semester. Tsai attended Hsinchuang Elementary School, Hsinchuang Junior High School, and Chingmei Girls' High School. Her father later returned to Taiwan to operate a Thai migrant worker agency. Her father worked as an accountant before opening a factory in Thailand, and her mother raised their two daughters in Taiwan on her own. Her father is of Han Chinese descent, and her mother is half Han Chinese and half Taiwanese indigenous Papora.

Her father's name is Tsai Chu-chen, her mother's name is Huang Chun-mei, and she has an older sister named Tsai Min-wen. Tsai was born in Hsinchuang City, Taipei County, Taiwan (now Hsinchuang District, New Taipei City, Taiwan) on September 15, 1980. Life and career 1980–1998: Early life and career beginnings 1.1 1980–1998: Early life and career beginnings.In 2014, Next Magazine reported that her estimated net worth exceeded NT$2 billion. She is one of the highest-paid Taiwanese female artists, and she has featured multiple times on the Forbes China Celebrity 100 list. She has received a total of seven Golden Melody Awards, making her the female Mandopop artist with the most wins. Since her 2003 album Magic, all of her studio albums became at least the year's highest-selling album by a female artist in Taiwan, and four of which even became the year's highest-selling album in the country. With sales of over 25 million records, Tsai is the best-selling Taiwanese female recording artist since 2000. Her album Ugly Beauty (2014), which explored the norm of beauty standard and the bipolarity of human feelings, was considered the production leading the C-pop music industry. Her album Play (2014), which incorporated various social themes, further thrust her into the international spotlight. Her album Muse (2012) integrated pop music and pop art and spanned mainstream and indie. Her album Myself (2010) was regarded as one of the most experimental albums in the Chinese music industry. In 2009, Tsai founded the company Eternal and began to be completely in charge of her career. Her album Dancing Diva (2006), which highly impressed the public with slick dance songs with dazzling dance moves, established her representative status as a dance-pop artist in the Chinese music scene. Her album Magic (2003), which reflected her first musical reinvention, marked the beginning of her dance-oriented musical direction. Her debut album 1019 (1999) made her become an instant hit, and her first girl-next-door incarnation made her become a teen idol with a huge teenage fanbase. In 1998, Tsai won the champion at a television singing competition produced by MTV Mandarin. Her works, which incorporate social themes, have generated both commercial success and critical acclaim. She maintains in charge of every aspect of her career, and she is regarded as a key figure of popularizing dance-pop as mainstream music in Greater China. She is known for her continual reinvention and versatility in musical style and visual image, and she has achieved reputation and popularity in the Chinese-speaking world. Referred to as the " Queen of C-Pop", she is considered one of the most influential people in Chinese popular culture. Jolin Tsai ( Mandarin: ( listen) Chinese: 蔡依林 born September 15, 1980) is a Taiwanese singer, songwriter, and actress.
