Eric Chou

Eric Chou (; Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: Chiu Hin-chet, born 22 June 1995) is a Taiwanese singer, songwriter and actor. He has been dubbed by the Taiwanese media as "king of the lovelorn people". Chou's self-composed smash hit "The Distance of Love", the ending theme of the 2014 Taiwanese drama The Way We Were, where he also made a cameo, reached 100 million views on YouTube, making Chou the youngest Mandopop artist to reach the feat at that time. Life and career 1995-2014: Early life and career beginnings Eric Chou was born in Taiwan on 22 June 1995. He has two brothers—younger brother Jimmy/James, and older brother Alex (周予天) who is also active as a singer-songwriter. At a young age, he learned chess to improve his character, and even won a championship. When he was nine, his uncle brought him to watch Jay Chou's concert rehearsal. "When I heard him sing ‘Hair Like Snow’, that was the moment I was determined to become a singer-songwriter like him," Chou said. At the age of twelve, he moved with his family to Boston in the United States, where he attended Fay School and Northfield Mount Hermon School. Chou recalled not being able to sit still when he first started learning the piano and had to be forced by his mother. However, playing the piano had become his outlet to express his emotions and started to play more during his spare time when he was in the US. His inspiration for songwriting comes from movies, his friends and personal experiences. During his time in Boston, he wrote the song, "The Distance of Love", inspired by his failed attempt to impress a girl he liked from high school. "I thought I'd really get into music to make myself appear more charming, and that was actually the initial motivation," Chou said. At eighteen, Chou returned to Taiwan due to his parents' work in Shanghai. Chou was talent scouted by Taiwanese actor Edison Huang (黃懷晨) who heard from a friend that his son "can sing", and was asked to perform at his wedding with actress Queenie Tai when he was seventeen. He performed the song "The Distance of Love" which will eventually be chosen two years after as the ending theme of the Taiwanese drama The Way We Were where Tai also appeared. He also made his acting debut in the same drama by making a cameo as a singer.