Wanting Qu was born and raised in Harbin, Heilongjiang, China, where her mother worked as a city official. She moved to Canada at 16 to study, eventually earning a degree in international business, and relocated to Vancouver where she began her musical career.
In 2009, she became the first Chinese artist to be signed to the Nettwerk label; she is managed by Terry McBride. Her first album, Everything in the Worldwent platinum in China within its first week on sale, and her singles "You Exist in My Song" and "Drenched" were used in the soundtrack for the Hong Kong filmLove in the Buff. In 2013, she became the first ever tourism ambassador for Vancouver, with the intention of raising Canada's profile among destinations for Chinese visitors. Qu appeared on the 2013 CCTV New Year's Gala, where she performed "You Exist in My Song". The song "Star in You" from the albumEverything in the World was featured in in the episode "Bitter Sweet Symphony, Part II" on February 22, 2013. On October 26, 2015, while making the third album; Qu released her new English single "Love Birds" on her YouTube channel.
Personal life
From January 2015 to May 2017, Qu was dating Vancouver mayor Gregor Robertson. The relationship drew criticism from some as Robertson was still married to Amy Robertson. On April 24, 2015, Qu's mother Zhang Mingjie was arrested in China due to allegations of corruption, embezzlement and abuse of power, claiming that she had participated in the "sale of state properties below market value for personal profit". Qu's mother had previously been relieved from her duties related to the city’s urban construction and renewal activities in the fall of 2014. Qu did not publicly comment on the matter, but uploaded an "enigmatic" photo to her Weibo account urging "patience". She later posted a message on Instagram saying "I want nothing but love, health and happiness for her. She's my mother. I'm her only child. No one can replace her in my heart. Despite our differences, we share the same blood." Both Qu's record label and Mayor Robertson's office declined to comment, with Robertson's director of communications saying "That's not something that this office would be commenting on". In 2016, it is reported that Qu's mother is facing the death penalty in China. On March 9, 2018, Qu gave an update on her mother's case, saying that she believed Chinese law was "perfect and righteous" and that she had faith there would be a positive outcome. She added that no judgement had been issued since the trial's end in 2016. Qu's comments regarding her mother being "her hero" have caused controversy in China, with some accusing Qu of overlooking the seriousness of the case and refusing to believe her mother could be guilty.
