An Pu

An Pu was born on May 30, 1981, in Taiwan, China. She comes from a relatively prominent family; her father held a high-level position, so she received a certain amount of care and attention growing up. In her early years she exhibited a rebellious streak, later channeling her identity exploration into literary writing and musical creation. At 13 she wrote the lyrics to the song “Baby” — though she had not yet learned to compose music, the piece showed her love of words. At 16 she first encountered the guitar, but her lessons were interrupted when the teacher suffered a stroke. She then went to study in the UK; while there she did not continue formal guitar study but kept writing music. After taking a leave from school and returning to Taiwan, she resumed learning the guitar and completed the melody for “Baby.”

In 1999, at age 18, An Pu began performing as a resident singer at Witch Shop in Taiwan, marking the start of her public performances. Her work gradually drew attention through both online sharing and live shows; “Baby” became widely downloaded on the internet. Thanks to her online presence she caught the eye of Xu Changde, owner of 8866 Records, and signed with the company. In 2001 she released her first personal album, My Life Will…, a title expressing life’s infinite possibilities. Although the album was not immediately released in full, many of its songs were written during her time in the UK. The subsequent collapse of the company prevented the album’s formal launch, but An Pu continued to pursue songwriting and performing.

In 2003 An Pu was the lead singer of the band Mango Run and took part in the Ocean Music Festival, where they won awards. That same year she won the CASH songwriting competition with her original song “Right Here.” In 2005 she sang the theme song “Glimmer” for the film Passing By. In 2006 musician Li Shouquan recognized her talent and helped her sign with Sony BMG. On June 9 that year the album My Life Will… was officially released; it was nominated for Best Mandarin Album at the 18th Golden Melody Awards and reached number one on Taiwan’s album sales chart.

In 2007 An Pu released her second album, Dear… I Still Don’t Know, in which she was heavily involved in composition and production. In 2008 she joined the band Algae as lead vocalist and released her third album, City. That album received multiple award nominations and recognition. In 2012 she released her fourth album, God’s Game, which received a Recommendation Award from the Chinese Music Media Awards and earned her the Best Lyricist Award at the 24th Golden Melody Awards.

In 2015 An Pu announced her withdrawal from the entertainment industry and retreated from the public eye to focus on personal growth. She made a comeback in 2018 with a Taipei concert and released a live concert album. Since then she has released several music-visual works and mounted touring concerts. In 2022 she released her fifth album, 9522; its song “The Best Time” won Song of the Year at the 34th Golden Melody Awards. From 2023 she began a new round of touring, continuing to explore herself through songwriting and performance.

An Pu’s family background is notable: her great-grandfather studied at the Tianjin School of Political Science and Law and was among China’s first generation of lawyers, and many family members have worked in the legal field. Her father, Jiao Renhe, served as vice chairman of the Straits Exchange Foundation and made multiple visits to mainland China. She has an older brother and a younger sister; her brother Jiao Yuanpu is a classical music critic. An Pu had a brief relationship with actor Zhang Han, later married Su Baiwei and had children, and subsequently announced their divorce.

Throughout her career, An Pu has achieved significant accomplishments in songwriting, performance, and awards. Her musical style is diverse — spanning indie folk, rock, experimental music, and pop — reflecting continual exploration and fusion. She has received numerous nominations and awards, and has shown versatility through work in film, documentary narration, and magazine covers. Her music has influenced the Taiwanese scene and holds a respected place in the Mandarin-language music world.