Overnight fame

Jike Junyi. Photo by Zou Hong / For China Daily

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The Voice of China not only jump-started her career as a singer but also exposed her to other entertainment genres.

She has cooperated with US hip-hop legend Snoop Dogg for her single Summer Time and was invited to appear in action movie Outcast starring as the dumb wife of Hollywood star Nicolas Cage.

She will also feature in the action-adventure movie Zhong Kui: Snow Girl and the Dark Crystal in March, which stars award-winning actors Chen Kun and Li Bingbing.

"I possess enough energy to enjoy the ride," she says.

When Jike first arrived in Beijing in 2011, she sang in five bars every night in Houhai, a popular tour site known for its lakes and bar street.

She owes her happy personality to her hometown, which, as she describes, is a beautiful and pure place.

"All the people in my village are bold and unrestrained. They won't fake anything. After working, they drink and have dinner with friends. They sing and dance when the mood is right," says Jike.

Her mother is the only person in the village who can sing English songs. Jike recalls that most of her childhood memories consist of singing with her mother.

"She just loves singing and she knows that hard work pays off," says her mother, who is an English teacher.

"She didn't get into this to be famous, and it is still her first love."