Paisley Wu (胡蓓蔚; born 12 November 1971) is a Hong Kong singer and television presenter. She was first discovered by Tats Lau of Tat Ming Pair, and has released 3 albums and 1 EP since the start of her music career in the mid-90s. Since the 2000s, she is mainly known as a TV host on music programmes for TVB.
Paisley Wu's formative years were spent in Shanghai, where she received musical training in Italian opera. She later moved to San Francisco where she studied R&B and jazz. Her first release was a jazz album in 1994, which was sung in her native Mandarin and produced by Tats Lau. In 1996, she signed with Musician Ltd, a short-lived sublabel of Polygram Hong Kong which was then home to the newly reformed Tat Ming Pair, and during this period released music that showed a more alternative-rock influence. Her first and only album (就係...) on the label was released to mixed reception in 1997. She was often unfavourably dubbed as a Faye Wong wannabe, though she has personally acknowledged the latter's influence in later years.[1][2]
Wu released an easy-listening Mandarin album in 2002, before becoming a regular TV host for various music programmes on TVB and TVB8. In late 2007, she made a brief return to the Hong Kong music scene with the EP Don't Think Just Do, which featured her first ever number one single, "Letting Go."
Throughout her career, Wu has collaborated and recorded with Tats Lau, Jan Lamb, and Anthony Wong Yiu Ming in the mid-90s, as well as Lazy Mutha Fucka and Edison Chen in 2004.
In 2008, Wu married Pal Sinn, a former member of 80s Hong Kong rock band Blue Jeans and a frequent songwriter on her albums.
Wu is best friends with Myolie Wu, Nancy Wu, Elaine Yiu, Mandy Wong and Selena Lee. They had formed the friendship group “胡說八道會” and had filmed a travel show together.[3]
Due to their common interest in long-distance running, Wu along with Benjamin Yuen, Joel Chan, Brian Tse, Jack Wu, Nancy Wu, Elaine Yiu, Selena Lee and Mandy Wong formed the group “Crazy Runner”.[4]