Chinese vocalist Tia Ray is known for her cross-pollinated blend of pop and R&B. She initially came to the public's attention in 2012 on the TV vocal competition show The Voice of China before releasing her 2014 debut album, T.I.A. She has garnered global attention, collaborating on songs with Kehlani, Jason Derulo, Far East Movement, and others. In 2018, she released her sophomore album, Tiara.

Born in 1984 in the small village of Huai Hua in South-West province of Hunan, Ray became interested in music growing up and eventually moved to Beijing to study performing arts. Influenced by artists like Mariah Carey, Jill Scott, and Beyonce, she launched her career in 2004 working as a backup singer for artists like Jane Zhang and Ma Tianyu. In 2012, she came to wider recognition, appearing on the televised singing competition The Voice of China. Following her time on the show she released her debut album, T.I.A. In 2017, she competed again on TV, appearing on the show The Singer. Also that year, her song "Be Apart" was used as the theme to the hit Chinese movie The Ex-File: The Return of the Exes. The following year, she released her sophomore album, Tiara. She also joined singer Kehlani on the song "Just My Luck." In 2019, she returned with the EP 1212. She also guested on Far East Movement's song "Paint the Clouds," and paired with Jason Derulo on "Champion," the official 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup song. ~ Matt Collar, Rovi