[2] Wanting Qu was born and raised in Harbin, Heilongjiang, China, where her mother Zhang Mingjie [zh] 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.
[10] The song "Star in You" from the album Everything in the World was featured in Degrassi: The Next Generation in the episode "Bitter Sweet Symphony, Part II" on February 22, 2013.
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.
[17] 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.
[18][19] On 18 November 2021, Qu's mother Zhang Mingjie was sentenced to life imprisonment after the courts of China found her guilty of bribery and abuse of power.