Chinese singer-songwriter G.E.M. (邓紫棋) released her album City Zoo on November 22, 2019, which included the song 句号(Full Stop). In the song, she openly addressed the unfairness and cruelty of her former record label, Hummingbird Music, and exposed the vile actions of this money hungry label. This song is her form of retaliating and fighting back against exploitation. 

From 2006 to 2019, 邓紫棋 (later referred to as G.E.M.) was signed to Cantonese record label Hummingbird Music by her mom when she was only 15. However, unbeknownst to G.E.M., the contract turned out to be a buy-out of her rights to her own music. In the contract, it states clearly that the copyright and recording masters belonged to the label. She kept only the author attribution and a miniscule portion of royalties.

Decades later, G.E.M. found out that she had no legal ownership to her own music. Instead of cherishing her talent and nurturing it, the label effectively robbed her of ownership before she was even an adult. 

“Who would have thought that I haven’t received any royalties from my old songs for over six years?” G.E.M. posted on Instagram.

Hummingbird owned the copyright to all her songs and even trademarked her Chinese name 邓紫棋. They also claimed to have exclusive rights to “all of G.E.M.’s copyrighted work”. From my perspective, this looks less like a business deal and resembles more with enslaving an artist’s talents and identity. 

In Full Stop, G.E.M. reflects on this deception, singing, “I was naïve and stupid, unlike adults who are observant.”

As a result, G.E,M. did not earn a single penny from her own music for several years. Major streaming services routed all the revenue directly to Hummingbird Music, earning them a fortune. Leaving G.E.M. “six years of royalties, not a cent”. It’s wild to think that a young artist with incredible talent produced one of the most streamed songs in China and didn’t receive a single penny.

What is even more frustrating and inhumane is that she legally does not have the right to re-record or reuse any songs under any circumstances, as the record label company owned the underlying copyright to the music. Since Hummingbird Music has control over the songs, G.E.M.’s initial re-recording of the music was barred under unclear copyright ownership. 

However, G.E.M.’s membership in CASH (Composers and Authors Society of Hong Kong) gave her a spark of hope. Although Hummingbird Music owned the copyrights to her songs, her membership meant she still held performance and broadcasting rights. This legal advantage allowed her to eventually re-record and re-release her own songs under her own label without violating her old contract with Hummingbird Music.

In 2019, she left Hummingbird Music and created her own company G-Nation Ltd., in early 2019. She released City Zoo, the debut album of her label. In 句号 (Full Stop), she portrayed Hummingbird Music as deceiving, conniving liars, who exploited her talents. 

G.E.M.’s predicament shows how corrupted and exploitative the music industry can be, but it also proves that artists can overcome injustice. After years of preparation, she officially re-released her self-recorded album I AM GLORIA in June 2025. This wasn’t just a re-release, it was a direct response against Hummingbird. Every song in the album is fully owned by G.E.M., giving her the complete control that she was denied for over a decade. 

To me, her fight is not just about reclaiming her songs and receiving well-deserved recognition, but restoring her stolen identity and dignity. I admire her resilience, her endless efforts to pursue ownership of her songs, her persistent mindset, and her talent.