HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Byun Baek-hyun (; born May 6, 1992), better known mononymously as Baekhyun, is a South Korean singer, songwriter and actor. Baekhyun began training under
SM Entertainment SM Entertainment Co., Ltd. () is a South Korean multinational entertainment agency. It is one of South Korea's largest entertainment companies where it was established in 1995 by record executive and record producer Lee Soo-man. The company ha ...
in 2011. A few months later, he made his debut in 2012 as a member of the South Korean-Chinese boy group
Exo Exo ( ko, 엑소; stylized in all caps) is a South Korean-Chinese boy band based in Seoul formed by SM Entertainment in 2011 and debuted in 2012. The group consists of nine members: Xiumin, Suho, Lay, Baekhyun, Chen, Chanyeol, D.O., Kai ...
, its sub-group Exo-K and later on its sub-unit
Exo-CBX Exo-CBX ( ''Exo-Chen-Baek-Xi''; stylized as EXO-CBX) is the first official sub-unit of South Korean–Chinese boy band Exo. Formed by SM Entertainment in 2016, the group is composed of three Exo members: Chen, Baekhyun, and Xiumin. Their debut ...
. He is also the leader of South Korean supergroup SuperM. Following the release of several albums and extended plays with Exo, Baekhyun began pursuing a solo career in 2019 by releasing his debut
extended play An extended play record, usually referred to as an EP, is a musical recording that contains more tracks than a single but fewer than an album or LP record.
, '' City Lights'', which sold more than half-a-million copies in 2019 and is the best-selling album by a solo artist of the 2010s in South Korea. ''City Lights'' was followed by two million-selling EPs, '' Delight'' (2020), the first album by a solo artist in South Korea to have sold over 1 million copies in 19 years, and ''
Bambi ''Bambi'' is a 1942 American animated drama film directed by David Hand (supervising a team of sequence directors), produced by Walt Disney and based on the 1923 book ''Bambi, a Life in the Woods'' by Austrian author and hunter Felix Salten ...
'' (2021). He has been labeled as the " Genius Idol", and won three consecutive Mnet Asian Music Awards for Best Male Artist from 2019 to 2021.


Early life

Baekhyun was born on May 6, 1992, in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. He has a brother named Baek-beom who is seven years older than him. Baekhyun began training to be a singer when he was 11 years old, influenced by South Korean singer
Rain Rain is water droplets that have condensed from atmospheric water vapor and then fall under gravity. Rain is a major component of the water cycle and is responsible for depositing most of the fresh water on the Earth. It provides water ...
. He attended Jungwon High School in Bucheon, where he was the lead singer in a band called ''Honsusangtae'' (lit. "coma") and won a local music festival. He received piano lessons from Kim Hyun-woo, member of South Korean rock band
DickPunks DickPunks ( ko, 딕펑스) is a rock band based in South Korea, consisting of four members. The band was formed in November 2006, without a guitarist because the keyboard player, Hyunwoo, wanted the band to be considered a piano-driven ensemble. ...
. In addition to musical activities, Baekhyun trained as a martial artist in his youth and has a dan 3 black belt in
Hapkido Hapkido ( , , also spelled ''hap ki do'' or ''hapki-do''; from Korean 합기도 ''hapgido'' ) is a hybrid Korean martial art. It is a form of self-defense that employs joint locks, grappling, throwing techniques, kicks, punches, and other s ...
. Baekhyun was spotted by an
SM Entertainment SM Entertainment Co., Ltd. () is a South Korean multinational entertainment agency. It is one of South Korea's largest entertainment companies where it was established in 1995 by record executive and record producer Lee Soo-man. The company ha ...
agent while he was studying for the entrance exams to the
Seoul Institute of the Arts Seoul Institute of the Arts is a prominent educational institution specializing in the Arts located in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. The school has nurtured many graduates who are actively working in art related fields within Korea as ...
. He later joined SM Entertainment in 2011 through the S.M. Casting System.


Career


2012–15: Debut and career beginnings

Baekhyun was officially revealed to be
Exo Exo ( ko, 엑소; stylized in all caps) is a South Korean-Chinese boy band based in Seoul formed by SM Entertainment in 2011 and debuted in 2012. The group consists of nine members: Xiumin, Suho, Lay, Baekhyun, Chen, Chanyeol, D.O., Kai ...
's ninth member on January 30, 2012, as a main vocalist of Exo. The group officially debuted in April 2012 and has since gained significant popularity and commercial success. In February 2014, Baekhyun and fellow Exo member
Suho Kim Jun-myeon (; born May 22, 1991), better known by his stage name Suho (, meaning "guardian"), is a South Korean singer, songwriter and actor. He is the leader and lead vocalist of the South Korean-Chinese boy group Exo and its sub-unit Exo- ...
became regular hosts for the SBS music television show '' Inkigayo''. They left the position in November 2014 to focus on Exo's upcoming comeback. In July 2014, Baekhyun made his musical theatre debut, playing the main role of Don Lockwood in the South Korean production of the musical '' Singin' in the Rain'' by SM C&C . In April 2015, Baekhyun released his first solo song since debut titled "Beautiful" as the soundtrack for Exo's web-drama ''
Exo Next Door ''Exo Next Door'' (; lit. "Exo Lives Next Door to My House") is a 2015 South Korean web series starring Moon Ga-young and members of the K-pop boy band Exo (with the latter playing fictionalized versions of themselves). It aired on Naver TV Cast ...
''. The song became the first soundtrack single from a web drama to top digital charts. In May 2015, Baekhyun was announced to be starring in action film ''Dokgo'' alongside actor
Yeo Jin-goo Yeo Jin-goo (, born August 13, 1997) is a South Korean actor. Yeo began his career as a child actor, debuting in the film '' Sad Movie'' (2005). Nicknamed "Nation's Little Brother", he went on to play the younger characters of the lead roles in ...
. However, production of the film was announced to have been cancelled in January 2016. In December 2015, Baekhyun paid tribute to the late South Korean singer Kim Hyun-sik by performing his song "Like Rain Like Music" at SBS' year-end music program '' Gayo Daejeon''. The studio recording of his rendition was later released digitally.


2016–2018: Acting roles and Exo-CBX

In January 2016, Baekhyun and
Miss A Miss A (stylized as "MISS A" or "miss A", Hangul: ) was a South Korean girl group formed by JYP Entertainment. The group debuted in July 2010 with the single " Bad Girl Good Girl" as a quartet consisting of Fei, Jia, Min, and Suzy. Their ...
member Suzy released a duet titled "
Dream A dream is a succession of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that usually occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. Humans spend about two hours dreaming per night, and each dream lasts around 5 to 20 minutes, althou ...
". The song quickly reached the top on online real-time music charts and later debuted at number one on Gaon's weekly digital chart. "Dream" also won first place five times in total on music television programs ''
Music Bank Music Bank may refer to: * ''Music Bank'' (TV program), a South Korean music program by KBS **''Music Bank World Tour The ''Music Bank'' World Tour is a worldwide live concert tour of South Korean music show '' Music Bank'' by the Korean Broa ...
'' and '' Inkigayo''. In April 2016, Baekhyun received a YinYueTai V-Chart Award for Most Popular Singer in South Korea. In May 2016, Baekhyun and South Korean singer
K.Will Kim Hyung-soo (; born December 30, 1981), better known by his stage name K.Will (), is a South Korean singer. The name is a combination of the first letter 'K' of his last name 'Kim' and the English word 'Will', which means will. He debuted in ...
released a folk-ballad duet titled "
The Day The Day may refer to: Film and television * ''The Day'' (1914 film), an Australian silent film * ''The Day'' (1960 film), a short film * ''The Day'' (2011 film), a Canadian film * ''The Day'' (2022 film), a Bangladeshi–Iran joint production ...
" as part of SM Entertainment's music project
SM Station SM Station is a digital music project by South Korean record label SM Entertainment. It undertook to release one digital single every Friday starting from February 3, 2016. The project's first season ended on February 3, 2017, with 52 songs. Its ...
. In August 2016, Baekhyun made his small screen debut in the SBS historical drama '' Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo'', a South Korean adaptation of the Chinese novel ''
Bu Bu Jing Xin ''Startling by Each Step'', also known as ''Bubu Jingxin'' (), was Tong Hua (writer), Tong Hua's debut novel. Originally published online in 2005 on Jinjiang Original Network (), it was later published by Ocean Press (), National Press (), Huasha ...
''. For his performance in the drama he received a New Star Award at the
2016 SBS Drama Awards The 2016 SBS Drama Awards (), presented by Seoul Broadcasting System (SBS), took place on December 31, 2016 at SBS Prism Tower, Sangam-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul. It was hosted by Lee Hwi-jae, Jang Keun-suk and Minah Bang Min-ah (; born May 13, 1 ...
. He also collaborated with fellow Exo members Chen and
Xiumin Kim Min-seok (; born March 26, 1990), better known by his stage name Xiumin (; ), is a South Korean singer and actor. He is best known as a member of the South Korean-Chinese boy band Exo, its sub-group Exo-M and its sub-unit Exo-CBX. He debu ...
on an original soundtrack for the series titled "For You". In October 2016, together with Chen and Xiumin, Baekhyun became a member of Exo's first official sub unit
Exo-CBX Exo-CBX ( ''Exo-Chen-Baek-Xi''; stylized as EXO-CBX) is the first official sub-unit of South Korean–Chinese boy band Exo. Formed by SM Entertainment in 2016, the group is composed of three Exo members: Chen, Baekhyun, and Xiumin. Their debut ...
. Their debut
extended play An extended play record, usually referred to as an EP, is a musical recording that contains more tracks than a single but fewer than an album or LP record.
, '' Hey Mama!'', was released on October 31. In November 2016, Baekhyun began participating in SM Entertainment's ''
League of Legends ''League of Legends'' (''LoL''), commonly referred to as ''League'', is a 2009 multiplayer online battle arena video game developed and published by Riot Games. Inspired by '' Defense of the Ancients'', a custom map for ''Warcraft III'', ...
'' tournament "2016 S.M. Super Celeb League", where he and labelmate
Heechul Kim Hee-chul (; born July 10, 1983), better known mononymously as Heechul, is a South Korean singer, songwriter, presenter and actor. He is a member of the South Korean boy band Super Junior and has further participated in its subgroup Su ...
played the game with both professional players and fans from South Korea and China. In February 2017, Baekhyun and
Sistar Sistar (, often stylized as SISTAR) was a South Korean girl group formed in 2010 by Starship Entertainment. The group consisted of Hyolyn, Bora, Soyou and Dasom. They made their official debut with the song " Push Push" on 3 June 2010. Their ...
member
Soyou Kang Ji-hyun (born February 12, 1992), known professionally as Soyou, is a South Korean singer. She is best known as a former member of the South Korean girl group Sistar. Life and career 1992–2010: Early life and career beginnings Soyou ...
released a duet titled "
Rain Rain is water droplets that have condensed from atmospheric water vapor and then fall under gravity. Rain is a major component of the water cycle and is responsible for depositing most of the fresh water on the Earth. It provides water ...
". The song reached number one on every South Korean online music chart, an achievement known as "all-kill", making him the first SM Entertainment artist to achieve "all-kill" in both 2016 and 2017 with "Dream" and "Rain" respectively. In April 2017, Baekhyun released a single titled " Take You Home" for the second season of the Station project. The song peaked at number twelve on Gaon's weekly digital chart. On February 5, 2018, Baekhyun performed the South Korean national anthem at the opening ceremony of the 132nd International Olympic Committee (IOC) session in front of
Moon Jae-in Moon Jae-in (; ; born 24 January 1953) is a South Korean former politician, civil servant and lawyer who served as the 12th president of South Korea between 2017 and 2022. Prior to his presidency, he served as Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs an ...
, the president of South Korea, and
Lee Hee-beom Lee Hee-beom (; March 23, 1949) is a South Korean politician. He took over as President of the Pyeongchang Organizing Committee for the 2018 Winter Olympics to succeed Cho Yang-ho after his resignation. Early life Lee Hee-beom was born on Marc ...
, the president of the Organizing Committee for the
2018 Winter Olympics The 2018 Winter Olympics ( ko, 2018년 동계 올림픽, Icheon sip-pal nyeon Donggye Ollimpik), officially the XXIII Olympic Winter Games (french: Les XXIIIes Jeux olympiques d'hiver; ko, 제23회 동계 올림픽, Jeisipsamhoe Donggye Ollimpi ...
. In August 2018, Baekhyun and rapper
Loco Loco or El Loco may refer to: Places United States * Loco, Georgia, an unincorporated community * Loco, Oklahoma, a village * Loco, Texas, an unincorporated community * Loco Mountain (Labinero, Montana), a mountain peak of the Crazy Mountains ...
released a collaboration track titled "Young" for the Station project. The song charted at number four on the Billboard
World Digital Song Sales The World Digital Song Sales chart (formerly World Digital Songs) is a weekly record chart compiled by Nielsen SoundScan and published by ''Billboard'' magazine. Established in 2010—with the issue dated January 23—as one of 21 genre-specific so ...
chart.


2019–present: Solo debut, SuperM, and enlistment

In July 2019, Baekhyun debuted as a solo artist, the third soloist among Exo members, by releasing the EP ''City Lights''. The EP went on to sell over 550,000 copies in 2019, breaking the record for the best-selling album by a solo artist in the history of South Korea's Gaon Music Chart. It topped the Gaon weekly and monthly chart and placed sixth on the year-end chart, as well as first among albums released by solo artists. It eventually became the best-selling solo album of South Korea in the 2010s. In August, Baekhyun was confirmed as a member of SuperM, a "K-pop supergroup" created by SM Entertainment in collaboration with Capitol Records that would be aimed at the American market. SuperM debuted with a self-titled EP and began promotions in October. In December, Baekhyun was awarded Best Male Artist at the
2019 Mnet Asian Music Awards The 2019 Mnet Asian Music Awards ceremony, organized by CJ E&M through its music channel Mnet, took place on December 5 at Nagoya Dome, Japan. It was the 21st ceremony and the one of the largest in the show's history, with more than 40,000 peopl ...
following the success of his debut EP '' City Lights'', and its lead single " UN Village". Early in 2020, Baekhyun released two soundtrack singles, " My Love" and " On the Road", for the television series '' Dr. Romantic 2'' and '' Hyena'' respectively. In May, Baekhyun collaborated with
Bolbbalgan4 Bolbbalgan4 (), also known as BOL4 or Blushing Youth, is a South Korean musical act formed by Shofar Music in 2016. They appeared on '' Superstar K6'' in 2014 before signing a contract with their current agency. BOL4 was originally a duo consistin ...
, featuring on her single "Leo". The song peaked at number two on Gaon's weekly digital chart. In the same month, Baekhyun released his second EP '' Delight'', featuring the lead single " Candy". The EP garnered over 732,000 pre-orders, making it the most pre-ordered album by a soloist in South Korean history. By July, ''Delight'' had sold more than 1,000,000 copies, becoming the first album by a solo artist in South Korea to do so since ''Another Days'' (2001) by
Kim Gun-mo Kim Gun-mo (; born January 13, 1968) is a South Korean singer-songwriter, who is considered the country's most successful musical artist of the 1990s. His 1995 album, '' Wrongful Meeting,'' previously held the Guinness World Record for the best ...
. Also in July, Baekhyun released a remake of
BoA Kwon Bo-ah (; born November 5, 1986), known professionally as BoA, is a South Korean singer, songwriter, dancer, record producer and actress. One of the most successful and influential Korean entertainers, she has been dubbed the " Queen of K- ...
's track "Garden in the Air" from her album '' Girls on Top'' (2005) through SM Station as the first release from a project dedicated to BoA's 20th debut anniversary. Later in 2020, he released two more soundtrack singles, "Every Second" for '' Record of Youth'', and "Happy" for ''
Do You Like Brahms? ''Do You Like Brahms?'' () is a South Korean television series starring Kim Min-jae, Park Eun-bin, Kim Sung-cheol, Park Ji-hyun, Lee You-jin, and Bae Da-bin. It is a romance drama about the students of classical music at a prestigious instit ...
''. On December 6, Baekhyun won the Mnet Asian Music Award for Best Male Artist for a second consecutive year. Later in December, he released a digital single titled "Amusement Park". On January 3, 2021, Baekhyun held his first solo concert, Baekhyun: Light, in a digital format as in-person concerts were not possible due to restrictions related to the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
. Broadcast through Beyond Live, the concert drew 110,000 viewers from 120 countries. A day later, he released "Get You Alone," the lead single from his self-titled debut Japanese EP, which was released on January 21. The EP has been certified Gold by the
Recording Industry Association of Japan The is an industry trade group composed of Japanese corporations involved in the music industry. It was founded in 1942 as the Japan Phonogram Record Cultural Association, and adopted its current name in 1969. The RIAJ's activities include pr ...
. On March 30, Baekhyun released his third Korean-language EP (fourth overall) ''
Bambi ''Bambi'' is a 1942 American animated drama film directed by David Hand (supervising a team of sequence directors), produced by Walt Disney and based on the 1923 book ''Bambi, a Life in the Woods'' by Austrian author and hunter Felix Salten ...
'' and its lead single of the same name, his last release before enlisting for South Korea's mandatory military service. The album replaced ''Delight'' as the most pre-ordered album by a solo artist in South Korea at over 833.000 copies. It debuted atop the Gaon Album Chart and is Baekyun's second consecutive Korean-language album to have sold over 1 million copies. In December, he won his third consecutive Mnet Asian Music Award for Best Male Artist.


Voice

Baekhyun's
tenor A tenor is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. The tenor's vocal range extends up to C5. The low extreme for tenors is wide ...
voice, described as "soaring" by '' Refinery29'' and "standout" by '' Billboard'', has been one of the focal points of his discography.


Fashion

In May 2017, Baekhyun collaborated with Montblanc for the brand's digital watch and released the advertisement video on social media. In May 2018, ''
Vogue Vogue may refer to: Business * ''Vogue'' (magazine), a US fashion magazine ** British ''Vogue'', a British fashion magazine ** ''Vogue Arabia'', an Arab fashion magazine ** ''Vogue Australia'', an Australian fashion magazine ** ''Vogue China'', ...
'' magazine revealed that Baekhyun collaborated with Privé, and would be launching his own brand, "Privé by BBH", a
unisex Unisex is an adjective indicating something is not sex-specific, i.e. is suitable for any type of sex. The term can also mean gender-blindness or gender neutrality. The term 'unisex' was coined as a neologism in the 1960s and was used fairly i ...
street-wear brand, on July 1. Baekhyun is now the co-creative director of the brand. In an interview with ''
Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also r ...
'', Baekhyun explained that he wants to "encourage people to embody being fearless" when they wear clothes from his brand. In September 2020, Baekhyun was announced as the brand ambassador of
Burberry Burberry is a British luxury fashion house established in 1856 by Thomas Burberry headquartered in London, England. It currently designs and distributes ready to wear, including trench coats (for which it is most famous), leather accessorie ...
. He was featured on the cover of Harper's Bazaar Korea October issue, making him the first K-Pop male artist to be featured solo on the magazine's cover


Personal life

Along with fellow
Exo Exo ( ko, 엑소; stylized in all caps) is a South Korean-Chinese boy band based in Seoul formed by SM Entertainment in 2011 and debuted in 2012. The group consists of nine members: Xiumin, Suho, Lay, Baekhyun, Chen, Chanyeol, D.O., Kai ...
members
Chanyeol Park Chan-yeol (; born November 27, 1992), better known mononymously as Chanyeol, is a South Korean rapper, singer, songwriter, producer, actor and model. He is a member of the South Korean-Chinese boy group Exo, its sub-group Exo-K and sub-u ...
and
Suho Kim Jun-myeon (; born May 22, 1991), better known by his stage name Suho (, meaning "guardian"), is a South Korean singer, songwriter and actor. He is the leader and lead vocalist of the South Korean-Chinese boy group Exo and its sub-unit Exo- ...
, Baekhyun attended
Kyung Hee Cyber University Kyung Hee Cyber University (abbreviated to KHCU) () is a virtual, South Korean higher education institution that offers online bachelor's and master's degree programs. Founded in 2001, it has been recognized as the best cyber university in Sout ...
and took online classes for Culture and Arts Department of Business Administration. Since May 6, 2021, Baekhyun has been enlisted in South Korea's mandatory military service. Having been diagnosed with hypothyroidism, he is serving as a public service worker instead of an active-duty soldier.


Discography

Extended plays * '' City Lights'' (2019) * '' Delight'' (2020) * ''
Baekhyun Byun Baek-hyun (; born May 6, 1992), better known mononymously as Baekhyun, is a South Korean singer, songwriter and actor. Baekhyun began training under SM Entertainment in 2011. A few months later, he made his debut in 2012 as a member of the ...
'' (2021) * ''
Bambi ''Bambi'' is a 1942 American animated drama film directed by David Hand (supervising a team of sequence directors), produced by Walt Disney and based on the 1923 book ''Bambi, a Life in the Woods'' by Austrian author and hunter Felix Salten ...
'' (2021)


Filmography


Dramas


Television shows


Theatre


Songwriting

All credits are adapted from the
Korea Music Copyright Association The Korea Music Copyright Association (KOMCA) is a South Korean non-profit copyright collective for musical works, administering public performance and broadcasting rights, and mechanical recording and reproduction rights. Founded in 1964, it i ...
, unless stated otherwise.


Ambassadorship


Awards and nominations


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Baekhyun 1992 births Living people 21st-century South Korean singers Exo members SuperM members Japanese-language singers of South Korea Kyung Hee Cyber University alumni Mandarin-language singers of South Korea South Korean contemporary R&B singers South Korean dance music singers South Korean electronic music singers South Korean male singers South Korean male television actors South Korean male idols K-pop singers South Korean mandopop singers South Korean pop singers South Korean tenors MAMA Award winners SM Entertainment artists People from Bucheon Wonju Byeon clan Melon Music Award winners