Im Chang-kyun (; born January 26, 1996), known by the stage name I.M or
mononymously
A mononym is a name composed of only one word. An individual who is known and addressed by a mononym is a mononymous person. In some cases, a mononym selected by an individual may have originally been from a polynym, a word which refers to one o ...
as Changkyun, is a South Korean rapper, singer, and songwriter. In 2015, he debuted in the South Korean
boy group
A boy band is loosely defined as a vocal group consisting of young male singers, usually in their teenage years or in their twenties at the time of formation. Generally, boy bands perform love songs marketed towards girls and young women. Man ...
Monsta X
Monsta X (; stylized as MONSTA X) is a South Korean boy group formed through the reality survival program ''No.Mercy'' under Starship Entertainment. The group is currently composed of six members: Shownu, Minhyuk, Kihyun, Hyungwon, Joohoney ...
, through the
Mnet
M-Net (an abbreviation of Electronic Media Network) is a South African pay television channel established by Naspers in 1986. The channel broadcasts both local and international programming, including general entertainment, children's series, ...
's survival show ''No.Mercy'', under
Starship Entertainment
Starship Entertainment () is a South Korean entertainment company founded in 2008 and became an independent subsidiary of Kakao Entertainment in 2013.
They had been recognized for their contributions to the Hallyu Wave, being home to several ...
. He made his solo debut with the
EP ''
Duality'' in February 2021.
Career
Early life and debut
He was born on January 26, 1996 in
Suwon
Suwon (, ) is the capital and largest city of Gyeonggi-do, South Korea's most populous province which surrounds Seoul, the national capital. Suwon lies about south of Seoul. It is traditionally known as "The City of Filial Piety". With a populati ...
,
Gyeonggi-do
Gyeonggi-do (, ) is the most populous province in South Korea. Its name, ''Gyeonggi'', means "京 (the capital) and 畿 (the surrounding area)". Thus, ''Gyeonggi-do'' can be translated as "Seoul and the surrounding areas of Seoul". Seoul, the na ...
, South Korea and
Gwangsan-gu
Gwangsan District (Gwangsan-gu) is a district, similar to a ward, situated in the city of Gwangju, South Korea. The total population of the district, as of September 2004, is 295,294, and the population density of the district is 1,085 per 1  ...
,
Gwangju
Gwangju () is South Korea's sixth-largest metropolis. It is a designated metropolitan city under the direct control of the central government's Home Minister. The city was also the capital of South Jeolla Province until the provincial office ...
as his hometown. He spent most of his early years living abroad due to his father's work as a scientist, including living in
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
, Massachusetts, where he then gained fluency in English, while his father worked at
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...
.
In 2013 and 2014, I.M became part of the boy group Nu'bility under Special K Entertainment. The group never officially debuted despite holding several events and performances.
I.M was a late addition to
Mnet
M-Net (an abbreviation of Electronic Media Network) is a South African pay television channel established by Naspers in 1986. The channel broadcasts both local and international programming, including general entertainment, children's series, ...
's survival show ''No.Mercy'', becoming the thirteenth competitor.
Despite his late addition, he was one of the seven contestants chosen to debut in
Starship Entertainment
Starship Entertainment () is a South Korean entertainment company founded in 2008 and became an independent subsidiary of Kakao Entertainment in 2013.
They had been recognized for their contributions to the Hallyu Wave, being home to several ...
's new hip-hop boy group
Monsta X
Monsta X (; stylized as MONSTA X) is a South Korean boy group formed through the reality survival program ''No.Mercy'' under Starship Entertainment. The group is currently composed of six members: Shownu, Minhyuk, Kihyun, Hyungwon, Joohoney ...
.
2015–2020: Monsta X and solo work
In May 2015, I.M debuted with Monsta X with their first EP ''
Trespass
Trespass is an area of tort law broadly divided into three groups: trespass to the person, trespass to chattels, and trespass to land.
Trespass to the person historically involved six separate trespasses: threats, assault, battery, wounding ...
'', on which he has five writing credits.
In May 2016, I.M released his first mixtape through Starship Entertainment's YouTube channel, titled "Who Am I?" featuring Yeseo.
On October 20, I.M released another mixtape titled "Madeleine" with
Brother Su
Kim Hyung-soo (Korean: 김형수) (born December 22, 1990), better known as Brother Su (Korean: 브라더수), is a South Korean singer-songwriter and record producer. Su debuted in 2010 and has been signed under Starship Entertainment's subsid ...
that featured J.Han.
In July 2017, I.M released a mixtape titled "Be My Friend", alongside group member
Joohoney
Lee Joo-heon (; born October 6, 1994), better known by the stage name Joohoney and formerly mononymously known as Jooheon, is a South Korean rapper, singer, songwriter, producer, and actor. He is a member of the South Korean boy group Monsta ...
.
In February 2018, I.M released another solo mixtape titled "Fly With Me".
In April 2019, I.M released his mixtape, with the lead single "Horizon", which was a collaboration with the American artist
ELHAE
Jamaal Jones (born August 24, 1990), better known by his stage name ELHAE (pronounced "ɛl a", acronym for Every Life Has An Ending), is an American singer and songwriter. ELHAE was born in Minot, North Dakota, but moved around a lot as a child ...
.
He also released the song "Scent" as the B-side of the single.
In May 2020, I.M collaborated with ELHAE again, releasing the single "Need to Know".
I.M also made his first solo appearance on the talk show ''Talk Talk Information Brunch''.
2021–present: ''Duality'' and other solo endeavors
In January 2021, I.M announced the solo work he had been preparing in 2020, would be released as his first solo album, with an intended release later in 2021. His first official release was announced to be an extended play titled ''
Duality'', which was released on February 19 with the lead single "God Damn".
For his first EP, I.M was commended for showing a wider diversity of skill with the EP, with a noted difference in rap-style from his work in Monsta X as well as showcasing his abilities as singer-songwriter and composer. All five songs from the album charted on the weekly ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
''
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 s ...
chart, occupying twenty percent of the entire World Songs chart.
In July, I.M with other Monsta X members'
Shownu
Son Hyun-woo (, born June 18, 1992), better known by his stage name Shownu, is a South Korean singer and dancer. He is the leader of the South Korean boy group Monsta X, which debuted under Starship Entertainment, through Mnet's survival show ...
and
Hyungwon
Chae Hyung-won (, born January 15, 1994), mononymously as Hyungwon, is a South Korean singer, dancer, actor, model, DJ, songwriter, and producer. In 2015, he debuted in the South Korean boy group Monsta X, through the Mnet's survival show ''No ...
joined
Pepsi
Pepsi is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by PepsiCo. Originally created and developed in 1893 by Caleb Bradham and introduced as Brad's Drink, it was renamed as Pepsi-Cola in 1898, and then shortened to Pepsi in 1961.
History
Pepsi was ...
's ''Taste of Korea'' summer campaign, releasing a promotional single "Summer Taste", alongside
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 f ...
,
Brave Girls
Brave Girls (; also known as B. Girls or BG) is a South Korean girl group formed by producer Brave Brothers in 2011 and managed by Brave Entertainment. After making their debut with the single album ''The Difference'' on April 7, 2011, the gro ...
members' Yujeong and Yuna, and
Ateez members' Hongjoong and Yunho.
In August, I.M was part of Baverse Studio's ''Welcome To My Baverse'', which is a documentary where he can show his thoughts as a musician and as an idol group member. In September, I.M released the song "Loop" as part of his work for ''Welcome To My Baverse''. He also contributed to the producing and composing of the song, as well as the production of the album cover image work. I.M also became a new DJ for
Naver Now's radio program ''Midnight Idol'', alongside group member
Kihyun
Yoo Ki-hyun (; born November 22, 1993), better known mononymously as Kihyun, is a South Korean singer and songwriter. He is a vocalist in the South Korean boy group Monsta X from Mnet's survival show ''No.Mercy'', which debuted under Starship ...
.
In August 2022, I.M decided not to renew his contract with Starship Entertainment but will still continue to participate in the group's future plans.
In November, I.M signed an exclusive contract with
Sony Music Korea
This is a list of record labels owned by, or associated with Sony Music.
According to Sony Music official site, the main labels are Columbia Records, RCA Records, Epic Records, Arista Records, Legacy Recordings, Sony Music Latin, Sony Masterworks, ...
for his solo activities.
Public image and impact
I.M, as an individual and a member of Monsta X, showed outstanding musical growth that shined into a unique world of music. Also, his musical ability not only broke the prejudice of being an "idol", but became a musician that brings out genuine music. I.M has built his own identity through the release of various mixtapes, which showed off a different, yet original music color, and developed his skills through steady music work. In addition to music, he has also conducted exclusive interviews with famous overseas media, such as the ''
Chicago Tribune
The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television ar ...
'' and the ''
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
'', with his fluent English skills, as well as playing an active role in leading the early overseas promotions of the group, becoming their practical spokesperson, as what ''
'' had evaluated. I.M has established himself as an unprecedented artist who goes back and forth between groups and solos, while showing his outstanding musicality as an "all-round artist".
I.M dominates domestic and international charts with his solo releases, drawing hot global response, by topping on
, while occupying multiple spots on the charts, which is a rare feat, and one that only the biggest names in the business can muster.
's Eros Fragrance Perfume through the Korean fashion, beauty, and life magazine ''Singles''. On July 14, he joined Pepsi's "Taste of Korea" summer campaign, along with Rain, Monsta X members' Shownu and Hyungwon, Brave Girls members' Yujeong and Yuna, and Ateez members' Hongjoong and Yunho.
In January 2022, I.M donated 00,000 through the idol fandom community service My Favorite Idol, for his birthday. It will be delivered to the Miral Welfare Foundation and used as a fund for the disabled who are isolated due to COVID-19.
's Audioclip.
'', alongside group member Shownu, which were also released through Naver's Audioclip.