Toy () is a one-man project band of
Korean pop
K-pop (), short for Korean popular music, is a form of popular music originating in South Korea as part of South Korean culture. It includes styles and genres from around the world, such as pop, hip hop, R&B, experimental, rock, jazz, gos ...
singer-songwriter and pianist
You Hee-yeol
You Hee-yeol (; born April 19, 1971) is a South Korean singer-songwriter, radio disk jockey, and the host of ''You Hee-yeol's Sketchbook''. He is the founder of the record label Antenna Music and the sole member of the project band Toy.
Biogra ...
.
Career
Toy started as a duo of You Hee-yeol and Yoon Jeong-oh, and was named after their two initials 'Y', as in Two + Y = Toy.
However, after releasing Toy's debut album, Yoon Jeong-oh left the band to study overseas and You Hee-yeol joined the
navy
A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral zone, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and ...
for his mandatory military service. You Hee-yeol has been the sole member of Toy since 1996.
[Toy (You Hee-yeol)]
KBS World.
After his discharge from military service, You released Toy's second studio album ''Yooheeyeol''. The title song "Remember I Was Next to You" (), sung by
Kim Yeon-woo
Kim Hak-chul, better known by his stage name Kim Yeon-woo (; born July 22, 1971) is a South Korean male singer, vocal coach, and professor at Seoul Art College ( :ko:서울종합예술학교). Nicknamed God of Vocals, he is well known for his b ...
, became a big hit and the album was a commercial success.
In 1997, Toy released the third studio album ''Present'' and also started a record label named Toy Music (currently
Antenna
Antenna ( antennas or antennae) may refer to:
Science and engineering
* Antenna (radio), also known as an aerial, a transducer designed to transmit or receive electromagnetic (e.g., TV or radio) waves
* Antennae Galaxies, the name of two collid ...
). After a six-year hiatus from ''Fermata'' (2001), the band released their sixth studio album ''Thank You'',
Toy Vol. 6 – Thank You
YesAsia. with the title song "A Passionate Goodbye" () featuring vocals by E Z Hyoung.
Discography
Studio albums
* ''Da Capo
Da capo (, also , ) is an Italian musical term that means "from the beginning" (literally, "from the head"). It is often abbreviated as D.C. The term is a directive to repeat the previous part of music, often used to save space, and thus is an ...
'' (2014)
* ''Thank You'' (2007)
* ''Fermata'' (2001)
* ''A Night in Seoul'' (1999)
* ''Present'' (1997)
* ''Youheeyeol'' (1996)
* ''Inside My Heart'' (1994)
Live albums
* ''Toy Live'' (2001)
Compilation albums
* ''The History of Toy'' (2001)
Awards
Korean Music Awards
Mnet Asian Music Awards
References
External links
Toy's official website
{{Authority control
K-pop music groups
Electronica music groups
South Korean pop music groups
Korean Music Award winners
Melon Music Award winners