Lee Ho-seok (, born March 1, 1993), known by his stage name Wonho (), is a South Korean singer under
Highline Entertainment
Highline Entertainment () is a South Korean entertainment company founded in 2017 and a subsidiary of Starship Entertainment.
History
In 2017, Starship Entertainment launched another subsidiary label House of Music, which focused on recruiting ...
.
He is a former member of 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 ...
, formed 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 ...
in 2015. He then made his solo debut, with his first
EP ''
Love Synonym Pt.1: Right for Me'', on September 4, 2020.
Career
Early life and debut
Prior to his official debut, Wonho was part of a project group called Nu Boyz, along with his labelmates
#Gun,
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
Jooheon
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 ...
, formed 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 ...
in August 2014. The quartet uploaded multiple tracks to their company's
YouTube
YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
channel and performed at the opening show of the Starship X concert on December 5, 2014.
In late December,
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 ...
and
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, ...
launched a competition program called ''No.Mercy''.
On the final episode of the show, Wonho was selected, along with six other participants, including Shownu and Jooheon (former members of Nu Boyz) as a member of Starship Entertainment's new 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 ...
.
2015–2019: Monsta X
Wonho debuted in Monsta X, a hip-hop boy group, upon the release of their first
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. ''
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 May 14, 2015.
Wonho was a vocalist in the group and beginning in 2017 regularly participated in writing, composing and arranging songs for the group.
Since 2018, Wonho has featured in several photoshoots for magazines, as well as partnering with some brands and promoting campaigns by various fashion magazines. He has appeared alongside his groupmates on several occasions, including
''Nylon'', alongside Shownu in January 2018 and ''
GQ'' in August, in both ''Ceci Korea'' in June 2018 and ''MAPS'', with
Minhyuk in December, lastly, ''
Grazia
''Grazia'' (; Italian for ''Grace'') is a weekly women's magazine that originated in Italy with international editions printed in Albania, Argentina, Australia, Bahrain, Bulgaria, China, Croatia, Colombia, France, Germany. Greece, Indonesia, I ...
'', with
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 ''N ...
in March 2019. He also participated in the collaboration project, with
''Elle'' and
Tom Ford
Thomas Carlyle Ford (born August 27, 1961) is an American fashion designer and filmmaker. He launched his eponymous luxury brand in 2005, having previously served as the creative director at Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent. Ford wrote and directe ...
, alongside Shownu, in promotion of Tom Ford's latest perfume line in August 2019.
He also made solo appearances, such as a feature in ''
Dazed
''Dazed'' (''Dazed & Confused'' until February 2014) is a bi-monthly British style magazine founded in 1991. It covers music, fashion, film, art, and literature. Dazed is published by Dazed Media, an independent media group known for producing ...
'' in November 2019.
Wonho has been recognized as the celebrity who focuses on fitness and physique, and in several interviews surrounding his photoshoots, he has talked about healthy habits, and emphasizing the importance of exercising. In October 2018, he partnered with
Under Armour
Under Armour, Inc. is an American sports equipment company that manufactures footwear, sports and casual apparel. Under Armour's global headquarters are located in Baltimore, Maryland, with additional offices located in Amsterdam (European hea ...
, as part of the collaboration with ''Dazed'', to promote an active and healthy lifestyle. He again promoted healthy lifestyle, as part of a photoshoot for ''Elle''s "Body Challenge" campaign, in May 2019.
On October 31, Starship Entertainment announced Wonho's departure from Monsta X following allegations surrounding him, after rumors about the illegal use of marijuana when he was younger surfaced on social media.
2020: Solo debut with ''Love Synonym Pt.1: Right for Me'' and first solo concert
On March 14, Starship Entertainment released an official statement announcing that the investigation made by the
Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency
The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency (SMPA; Hangul: ko, 서울지방경찰청; Hanja: ) is the primary police force for the South Korean capital city of Seoul; it is not an independent police force in of itself, but is one of 16 provincial sub- ...
's narcotics investigation team had been concluded; Wonho had been cleared of all allegations and the rumors were false.
Wonho signed with
Highline Entertainment
Highline Entertainment () is a South Korean entertainment company founded in 2017 and a subsidiary of Starship Entertainment.
History
In 2017, Starship Entertainment launched another subsidiary label House of Music, which focused on recruiting ...
, a subsidiary of Starship Entertainment, as a solo artist on April 10.
The agency announced that he would be promoting as a solo artist and producer going forward. On May 6,
Maverick
Maverick, Maveric or Maverik may refer to:
History
* Maverick (animal), an unbranded range animal, derived from U.S. cattleman Samuel Maverick
Aviation
* AEA Maverick, an Australian single-seat sportsplane design
* General Aviation Design Burea ...
revealed through a
Twitter
Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
post that they had signed a management agreement with Wonho for his international activities.
On August 9, Wonho announced the release of his first solo EP ''
Love Synonym Pt.1: Right for Me''.
On August 14, he then released the pre-release English-language single "Losing You", along with its music video.
"Losing You" gained praise for showing Wonho's all-around musicality, including his vocals, participation in the songwriting, composing, and producing of the song.
The album was released on September 4 with the title track "
Open Mind
Open-mindedness is receptiveness to new ideas. Open-mindedness relates to the way in which people approach the views and knowledge of others." Jason Baehr defines an open-minded person as one who "characteristically moves beyond or temporarily sets ...
", accompanied by a music video.
Wonho had his debut showcase the same day, hosted through
V Live
V Live (stylized as VLIVE), sometimes referred to as V App, is a South Korean live video streaming service that allows celebrities based in the country to broadcast live videos such as live chat sessions with fans, performances, reality shows ...
.
Wonho held his first solo concert on September 27. Due to restrictions from
COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...
, the concert was held online through the streaming platform
LiveXLive
LiveOne (formerly known as LiveXLive) is a music streaming platform that combines audio and (sometimes live) video available in the US and Canada. Users can access the service on the web through mobile apps on smartphones and over-the-air device ...
. During his concert, Wonho announced his first comeback, with a new EP, which was originally intended to be released by the end of 2020, although without a set date. He pre-released a song from the upcoming EP "Flash" through his concert.
2021: ''Love Synonym Pt.2: Right for Us'', second concert and ''Blue Letter''
Wonho's second part of his first EP ''
Love Synonym Pt.2: Right for Us'' was released on February 26. All five songs from the EP debuted on the ''
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 for that week.
He held an online concert WeNeedLove, through LiveXLive on March 28.
During the concert, Wonho announced his intention for his next comeback in summer of 2021.
In May, Wonho released a music video for the song "Ain't About You" from his second part of his first EP, in collaboration with
Kiiara
Kiara Saulters (born May 24, 1995), known professionally as Kiiara, is an American singer and songwriter from Wilmington, Illinois. She is currently signed to Atlantic Records. Her 2015 single "Gold" peaked at number 13 on the ''Billboard'' Ho ...
.
On June 15, his American manager, Eshy Gazit announced the launch of a new label venture Intertwine, in partnership with
BMG, with Monsta X and Wonho as the first two artists involved in the partnership.
On July 19, Wonho joined NCSoft's global K-pop entertainment platform
Universe
The universe is all of space and time and their contents, including planets, stars, galaxies, and all other forms of matter and energy. The Big Bang theory is the prevailing cosmological description of the development of the universe. Acc ...
.
In July, it was announced that Wonho would release his debut Japanese single album on October 27, with the lead single "On the Way ~Embrace~". On August 4, he pre-released the Japanese version of the song "Lose".
Wonho released his second EP ''Blue Letter'' on September 14, with the title track "Blue".
On December 1, Wonho released the Japanese digital single "White Miracle".
2022: ''Facade'', first musical and first solo tour
Wonho made his comeback with his first single album ''Obsession'' on February 16, with the title track "Eye On You".
In May, Wonho became the exclusive model of a dual-formulation and diet dual-functional complex product Cent Double.
Wonho released his third EP ''Facade'' on June 13, with the title track "Crazy".
From June 3 to July 24, Wonho is set to appear in his first musical with ''Equal'', a work that reflects on today's chaotic times due to pandemics and conspiracy theories, set in the 17th century Europe, where witches and heresy hunts were rampant. It is a two-person play that captures the metaphor of the COVID-19 era with the desperate desires and twisted fates of Nikola and Theo, two friends driven by the fear of death and extreme loneliness. Wonho will perform as Theo, a bright and cheerful country doctor who struggles to save his friend Nikola, who is dying from an incurable disease.
On July 6, Highline released the poster and schedule for Wonho's first European tour Facade, through his official SNS. According to the schedule released with the poster, he will be in Munich and Oberhausen, Germany on August 28 and 31, respectively, Madrid, Spain on September 2, and London, England on September 4.
On August 19, Wonho released the
promotional single
A promotional recording, or promo, or plug copy, is an audio or video recording distributed free, usually in order to promote a recording that is or soon will be commercially available. Promos are normally sent directly to broadcasters, such as ...
"Don't hesitate" through
Universe Music for the mobile application Universe.
In September, Wonho is preparing for the release of his second single album ''Bittersweet'' on October 14, with the title track "Don't Regret".
Personal life
Wonho enlisted for his
mandatory military service
Conscription (also called the draft in the United States) is the state-mandated enlistment of people in a national service, mainly a military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and it continues in some countries to the present day un ...
as a public service worker on December 5, 2022.
Discography
Extended plays
Single albums
Singles
As lead artist
As featured artist
Promotional singles
Other charted songs
Music videos
Filmography
Television shows
Radio shows
Music video appearances
Musicals
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.
Tours and concerts
European tour
* Facade European Tour (2022)
Offline concert
* We Are Young (2021)
* Everyday Christmas (2022)
Virtual concerts
*IWonhoYou (2020)
*WeNeedLove (2021)
Awards and nominations
Notes
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wonho
Starship Entertainment artists
South Korean male idols
21st-century South Korean male singers
South Korean pop singers
English-language singers from South Korea
Japanese-language singers of South Korea
Living people
People from Seoul
Singers from Seoul
South Korean male singer-songwriters
Monsta X members
1993 births