Go Youn-ha (
Hangul
The Korean alphabet, known as Hangul, . Hangul may also be written as following South Korea's standard Romanization. ( ) in South Korea and Chosŏn'gŭl in North Korea, is the modern official writing system for the Korean language. The le ...
: 고윤하,
Hanja
Hanja (Hangul: ; Hanja: , ), alternatively known as Hancha, are Chinese characters () used in the writing of Korean. Hanja was used as early as the Gojoseon period, the first ever Korean kingdom.
(, ) refers to Sino-Korean vocabulary, ...
: 高潤荷; born April 29, 1988), known mononymously as Younha, is a South Korean singer-songwriter and record producer. She began her career in 2004 in
Japan, where she was nicknamed the "
Oricon
, established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan and Western music. It started as, which was founded by Sōkō Koike in ...
Comet" for her success on the Japanese music chart. In 2006, she debuted in South Korea, where she is regarded as one of the country's best singer-songwriters.
Early life and education
Younha was born in South Korea on April 29, 1988, where she began to play the piano at the age of 5. She started singing in elementary school and later began to teach herself
Japanese
Japanese may refer to:
* Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia
* Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan
* Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture
** Japanese diaspor ...
after watching the popular
Japanese drama, ''
Gokusen
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Kozueko Morimoto. It was serialized in Shueisha's ''You'' from 2000 to 2007, with its chapters collected in fifteen '' wideban'' volumes. The story follows Kumiko Yamaguchi, the grandd ...
''.
As a teenager, Younha said she went to as many as 20 auditions with South Korean record labels but was rejected because she wasn't "pretty enough to become a star." As a result, she dropped out of high school at the age of 16 to pursue a singing career in Japan.
Younha later attended
Hankuk University of Foreign Studies
Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (abbreviated as HUFS; Korean: 한국외국어대학교) is a private research university based in Seoul, in South Korea. HUFS consistently ranks as one of the best universities in South Korea. The university ...
, where she majored in Japanese.
Career
2004–2005: Debut in Japan
After arriving in Japan in January 2004, Younha released her debut single, "Yubikiri," that September, followed by the Japanese version of the song in October. Despite the fact the song was included on the soundtrack of the
Fuji TV
JOCX-DTV (channel 8), branded as and colloquially known as CX, is a Japanese television station based in Odaiba, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Owned and operated by the it is the key station of the Fuji News Network (FNN) and the Fuji Network S ...
drama, ''Destiny of Love'', it was not a success.
"Houkiboshi" to ''Go! Younha''
Younha found mainstream success with her second Japanese single, "
Houkiboshi," which was included on the soundtrack of the anime series ''
Bleach''. The song debuted on the
Oricon
, established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan and Western music. It started as, which was founded by Sōkō Koike in ...
daily chart at #18 and peaked at #12, making Younha the second South Korean artist, after
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- ...
, to break into the Oricon top 20.
Less than 2 months after the success of
Houkiboshi, she released "
Motto Futari de", to little fanfare, with minimal promotion, and Younha made no TV appearances to promote the single live. Her third single, "
Touch / Yume no Tsuzuki", with a tie-in to the
Touch live action movie adaptation, with Touch as the theme song, was significantly more successful, and brought her back into the Oricon Top 20, matching the success of "
Houki Boshi". The single debuted at #15,
and peaked at #11 on the Daily chart.
After releasing four singles, Younha released her first album entitled ''
Go! Younha
''Go! Younha'' is the first official album by pop/ rock singer Younha
Go Youn-ha (Hangul: 고윤하, Hanja: 高潤荷; born April 29, 1988), known mononymously as Younha, is a South Korean singer-songwriter and record producer. She began her c ...
'' with moderate success. It reached the #10 spot on the Oricon daily charts, and #12 on the weekly charts.
2006–2007: Later struggles and Korean debut
However, Younha's next three singles, "My Lover", "
Te wo Tsunaide" and "
Ima ga Daisuki", despite various tie-ins such as ''
Bleach GC: Tasogare Ni Mamieru Shinigami'', ''
Jyu Oh Sei'' (獣王星) and ''
Jang Geum's Dream'', failed to replicate the success from her earlier efforts, all ranking in the lower half of the Oricon Top 100.
In the meantime, Younha enrolled in
Hankuk University of Foreign Studies
Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (abbreviated as HUFS; Korean: 한국외국어대학교) is a private research university based in Seoul, in South Korea. HUFS consistently ranks as one of the best universities in South Korea. The university ...
and began her debut in Korea, releasing a digital Korean single album titled "Audition". Many performances of this song were shown on Korean TV, and the single received much promotion, as a result, "Audition" charted well for over 3 months on all Korean charts.
Despite the lackluster performance of her last 3 Japanese singles, Younha was chosen to sing an opening theme song for ''
Kiba''. The song "
Hakanaku Tsuyoku" (儚く強く) was used as the second opening theme for the show. The single was released on January 17, 2007, and due to the nature of its tie-in, charted much higher than her last 3 releases, peaking at #36 - but also marked her last single with Epic Records.
2007–2009: Crossover to Korea and return to Japan
![Younha from acrofan](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b8/Younha_from_acrofan.jpg)
Exactly two months after "Hakanaku Tsuyoku", Younha returned to Korea to release her first Korean album entitled ''
The Perfect Day to Say I Love You'' (고백하기 좋은 날, ''Gobaekhagi Jo-eun Nal''). The album was a success, peaking at #1 on the charts. The first song promoted from the album was "Password 486", for which she won the SBS
Inkigayo Mutizen award twice. A music video was made for "Password 486", which stars fellow Stam artist Yoon Ji-hoo. The album also features a collaboration with
Wheesung
Choi Whee-sung (; born February 5, 1982), known professionally as Wheesung or by the stage name Realslow, is a South Korean R&B singer, record producer, and musical theatre actor.
Career 1982: Early life and education
Wheesung was born on ...
. On July 14, 2007, Younha appeared on the Korean GomTV MSL Grand Finals (a
StarCraft tournament) and performed in the opening ceremony. The second song promoted was "Love Condition", accompanied with a repackage of her debut album. While no music video was made, the song was performed live a number of times, and had modest success on the charts.
At the 2007 MKMF held on November 17, 2007, Younha won the Best New Solo Artist award. With her increasing success, Younha released a version of ''
Go! Younha
''Go! Younha'' is the first official album by pop/ rock singer Younha
Go Youn-ha (Hangul: 고윤하, Hanja: 高潤荷; born April 29, 1988), known mononymously as Younha, is a South Korean singer-songwriter and record producer. She began her c ...
'' rerecorded in Korean. The album, with minor track list changes, is titled ''
Comet
A comet is an icy, small Solar System body that, when passing close to the Sun, warms and begins to release gases, a process that is called outgassing. This produces a visible atmosphere or coma, and sometimes also a tail. These phenomena ...
'' (혜성, ''Hyeseong'') and was released on October 23, spawning two hit singles, the title track "혜성 (Hyeseong)" and "At First Sight". Riding the success experienced in Korea, her very first Korean single "Audition" was re-released on March 14 as a physical CD, limited to 10,000 copies.
Epic Records quietly released a "best of" Japanese album/music video DVD of Younha's work to date, ''
SONGS -Teen's Collection-
This is the discography of Korean singer Younha, active in both South Korea and Japan, which consists of twelve studio albums, five extended plays, one compilation album, and twenty-four singles
Singles are people not in a committed relationshi ...
'', on March 26, 2008, signaling the end of her contract with the record label, due to the recent poor performance of her singles, and her focus on the Korean music industry.
![2008 Younha](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d9/2008_Younha.jpg)
On August 28, 2008, Younha followed up her last few successful albums with her sophomore effort, titled ''
Someday''. The album went on to spawn two hit singles, "Telepathy", and "Gossip Boy". The album also featured her second collaboration with
Tablo
Daniel Armand Lee (Korean: Lee Seon-woong; Hangul: 이선웅; born July 22, 1980), better known by his stage name Tablo (Hangul: 타블로), is a Korean-Canadian hip hop recording artist, lyricist, composer and record producer. Tablo is best k ...
, who co-wrote and featured in the song, "Memory".
In early 2009, Younha made her comeback to the Japanese music industry, now signed with Sistus Records, with a Japanese version of "Memory", titled "Kioku", tying in as the ending theme to the ''
Rideback'' anime. No physical release of the song was issued and was an online only single until the release of her next studio album,
Hitotsu Sora no Shita, which included it on the track listing. Her return to the industry also included a role in a Japanese movie, ''
On Next Sunday'' (今度の日曜日に, ''Kondo no Nichiyoubi ni''), released in April 2009, also singing the theme song ''On the Other Side of the Rainbow'' (虹の向こう側, ''Niji no Mukougawa''). She went on to release 2 physical singles, "Girl" and "Sukinanda", however both failed to chart in the top 100.
Her highly anticipated third album ''
Part A: Peace Love & Ice Cream'' was released on April 16, 2009, with a new record label, Lion Media. The promotional track ''1, 2, 3'' was a signalled change in her style, in fashion sense, taking on a cuter, girly appearance, as opposed to her more tomboy look for her previous promotional periods.
The style change also encompassed her music, with her songs from the album losing her trademark debut Piano rock sound which brought her critical acclaim and success, turning to pop. Despite the sudden change in musical style, the song was a strong contender for #1, but was beaten out due to strong competition during the promotional run.
2009–2012: Decline and legal troubles
![Younha](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bb/Younha.jpg)
On December 11, 2009, Younha released the second part of her third Korean album, ''
Part B: Growing Season'', showing a mature, darker contrast to the happier, pop-based Part A. The album spawned one #1 single, "We Broke Up Today".
Her second Japanese album ''Under the Same Sky'' (ひとつ空の下) was released on September 22, 2010 in Japan and September 29, 2010 in Korea. The album features Younha's work with i-dep and Sotte Bosse's Nakamura Hiroshi, as well as popular acoustic guitar duo Depapepe. The album debuted to little fanfare, only achieving #169 on the Oricon Album charts.
After a year of relatively quiet activity since her last major release, ''Lost in Love'', Younha's first EP, was released, including a collection of various soundtrack singles released throughout the year, as well as the promotional singles ''One Shot'', stylistically a rare return to her piano rock roots, and ''Take Care of My Boyfriend'', a
pop-rock
Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, ear ...
ballad. While the latter barely made the Top 10, ''One Shot'' missed the Top 20. While "One Shot" was a welcome return to the original sound she was known for, there were also very strong similarities to the
Sara Bareilles song, "
Love Song
A love song is a song about romantic love, falling in love, heartbreak after a breakup, and the feelings that these experiences bring. A comprehensive list of even the best known performers and composers of love songs would be a large order ...
" noted by netizens. With minimal promotion, the EP became the lowest selling album in Younha's Korean discography.
On May 9, 2011, Younha became the 22nd host of
MBC FM radio program, "Starry Night". On July 12, 2011, it was revealed that Younha was suing her company, Lion Media, to request a termination of contract due to questionable validity, through the legal courts, though further revelations showed that these proceedings had started since April. A countersuit from her company was filed against her in return, for US$1 million to recover damages. A mediation session was scheduled for October to settle the matter but fell through. It was not until February 2012, that the courts found the case in favor of Younha, resulting in the annulment of her contract with Lion Media, as well as 100 million KRW compensation.
2012–present: comeback
![Younha 2012](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fb/Younha_2012.jpg)
After her legal troubles, Younha began her comeback activities with a new record label, ''wealive'' (now
C9 Entertainment
C9 Entertainment () is a South Korean entertainment agency founded in 2012 by Kim Dae-soon. The company operates as a record label, talent agency, music production company and event management.
The company was a subsidiary of Claire's Korea, par ...
). She released her fourth album ''
Supersonic'' on July 3, 2012, featuring artists such as
Jay Park
Jay Park (Korean name: Park Jae-beom (Hangul: 박재범; Hanja: 朴載範); born April 25, 1987) is an American rapper, singer-songwriter, record producer, dancer and entrepreneur of based in South Korea. He is a member of the Seattle-based b ...
,
Tiger JK
Seo Jung-kwon, Hangul: 서정권, Hanja: 徐廷權, also known as Tiger JK (born July 29, 1974) is a Korean-American rapper, record producer and entrepreneur best known as a founding member of Korean hip hop group Drunken Tiger. He has also foun ...
, and
John Park. The album spawned two singles, the Top 10 Hit, "Would We Have Changed?" featuring
John Park, and "Run". The album was released to critical acclaim, embracing a rock-based style, doing away with ballad styles she had promoted for the last 2 years, and even led to "Run" being nominated for Pop Song of the Year at the Korean Music Awards. She also joined the cast of ''
I Am a Singer
''I Am a Singer'' () is a popular South Korean singing competition program; a part of MBC's '' Sunday Night'' lineup. Seven talented, veteran Korean singers perform for a selected audience, which votes to eliminate one singer after each week's ...
'', a show based around professional singers remaking songs, ranging from old to current hits.
On May 2, 2013, Younha released her second
EP, ''
Just Listen'' receiving rave reviews.
The album also brought her back to commercial success, "아니야 (Unacceptable)" became her first Top 5 single since "오늘 헤어졌어요 (Broke Up Today)" in 2009 and is also her first album to feature 2 Top 10 singles, ''Unacceptable'' and ''Reason''. On December 6, 2013, Younha released her third
EP, ''
Subsonic'', featuring the lead-in single "It's Okay" and follow up "Not There" featuring Eluphant. With the release of these singles, it brings about the first time in Younha's career where she has achieved 3 Top 10 singles, and at a stretch, 4 Top 15 singles in one year.
On May 29, 2014, she collaborated with
rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
singer
Jung Joon-young
Jung Joon-young (born February 21, 1989) is a South Korean former singer-songwriter, radio DJ, host, actor, television personality and convicted serial rapist.
Jung first gained recognition in the 2012 season of the musical reality competiti ...
to release the digital single "Just The Way You Are" (달리 함께). The song peaked at #11 on the ''
Billboard'' K-pop Hot 100. She achieved her first #1 single in her career on the
Gaon Charts, 10 years after debut, with her solo remake of her 2008 hit with
Epik High
Epik High (Hangul: 에픽하이) is a South Korean hip hop trio formed in 2001, composed of Tablo, Mithra Jin, and DJ Tukutz. Primarily based in Seoul, the group signed with Woollim Entertainment and released their first two studio albums, ...
, "Umbrella". The original version in turn, also surged up the charts, jumping 245 places up to #53 in that same week. This marks the first time she has topped the chart since "Broke Up Today" 5 years before, in 2009, and "Comet" in 2007.
On November 11, 2015, Younha released her single "Thinking About You" (널 생각해), produced by
Lee Chanhyuk of
Akdong Musician
AKMU ( ko, 악뮤), also known as Akdong Musician ( ko, 악동뮤지션), is a South Korean sibling duo consisting of Lee Chan-hyuk and Lee Su-hyun who debuted under YG Entertainment in April 2014 with studio album ''Play'' after winning SBS' ...
. She released her fifth album, ''
RescuE
Rescue comprises responsive operations that usually involve the saving of life, or the urgent treatment of injuries after an accident or a dangerous situation.
Tools used might include search and rescue dogs, mounted search and rescue ...
'', on December 27, 2017. ''
Billboard'' ranked the album number eight on its list of top K-Pop albums of the 2010s, calling it "a cathartic listening experience that reflected on hard times and hinted to the brightness beyond them." Younha followed up by releasing the EP ''Stable Mindset'' in 2019, and then the EP ''Unstable Mindset'' on January 6, 2020. The latter contained the song "Winter Flower", a collaboration with
RM from
BTS
BTS (), also known as the Bangtan Boys, is a South Korean boy band formed in 2010 and debuting in 2013 under Big Hit Entertainment. The septet—consisting of members Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V, and Jungkook—co-writes and co-pr ...
, which ''Billboard'' called "an epic, comforting power ballad". Furthermore, the song gave Younha the title of the first Korean female solo artist to Top US iTunes chart. Younha released her sixth album, ''
End Theory
''End Theory'' is the sixth studio album by South Korean singer Younha. It was released on November 16, 2021, through C9 Entertainment. It consists of eleven tracks, including the lead single "Stardust". The reissue version of the album, titled ' ...
'' on November 16, 2021, and a repackaged version with 3 additional songs, ''End Theory: Final Edition'', was released on March 30, 2022. On June 30, 2022, Younha released the digital single "Rain Song", which is a remake of
Epik High
Epik High (Hangul: 에픽하이) is a South Korean hip hop trio formed in 2001, composed of Tablo, Mithra Jin, and DJ Tukutz. Primarily based in Seoul, the group signed with Woollim Entertainment and released their first two studio albums, ...
's single of the same name.
"Event Horizon", the lead single from ''End Theory: Final Edition'' began to rise in the charts and viral popularity 6 months after initial release, as Younha did major gigs at universities and festivals in the second half of 2022, with positive word of mouth and fan footage gathering views online. The song peaked at #1 on Billboard and on the Circle Chart.
Discography
Korean albums
* ''
The Perfect Day To Say I Love You'' (2007)
* ''
Comet
A comet is an icy, small Solar System body that, when passing close to the Sun, warms and begins to release gases, a process that is called outgassing. This produces a visible atmosphere or coma, and sometimes also a tail. These phenomena ...
'' (2007)
* ''
Someday'' (2008)
* ''
Peace, Love & Ice Cream'' (2009)
* ''
Growing Season'' (2009)
* ''
Supersonic'' (2012)
* ''
RescuE
Rescue comprises responsive operations that usually involve the saving of life, or the urgent treatment of injuries after an accident or a dangerous situation.
Tools used might include search and rescue dogs, mounted search and rescue ...
'' (2017)
* ''
End Theory
''End Theory'' is the sixth studio album by South Korean singer Younha. It was released on November 16, 2021, through C9 Entertainment. It consists of eleven tracks, including the lead single "Stardust". The reissue version of the album, titled ' ...
'' (2021)
Japanese albums
* ''
Go! Younha
''Go! Younha'' is the first official album by pop/ rock singer Younha
Go Youn-ha (Hangul: 고윤하, Hanja: 高潤荷; born April 29, 1988), known mononymously as Younha, is a South Korean singer-songwriter and record producer. She began her c ...
'' (2005)
* ''
Under the Same Sky'' (2010)
* ''People'' (2014)
* ''View'' (2015)
Collaborations
Younha sang the song ''Boku wa Koko ni Iru'' on the tribute album to
Masayoshi Yamazaki, ''One More Time, One More Chance''. (12.21.05)
Younha was selected as one of 14 female artists to perform in the omnibus album ''14 Princess ~Princess Princess Children~'', a collection of the most famous songs by the top girls band
Princess Princess of the late 1980s and early 1990s. Younha performed the song ''Diamonds'', which was the #1 seller of the year during 1989 in Japan. (03.08.06)
Younha has been featured on the following albums:
*
Wheesung
Choi Whee-sung (; born February 5, 1982), known professionally as Wheesung or by the stage name Realslow, is a South Korean R&B singer, record producer, and musical theatre actor.
Career 1982: Early life and education
Wheesung was born on ...
's 5th album, ''Eternal Essence of Music'', in "만져주기"
*
Toy
A toy or plaything is an object that is used primarily to provide entertainment. Simple examples include toy blocks, board games, and dolls. Toys are often designed for use by children, although many are designed specifically for adults and pet ...
's 6th album, ''Thank You'', in "오늘 서울 하늘은 하루종일 맑음" ("Today Seoul's skies are sunny all day long")
*
Epik High
Epik High (Hangul: 에픽하이) is a South Korean hip hop trio formed in 2001, composed of Tablo, Mithra Jin, and DJ Tukutz. Primarily based in Seoul, the group signed with Woollim Entertainment and released their first two studio albums, ...
's 5th album, ''
Pieces, Part One'', in "우산" ("Umbrella"); 8th album, ''
Shoebox'', in "또 싸워" ("We Fight Ourselves"); 10th album, ''
Epik High Is Here
''Epik High Is Here'' is the tenth studio album by the hip hop group Epik High. It was released in two parts: Part 1 was released on January 18, 2021, while Part 2 was released on February 14, 2022. Both versions were released through OURS Co. an ...
'', in 그래서 그래 ("Gray So Gray") and in "비 오는 날 듣기 좋은 노래" ("Rain Song")
*
Ajoo
Ajoo (Born Noh Ah-joo, ( on July 6, 1990) is a South Korean singer who debuted in 2008 with the single "1st Kiss".
Although his first single did not do as well as expected on music charts he made a comeback with "Paparazzi" which features label ...
's 2nd single, ''Paparazzi'', in "Paparazzi"
*
Kim Bum Soo's 6th album, ''Kim Bum Soo'', in "줄다리기"
*
Kim Dong Wan
Kim Dong-wan (; born November 21, 1979) is a South Korean entertainer, known as a member of South Korean boy band Shinhwa. He has been acting since 2002, and has starred in television dramas such as ''A Farewell to Sorrow'' and ''Children of He ...
's single, "Promise", in "약속"
*
Im Jae Bum's single, "The Day I Was Hurt From Love", in "사랑에 아파한 날들"
*Road For Hope with various artists, in "Gift"
*'Fade' with DJ Philtre
*
So Ji Sub's "6PM... Ground" album, in "소풍"
* with
Jung Joon Young: "Just The Way You Are" (달리 함께)
* Justin Oh's "Stay With Me"
*
Jonghyun's album, ''
Base'', in "Love Belt"
*
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- ...
's 1st EP,
''Self-Portrait'', in "For You Now"
*
Chancellor (챈슬러)'s single, "Walking in the Rain"
Filmography
Films
Television shows
Awards and nominations
References
External links
* at
C9 Entertainment
C9 Entertainment () is a South Korean entertainment agency founded in 2012 by Kim Dae-soon. The company operates as a record label, talent agency, music production company and event management.
The company was a subsidiary of Claire's Korea, par ...
{{Authority control
Sony Music Entertainment Japan artists
Japanese-language singers of South Korea
K-pop singers
South Korean pop rock singers
South Korean women pop singers
South Korean singer-songwriters
South Korean pop pianists
South Korean women pianists
South Korean jazz singers
South Korean Roman Catholics
People from Seoul
1988 births
Living people
MAMA Award winners
Korean Music Award winners
21st-century South Korean singers
21st-century South Korean women singers
21st-century pianists
South Korean women singer-songwriters
South Korean sopranos
Singers from Seoul
20th-century women pianists
21st-century women pianists