BoyWithUke

Last updated

BoyWithUke
Birth nameCharley Yang
Born Daegu, South Korea
Origin Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, U.S.
Genres
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • producer
Instruments
  • Ukulele
  • Guitar
  • Electric Guitar
  • Piano
  • Vocals
  • Cello
Years active2020–present
Labels
Website boywithukemusic.com

Charley Yang, [1] known professionally as BoyWithUke, is a Korean-American singer, musician and internet personality. Yang first gained popularity on the online platform TikTok with his single "Two Moons" and later "Toxic", "IDGAF", and "Understand". Until October 10, 2023, he was known for hiding his face behind an LED mask. He is currently an independent artist after leaving Mercury Records. [2]

Contents

Early life

During his performance in Seoul Jazz Festival, Yang revealed that he was born in Daegu, South Korea. [3]

Yang went to Oak Middle School in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, and also attended Shrewsbury High School. He stated that he was forced into classical music from the age of four, but later dropped it. This was followed by him resuming music through writing music in high school. [4] [5]

Career

2020–2021: Beginnings on TikTok and early albums

Yang began uploading to TikTok in 2020 [6] after being introduced to the platform by his brother. His content did not attract much attention on the platform until 2021, when several of his videos (including a series of videos entitled "Minute-Long Songs") started to gain popularity. [4]

In September 2021, Yang released his extended play Faded. Later, the song Toxic went viral on TikTok and was featured in over sixty-nine thousand videos on the platform. It was streamed around half a billion times. [7] [8] The single reached No. 1 on the Billboard Alternative Airplay charts after being on the charts for thirty-one consecutive weeks, which was the sixth-longest rise to No. 1 in Alternative Airplay's history. [7] "Toxic" was certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) and platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). [9] [10]

In 2021, BoyWithUke released his first and second studio albums, Melatonin Dreams and Fever Dreams respectively.

2021–2022: Signing with Republic Records and Serotonin Dreams

In late 2021, Yang signed a deal with record label Republic Records. [11] In 2022, he released the single "IDGAF", featuring Blackbear. [12] He released his debut major-label album, Serotonin Dreams , under Republic Records. [11] It debuted at No. 7 on the Billboard Alternative Airplay and Billboard 200 charts and features "Toxic" as its lead single. [7] [13] After the album's release, BoyWithUke was listed as one of the top ten Billboard Emerging Artists. [13] On September 30, 2022, he released the single "Sick of U" featuring Oliver Tree. [14]

Throughout 2022, Yang opened for the indie-pop trio AJR on their tour for their fourth studio album OK Orchestra . [15]

As of October 2023, he has almost eight million followers on TikTok and well over two billion Spotify streams [16] and 870 million views on YouTube. [17]

2023–2024: Lucid Dreams and face reveal

Yang released his extended play Antisocial on February 24, 2023. It contains three songs, including the single "Rockstar", which was released on February 10, as well as two songs that had previously been teased on his TikTok, "IDTWCBF (Friends)" and "Nosedive". On April 7, 2023, BoyWithUke released another single, "Out of Reach", which is the full version of one of his minute-long songs on TikTok. He also debuted the single in a Roblox concert which also featured "Toxic", and "IDGAF". [18]

BoyWithUke later released "Trauma" as a single on August 3, 2023. [19]

BoyWithUke's fourth album, Lucid Dreams, was released on October 6, 2023. It was preceded by the singles "Rockstar", "Trauma" and "Migraine", with "Problematic" being released as a single on the album's release day. BoyWithUke has claimed that Lucid Dreams will be the last album of the "Dreams" saga.[ citation needed ]

BoyWithUke first revealed his face on October 9, 2023, at the end of his music video for "Homesick". [20] On an Instagram post, the next day, he revealed his face and name. [21] In the same post, he found that the mask gave him confidence in the past, but now it was negatively affecting his physical and mental health. BoyWithUke also expressed his plans to start a new chapter of his music without a mask. [22] Yang also said that he kept his identity hidden in order for people to pay attention to his musical talent and not his appearance. [4]

2024–present: Burnout and name change

After dropping the first song "Can You Feel It?" for his album Burnout, Charley announced that it will be the last album of his under the name BoyWithUke. [23]

In November of 2024, he uploaded a comedy video interviewing himself, to his YouTube channel, in which he mentions why he wanted this change in the first place. [24] He also mentions the discontinuation with his label.

His album Burnout was released under AWAL Recordings [25] on November 15th. [26] In his music video for "Pitfall", he shows the name "Chandol", which was revealed to be the name he will be switching to.

Artistry

Until October 2023, Yang wore an opaque face shield with two large LED lights to ensure his anonymity. [4] His music is centered around the ukulele but also incorporates other instruments such as the piano. [8] He self-composes his music on GarageBand from his iPad, a free digital audio workstation for Apple devices. [11]

Yang's music has been described as "alternative" and "alt-pop". [4]

Yang's first four albums all contain the word "dreams" in their titles. Melatonin Dreams spoke heavily about depression and suicidal thoughts. Fever Dreams focuses on low self-esteem and generally melancholic and depressed themes. Serotonin Dreams is supposedly him "waking up" and the "Magnum Opus" of the saga as overall unlike its antecedent, Serotonin Dreams focuses on realization and generally more positive values, while still having occasional references to the importance of its predecessors. His newest album[ when? ], Lucid Dreams, is intended to symbolize his "desires, his fear, his past, and his dreams." [27]

Discography

Albums

List of studio albums, with selected details and chart positions
TitleDetailsPeak chart positions
US
[28]
AUS
[29]
AUT
[30]
CAN
[31]
IRE
[32]
NLD
[33]
NOR
[34]
NZ
[35]
SWI
[36]
UK
[37]
Melatonin Dreams
  • Released: January 22, 2021
  • Label: Self-released
  • Formats: Digital download, streaming
Fever Dreams
  • Released: June 4, 2021
  • Label: Self-released
  • Formats: Digital download, streaming
Serotonin Dreams
  • Released: May 6, 2022
  • Label: Republic
  • Formats: CD, digital download, streaming
72644833517221356143
Lucid Dreams
  • Released: October 6, 2023
  • Label: Republic
  • Formats: CD, digital download, streaming, vinyl
Burnout
  • Released: November 15, 2024
  • Label: AWAL
  • Formats: CD, digital download, streaming, vinyl

EPs

List of extended plays
TitleDetails
Trouvaille
  • Released: March 5, 2021
  • Label: Self-released
  • Formats: Digital download, streaming
Faded
  • Released: September 10, 2021
  • Label: Self-released
  • Formats: Digital download, streaming
Antisocial
  • Released: February 24, 2023
  • Label: Republic
  • Formats: Digital download, streaming

Singles

TitleYearPeak chart positionsCertificationsAlbum
US
[38]
AUS
[39]
AUT
[30]
CAN
[40]
GER
[41]
IRE
[32]
NOR
[34]
SWI
[42]
UK
[37]
WW
[43]
"Two Moons"20214166Fever Dreams
"Toxic" [8] [A] 982071297232256260Serotonin Dreams
"Long Drives"2022
"IDGAF"
(featuring Blackbear) [49]
999569615248117
"Sick of U"
(featuring Oliver Tree) [14]
Non-album single
"Rockstar"2023Lucid Dreams
"Out of Reach"Non-album single
"Trauma"Lucid Dreams
"Migraine"
"Problematic"
"Can You Feel It?"2024Burnout
"Ghost"
"Gaslight"

Awards and nominations

AwardYearNomineeCategoryResultRef.
iHeartRadio Music Awards 2023HimselfBest New Artist (Alternative & Rock)Nominated [50]

Notes

  1. "Toxic" did not enter the Billboard Hot 100, but peaked at number 18 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart. [45]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dreams (Fleetwood Mac song)</span> 1977 single by Fleetwood Mac

"Dreams" is a song by the British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac, written and sung by Stevie Nicks for the band's eleventh studio album, Rumours (1977). In the United States, "Dreams" was released as the second single from Rumours in March 1977, while in the United Kingdom, the song was released as the third single in June 1977. A stage performance of "Dreams" was used as the promotional music video.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blackbear (musician)</span> American musician and producer (born 1990)

Matthew Tyler Musto, professionally known as Blackbear, is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He has released six studio albums, six EPs, one mixtape and two collaborative albums. Musto is also a member of the alternative hip hop duo Mansionz with singer-songwriter Mike Posner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Olivia O'Brien</span> American singer

Olivia Gail O'Brien is an American singer and songwriter. She rose to fame in 2016 after collaborating with Gnash on the single "I Hate U, I Love U", which peaked at number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States and number one in Australia. The success resulted in a recording contract with Island Records, with whom she released two extended plays, three mixtapes, and her debut studio album Was It Even Real? (2019).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jamie Miller (singer)</span> Welsh singer

Jamie Miller is a Welsh singer and musician currently based in Los Angeles. He was featured on The Voice UK in 2017, where he came in third place. In 2020, he signed a record deal with Atlantic Records and has released an EP called Broken Memories in April 2022. He is currently signed under BMG and working on his debut album.

This is the discography of Blackbear, an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He has released six studio albums, three collaborative albums, seven extended plays, one collaborative extended play, two mixtapes and 48 singles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beach Bunny (band)</span> American rock band

Beach Bunny is an American rock band formed in 2015 in Chicago, Illinois. Initially a solo project by guitarist and vocalist Lili Trifilio, Beach Bunny became a full band in 2017. The group achieved widespread popularity after their 2018 song "Prom Queen" went viral on TikTok in late 2019. Their 2020 song "Cloud 9" also went viral on TikTok in 2021.

Trevor Daniel is an American singer and songwriter. He rose to prominence with his 2018 single "Falling", which hit the charts in more than twenty countries after going viral in 2019. His debut studio album Nicotine was released in March 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dixie D'Amelio</span> American social media personality (born 2001)

Dixie Jane D'Amelio is an American social media personality and singer known for her videos on TikTok. She is the elder sister of Charli D'Amelio. As of November 2022, she has over 57.5 million followers and 3.3 billion likes on TikTok, 24.2 million followers on Instagram, and 7.04 million subscribers and 619.12 million views on YouTube, where she also hosts a talk show called The Early Late Night Show.

Darak Kings Figueroa, professionally known as StaySolidRocky, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. Born in Richmond, Virginia Figueroa lived in San Antonio, Texas for a few years before moving back to his hometown. He rose to fame in 2020 with his single "Party Girl", which peaked at number 21 on the Billboard Hot 100.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jaden Hossler</span> American musician and TikTok personality

Jaden Isaiah Hossler, known professionally as Jxdn, is an American singer-songwriter and TikTok personality from Chattanooga, Tennessee. Hossler rose to prominence on the video sharing app TikTok in 2019 before beginning a music career in early 2020 with the release of his debut single "Comatose".

Sharlee Jade "Shaylee" Curnow, known professionally as Peach PRC, is an Australian pop singer, songwriter, and social media personality. Her major label debut single "Josh" was released in early 2021, which peaked at number 38 on the ARIA Singles Chart. Peach is a prominent figure on the social media platform TikTok, where she posts content about her life, living with borderline personality disorder, self-care advice, drug and alcohol abuse, and her music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yeat</span> American rapper (born 2000)

Noah Olivier Smith, known professionally as Yeat, is an American rapper, singer-songwriter, and record producer. He is known for his experimental sound, unique choice of words, and unconventional fashion sense featuring a mix of designer brands and balaclavas.

Jacob Dodge Lawson,, known professionally as Jvke, is an American singer-songwriter, producer, and social media personality. During the COVID-19 lockdowns, he started creating TikTok videos for his songs, one of which, "Upside Down", went viral in 2021. His debut album, This Is What ____ Feels Like (2022), peaked at number 40 on the Billboard 200, while the song "Golden Hour" peaked at number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bailey Zimmerman</span> American singer

Bailey Lynn Zimmerman is an American country singer. In 2022, he charted the singles "Fall in Love" and "Rock and a Hard Place", which both reached number one on the Billboard Country Airplay chart. His debut album Religiously. The Album. was released on May 12, 2023. This album also includes the singles "Religiously" and "Where It Ends".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leah Kate</span> American singer

Leah Kate Kalmenson is an American singer. Kate released her debut extended play, Impulse, in June 2019 followed up by What Just Happened? in 2021. In 2022, she released the single "10 Things I Hate About You", which charted in Australia and the UK. She was then chosen as the support act for the European leg of Madison Beer's Life Support Tour, taking place in March and April 2022. She released her debut album, Super Over, in September 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toxic (BoyWithUke song)</span> 2021 single by BoyWithUke

"Toxic" is a song by Korean-American singer BoyWithUke, originally self-released as a single on October 29, 2021. BoyWithUke wrote and produced the song himself. It went viral on TikTok and received over 500 million streams worldwide.

<i>Serotonin Dreams</i> 2022 studio album by BoyWithUke

Serotonin Dreams is the third studio album by American singer BoyWithUke, and his first on a major label. It was released on May 6, 2022, through Republic Records, and primarily written and produced by the singer. The album includes the singles "Toxic", "Long Drives" and "IDGAF" featuring Blackbear, and additionally contains collaborations with Mxmtoon and Powfu. BoyWithUke toured Europe and North America in 2022 in support of the record.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">IDGAF (BoyWithUke song)</span> 2022 single by BoyWithUke featuring Blackbear

"IDGAF" is a song by American singer BoyWithUke featuring Blackbear and Suvan Paul (Co-Artist) released as the third single from BoyWithUke's album Serotonin Dreams on March 18, 2022. BoyWithUke co-wrote the song with Blackbear, and it was produced by BoyWithUke and Andrew Goldstein.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alex Warren</span> American YouTuber and singer

Alexander Warren Hughes is an American singer-songwriter and comedic video creator on YouTube. He is also popular on TikTok and Instagram. He was previously a member and a co-founder of the collaborative TikTok group The Hype House.

Gianna Brielle Perez, known professionally as Gigi Perez or simply Gigi, is an American singer-songwriter. Born in New Jersey and raised in Florida, she went viral on TikTok for her songs "Celene" and "Sometimes (Backwood)" and spent a period signed to Interscope Records, on which she released the 2023 EP How to Catch a Falling Knife. After leaving the label, she released "Sailor Song", which peaked at number 22 on the Billboard Hot 100. "Sailor Song" topped the charts in Ireland, Latvia, and the United Kingdom, and peaked within the top ten of the charts in various countries, including New Zealand and Norway. She has also supported Coldplay on their Music of the Spheres World Tour, Noah Cyrus on her The Hardest Part Tour, and D4vd on his The Root of It All Tour.

References

  1. Benitez-Eves, Tina (May 31, 2024). "Exclusive: BoyWithUke Gets Unmasked and Puts Down the Ukulele for "Can You Feel It?"". American Songwriter. Retrieved June 24, 2024.
  2. ✂️ BoyWithUke becoming independent , retrieved March 6, 2024
  3. "🚨출생의 비밀🚨 Feat. 대구펄슨 #shorts". 유니버설 뮤직 코리아 Universal Music Korea. YouTube. June 1, 2023.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Olivier, Bobby (February 18, 2022). "Meet BoyWithUke, TikTok's Masked Singer Waking Up to Alt-Pop Stardom". Billboard . Retrieved September 14, 2022.
  5. "Ones To Watch". Ones to Watch. Retrieved October 16, 2022.
  6. "Instagram". www.instagram.com. Retrieved October 15, 2023.
  7. 1 2 3 Rutherford, Kevin (June 28, 2022). "BoyWithUke Notches First No. 1 on a Billboard Songs Chart With 'Toxic'" . Billboard . Retrieved September 16, 2022.
  8. 1 2 3 Driever, Natalie (November 26, 2021). "BOYWITHUKE - "TOXIC"". 1LIVE (in German). Westdeutscher Rundfunk . Retrieved September 16, 2022.
  9. "British single certifications – Boywithuke – Toxic". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved February 19, 2023.
  10. "American single certifications – BoyWithUke – Toxic". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved February 19, 2023.
  11. 1 2 3 Billboard Staff (May 13, 2022). "21 UNDER 21: SEE WHO MADE THE 2022 LIST". Billboard . Retrieved September 14, 2022.
  12. Mier, Tomás (March 30, 2022). "Machine Gun Kelly Sings From a Cat Lady's Bedroom in 'Makeup Sex' Video" . Rolling Stone . Retrieved September 23, 2022. Meanwhile, Blackbear recently joined BoyWithUke on "IDGAF" earlier this year.
  13. 1 2 Zellner, Xander (May 17, 2022). "Nate Smith Rules Emerging Artists Chart, Thanks to 'Whiskey on You' Single". Billboard . Retrieved September 23, 2022.
  14. 1 2 Paul, Larisha (September 30, 2022). "BoyWithUke And Oliver Tree Learn To Move On With New Single 'Sick Of U'". UDiscoverMusic. Retrieved May 13, 2023.
  15. "AJR "The OK Orchestra Tour" with special guest BoyWithUke!". www.audacy.com. March 5, 2021. Retrieved November 10, 2023.
  16. "BoyWithUke - Spotify Top Songs". kworb.net. Retrieved October 22, 2023.
  17. "Social Blade BoyWithUke's YouTube Stats (Summary Profile)". October 22, 2023.
  18. "Kids Relief on Roblox". Comic Relief US. Retrieved November 10, 2023.
  19. "BoyWithUke Trauma". August 3, 2023. Retrieved November 10, 2023.
  20. BoyWithUke - Homesick (Official Video), October 9, 2023, retrieved November 10, 2023
  21. "Instagram". www.instagram.com. Retrieved November 10, 2023.
  22. "BoyWithUke Maskless". October 10, 2023. Retrieved October 11, 2023.
  23. "boywithukes Twitter status".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  24. BoyWithUke (November 11, 2024). BoyWithUke Interviews BoyWithUke: Next To The Fern . Retrieved November 18, 2024 via YouTube.
  25. "Instagram" . Retrieved November 18, 2024 via Instagram.
  26. "Burnout on Genius".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  27. admin (August 8, 2023). "BOYWITHUKE ANNOUNCES NEW ALBUM "LUCID DREAMS" OUT OCTOBER 6". SCOOPE. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
  28. "Billboard 200: Week of May 21, 2022". Billboard . Retrieved April 20, 2023.
  29. "The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 16 May 2022". The ARIA Report. No. 1680. Australian Recording Industry Association. May 16, 2022. p. 6.
  30. 1 2 "Discographie BoyWithUke". austriancharts.at (in German). Retrieved April 20, 2023.
  31. "Billboard Canadian Albums: Week of May 21, 2022". Billboard . Retrieved April 20, 2023.
  32. 1 2 "Discography BoyWithUke". irish-charts.com. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
  33. "Discografie BoyWithUke". dutchcharts.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved April 20, 2023.
  34. 1 2 "Discography BoyWithUke". norwegiancharts.com. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
  35. "DISCOGRAPHY BOYWITHUKE". charts.org.nz. Retrieved June 12, 2023.
  36. "BoyWithUke – Serotonin Dreams". Hitparade.ch. Retrieved June 12, 2023.
  37. 1 2 "BoyWithUke | full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company . Retrieved April 20, 2023.
  38. "Blackbear Chart History: Hot 100". Billboard . Retrieved April 20, 2023.
  39. "The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 28 March 2022". The ARIA Report. No. 1673. Australian Recording Industry Association. March 28, 2022. p. 2.
  40. Peaks on the Canadian Hot 100:
  41. "Discographie von BoyWithUke". offiziellecharts.de (in German). Retrieved April 20, 2023.
  42. "BoyWithUke – Toxic". hitparade.ch (in German). Retrieved April 20, 2023.
  43. Peaks on the Global 200:
  44. "American single certifications – BoyWithUke". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  45. "Bubbling Under Hot 100: Week of April 30, 2022". Billboard . Retrieved April 20, 2023.
  46. 1 2 "American single certifications – BoyWithUke". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved April 20, 2023.
  47. "British single certifications – BoyWithUke – Toxic". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved April 20, 2023.
  48. "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (BoyWithUke)" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie . Retrieved April 28, 2023.
  49. "Ones To Watch". Ones to Watch. Retrieved October 16, 2022.
  50. Centeno, Tony (March 28, 2023). "iHeartRadio Music Awards 2023: See The Entire List Of Winners". iHeart.