Jonghyun | |
---|---|
Born | Kim Jong-hyun April 8, 1990 Seoul, South Korea |
Died | December 18, 2017 27) Seoul, South Korea | (aged
Cause of death | Suicide by carbon monoxide poisoning |
Occupations |
|
Musical career | |
Genres | |
Instrument | Vocals |
Years active | 2008–2017 |
Labels | SM |
Formerly of | |
Website | Official website |
Korean name | |
Hangul | 김종현 |
Hanja | 金鐘鉉 |
Revised Romanization | Gim Jonghyeon |
McCune–Reischauer | Kim Chonghyŏn |
Signature | |
Kim Jong-hyun (Korean : 김종현; April 8, 1990 [1] – December 18, 2017 [2] ), known mononymously as Jonghyun, was a South Korean singer-songwriter, record producer, radio host, and author under the SM Entertainment label. He was the vocalist of the South Korean boy band Shinee for nine years, releasing twelve albums with the group in both Korean and Japanese. He also participated in SM Entertainment's project group, SM the Ballad, for the release of two EP albums.
Jonghyun was also a solo artist, beginning in January 2015 with the release of his first EP album, Base . It peaked at number one on both the Billboard World Albums Chart and the Gaon Album Chart. On September 17 the same year, Jonghyun released a compilation album, Story Op.1 . His debut studio album, She Is , was released on May 24, 2016, followed by his second compilation album, Story Op.2 , on April 24, 2017. Jonghyun began his first solo concert tour, The Story by Jonghyun, on October 2, 2015. This was followed by three further concert tours in later years. He was regarded as one of the best vocalists in South Korea. [3] He also received praise for his artistic control and involvement in the creation of his music. [4]
Jonghyun remained musically active as the vocalist of Shinee and as a solo artist until his death on December 18, 2017, when he died by suicide. His final album, Poet | Artist , was released posthumously on January 23, 2018. It was announced, prior to the release, that all profits from the album would be given to Jonghyun's mother and be used to start a charity foundation. In September 2018, the Shiny Foundation was established by Jonghyun's family to help struggling young artists. [5] [6] [7] [8]
Jonghyun was born in Seoul. During middle school he became involved in a school band. [9] He studied at Seoul Practical Music High School, [10] but dropped out in 10th grade to pursue a music career. [11] He later attended Chungwoon University before transferring to Myongji University, where he received a master's degree in film and musical studies. [12]
In 2005, Jonghyun was scouted by SM Entertainment when he was 15 years old, after playing in a song festival with his band at school. [13] [14] Jonghyun debuted as part of the five-member boy group Shinee on May 25, 2008, on SBS' Inkigayo . [15] In 2009, Jonghyun started contributing to the group as a songwriter, writing the lyrics to their fourth Korean single, "Juliette", which was included on the group's second EP, Romeo . Jonghyun said he was inspired by the 1968 film Romeo and Juliet , and he wanted to write a romance story that "will make everyone interested but also a story which everyone can identify with". [16] [17]
In October 2010, Jonghyun was one of twenty idols from various South Korean groups that recorded the song "Let's Go", which promoted the 2010 G-20 Seoul summit. He provided vocals along with labelmates Sungmin of Super Junior, Seohyun of Girls' Generation and Luna of f(x). [18] In November 2010, Jonghyun, along with TRAX's Jay, Super Junior's Kyuhyun, and Jino (now a member of Pentagon and goes by the name Jinho) participated in SM the Ballad, a project group formed by SM Entertainment with a focus on ballads and R&B. [19] The group released their debut EP, Miss You, on November 29, 2010. [20]
In June 2011, Jonghyun appeared on KBS' Immortal Songs: Singing the Legend , a television competition program where singers perform new versions of old songs by "legendary singers". [21] Jonghyun won the first round and defeated his labelmate, Yesung of Super Junior, but left the show after the first episode due to his busy schedule. [22] The show subsequently came under fire from viewers, who claimed the program's harsh elimination method and structure left Jonghyun in tears on stage. [23]
In October 2013, Jonghyun debuted as a composer with the track "A Gloomy Clock", which was included on IU's third studio album, Modern Times . The song, which Jonghyun gave to IU as a friend, was also co-written by Jonghyun and dubbed a duet. [24] Two months later, Son Dam-bi released the song "Red Candle", which was also composed and written by Jonghyun. [25]
In February 2014, Jonghyun debuted as a radio host on the MBC radio program Blue Night . [26] MBC said they chose Jonghyun to host because of his dedication to music-related activities and passion for music. [27] After a four-year hiatus, SM the Ballad returned on February 13, 2014, with a new line-up and their second EP, Breath . [28] Jonghyun performed the title track "Breath" as a collaboration with Girls' Generation's Taeyeon. [29] In July 2014, Jonghyun began a segment on his radio show where he wrote songs based on stories submitted by listeners. [30] In August 2014, fellow Shinee member Taemin released his first EP, Ace , for which Jonghyun wrote the track "Pretty Boy". [31] [32]
On January 12, 2015, Jonghyun made his solo debut with his first EP, Base . [33] The EP was promoted with two singles, "Deja-Boo" and "Crazy (Guilty Pleasure)". Jonghyun wrote the lyrics to every song on the EP, which featured collaborations with Zion.T, Younha, Wheesung and Iron. [34] It peaked at number one on both the Billboard World Albums Chart and the Gaon Album Chart. [35] [36] On January 9, television network Mnet confirmed that Jonghyun would appear on the entertainment program 4 Things Show. [37] Taemin, Davichi's Minkyung, and Zion.T appeared as Jonghyun's friends during the episode. [38] In March 2015, Jonghyun composed and wrote the song "Playboy", which was included in Exo's second Korean album, Exodus . [39] A month later, Lim Kim released "No More" on her third EP, Simple Mind, which was also composed and written by Jonghyun. [40]
Jonghyun released a new compilation album of self-composed songs originally performed on his radio show MBC Blue Night. The compilation album, Story Op.1 , was released on September 17, 2015. [41] The following month, he held his first solo concert, The Story by Jonghyun, as part of SM Entertainment's concert series The Agit. [42] He performed a total of 12 sold-out shows. Each concert featured a different guest, including Shinee's Onew and Taemin, IU, Zion.T, Jung-in, Lim Kim, Oksang Dalbit, Coffee Boy, Nine, Lee Ji-hyoung, Soran, and poet Ha Sang-wook. [43]
Jonghyun appeared on the debut of the Mnet program Monthly Live Connection, which brought together two artists from different musical backgrounds to collaborate on one song. Jonghyun released the single "Elevator" on October 14 as part of the TV program. [44] Following that, he collaborated with Soran's Go Young-bae in creating the single "I Guess Now It's the Fall", [45] and with singer-songwriter Jung Joon-young in creating the single "Aewol". [46] The same month, Jonghyun was selected as one of the top five K-pop idol vocalists by a survey completed by 40 anonymous music industry officials. [47] Jonghyun published a novel, titled Skeleton Flower: Things That Have Been Released and Set Free, on November 19, after previously selling it in limited quantities at his concert. The book contains stories about songs written by Jonghyun, as well as photos that he took himself. [48]
Jonghyun composed and wrote the track "Already" for Taemin's first studio album, Press It , which was released in February 2016. [49] He also composed and wrote a track called "Breathe" for Lee Hi's album Seoulite , which was released in March 2016. [50] Jonghyun released a collaboration single with Heritage titled "Your Voice" on March 18, 2016, as part of SM Entertainment's SM Station project. [51] On May 24, 2016, SM Entertainment released Jonghyun's first studio album, She Is , consisting of nine songs, most of which were written and composed by Jonghyun. [52] The album spans various genres, including electro-funk, EDM, and R&B. [53] [54] Jonghyun said that "one can feel his passion as a singer-songwriter the most" on She Is. [52] In December 2016, Jonghyun released another SM Station single titled "Inspiration". [55] He held a series of concerts, titled Jonghyun – X – Inspiration, in Seoul and Busan, attracting 17,000 spectators. [56]
On March 9, 2017, MBC confirmed that Jonghyun would leave his position as radio host at MBC Blue Night. [57] The decision came after a lengthy discussion between Jonghyun and the show's staff, who stated, "It's disappointing, but because Shinee's Japanese and North American tour is about to start, he decided to leave." [58] In an interview for Esquire , he described the experience as a turning point in his life. It was a space where he could explore new things, express himself and connect with the public on a deeper level: ''Before, I think I was more comfortable being "the singer Kim Jonghyun." [...] Because it was the one I [and the public] was used to. However, that changed when I started doing radio. As I started expressing my human side to others, I became [more] comfortable with the image of Kim Jonghyun that I revealed through radio.'' He also enjoyed the routine that came with hosting the midnight radio show. It gave him a sense of stability, which is rare in the entertainment industry. [11]
He released his second compilation album, titled Story Op.2 , on April 24, 2017. [59] Jonghyun held a series of 20 concerts, titled The Agit (The Letter), between May and July, 2017, at the SM Town Coex Artium in Seoul. Originally, only 12 concerts were planned, but Jonghyun decided to hold eight additional concerts after fans requested more performances. The concerts included songs from the album Story Op.2, and attracted 14,000 fans. [60] [61]
On December 9–10, 2017, Jonghyun held a concert titled Inspired at the SK Olympic Handball Gymnasium. [62] Around the same time, Jonghyun was also working on his new album, which was set to be released in January 2018, and had also finished filming the music video for the lead track. The album, Poet | Artist , was eventually released posthumously on January 23, 2018, [63] [64] [65] with all profits from the album sales to be given to Jonghyun's mother, in addition to establishing a foundation "to help those who are living in difficult circumstances". [66] Poet | Artist debuted at number 177 on the Billboard 200 with 5,000 equivalent album units, making Jonghyun the fourth Korean soloist to appear on the chart, after BoA, G-Dragon and Taeyang. [67]
From October 2010 to June 2011, Jonghyun was in a relationship with actress Shin Se-kyung. [68] [69]
In April 2013, Jonghyun was involved in a car accident and injured his nose. [70] [71] SM Entertainment reported that he had undergone surgery following the accident. [72] He sat out most of his group's promotions for their third studio album, though he participated in the final week. [71]
In December 2013, as a show of support towards a protest focused on shining light on South Korea's social inequality, Jonghyun changed his Twitter profile picture to an image of a message written by a transgender, bisexual student protester. [73] It was a message that critiqued the country's cultural tightness, emphasis on social norms, and its discrimination against the LGBT community. [74] Jonghyun also contacted the student and thanked her for speaking out and voicing her position that "different doesn't mean wrong". [75] This show of support attracted responses from the public, both positive and negative. [75] He received defamatory responses from Ilbe Storehouse members allegedly claiming to be members of Shinee's fanclub. [76] [77]
In December 2017, Jonghyun rented an apartment in Cheongdam-dong, Gangnam District in southeastern Seoul for two days. [78] He checked in at 12:00 PM KST on December 18, 2017. [79] Later that day, at 4:42 PM, Jonghyun's older sister, Kim So-dam, made an initial call to emergency responders, reporting that she believed he intended to commit suicide, because he had sent her a number of messages on KakaoTalk with words such as "last goodbye" and "say I did well". [79] [80] He was last seen at a convenience store next to the apartment. [81] [82] [83]
Jonghyun was found unconscious by the police and rescue workers at around 6:10 PM in the apartment he rented. [79] He was immediately brought to Konkuk University Hospital in a state of cardiac arrest. He received emergency treatment, but failed to regain consciousness and was pronounced dead at the hospital at around 6:32 PM, aged 27. [80] [84] [85] Investigators believe he died from inhaling either toxic fumes or smoke, as they discovered coal briquettes burnt on a frying pan upon arriving at the apartment. [84] The police stated that, at the request of Jonghyun's family, a post-mortem would not be carried out, [86] and they declared his death a probable suicide. [87]
Jonghyun's funeral was held in Asan Medical Center's funeral hall in Pungnam-dong, Seoul, starting the afternoon of December 19. [88] Celebrities, such as BTS, IU, BoA, Girls' Generation, and Exo, [89] and fans attended the three-day public funeral. [90] [91] Moreover, international fans also paid tribute to the singer around the world. [92] [93] [94] On December 21, following the public funeral, Jonghyun was moved from the hospital to a private funeral attended only by his family and close friends, and was then laid to rest in an undisclosed location. [95] [96] [97]
Jonghyun's death was linked to depression by various media outlets. [98] [11] Following Jonghyun's death, fellow singer and friend Nine9, of the band Dear Cloud, posted on Instagram Jonghyun's suicide note which he had sent to her two or three days before his December 9 concert. [99] [100] The note referred to a "devouring" depression and his struggles with fame. [99] Nine9 was alarmed by the note and was advised by her agency to keep in touch with Jonghyun. [99] She had tried to help him, but this only "delayed his passing" and "did not prevent it". [101]
After Jonghyun's death, the hashtags "#StayStrongShawols" [102] [103] and "#YouDidWellJonghyun" became trending topics on Twitter. [104] On December 30, 2017, Jonghyun debuted on Billboard's Social 50 chart at #2, with 425,000 Wikipedia views, a boost of 17,974 percent. [105] Jonghyun's death opened discussions about the harsh and competitive nature of the entertainment business in South Korea, as well as mental health. [106]
Jonghyun's single "Lonely" rose to the top of South Korea's online music stores. [107] The song re-entered the country's national Gaon Digital Chart at number one, and the compilation album Story Op.2 ranked number seven on the Gaon Album Chart. [108] His first album She Is charted at number four. [109] The single and compilation album also ranked number six on Billboard's World Digital Song Sales chart and number five on its World Albums Chart. [110] Moreover, Jonghyun's book Skeleton Flower was re-released and became a bestseller following his death. [111] [112]
Jonghyun's appearance on the variety show Night Goblin was scheduled to air on December 24, 2017, but JTBC decided not to broadcast it. [113] Shinee was slated to have a series of concerts in Japan in February 2018, and after discussion, [114] they decided to hold the concerts as scheduled. [115]
Many musicians and industry professionals around the world mourned Jonghyun's death. Labelmates Exo, [116] Taeyeon, [117] and TVXQ [118] paid tribute to him at their concerts. SM Entertainment artists including Exo, Red Velvet, Super Junior, NCT 127, and JYP Entertainment's Got7 attended the year-end music shows wearing black ribbons with an aquamarine-colored "R.I.P. JH" embroidery. [119] [120]
MBC Radio planned on holding a special memorial broadcast for Jonghyun's long-running radio show, Blue Night, on December 21, but decided to cancel it due to "the possible social effects of the late idol's voice going on air again." [121] In addition, SM Entertainment commemorated Jonghyun's death with the release of "Dear My Family" as a charity single, posthumously featuring Jonghyun and other artists from the label. [122] Moreover, SM Entertainment erected a memorial for Jonghyun at the Coex Artium from January 27 to April 30, 2018. [123]
Jonghyun was the first artist to significantly participate in writing, organizing, and composing an album in SM Entertainment, a company known in the K-pop industry for limiting its artists' control over the production of their albums. [4] Kim Da-hee of The Korea Times named Jonghyun one of four K-pop musicians who have distinguished themselves from the mass-produced singers in the idol industry, the other three being G-Dragon, Zico, and B1A4's Jinyoung, for their "exceptional talent in songwriting, producing and dancing, plus other abilities that make them successful musicians". [124] Jonghyun's musical style was considered to be unique, and he received praise for writing and composing the majority of his solo tracks. [125] Insight Korea mentioned him as one of seven idol group members who seemed to have been "born to make music". [125]
Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
2012 | I Am | Himself | SM Town documentary | [126] |
2015 | SM Town The Stage | SM Town concert film | [127] |
Year | Title | Role | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
2014–2017 | MBC Blue Night | Radio host | [27] [128] |
Year | Title | ISBN | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
2015 | Skeleton Flower: Things That Have Been Released and Set Free | ISBN 978-8996955481 | [129] |
Award ceremony | Year | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Gaon Chart Music Awards | 2019 | Album of the Year – 1st Quarter | Poet | Artist | Nominated | [132] |
Golden Disc Awards | 2016 | Disk Bonsang | Base | Won | [133] |
Disk Daesang | Nominated | ||||
Digital Bonsang | "Déjà-Boo" | Nominated | [134] | ||
2017 | Disk Bonsang | She Is | Nominated | [135] | |
2019 | Disc Bonsang | Poet | Artist | Won | [136] | |
Disc Daesang | Nominated | ||||
Special Disk Bonsang Fans Choice | — | Won | |||
Popularity Award | — | Nominated | |||
MBC Entertainment Awards | 2015 | Excellence Award – Radio | Blue Night Radio | Won | [137] |
Melon Music Awards | 2015 | Best Dance – Male | "Déjà-Boo" | Nominated | [138] |
Mnet Asian Music Awards | 2015 | Best Male Artist | — | Nominated | [139] |
Soompi Awards | 2019 | Hallyu Special Award | — | Won | [140] |
Shinee is a South Korean boy band formed by SM Entertainment in 2008. The group originally consisted of five members: Onew, Key, Minho, Taemin, and Jonghyun, until the latter died in 2017. The group's musical impact in their native country has earned them numerous accolades and the title "Princes of K-pop".
Kim Ki-bum, better known by his stage name Key, is a South Korean singer and television personality. Born and raised in Daegu, South Korea, he later moved to Seoul after a successful audition at the SM National Tour Audition Casting. In May 2008, Key debuted as a member of South Korean boy band Shinee, who later went on to become one of the best-selling artists in South Korea. Key is widely recognized as a singer and dancer, but he has also ventured into different careers, notably as a television presenter.
Lee Jin-ki, better known by his stage name Onew, is a South Korean singer, songwriter, actor, and host. Born in Gwangmyeong, Gyeonggi-do, Onew was discovered at the 2006 SM Academy Casting and signed a contract with SM Entertainment the day after his audition. He debuted as the lead vocalist and leader of the South Korean boy band Shinee in May 2008, who went on to become one of the best-selling artists in South Korea.
Romeo is the second EP by South Korean boy group Shinee. It was released on May 25, 2009, in South Korea under the seal of the label SM Entertainment. The EP consists of six tracks including the title song "Juliette" and is Shinee's first Korean release after a seven-month hiatus. On August 29, 2011, a Japanese version of "Juliette" was released as Shinee's second Japanese single with the original Japanese song "Kiss Kiss Kiss" as a B-side. The release peaked at number three on the weekly Oricon chart.
Sherlock is the fourth EP of the South Korean boy group Shinee. The EP consists of seven tracks, including the title song "Sherlock ", a "hybrid remix" of two songs. It was released on March 21, 2012, in South Korea under the label SM Entertainment, and was distributed by KT Music. The EP was made available online worldwide on March 19, 2012. It was Shinee's first Korean release after a year and six months hiatus.
Shinee World II was the second concert tour by South Korean boy group, Shinee. The tour, travelling to different cities across Asia, began in Seoul on July 21, 2012.
Everybody is the fifth EP recorded and performed by the South Korean contemporary R&B idol group Shinee. The EP consists of seven tracks and it incorporates complextro and R&B-slow jam music genres. It was released for physical purchase domestically and for digital download globally on October 14, 2013, by SM Entertainment. The track "Everybody" was chosen as the lead single for the promotional cycle. To promote the album, Shinee appeared on several South Korean music programs including M Countdown and Inkigayo.
"Symptoms" is a K-pop song performed by the South Korean idol group Shinee. It is included as the second track in their fifth EP, Everybody, which was released digitally on October 14, 2013 under the record label of SM Entertainment and distributing label of KMP Holdings.
The Misconceptions of Us is the third studio album released by South Korean boy band Shinee. It consists of two parts, Dream Girl – The Misconceptions of You and the second Why So Serious? – The Misconceptions of Me, that were later collected together as The Misconceptions of Us under SM Entertainment and distributed by KT Music.
Base is the debut and only extended play (EP) by South Korean singer-songwriter Jonghyun, released on January 12, 2015 by SM Entertainment. The EP consists of seven tracks and features collaborations with various artists, such as Zion.T, Younha, Wheesung and Iron. Jonghyun penned the lyrics to every song on the EP. The EP was commercially successful, debuting at number one on South Korea's Gaon Album Chart. It won the Disk Bonsang at the 30th Golden Disc Awards.
Odd is the fourth Korean studio album by South Korean boy band Shinee. It was released digitally and physically on May 18, 2015, under SM Entertainment and distributed by KT Music. The album contains 11 songs, including the title track, "View". The music video for the title track was filmed in Thailand. The repackaged album, Married to the Music, was released on August 3, 2015, with four additional songs.
The Collection: Story Op.1 is the first compilation album by South Korean singer-songwriter Jonghyun, released on September 17, 2015, by SM Entertainment, following his solo debut with the extended play Base on January 12. The album was not promoted on music shows.
She Is is the debut studio album by South Korean singer-songwriter Jonghyun. It was released on May 24, 2016, by SM Entertainment and distributed by KT Music, and is the only studio album to be released during Jonghyun's lifetime. The album was commercially successful, reaching number one on South Korea's Gaon Album Chart, and received acclaim from music critics. It was nominated for an Album Bonsang at the 31st Golden Disc Awards.
Shinee World the Best 2018 was the sixth Japan concert tour by South Korean boy band Shinee. This tour was described as a culmination of Shinee's activities in Japan since debut, kicking off in Kyocera Dome Osaka on February 17, 2018, and ending in Tokyo Dome on February 27, 2018. The associated album for this tour was Shinee the Best from Now On. The concerts drew in audiences of over 180,000.
"Lonely" is a song by South Korean singer-songwriter Jonghyun featuring Taeyeon, a member of girl group Girls' Generation. It was released on April 24, 2017 through SM Entertainment, and served as the lead single for his second compilation album, Story Op.2. It was written, composed and arranged by Jonghyun in collaboration with Wefreaky, Monotree and Imlay. "Lonely" was the last single released by Jonghyun during his lifetime and experienced a surge in popularity following his death by suicide on December 18, 2017, reaching number one on Gaon Digital Chart. It has come to be viewed as emblematic of his struggles with mental health.
Poet | Artist is the second and final studio album by South Korean singer-songwriter Jonghyun, released posthumously on January 23, 2018, through SM Entertainment.
The Story of Light is the sixth studio album by South Korean boy group Shinee. It consists of three EPs that were later collected together in the repackage album, The Story of Light: Epilogue. This album release marks the group's first in South Korea since 1 of 1 in November 2016, and the first since member Jonghyun's death in December 2017. It is the last Shinee release to feature Jonghyun following his death.
Don't Call Me is the seventh Korean studio album by South Korean boy group Shinee. The album was released on February 22, 2021, through SM Entertainment. It is the group's first release since three of the members completed their military service with the exception of member Taemin and also the group's first album not to feature late member Jonghyun in any capacity. Working with producers such as Dem Jointz, Yoo Young-jin, Kenzie, and Ryan S. Jhun, the album spans several genres such as pop, hip hop, EDM, R&B, and reggae. Shinee forwent an overarching theme for the album, instead opting for songs that marked the group's return after almost three years and presenting the record as a gift to fans. A repackage of the album, Atlantis, was released on April 12, 2021.
"View" is a song recorded by South Korean boy band Shinee for their fourth Korean-language studio album Odd (2015). Band member Jonghyun wrote the lyrics, while LDN Noise, Ryan S. Jhun, and Adrian McKinnon handled the composition and production. The song was released on May 18, 2015, as the album's lead single by SM Entertainment. The song incorporates deep house and pop, featuring stripped-down instrumentation. The lyrics are about how people's senses are intensified by love.
{{cite news}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link){{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)