Wheesung
Choi Whee-sung (Korean: 최휘성; born February 5, 1982), better known by his stage name Wheesung, is a South Korean R&B singer, record producer, and musical theatre actor. In 2017, Wheesung set up an independent label called Realslow Company, and also promotes under another stage name Realslow.
Wheesung | |
|---|---|
최휘성 | |
 Wheesung in 2018 | |
| Born | Choi Whee-sung February 5, 1982 Seoul, South Korea |
| Occupation | |
| Years active | 1999–present |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | |
| Labels | DR Entertainment (1999–2000) M-Boat/YG Entertainment (2002–2006) Orange Shock Agency (2006–2009) Pop/UP Entertainment (2009–2011) YMC Entertainment (2012–2016) Realslow Company (2017) |
| Associated acts | A4 (에이포) |
| Website | wheesung |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul | |
| Hanja | |
| Revised Romanization | Choe Hwi-seong |
| McCune–Reischauer | Ch'oe Hwisŏng |
Career
1982: Early life and education
Wheesung was born on February 5, 1982.[1] He was an avid dancer in high school, where he was part of a rock band; he began singing in his final year.[2]
He initially attended the Sun Moon University, under the journalism major but dropped out. Wheesung subsequently attended the Gukje Digital University and Kyung Hee University's Graduate School of Communication.[3]
1997-1999: Dance Team and Group Debut
He started his career in 1997 as a member of a back dancing team ING.[4] Wheesung began his career in 1999 with the short lived Korean boy group, A4. He left after the band's first album debut, citing musical differences between himself and the other members of the band. After that, He joined a rock band, MAME, as vocalist for a short while. And, he participated the MBC College Music Festival (MBC 강변가요제) in 2000.[5]
2000–2006: Solo Debut and YG Entertainment
In 2000, he signed onto M Boat, a former sister company to YG Entertainment. He underwent a few years of vocal training under the label and released his first solo album Like A Movie in 2002.[2] The album became very popular after receiving praise from many well-known artists, including Seo Taiji and Shin Seung Hun. In 2003, he released his second album, It's Real. It proved to be as popular as his first, making him the best selling artist of 2003 in Korea. Unlike his debut album, It's Real wasn't restricted to R&B and it included different musical elements like pop and hip-hop.
2006-2009: Orange Shock Agency
Wheesung left YG Entertainment after his contract expired in March 2006. He signed a new contract that is reportedly worth 1.5 million won with his new company Orange Shock Agency.
Wheesung has collaborated with many artists. In late 2008, Wheesung has collaborated once again with Lee Hyori who featured as his girlfriend in his music video of "별이 지다.." (Fading Star) in the "With All My Heart and Soul" album. In 2009, Wheesung seeks help from producer Lee Hyun-do, they will collaborate to produce the new album which the release date has been set in August 2009.
2009-2011: POP/UP Entertainment
In April 2009, Wheesung is the MC/host of a new Mnet TV show called "Pre Star-1 Show. This show gives opportunities for new talented singers to introduce themselves, a platform for them to reach out to more fans. Every month about nine or ten teams will be introduced on Mnet.com and the team which receives most response from the netizens will be chosen onto the show. The chosen team/singer will also be given the chance to perform with popular stars.[6] Wheesung's Pre-Show 1 Show’ started airing on 24 April on Mnet Cable Channel.
Wheesung had participated in several Kpop concerts in Los Angeles, California, which include the Hollywood Bowl, and the Victory Concert. On June 19, 2009, Wheesung and Lena Park held a concert in Los Angeles Disney Concert Hall.[7] After the concert, Wheesung planned to stay in Los Angeles for a month to work on his new album with producer Lee Hyun-do. The new album will go back to the r&b/hiphop style similar to "With Me" and "Incurable Disease". The new album is set to be released in August 2009. Wheesung also claimed in an interview that he wants to visit Pink's Hot Dogs while in LA. On June 27 and July 4, Wheesung performed at "Insomnia Concert" and club Le Cercle in LA. On July 11, he performed at the HALO nightclub in Hollywood.
In June 2009, Wheesung changed his label again from Orange Shock to POP/UP Entertainment, which houses stars like JK Kim Dong Wook and group M to M.[8] Wheesung has decided to change his label because former producer, Park Gun Tae, concentrated more on producing and working by himself. Wheesung gave thanks to Park Gun Tae for his growth as an artist and hopes to learn from him as a little brother, no longer as an artist under a producer.
2011-2016: YMC Entertainment and Military service
In 2011, he transferred to Tae Jin Ah's YMC Entertainment.[9] Soon after joining YMC Entertainment, he recruited female singer Ailee. On 7 November 2011, he enlisted for mandatory military service. He served 21 months of active service after completing five-week of basic training course at a boot camp in Nonsan, South Chungcheong Province.[10]
On 11 July 2012, Wheesung was granted a 9 nights, 10 days temporary leave from the army to undergo surgery for a herniated disc as well as other medical conditions such as bilateral shoulders dislocation, psoriasis and alopecia.[11]
August 9, 2013, Wheesung was discharged from the military.[12]
2017–present: Realslow Company and new stage name
In 2017, Wheesung parted ways with YMC Entertainment last year after his contract with the agency came to an end. He set up an independent label called Realslow Company, and he will now be promoting under the stage name Realslow.[13]
Realslow is a stage name used by Wheesung when he was an underground singer. Wheesung gained attention in the early 2000s as an underground musician before he debuted in 2002. The name references his love and passion for R&B music, which still struggles to have much popularity in Korea. Through this new name and label, Wheesung aims to return to his roots and produce some soulful R&B music.[14][15]
Discography
Studio albums
- Like a Movie (2002)
- It's Real (2003)
- For the Moment (2004)
- Love... Love...? Love...! (2005)
- Eternal Essence of Music (2007)
- Vocolate (2009)
Mini albums
- With All My Heart and Soul (2008)
- They Are Coming (2011)
- The Best Man (2014)
- Transformation (2016)
- In Space (2018)
Lyrics and compositions
Filmography
Musical
- 2014: Zorro as Zorro
- 2016: All Shook Up as Elvis
- 2017-2018: All Shook Up as Elvis
Variety shows
- 2009: Mnet & tvN, Wheesung's Pre Star 1Show, MC
- 2017-2018: tvN, My English Puberty, (나의영어 사춘기), E1-E8
- 2018: Channel A, Galaxy, (우주를줄게), E1-10
- 2018: Mnet & tvN, The Call , E1-5、8
- 2018: tvN, A Battle of One Voice: 300, (하나의 목소리 전쟁: 300), E3、5
- 2018: MBC plus, New Music God (창작의신)
- 2018: TV Chosun, Neighbour Album (동네앨범)
Concert
| Year | Name | [16][17][18][19] |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Wheesung It's Real Movement | |
| 2004 | Wheesung It's Real Movement II | |
| Wheesung Theater Concert Like his Diary | ||
| 솔트레인 2004 Concert | Gummy SE7EN BIGMAMA | |
| 2004 JTN Live Concert 4th Wheesung & Gummy | Gummy | |
| 2005 | Good Friends Concert | Gummy SE7EN BIGMAMA |
| 2005 4Color Story Concert | Kim Jang-hoon Fly to the Sky M To M | |
| 2006 | Wheesung Concert Poison | |
| Love Love Love Wheesung Birthday | ||
| BIG4 Concert | FT Island M To M SG Wannabe | |
| 2007 | 2007 Whee Show Welcome to Realslow World | |
| 26th Happy Whee's day | ||
| BIG4 Concert | SG Wannabe Vibe SeeYa | |
| 2008 | 2008 Whee Show | |
| Happy Whee's Day Birthday Party | ||
| 2008 JTN Live Concert 9th Wheesung & MC THE MAX | MC THE MAX | |
| 2008 The Soul Concert | Gummy Park Hyo Shin Jung Yup | |
| 2009 | 2009 Wheesung Concert The Man | |
| 2009 The Soul The Vocalist Concert | Bobby Kim Kim Bum Soo | |
| 2009 Dream Concert | ||
| 2010 | Wheesung Real Slow is Back Concert | |
| 2010 The Soul The Vocalist Concert | Bobby Kim Gummy [20] | |
| The Great Moment Season 1 | Leessang Jeong In Gummy Lee Young Hyun | |
| 2010 JTN Live Concert 7 | ||
| 2011 | Wheesung & Kim Tae Woo 2011 Two Men Show Soul Twins & Encore | Kim Tae Woo [21][22] |
| Wheesung & Kim Tae Woo 2011 Two Men Show Soul Twins Encore | Kim Tae Woo | |
| 2013 | Wheesung & Gummy Do It Live Tour Concert | Gummy |
| 2014 | Wheesung Live Tour Concert 2014 Whee Show | [23] |
| 2014 JTN Live Concert 3月 | ||
| 2014 Valentine's Day Kiss Concert | Gummy | |
| 2014 Someday Concert 3rd | Ailee | |
| 2014 Someday Concert 4th | Shin Yong Jae | |
| The Voice Concert | Ailee Kim Bum Soo Shin Yong Jae Yoon Jong Shin | |
| JTBC Hidden Singer Concert | ||
| 2015 | Wheesung Live Tour Concert 2015 Whee Show | [24] |
| 2015 Wheesung & Ailee Concert Back to School | Ailee [25] | |
| Wheesung & Gummy US Soulmate Concert | Gummy | |
| Legend Concert Wheesung | ||
| 2015 The Plaza Countdown Party | ||
| Someday Festival 2015 | ||
| 2016 | 2016 Wheesung Live Concert On Air | |
| WHEESUNG CONCERT in TOKYO 2016 | ||
| Seong Nam Concert with Wheesung | ||
| Wheesung & K.Will Bromance Show | K.Will [26] | |
| Wheesung & Yoon Min-soo Concert | Yoon Min-soo | |
| Wheesung & Zion.T Voice II Men Concert | Zion.T | |
| Wheesung & Bada Peoplegate The Best Emotion of Concert | Bada | |
| Wheesung x Gummy x Kim Kyung-ho Summer Dream Concert | Gummy Kim Kyung-ho | |
| Wheesung & ALi Concert Cantare Festa | ALi | |
| 2016 JTN Live Concert Wheesung & Lucky J | Lucky J | |
| 젊은외침 통일 콘서트 | Bada San.E Verbal.J Sool J | |
| 신사들의 품격 | Yoon Hyung-Ryul Lee Chang-min Han Ji-sang | |
| 2017 | 2017 Wheesung Live Concert On Air | |
| 2017 Wheesung National Tour Concert Get Sexxy | ||
| Insomnia with Wheesung Concert | ||
| Wheesung & Kim Tae-woo Voice II Men Concert | Kim Tae-woo (singer) | |
| 2018 | Wheesung Concert Get Sexxy Encore | |
| Wheesung Concert | ||
| Wheesung & Gummy Concert | Gummy | |
| Star Pack Concert 5 | K.Will Ailee | |
| 2018 Dream Concert | ||
| Wheesung Real Healing Concert | ||
| Wheesung & Lyn Summer Concert | Lyn | |
| 2018 DMC Festival Super Concert | ||
| Wheesung & Jung In Forest Live (TV Chosun) | Jung In | |
| Wheesung & Fany Concert | Fany | |
| 2018 Realslow Wheesung Fan Meeting | ||
| Mini K-Pop Concert by WheeSung | National Theater, Abu Dhabi | |
| 2018 Wheesung Realslow Concert Get Sexxy Season 2 & 2019 Encore |
Awards
| Years | Awards |
|---|---|
| 2002 |
|
| 2003 |
|
| 2004 |
|
| 2005 |
|
| 2007 |
|
| 2010 |
|
| 2011 |
|
| 2014 |
|
| 2018 |
|
| 2019 |
|
References
- Kim, I-seul (June 21, 2016). [인터뷰] '올슉업' 휘성 "두 번째 도전, 이제는 상대배우가 눈에 보이네요". NewsCulture (in Korean). Herald Corporation. Retrieved October 13, 2016.
- Kim, Krista (October 29, 2003). [번역]This R&B is for 'real' 휘성, R&B 가수로 변신. The Korea Herald (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved October 13, 2016.
- 휘성(최휘성) 가수. Naver 인물검색 (in Korean). 14 March 2011. Retrieved 3 August 2011.
- "Artist of the week – Wheesung". soompi. soompi. September 22, 2010. Retrieved March 13, 2018.
- "하늘에서..♬ 휘성, 담담하게 말하는 데뷔 전 가수의 꿈". Channel A.
- 헤럴드경제. "헤럴드경제". www.heraldbiz.com.
- "Global Pop: Wheesung & Lena Park at Walt Disney Concert Hall (Los Angeles) on 19 Jun 2009 - Last.fm". Last.fm.
- Daum News: Wheesung changes Agency to join JK Kim Dong Wook and M to M
- "Tae Jin Ah establishes YMC Entertainment to broaden musical genres" Naver News. 14 September 2011. Retrieved 2012-04-01 (in Korean)
- Kim, JiYeon "Wheesung Joins the Army" Mnet News. 7 November 2011. Retrieved 2012-04-01
- Ho, Stewart (12 July 2012). "Wheesung Receives Temporary Leave From Army to Receive Surgery for Herniated Disc". enewsWorld. CJ E&M. Retrieved 6 October 2012.
- "Wheesung Is Discharged from Military Service and Apologizes to His Family and Friends". soompi. soompi. 8 August 2013. Retrieved 6 October 2017.
- "Wheesung Sets Up Independent Label And Changes His Stage Name". soompi. soompi. August 8, 2013. Retrieved August 28, 2017.
- "R&B singer Wheesung sets up new music label 'Realslow'". ajudaily. April 12, 2018. Retrieved August 28, 2017.
- "Sensitive singer Wheesung steps out of his shell". koreajoongangdaily. April 12, 2018. Retrieved August 28, 2017.
- "playdb Wheesung Concert Record 공연의 모든 것 플레이DB".
- "Official Wheesung Concert Record".
- "Naver Wheesung Concert Record".
- "Interpark Wheesung Concert Record".
- "《The Vocalist》製作發佈會 Bobby Kim-GUMMY-輝星出席". koreastardaily. 2010-12-06.
- "金泰宇-輝星11月安可公演". Kpopn. 2011-10-01.
- "金泰宇-輝星11月安可公演". Kpopn. 2011-11-02.
- "眾星擔任輝星演唱會嘉賓". allthatstar. 2014-11-16.
- "輝星準備情人節演唱會 14~15日「Whee show」隆重召開". allthatstar. 2015-02-09. Archived from the original on 2019-06-03.
- "Ailee輝星攜手開唱 共同演唱會12月起跑". allthatstar. 2015-11-23. Archived from the original on 2019-06-01.
- "K.will輝星舉辦全國巡演 4月30日首爾開唱". allthatstar. 2016-03-30. Archived from the original on 2019-06-02.
- "2003 M.net Korean Music Festival Winners list". MAMA. Retrieved 2014-06-12.
- "2004 M.net Korean Music Festival Winners list". MAMA. Retrieved 2014-06-12.
- "2005 M.net Korean Music Festival Winners list". MAMA. Retrieved 2014-06-12.
- "고개숙인 휘성".
