The debut extended play titled City Lights, released by Byun Baek-hyun in 2019, surpassed half a million copies sold within its first year. This milestone established the singer as a prominent solo artist in South Korea, marking the best-selling album by an individual performer in the country during the 2010s while balancing roles in multiple successful musical ensembles.
Early Development and Training
Born in 1992 in Wonmi-gu, Gyeonggi Province, Byun began formal vocal training at age 11. His early musical education included piano lessons provided by Kim Hyun-woo of the rock band DickPunks. During his time at Jungwon High School, he served as the lead vocalist for the band Honsusangtae and secured victory at a local music festival. Outside of his vocal pursuits, he attained a dan 3 black belt in Hapkido. He was recruited by an SM Entertainment agent while preparing for university entrance examinations and officially joined the label in 2011.
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Byun was introduced as the ninth member of the boy band Exo in January 2012, with the group officially debuting that April. In addition to his primary role in Exo, he became a member of the sub-unit Exo-CBX in 2016 alongside Chen and Xiumin. By 2019, he assumed a leadership role within the supergroup SuperM, a project involving SM Entertainment and Capitol Records. Beyond music, he co-hosted the SBS program Inkigayo in 2014 and made his small-screen acting debut in the 2016 historical drama Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo, for which he received a New Star Award.
Solo Milestones and Commercial Success
Following his solo debut, Byun achieved consecutive million-selling records with the extended plays Delight in 2020 and Bambi in 2021. Delight made history as the first album by a solo artist in South Korea to surpass one million copies sold in 19 years. His vocal work has extended to various soundtracks, including the chart-topping single Beautiful for the web drama Exo Next Door. His work as a solo artist earned him three consecutive Best Male Artist titles at the Mnet Asian Music Awards from 2019 to 2021.
Fast facts
- Born: 1992
- Birthplace: Wonmi-gu, South Korea
- Education: Kyung Hee University
- Primary Groups: EXO, Exo-CBX, SuperM
- Martial Arts: Dan 3 black belt in Hapkido
- Notable Solo EP: City Lights (2019)
- Acting Debut: Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo (2016)
Questions readers ask
Which groups is Byun Baek-hyun associated with?
He is a member of the boy band Exo, the sub-unit Exo-CBX, and the supergroup SuperM.
What record did his solo EP Delight achieve?
It became the first album by a solo artist in South Korea to sell over one million copies in 19 years.
Achievements
- Instruments: voice
- Genres: K-pop, contemporary R&B and pop music
