Kangta

Music Home >> Music Genres >> Urban/R&B Music



< < < < < > > > > > More Info on Kangta Similar Urban/R&B Music Search Artistopia

Biography

Ahn Chil-Hyun (; born October 10, 1979), better known by his stage name Kangta () is a South Korea n Pop music|pop , Contemporary R& B|R& B singer , first known as the lead singer the boy band H.O.T. (High-five of Teenagers).

He is an experienced songwriter and composer, having written over 100 songs for H.O.T.'s albums as well as for other groups and singers like NRG (group)|NRG and Fly to the Sky . When H.O.T. disbanded in March 2001, Kangta surprised many people by becoming the first member to debut solo. He released his first solo album "Polaris", which became a huge hit; it was followed by his second album "Pinetree" in 2002. His first solo concert took place in the summer of 2003.

In 2006, Kangta was chosen as a runner up for Best Korean Singer overseas, according to Arirang International Broadcasting. A poll was issued over the internet, allowing only people outside of Korea to vote. Shinhwa's song "Once In A Lifetime" won by 60% of the vote, beating Kangta, who came in second with 20.3 percent.
In 2007, he filmed two dramas and Love in the city 2 aired on October 1, 2007.

Pre-debut & H.O.T.

Kangta was discovered at Lotte World , a theme park, when he was only 13 years old. He debuted as a back-up dancer together with Moon Hee Jun (another H.O.T. member) for singer Yoo Young-jin. Kangta eventually decided to become a singer with Moon Hee Jun and three others, Jang Woo Hyuk , Tony An , and Lee Jae Won to form H.O.T. in 1996.

Group projects

S (Supreme)

After planning for years, Kangta worked with his celebrity friends Shin Hye Sung from Shinhwa and Lee Ji Hoon to form the project group "S", standing for "Supreme". They released their first solo project album called "Fr. In. Cl." or Friends in Classic. They have won several awards since then. Their title track, "I Swear" was written, composed, and arranged by Kangta while Shin Hye Sung wrote the English lyrics.

Kangta & Vanness

Early 2006, Kangta collaborated with Vanness Wu of F4 (band)|F4 from Taiwan , and formed Kangta & Vanness . Their first debut was in Thailand ending the ceremony for the 2006 MTV Asia Awards . They released their single "Scandal" and have been busy promoting their single all over Asia. "Scandal" was a success over Asia and a repackaged version was released in mid-July. On September 12, they held a showcase in Malaysia, Berjaya Times Square.

On Arirang TV 's talk-show "Heart to Heart", Kangta announced that he would be entering the Army in early 2008, so activities have been put on hold.

Acting career

Kangta received several offers and has accepted a drama offer in China . In 2004, he starred in a drama called Magic Touch of Fate together with Taiwan ese actors and actresses, Ruby Lin and Alec Su . Kangta portrayed the role of the evil magician Jin-Xiu.

Soon afterwards, Kangta returned to Korea and released his much-awaited third album. In 2005, Kangta released "Persona", which included tracks that were very different from his previous two albums. The main single of the album, "Persona" had a similar melody to Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds|Babyface 's "The Loneliness". Kangta surprised his fans when he said he wanted to become an actor. A month later, he starred in a Korean Broadcasting System|KBS drama, Loveholic .

Kangta also acted in his second Chinese drama, Love In The City 2 . In Love In The City 2 Kangta portrayed the life of a successful CEO with a dull life.

Military service

In 2008, Kangta was initially scheduled for military service at the beginning of the year, but SM Entertainment helped him defer it to April so he could release his last album "Eternity". The album was released on March 12, 2008. On March 29 and March 30, Kangta held his last solo concert before enlistment at Yonsei University's main auditorium. His concert, "Eternity", was aimed at looking back at his last twelve years as a singer and thanking his fans. On April 1, 2008, Kangta officially began his military duties in Euijeongbu, Gyeonggi Province. Every male in Korea is required to serve for two years in the military, and Kangta has completed his service period on February 19, 2010.

Comeback and Chinese debut

After two years and five months of hiatus from the entertainment industry due to Korean military service, Kangta comes back with his first Chinese mini album entitiled "???? (Rest in the Seven Luck)", with its lead single, Love, Frequency (Breaka Shaka). http://community.livejournal.com/omonatheydidnt/4440799.html The digital single will be released online on September 13, 2010. The mini-album marks Kangta's entrance to the Chinese market. Meanwhile, the teaser for the single, as well as the digital mini-album, was released through SM Entertainment 's official YouTube page on September 9, 2010. http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=y7pSQjrsJe4 The mini album and the music video was released September 13, 2010. http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=L7zvOa0pvJQ

Filmography

Film

2002: Emergency Act 19 (Cameo)

2002: Resurrection of the Little Match Girl

Television drama

2005: Magic Touch of Fate

2005: Loveholic (TV series)|Loveholic (KBS)

2007: Love In The City 2 ( China Central Television|CCTV )

Discography

H.O.T. albums

Solo albums

Polaris (Kangta album)|Polaris
August 19, 2001

Pine Tree (album)|Pine Tree
August 21, 2002

1st Concert Pinetree: 20020824 Live
March 28, 2003

Persona (Kangta album)|Persona
June 13, 2005

Kangta & Best
October 3, 2005

Eternity (Kangta album)|Eternity
March 12, 2008

Breaka Shaka
September 9, 2010

Collaborations

Fr. In. Cl.
September 24, 2003

Scandal (album)|Scandal
May 19, 2006

Scandal (album)|Scandal Special Edition
July 20, 2006

Joint discography

Christmas In SMTOWN
December 15, 1999

Christmas Winter Vacation In SMTOWN.com
December 8, 2000

Christmas Winter Vacation in SMtown.com - Angel Eyes
December 4, 2001

Summer Vacation In SMTown.com
June 10, 2002

2002 Winter Vacation in SMTOWN.com - My Angel My Light
December 6, 2002

2003 Summer Vacation in SMTOWN.com
June 18, 2003

2004 Summer Vacation in SMTOWN.com
July 2, 2004

' '06 SUMMER SMTOWN
June 20, 2006

2006 WINTER SMTOWN - Snow Dream
December 12, 2006

2007 SUMMER SMTOWN - FRAGILE
July 5, 2007

2007 WINTER SMTOWN - ONLY LOVE
December 7, 2007

2011 Winter SMTown – The Warmest Gift
December 13, 2011

Related publications

Kang Ta Bromide 'A Letter to my Polaris' Photo Album (July 26, 2002)

Kang Ta Special Photo Album Vol. 2 - Dear Memories (December 29, 2002)

Kang Ta's Sentimental Journey Limited Edition Photo Album (October 12, 2005)

Copyright Citations

This article is licensed under the GNU License
Click here for original article: Kangta

Kangta Photo by: www.wowkorea.jp

Urban/R&B Music Artists