Kim Hyo-yeon (Korean: 김효연; born September 22, 1989), known professionally as Hyoyeon or DJ Hyo,[1] is a South Korean singer, dancer, and DJ.[2] She debuted as a member of the girl group Girls' Generation in August 2007, which went on to become one of the best-selling artists in South Korea and one of the most widely known K-pop groups worldwide. She has since participated in other SM Entertainment projects, including Girls' Generation-Oh!GG and Got the Beat. Hyoyeon also released solo singles: "Mystery" (2016), "Wannabe" (2017) prior made her solo debut as HYO with the single "Sober" in 2018.
In South Korean television, Hyoyeon was a part of the main cast of the variety show Invincible Youth 2 (2011–2012), Attraction TV: Season 2 (2017), My English Puberty (2017–2018), Where Is Mr. Kim Season 2 (2018), Secret Unnie (2018), as the contestant of several competition show Dancing with the Stars: Season 2 (2012), Hit the Stage (2016), Good Girl (2020). Kim later had her own reality-show Hyoyeon's One Million Likes (2015) and Hyoyeon's 10 Million Likes (2016).
Early life
Hyoyeon was born in Incheon, South Korea on September 22, 1989.[3] She grew up with her parents and her younger brother, Kim Min-gu. Hyoyeon's formal dance training started in elementary school. At her neighborhood's small hip-hop school,[4] she learned hip hop, jazz and Latin dance.[5] In 1999, she enrolled in Winners Dance School,[6] a famous dance school in South Korea specializing in popping, locking, animation and various other hip-hop styles. At the school she met Miss A's Min, with whom she formed the dance team Little Winners (리틀위너스). The duo performed at various showcases and was spotlighted by HipHoper.com in 2004.[7]
Hyoyeon auditioned for SM Entertainment at the age of 11 through the SM 2000 Casting System. Hyoyeon said she auditioned because her mother brought her to the offices of S.M. Entertainment in the hopes of meeting H.O.T.[8] Hyoyeon then danced in an audition show.[9] In 2004, along with Super Junior's Siwon, she was sent to study Chinese in Beijing. She received dance instruction from the Electric Boogaloos[10] and top choreographers such as Kim Hye-rang,[11] Poppin Seen,[12] Kwang Hoo (aka Crazy Monkey), Poppin DS,[13] Kwon Seok-jin (aka Locking Khan)[14] and Black Beat's Shim Jae-won.[4] She also worked with one of Justin Timberlake's choreographers and a few foreign teachers.[4]
Hyoyeon officially debuted as a member of Girls' Generation, a South Korean girl group formed by SM Entertainment, in August 2007.[18] In July 2007, before the official debut Girls' Generation had their first stage performance on Mnet's School of Rock, where the group performed their first single, "Into the New World" (다시 만난 세계; Dasi mannan segye).[19] On August 5, 2007, the group officially made their debut on SBS's Inkigayo, where they performed the same song.[20] Girls' Generation subsequently released their self-titled debut studio album in November 2007, which was preceded by the singles "Girls' Generation" (소녀시대; Sonyeo sidae).[21]
On January 7, 2009, the group released their extended play (EP) Gee, its title track claimed the number-one position on KBS's Music Bank for a record-breaking nine consecutive weeks, becoming the longest-running number-one song on Music Bank until 2012, when Psy's "Gangnam Style" claimed the top spot for ten consecutive weeks.[22][23]
Girls' Generation's second studio album, Oh!, was released in January 2010.[24] On March 7, Hyoyeon and fellow Girls' Generation members Jessica and Sooyoung played cameo roles in episode 7 of the SBS television mini-series Oh! My Lady, starring Chae Rim and labelmate Choi Siwon.[25] In September 2010, Girls' Generation released the Japanese version of "Genie" as their debut single in Japan.[26]
After releasing three singles in Japan, their debut eponymous Japanese studio album was released in June 2011.[27] The album was met with tremendous success in Japan, peaking atop the Japanese Oricon Albums Chart and becoming the first album by a foreign girl group to top the Oricon chart.[28] Girls' Generation's third Korean studio album, The Boys, was released in October 2011.[29] The album was released in the United States by Interscope Records, marking Girls' Generation's debut album in the country.[30] In November 2011, Hyoyeon and fellow Girls' Generation member Sunny became cast members for the second season of Invincible Youth, a South Korean reality television show.[31][unreliable source?]
Hyoyeon performing at the Diet Look Concert in 2012
In April 2012, Hyoyeon became a contestant in the second season of Dancing with the Stars, a competitive ballroom dancing television show.[32][unreliable source?] Hyoyeon and her partner, Kim Hyung-seok, ended up winning second place.[32] In October 2012, Hyoyeon participated in S.M. Entertainment's special dance group Younique. The group released a single titled "Maxstep" as part of the collaboration between S.M. and Hyundai.[33][unreliable source?]
Hyoyeon at Dancing 9 Special Live on August 24, 2013
In January 2013, Hyoyeon made a guest appearance on the television show Blind Test Show 180 Degrees, where she took on the challenge of dancing to various types of club music.[34][unreliable source?] In May 2013, Hyoyeon was chosen as an Asian ambassador for the Hong Kong branch of Topshop.[35][unreliable source?] In June 2013, Hyoyeon and fellow Girls' Generation member Yuri became coaches for the contestants on Dancing 9, a competitive dancing television show.[36][37]
On February 12, 2015, Hyoyeon was featured in labelmate Amber's "Shake That Brass" music video, in which she plays a trumpet. On July 1, Hyoyeon became the first Girls' Generation member to publish a book with Hyo Style, in which she shares tips on beauty, fashion and lifestyle. The book contains 142 pages and comes with a DVD.[38] On March 14, Hyoyeon was featured as the rapper in a performance by boyband S on Immortal Songs 2, with which they won with 423 points.[39][unreliable source?] In May 2015, she became a cast member of the Korean-Chinese reality television show Star Advent. The show followed 12 Korean and Chinese celebrities tasked with working as office workers in foreign countries and premiered on July 9.[40][unreliable source?] In June 2015, Hyoyeon began hosting her own reality television show, Hyoyeon's One Million Likes, broadcast on OnStyle.[41] Before the show was officially announced, an Instagram account was created where Hyoyeon posted pictures and videos with the goal of receiving one million likes from fans.[42] On August 19, Girls' Generation released their fifth Korean studio album, Lion Heart.[43] The album reached number one in South Korea,[44] and at number 11 in Japan.[45] In September 2015, Hyoyeon became a contestant alongside Seo In Young, Mir and Hyejeong, among others, in a television show titled Mash Up, where they competed in DJing.[46][unreliable source?] In the same month, Hyoyeon was featured in rapper Vasco's "Whoa Ha!" music video, where guest stars lip-sync along to the song.[47][unreliable source?]
On February 3, 2016, Hyoyeon was a special MC on the OnStyle television show Get It Beauty.[48] In June 2016, she became a contestant alongside Taemin, Bora and Hoya, among others, in the Mnet television show Hit The Stage,[49] where they collaborate with professional dancers to compete in different genres of dancing under a given theme.[50][unreliable source?] In the same month, Hyoyeon was featured in the song "Up & Down" from fellow Girls' Generation member Taeyeon's second extended play Why.[51][unreliable source?] In August 2016, she collaborated with Min and Jo Kwon to form a special group named Triple T and release a single titled "Born to Be Wild", featuring Park Jin-young, as part of S.M. Entertainment's Station music project.[52] In December 2016, Hyoyeon released her first solo song since debut titled "Mystery" as another single for SM Station.[53] To accompany her solo release, she performed the song on various Korean music shows.[citation needed]
Hyoyeon performing at MBC 2017 DMZ Peace Concert
In June 2017, Hyoyeon released her second single "Wannabe", a pop dance song featuring rapper San E.[54] A month later, Girls' Generation announced the release of their sixth Korean-language studio album to commemorate the group's tenth anniversary.[55] The album, titled Holiday Night, was released on August 7.[56]
2018–present: DJ career, Oh!GG and Got the Beat
On April 12, 2018, SM Entertainment announced that Hyoyeon would return with a new single titled "Sober" on April 18, with new stage name Hyo (stylized in all uppercase), under SM's electronic dance music label Scream Records.[57] The new single is a tropical-future house song characterized by electric guitar riffs and hook.[58] It was also revealed that she would also be promoting actively as a DJ in domestic club tours and EDM festivals under her new stage name.[59] In August 2018, Hyoyeon was announced to be part of Girls' Generation's second sub-unit, Oh!GG, which consists of the five members of the group who remained under SM Entertainment.[60] The group released their debut single, "Lil' Touch", in September.[60] On November 7, SM Entertainment revealed teaser images with the announcement that Hyoyeon would be releasing her second official track as DJ Hyo with a new single titled "Punk Right Now", which features American DJ 3lau, on November 13.[61][unreliable source?]
On July 20, 2019, Hyoyeon released a new single, "Badster", which is a psychedelic trance song she co-produced and co-wrote; an animated music video was released on the same day.[62] It has Korean and English versions. On July 22, 2020, Hyoyeon released a new single, "Dessert", alongside rappers Loopy and Soyeon.[63] It marked her return to music shows after debuting as a DJ.
In May 2020, Hyoyeon joined the competitive reality show Good Girl.[64]
On August 9, 2021, Hyoyeon released the single "Second", featuring BIBI.[65] The song debuted at position 17 on BillboardWorld Digital Songs in the chart issue dated August 21, 2021. On December 27, Hyoyeon was revealed as a member of supergroup Got the Beat, alongside Girls' Generation groupmate Taeyeon and other labelmates. The group debuted on January 3, 2022, with single "Step Back".[66]
On May 2, 2022, SM Entertainment announced that Hyoyeon would be releasing her first extended play titled Deep on May 16.[67] It includes the lead single of the same name, an original B-side, and several previous singles, in a total of seven tracks. On May 17, it was announced that Girls' Generation will have a full-group comeback for their fifteenth anniversary in August, ending their five-year hiatus, which will include Hyoyeon.[68][69] Their seventh Korean-language studio album, Forever 1, was released in August 2022, peaking at number two on the Circle Chart.[70][71]
On September 26, 2024, Hyoyeon would be releasing "Retro Romance".[72]
^ abc(in Korean) Girls' Generation UCC Story, July 19, 2007.
^소녀시대 댄스퀸 효연 "초등학교 때 힙합스쿨 다녀". newsen.com (in Korean). August 1, 2007. Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved December 15, 2018.
^민과 소녀시대 효연 데뷔전부터 친분사진 눈길. winnersdanceschool.com (in Korean). February 3, 2008. Archived from the original on July 18, 2011. Retrieved August 16, 2010.
^Girls' Generation. HMI Magazine. December 15, 2010. p. 09. Dancing queen of the next generation, Hyoyeon studied dance under Justin, Janet Jackson's choreographer.
^소녀시대, 19일 데뷔곡 '다시 만난 세계' 공개 [Girls' Generation debut song released on the 19th] (in Korean). iNews24. July 17, 2007. Archived from the original on July 6, 2015. Retrieved April 28, 2015.
^Lee Jeong-hyeok (January 16, 2009). '소녀시대', KBS와 갈등?...2주 연속 출연 안해 [Girls' Generation Claim No.1 Position on KBS]. The Chosun Ilbo (in Korean). Archived from the original on April 15, 2009. Retrieved January 16, 2009.
^少女時代、オリジナルアルバムで初の週間1位を狙う [Girls' Generation Score A No.1 Album] (in Japanese). Oricon. June 2, 2010. Archived from the original on May 18, 2015. Retrieved April 29, 2015.
^"3집 The Boys" (in Korean). Naver. Archived from the original on February 5, 2016. Retrieved April 29, 2015.
^Lee Da-hye (December 1, 2016). 효연, 첫 솔로곡 '미스터리' 베일 벗었다. Asia Today (in Korean). Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved December 1, 2016.
^Cho Hye-jin (August 3, 2021). "효연 신곡 'Second', 비비 피처링‧작사 참여 '힙한 시너지'" [Hyoyeon's new song 'Second' featuring BIBI and participating in lyrics writing 'Hip Synergy']. Naver (in Korean). Xports News. Archived from the original on August 3, 2021. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
^"'15주년' 소녀시대 5년만 완전체 컴백 확정..8월 새 앨범[공식]" ['15th Anniversary' Girls' Generation confirmed comeback as a full group after 5 years... New album in August [Official]]. Star News (in Korean). May 17, 2022. Archived from the original on July 7, 2022. Retrieved May 17, 2022 – via Naver.
^Park, Seo-hyun (September 25, 2024). '26일 발매' 효연 'Retro Romance'로 보여줄 퍼포먼스..여유 바이브 기대 [Hyoyeon's performance with 'Retro Romance' released on the 26th...expecting a relaxed vibe] (in Korean). Herald Pop. Archived from the original on September 25, 2024. Retrieved September 25, 2024 – via Naver.
"Dessert". Billboard. July 26 – August 1, 2020. Archived from the original on July 28, 2020. Retrieved August 19, 2021.
"Second". Billboard. August 15–21, 2021. Archived from the original on August 17, 2021. Retrieved August 19, 2021.
^Peak chart positions on Circle Digital Chart (formerly Gaon Digital Chart):
"Second" (in Korean). Korea Music Content Association. August 15–21, 2021. Archived from the original on August 26, 2021. Retrieved August 26, 2021.
"Up & Down" (in Korean). Korea Music Content Association. June 26 – July 2, 2016. Archived from the original on June 23, 2016. Retrieved August 19, 2021.
^Peak chart positions on Billboard's K-pop Hot 100:
"Dessert". Billboard. July 26 – August 1, 2020. Archived from the original on October 6, 2020. Retrieved July 25, 2022.
"Second". Billboard. August 22–28, 2021. Archived from the original on August 25, 2021. Retrieved July 25, 2022.
^"2020년 30주차 Download Chart" [Week 30 of 2020 Download Chart] (in Korean). Korea Music Content Association. July 19–25, 2020. Archived from the original on January 13, 2021. Retrieved August 19, 2021 – via Gaon Chart.
^"2022년 21주차 Download Chart" [Week 21 of 2022 Download Chart] (in Korean). Korea Music Content Association. May 15–21, 2022. Archived from the original on January 9, 2021. Retrieved May 26, 2022 – via Gaon Chart.
^"2016년 27주차 Download Chart" [Week 27 of 2016 Download Chart] (in Korean). Korea Music Content Association. June 26 – July 2, 2016. Archived from the original on August 15, 2016. Retrieved August 19, 2021 – via Gaon Chart.
^Peak chart positions for other appearances on Gaon Digital Chart:
"Maxstep" (in Korean). Korea Music Content Association. October 28 – November 3, 2012. Archived from the original on August 20, 2017. Retrieved August 19, 2021.
"Born to be Wild" (in Korean). Korea Music Content Association. August 21–27, 2016. Archived from the original on September 24, 2016. Retrieved August 19, 2021.
^Peak positions for other appearances on Billboard World Digital Song Sales chart:
^"2012년 45주차 Download Chart" [Week 4 of 2012 Download Chart] (in Korean). Korea Music Content Association. October 28 – November 3, 2012. Archived from the original on August 20, 2017. Retrieved August 19, 2021 – via Gaon Chart.
^Shim Eun-kyung (November 17, 2022). "[단독]소녀시대 써니X효연, 캠핑 떠난다...'노웨이홈' MC 발탁" [[Exclusive] Girls' Generation Sunny X Hyoyeon, going camping... Selected as 'No Way Home' MC] (in Korean). Sports Seoul. Archived from the original on November 17, 2022. Retrieved November 17, 2022 – via Naver.
^Sun Mi-kyung (September 28, 2021). "효연, 라이브 커머스 쇼핑 큐레이터 도전..부캐 '효사장' 출동" [Hyoyeon, a live commerce shopping curator challenge...]. Osen (in Korean). Archived from the original on December 30, 2021. Retrieved September 28, 2021 – via Naver.
^Kim So-hee (May 29, 2024). "효연, 신입 유튜버로 '레벨업'..첫 게스트는 에스파 닝닝(효연의 레벨업)" [Hyoyeon, 'level up' as a new YouTuber. The first guest is aespa's Ningning (Hyoyeon's level up)]. Sport Chosun (in Korean). Archived from the original on September 17, 2024. Retrieved September 17, 2024 – via Naver.
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