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Kim Tae-yeon (; born March 9, 1989), known mononymously as Taeyeon, is a South Korean singer. She debuted as a member of girl group
Girls' Generation Girls' Generation (), also known as SNSD, is a South Korean girl group formed by SM Entertainment. The group is composed of eight members: Taeyeon, Sunny, Tiffany, Hyoyeon, Yuri, Sooyoung, Yoona, and Seohyun. Originally a nine-piec ...
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 K-pop (; an abbreviation of "Korean popular music") is a form of popular music originating in South Korea. It emerged in the 1990s as a form of youth subculture, with Korean musicians taking influence from Western Electronic dance music, danc ...
groups worldwide. She has since participated in other
SM Entertainment SM Entertainment Co., Ltd. () is a South Korean multinational entertainment agency established in 1995 by Lee Soo-man. It is one of South Korea's largest entertainment companies and has been responsible for fostering and popularizing the car ...
projects, including
Girls' Generation-TTS Girls' Generation-TTS (, also known as TTS, TaeTiSeo, or Girls' Generation-TaeTiSeo) is the first sub-unit of South Korean girl group Girls' Generation, formed by SM Entertainment in 2012. It is composed of three Girls' Generation members: Kim T ...
, SM the Ballad, Girls' Generation-Oh!GG, and the supergroup Got the Beat. In 2015, Taeyeon released her debut extended play (EP) '' I'', whose titular single reached number one on South Korea's
Gaon Digital Chart The Circle Digital Chart, previously known as the Gaon Digital Chart, is the music industry standard record chart ranking the 200 most popular singles in South Korea. It provides rankings on a weekly, monthly, and yearly basis, which is based on ...
. In 2016, she released the number-one single "
Rain Rain is a form of precipitation where water drop (liquid), droplets that have condensation, condensed from Water vapor#In Earth's atmosphere, atmospheric water vapor fall under gravity. Rain is a major component of the water cycle and is res ...
" as part of the
SM Station SM Station is a digital music project by South Korean record label SM Entertainment. It undertook to release one digital single every Friday starting from February 3, 2016. The project's first season ended on February 3, 2017, with 52 songs. It ...
project, followed by her second EP ''
Why Why may refer to: * Causality, a consequential relationship between two events * Reason (argument), a premise in support of an argument, for what reason or purpose * Grounding (metaphysics), a topic in metaphysics regarding how things exist in v ...
'', which peaked atop the
Gaon Album Chart The Circle Album Chart, previously known as the Gaon Album Chart, is a record chart ranking the 100 most popular albums, extended plays and single albums in South Koreabased on their Record sales, physical sales. It is a part of the Circle Chart, ...
. Taeyeon's debut studio album, '' My Voice'', was released in 2017 and yielded the top-five singles " 11:11", "
Fine Fine may refer to: Characters * Fran Fine, the title character of ''The Nanny'' * Sylvia Fine (''The Nanny''), Fran's mother on ''The Nanny'' * Officer Fine, a character in ''Tales from the Crypt'', played by Vincent Spano Legal terms * Fine (p ...
" and " Make Me Love You". Taeyeon ventured into the Japanese music scene in 2018 with the digital single "Stay", followed by the 2019 EP ''
Voice The human voice consists of sound made by a human being using the vocal tract, including talking, singing, laughing, crying, screaming, shouting, humming or yelling. The human voice frequency is specifically a part of human sound produ ...
''. Her second studio album, '' Purpose'' (2019), featured the number-one single " Four Seasons" and the top-5 single " Spark". Her third studio album '' INVU'' (2022) included the number-one titular single as well as top-10 singles "
Weekend The weekdays and weekend are the complementary parts of the week, devoted to labour and rest, respectively. The legal weekdays (British English), or workweek (American English), is the part of the seven-day week devoted to working. In most o ...
" and " Can't Control Myself". On television, Taeyeon appeared on the reality shows '' We Got Married'' (2009) and '' Begin Again'' (2019) and hosted '' Queendom 2'' (2022). She is currently a cast member of '' Amazing Saturday'' (2020–present). Additionally, Taeyeon has recorded soundtracks for various television dramas and films, including "If" for '' Hong Gil-dong'' (2008), "Can You Hear Me" for '' Beethoven Virus'' (2008), and the chart-topping " All About You" for '' Hotel del Luna'' (2019). Having sold over one million physical albums and twenty million digital singles as of 2021, Taeyeon is one of the best-selling solo artists in South Korea. She has received various awards and nominations, including seven
Golden Disc Awards The Golden Disc Awards (, formerly spelled the Golden Disk Awards before 2015) is an annual South Korean major music awards ceremony that honors achievements in the local music industry. The awards ceremony was founded with the purpose to prom ...
, six
Seoul Music Awards The Seoul Music Awards (; SMA) is a major South Korean music awards show presented by the newspaper Seoul Shinmun, ''Sports Seoul''. The award winners are selected based on a combination of criteria, including music sales, popular votes, and exp ...
, five Circle Chart Music Awards, four Melon Music Awards, and four
Mnet Asian Music Awards The MAMA Awards (, formerly Mnet Asian Music Awards) is a major Music award, music awards ceremony presented annually by entertainment company CJ ENM. First held in South Korea, the majority of prizes have been won by K-pop artists, although ...
.


Life and career


1989–2008: Early life and career beginnings

Taeyeon was born on March 9, 1989, in Wansan District,
Jeonju Jeonju (, , ) is the capital and List of cities in South Korea, largest city of North Jeolla Province, South Korea. It is both urban and rural due to the closeness of Wanju County which almost entirely surrounds Jeonju (Wanju County has many resi ...
, South Korea. Her family consists of her parents, an older brother, and a younger sister Kim Hayeon, who made her solo debut in 2020. Having believed that she was "only talented" at singing, Taeyeon first dreamed of becoming a singer at a young age. During her second year in middle school, Taeyeon accompanied her father to SM Academy, a former music institution and auxiliary affiliation of SM Entertainment, to pursue vocal lessons. Although at the time her father did not encourage Taeyeon to become an entertainer, he was persuaded by the school's principal to give his daughter a chance after she recognized Taeyeon's "clean" voice. During the next year, Taeyeon accompanied her father from their hometown to
Seoul Seoul, officially Seoul Special Metropolitan City, is the capital city, capital and largest city of South Korea. The broader Seoul Metropolitan Area, encompassing Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, emerged as the world's List of cities b ...
every Sunday to receive vocal lessons from The One. She named BoA,
Whitney Houston Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer, actress, film producer, model, and philanthropist. Commonly referred to as "Honorific nicknames in popular music, the Voice", she is List of awards and no ...
and
Hikaru Utada , also known mononymously as Utada, is a Japanese and American singer, songwriter, and producer. She is considered to be one of the most influential and best-selling musical artists in Japan. She is best known by international audiences for w ...
as her pre-debut inspirations. Taeyeon trained under The One for three years. In a 2011 interview, he described Taeyeon as a "smart" student, someone "unlike others who came to him with dreams of becoming a celebrity... hewanted to be a singer and reach the top with her own talents." In 2004, he "wanted to acknowledge Taeyeon's potential" by giving her the chance to be in his song "You Bring Me Joy". That same year, she won first place at the SM Youth Best Competition and signed a contract with SM Entertainment. The training process was so tough that she almost quit at one point; she persisted, however, and debuted as a member of girl group Girls' Generation in August 2007. Both the president of SM Academy and The One later named Taeyeon as one of their most memorable students. Taeyeon graduated from Jeonju Art High School and was awarded the school's Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008.


2008–2015: Original soundtracks, TTS and SM The Ballad

Taeyeon sang "7989" (featuring Kangta), a track from both Girls' Generation's eponymous debut album (2007) and Kangta's fourth studio album, ''
Eternity Eternity, in common parlance, is an Infinity, infinite amount of time that never ends or the quality, condition or fact of being everlasting or eternal. Classical philosophy, however, defines eternity as what is timeless or exists outside tim ...
'' (2008). Taeyeon began to gain popularity through her various television soundtrack releases, recording "If" for the
KBS2 KBS 2TV is a South Korean free-to-air Free-to-air (FTA) services are television (TV) and radio services broadcast in unencrypted form, allowing any person with the appropriate receiving equipment to receive the signal and view or listen ...
drama '' Hong Gil Dong'' (2008) and "Can You Hear Me" for MBC's drama '' Beethoven Virus'' (2008). "If" was later deemed more popular than its respective drama, and "Can You Hear Me" won a Popularity Award at the 2008 Golden Disk Awards. Both tracks remain among Taeyeon's most well-known hits. During this period, she also recorded "It's Love", a duet with Girls' Generation member Sunny, for the MBC drama ''Heading to the Ground'' (2009). Following a radio hosting job in 2009–10, Taeyeon journeyed into acting, making her theatrical debut in a lead role in the 2010 musical '' A Song to the Sun''. She played the part of Kaoru Amane, a teenager who suffered from
xeroderma pigmentosum Xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) is a genetic disorder in which there is a decreased ability to repair DNA damage such as that caused by ultraviolet (UV) light. Symptoms may include a severe sunburn after only a few minutes in the sun, freckling in su ...
, and learned to play a guitar for the role. Her performance in the sold-out shows received good press despite the musical's critical reviews of the musical itself. Jang Gyeong-jin of ''10Asia'' praised Taeyeon's "distinct vocals" and commented that her acting stood out among idol stars who had ventured into musical theatre, while Kim Ji-yeong from '' The Dong-A Ilbo'' felt "Taeyeon's optimistic and charming personality made her the perfect match" for the role. Despite the favorable response, Taeyeon later described musicals as difficult, stating that her weak concentration made it hard for her to act and sing at the same time. The same year, Taeyeon worked with Korean songwriter-composer Ahn Young-min. She recorded "Like A Star", featuring The One, which reached number one on the Gaon Digital Chart. Her next single, "I Love You", for the SBS drama '' Athena: Goddess of War'' soundtrack, reached number two. Ahn recalled his impression of the latter song: "I was surprised at how well Taeyeon could sing. This is a rather mature song, so I would be lying if I said I didn't have my doubts, but she blew me away. I was moved to tears listening to her singing." In 2011, Taeyeon lent her voice to Kim Bum-soo's "Different", a single on his seventh album ''Solista: Part 2''. The song debuted at number two on the Gaon Digital Chart. Taeyeon and Kim Bum-soo reunited at his concert two years later for a live cover version of the latter's 2008 song "Man and Woman". After their first collaboration on the drama ''Beethoven Virus'' (2008), musical director Lee Pil-ho was determined to collaborate with Taeyeon again on the soundtrack for MBC's melodrama '' The King 2 Hearts'' (2012), having her record the main theme song "Missing You Like Crazy". It was released in March 2012 and debuted at number two on both the Gaon Digital Chart and K-pop Hot 100. Taeyeon's vocals received positive feedback from the song's composer Park Hae-woon: "She fully understood the song in its entirety and expressed each detail very precisely...even though this song requires the lowest note that a female singer can produce, Taeyeon executed them perfectly." The song was named the most popular soundtrack at 2012 Seoul Drama Awards. Later in the year, she contributed vocals to the song " Closer", for the SBS drama '' To the Beautiful You'', which charted at number seven on both the Gaon Digital Chart and K-pop Hot 100. In April 2012, a subgroup of Girls' Generation called TTS was formed, its lineup consisting of Taeyeon, Tiffany and Seohyun. Their debut EP, ''
Twinkle Twinkle may refer to: * Twinkling, the variation of brightness of distant objects People * Twinkle (singer) (1948–2015), born Lynn Annette Ripley, English singer-songwriter * Twinkle Bajpai, Indian singer, television and film actress * Twinkl ...
'', was met with much success and became South Korea's eighth-highest selling album of the year. The subgroup went on to release two more EPs: '' Holler'' (2014) and '' Dear Santa'' (2015). In January 2013, Taeyeon and Tiffany sang a duet, "Lost in Love", which was featured on Girls' Generation's fourth Korean album, '' I Got a Boy''. Two months later, she recorded "And One", written and composed by Kangta, for the SBS drama '' That Winter, the Wind Blows''. It debuted at the top of ''Billboards K-pop Hot 100 and reached number two on the Gaon Digital Chart. In July 2013, Taeyeon was invited to record the theme song "Bye" for the soundtrack of the film '' Mr. Go'' after its musical director was left with a "deep impression" having heard her cover version of a song during a radio appearance. In February 2014, Taeyeon joined the roster of SM the Ballad, a ballad group initially formed by SM Entertainment in 2010, contributing vocals to their second album ''
Breath Breathing (spiration or ventilation) is the neuroscience of rhythm, rhythmical process of moving air into (inhalation) and out of (exhalation) the lungs to facilitate gas exchange with the Milieu intérieur, internal environment, mostly to flu ...
''. Her lead single of the same name, a duet with
Shinee Shinee ( ; ; ; stylized as SHINee) is a South Korean boy band formed by SM Entertainment in 2008. The group consists of four members: Onew, Key (entertainer), Key, Choi Min-ho, Minho, and Taemin. Originally a five-piece band, Jonghyun died on ...
's Jonghyun, peaked at number three and six on South Korea's Gaon Digital Chart and K-pop Hot 100 Chart, respectively. She also recorded a solo song, "Set Me Free", for the album. Her other releases in 2014 included "Colorful" for
JTBC JTBC (shortened from Joongang Tongyang Broadcasting Company; ; stylized in all lowercase) is a South Korean nationwide pay television network. Its primary shareholder is JoongAng Holdings, with a 25% stake. It was launched on December 1, ...
's campaign "The World Is More Beautiful Because We're Different" and "Love, That One Word" for the SBS's drama '' You're All Surrounded''; the latter entered Top 10 on both Gaon Digital Chart and K-Pop Hot 100. In February 2015, Taeyeon accepted a personal request from f(x)'s
Amber Amber is fossilized tree resin. Examples of it have been appreciated for its color and natural beauty since the Neolithic times, and worked as a gemstone since antiquity."Amber" (2004). In Maxine N. Lurie and Marc Mappen (eds.) ''Encyclopedia ...
to feature in "Shake that Brass", the lead single from her debut album, '' Beautiful''.


2015–2016: Solo debut and first solo concert

Taeyeon began working on her solo projects in late 2014, believing the "right time" had come after eight years with Girls' Generation. She released her debut
extended play An extended play (EP) is a Sound recording and reproduction, musical recording that contains more tracks than a Single (music), single but fewer than an album. Contemporary EPs generally contain up to eight tracks and have a playing time of 1 ...
(EP), '' I'', in October 2015. It peaked at number two on South Korea's
Gaon Album Chart The Circle Album Chart, previously known as the Gaon Album Chart, is a record chart ranking the 100 most popular albums, extended plays and single albums in South Koreabased on their Record sales, physical sales. It is a part of the Circle Chart, ...
, and charted atop the US ''Billboard'' World Albums. As of 2019, it has sold 160,000 copies in South Korea. The commercial success of ''I'', according to
Yonhap News Agency Yonhap News Agency (; ) is a major news agency in South Korea. It is based in Seoul, South Korea. Yonhap provides news articles, pictures, and other information to newspapers, TV networks and other media in South Korea. History Yonhap was esta ...
, was the main contributor to SM Entertainment's leading music sales in the fourth quarter of 2015. The
title track A title track is a song that has the same name as the album An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track cartridge, 8-t ...
, which features rapper Verbal Jint, incorporated elements of
pop rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre and form of rock music characterized by a strong commercial appeal, with more emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than standard rock musi ...
that marked a departure from the ballad sound she had been known for until then. The song peaked at number one in South Korea, where it has sold over 2.5 million digital units. To accompany her solo release, Taeyeon held a series of small concerts called Taeyeon's Very Special Day, and a reality show, OnStyle's ''Daily Taeng9Cam''. She was awarded Best Female Artist at the
2015 Mnet Asian Music Awards The 2015 Mnet Asian Music Awards ceremony, organized by CJ E&M through its music channel Mnet, took place on December 2, 2015, at AsiaWorld-Expo in Hong Kong. The ceremony was the sixth consecutive Mnet Asian Music Awards to be hosted outside ...
and at the 2016 Golden Disk Awards. Taeyeon featured on Yim Jae-beom's "Scars Deeper than Love" (2015), Verbal Jint's "If The World Was a Perfect Place" (2015), and
Crush Crush may refer to: * Infatuation or limerence, the romantic attraction to another person * Puppy love, feelings of love, romance, or infatuation felt by young people Crush may also refer to: Film * Crush (1972 film), ''Crush'' (1972 film), a H ...
's "Don't Forget" (2016). "Don't Forget" sold over 2.5 million copies in South Korea. In February 2016, she recorded "
Rain Rain is a form of precipitation where water drop (liquid), droplets that have condensation, condensed from Water vapor#In Earth's atmosphere, atmospheric water vapor fall under gravity. Rain is a major component of the water cycle and is res ...
" as the inaugural release of SM Entertainment's digital music platform
SM Station SM Station is a digital music project by South Korean record label SM Entertainment. It undertook to release one digital single every Friday starting from February 3, 2016. The project's first season ended on February 3, 2017, with 52 songs. It ...
. "Rain" peaked at number one in South Korea, where it sold over 2.5 million digital copies. Taeyeon and
Super Junior Super Junior (; stylized in all caps), also known as SJ or SuJu, is a South Korean boy band. The group is composed of Leeteuk, Heechul, Yesung, Shindong, Sungmin, Eunhyuk, Siwon, Donghae, Ryeowook, and Kyuhyun. Han Geng, Kibum, and ...
's Kyuhyun were featured in a commercial for bottled water brand Jeju Samdasoo, for which she recorded a cover of "The Blue Night of Jeju Island". She also became a spokesperson for Sword and Magic, a game developed by the company Longtu Korea, for which she recorded a rendition of BoA's 2003 song " Atlantis Princess". Taeyeon's second EP, ''
Why Why may refer to: * Causality, a consequential relationship between two events * Reason (argument), a premise in support of an argument, for what reason or purpose * Grounding (metaphysics), a topic in metaphysics regarding how things exist in v ...
'' (2016), incorporated elements of more upbeat genres such as EDM and tropical house. It peaked atop the Gaon Album Chart, and charted at number two on the US ''Billboard'' World Albums. The EP has sold 120,000 copies as of 2019. It spawned two singles: "
Starlight Starlight is the light emitted by stars. It typically refers to visible electromagnetic radiation from stars other than the Sun, observable from Earth at night, although a component of starlight is observable from Earth during daytime. Sunlig ...
" featuring Dean and the
title track A title track is a song that has the same name as the album An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track cartridge, 8-t ...
, which peaked at numbers five and seven, respectively, in South Korea. The EP's associated concert, Butterfly Kiss, made Taeyeon the first Korean female artist to embark on a full-scale concert while still being a member of an active girl group. In September 2016, Taeyeon recorded "All With You" for SBS's television drama '' Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo''. Her next single, " 11:11", was released in November 2016. It peaked at number two on the Gaon Digital Chart and sold 1.4 million copies by 2017.Cumulative sales for "11:11" in 2016 and 2017: * * ''Billboard'' ranked it the seventh best K-pop song of 2016. ''The Dong-a Ilbo'' in December 2016 named Taeyeon as "Voice of the Year", "Singer of the Year", and "Most Hardworking". At the 2016 Mnet Asian Music Awards, Taeyeon was awarded Best Female Artist.


2017–2019: ''My Voice'', Japanese debut and ''Purpose''

Taeyeon's first
studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track cartridge, 8-track or Cassette tape, cassette), or digital distribution, dig ...
, '' My Voice'', having been in the production process for over a year, was released in February 2017 and included the single "
Fine Fine may refer to: Characters * Fran Fine, the title character of ''The Nanny'' * Sylvia Fine (''The Nanny''), Fran's mother on ''The Nanny'' * Officer Fine, a character in ''Tales from the Crypt'', played by Vincent Spano Legal terms * Fine (p ...
". Both the album and song were well-received, topping both the Gaon Album Chart and Gaon Digital Chart, respectively. On April 5, 2017, a deluxe edition of the album was released, accompanied by the single " Make Me Love You". The song reached number four on the Gaon Digital Chart. Taeyeon also featured in the single " Lonely" from labelmate Jonghyun's second compilation album, which was released April 24, 2017. The following month, Taeyeon embarked on her first Asian tour, Persona. In December 2017, Taeyeon released her special EP '' This Christmas: Winter Is Coming''. The album debuted at number two on the Gaon Album Chart and at number six on the ''Billboard'' World Albums Chart. Hong Dam-young of ''
The Korea Herald ''The Korea Herald'' () is a South Korean English-language daily newspaper founded in August 1953 and published in Seoul. The editorial staff is composed of Korean and international writers and editors, with additional news coverage drawn from i ...
'' highlighted Taeyeon's "calm and undeniable vocal prowess" in the album while praising the songs as "the most sophisticated Christmas tunes" of the year. Its lead single, "This Christmas," debuted at number two on the Gaon Digital Chart. To promote the album, Taeyeon held a two-day Christmas concert titled The Magic of Christmas Time. In June 2018, Taeyeon released her third EP, '' Something New''. It peaked at number three on the Gaon Album Chart and at number four on the ''Billboard'' World Albums Chart. That same month, Taeyeon embarked on a Japan Showcase Tour, available only to members of SM Entertainment's official Japanese fan club. The tour visited Fukuoka, Nagoya, Tokyo and Osaka. Following the success of her sold-out showcase, Taeyeon released her debut Japanese single, "Stay", on June 30, 2018. The single was accompanied by a B-side titled "I'm The Greatest". In August 2018, Taeyeon and MeloMance released a collaboration track titled "Page 0" for the third season of SM Station, marking Taeyeon's second time participating in the project. That same month, Taeyeon was announced to be part of Girls' Generation's second subgroup, Oh!GG, which consisted of the five members that re-signed with SM Entertainment; the group released their first single, "Lil' Touch" in September. Taeyeon embarked on her second Asian tour from October 2018 to January 2019. On October 12, it was announced that the tour would play a show at Hong Kong's AsiaWorld Expo Arena, making her the first South Korean female solo artist to hold a solo concert at the venue. Encore concerts of her tour were announced in early 2019 and took place at Seoul's Jamsil Arena on March 23 and 24. Taeyeon released the digital single " Four Seasons" and its B-side "Blue" in March 2019. "Four Seasons" charted at number six on the ''Billboard'' World Digital Songs and topped South Korea's Gaon Digital Chart for two consecutive weeks. The song was certified double-platinum by the Korean Music Content Association for exceeding 200 million streams. In April 2019, Taeyeon embarked on her first concert tour in Japan, ~Signal~, which started on April 13 in
Fukuoka is the List of Japanese cities by population, sixth-largest city in Japan and the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. The city is built along the shores of Hakata Bay, and has been a center of international commerce since ancient times. ...
. She subsequently released her first Japanese-language EP, ''
Voice The human voice consists of sound made by a human being using the vocal tract, including talking, singing, laughing, crying, screaming, shouting, humming or yelling. The human voice frequency is specifically a part of human sound produ ...
'', on May 13. Taeyeon then contributed her vocals to
Chancellor Chancellor () is a title of various official positions in the governments of many countries. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the (lattice work screens) of a basilica (court hall), which separa ...
's "Angel" and
Yoon Jong-shin Yoon Jong-shin (; born October 15, 1969) is a South Korean singer-songwriter, record producer, and the CEO of Mystic Story. Early life and education Yoon completed high school at Daewon Foreign Language High School and studied Korean Language ...
's "A Train to Chuncheon", as part of his "Hello 30" project. The song was originally recorded by Kim Hyun-chul in 1989. In July 2019, Taeyeon appeared as a main cast member on the JTBC
reality show Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring ordinary people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 1990s ...
'' Begin Again'' and busked in
Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...
and
Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , ; ; ) is the capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, largest city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It has a population of 933,680 in June 2024 within the city proper, 1,457,018 in the City Re ...
. She also recorded " All About You" for the TVN television drama '' Hotel Del Luna''; the song topped the Gaon Digital Chart for two consecutive weeks. Taeyeon released her second studio album, '' Purpose'', on October 28, 2019. The album peaked at number two in South Korea and spawned the single " Spark", which reached number two on the Gaon Digital Chart. The album was reissued on January 15, 2020, with three bonus tracks, including the single " Dear Me". To promote her recent releases, Taeyeon embarked on her third Asian tour, which began in Seoul on January 17, 2020. The shows—as well as her second concert tour in Japan, which was set to visit eight cities—were all eventually cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.


2020–present: Collaborations and continued success

On March 9, 2020, Taeyeon was set to release the digital single "
Happy Happiness is a complex and multifaceted emotion that encompasses a range of positive feelings, from contentment to intense joy. It is often associated with positive life experiences, such as achieving goals, spending time with loved ones, ...
" in celebration of her birthday; however, she postponed the single's release to May 4 following the death of her father. The song reached number four on the Gaon Digital Chart and number nine on ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
s World Digital Songs Chart. In November 2020, Taeyeon released her second Japanese-language EP '' #GirlsSpkOut''. The title track of the same name featured Japanese rapper Chanmina, marking Taeyeon's first Japanese collaboration. In the same period, Taeyeon became a regular cast member on tvN's music variety show '' Amazing Saturday - DoReMi Market''. Taeyeon released her fourth Korean-language EP '' What Do I Call You'' on December 15, 2020. The album peaked at number four on the Gaon Album Chart and sold over 120,000 units in South Korea, making Taeyeon the first female artist to have five different albums sell over 100,000 units each on the Gaon Album Chart. Taeyeon was featured in Taemin's song "If I Could Tell You", released as part of his EP '' Advice'' (2021). Her next digital single, "
Weekend The weekdays and weekend are the complementary parts of the week, devoted to labour and rest, respectively. The legal weekdays (British English), or workweek (American English), is the part of the seven-day week devoted to working. In most o ...
" was released on July 6, 2021. The single peaked at number four on both the Gaon Digital Chart and the ''Billboard'' K-pop Hot 100 Chart. The following month, she joined the travel variety show '' Petkage'' alongside label-mate Kim Hee-chul. On August 30, 2021, Taeyeon was featured in Key's pre-release single " Hate That...". On November 28, 2021, Taeyeon recorded " Little Garden" for tvN's television drama '' Jirisan''. On December 27, 2021, Taeyeon was revealed as a member of the supergroup Got the Beat alongside groupmate
Hyoyeon Kim Hyo-yeon (; born September 22, 1989), known professionally as Hyoyeon or DJ Hyo, is a South Korean singer, dancer, and DJ. She debuted as a member of the girl group Girls' Generation in August 2007, which went on to become one of the best-s ...
. The group debuted on January 3, 2022. On January 17, 2022, Taeyeon released her new digital single " Can't Control Myself", which serves as a pre-release single for her third studio album, '' INVU'', which was released on February 14. The album peaked at number two on South Korea's Gaon Album Chart. " INVU" charted at number eight on the ''Billboard'' World Digital Songs and topped South Korea's Gaon Digital Chart for four consecutive weeks. She was awarded Best Female Solo Artist at the 2022 Genie Music Awards. On May 5, 2023, it was announced that Taeyeon would hold her fifth concert, The Odd of Love, starting from June 3. On November 27, 2023, Taeyeon released her fifth extended play, '' To. X'', alongside the lead single of the same name. The EP and lead single reached number two on both the
Circle Album Chart The Circle Album Chart, previously known as the Gaon Album Chart, is a record chart ranking the 100 most popular albums, extended plays and single albums in South Koreabased on their Record sales, physical sales. It is a part of the Circle Chart, ...
and
Circle Digital Chart The Circle Digital Chart, previously known as the Gaon Digital Chart, is the music industry standard record chart ranking the 200 most popular singles in South Korea. It provides rankings on a weekly, monthly, and yearly basis, which is based on ...
, respectively. "To. X" also peaked at number three on the ''Billboard'' South Korea Songs and became the best-performing single of January 2024 on the Circle Digital Chart. She also recorded "
Dream A dream is a succession of images, ideas, emotions, and sensation (psychology), sensations that usually occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. Humans spend about two hours dreaming per night, and each dream lasts around ...
" for
JTBC JTBC (shortened from Joongang Tongyang Broadcasting Company; ; stylized in all lowercase) is a South Korean nationwide pay television network. Its primary shareholder is JoongAng Holdings, with a 25% stake. It was launched on December 1, ...
's television series '' Welcome to Samdal-ri'', which was a remake of Cho Yong-pil's 1991 song of the same name. The song gained traction on the video-sharing service Instagram Reels and reached number 18 on the Circle Digital Chart. On June 24, 2024, it was announced that Taeyeon would be releasing the single "
Heaven Heaven, or the Heavens, is a common Religious cosmology, religious cosmological or supernatural place where beings such as deity, deities, angels, souls, saints, or Veneration of the dead, venerated ancestors are said to originate, be throne, ...
" on July 8. On August 29, Taeyeon collaborated with British musician Sam Smith to release a Korean duet version of " I'm Not the Only One", as part of the reissue project of their debut studio album, '' In the Lonely Hour 10 Year Anniversary Edition''. On October 27, it was announced that Taeyeon would be releasing her sixth extended play '' Letter to Myself'' on November 18, containing six tracks including the lead single of the same name. On January 7, 2025, it was announced that Taeyeon would hold her sixth concert tour to celebrate the 10th anniversary of her solo debut, The Tense, kicking off in Seoul on March 7.


Artistry and voice

Taeyeon's musical style has evolved over the course over her career, especially since debuting as a solo artist. In her early years, she predominantly recorded ballads for television soundtracks. With the popularity of songs such as "If" (2008) and "Can You Hear Me" (2009), she was referred to as the "representative singer of popular OSTs". Taeyeon opted for a
pop rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre and form of rock music characterized by a strong commercial appeal, with more emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than standard rock musi ...
sound in her 2015 debut single "I"; her 2016 single "Rain" incorporates elements of
jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
and R&B; and "Why" blends EDM, R&B and tropical house. Vibe's Yoon Min-soo described Taeyeon's musical style as an example of "K-Soul": "I can feel that sort of emotions from the ballads Taeyeon sings. If you can feel a deep soul from a singer, that's 'K-Soul'." Taeyeon has earned praise for her vocal talent, which has received attention from several major South Korean producers. In 2009, on MBC's ''Yoo Jae-suk & Kim Won-hee's Come to Play'', Park Jin-young of
JYP Entertainment JYP Entertainment Corporation () is a South Korean Multinational corporation, multinational entertainment and record label Conglomerate (company), conglomerate founded in 1997 by Park Jin-young, J. Y. Park. Operating as a record label, talent ...
expressed his wish to work with Taeyeon because of her "ability to tell a story through singing." Korean composer Yoo Young-seok noted Taeyeon's ability to sing as expressively as "a woman who has been divorced seven times." Music producer Jo Young-soo, who wrote her song "Like a Star", was likewise impressed by Taeyeon's ability to convey a variety emotions through her vocal performance. Taeyeon was selected as the best K-pop vocalist by 40 anonymous music industry officials in October 2015, and was named the best female vocalist in their twenties by twelve Korean music companies in April 2016. Taeyeon has received praise for her
vocal register A vocal register is a range of tones in the human voice produced by a particular vibratory pattern of the vocal folds. These registers include modal voice (or normal voice), vocal fry, falsetto, and the whistle register. Registers originate in lar ...
and singing technique. Shin Yeon-ah, leader of girl group Big Mama and a vocal instructor at Howon University's Department of Applied Music, called Taeyeon a vocalization master and appreciated her breath control and capability to maintain impeccable vocal conditions even while dancing, attributed to her "well-developed core muscle strength". Seo Geun-young, a faculty member in the Postmodern Music Department at
Kyung Hee University Kyung Hee University (KHU; ) is a Private university, private research university in South Korea with campuses in Seoul and Suwon. It was founded in 1949. Kyung Hee University is part of the Kyung Hee University System, which offers comprehensive ...
, highlighted Taeyeon as a vocalist who excels in maintaining the intricate balance between the thyroarytenoid and cricothyroid muscles while showcasing clarity in both low and high vocal ranges. Oh Han-seung, head of the Vocal Department at Dong-ah Institute of Media and Arts, highlighted Taeyeon's distinctive presence, emphasizing her ability to make the songs stand out without relying on elaborate arrangements or strong beats. Oh described Taeyeon's sound as "trendy, elegant, and sometimes poignant, covering a frequency range suitable for prolonged listening". Consequently, Oh praised Taeyeon's vocal quality as an ideal example of "natural compression", devoid of fatiguing frequencies that tire the ears.


Public image and impact

Taeyeon has gained recognition in South Korea as both the leader of K-pop girl group Girls' Generation and a successful solo artist. Janelle Okwodu of '' Vogue'' described Taeyeon as "the
Beyoncé Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and businesswoman. With a career spanning over three decades, she has established herself as one of the most Cultural impact of Beyoncé, ...
" of Girls' Generation whose fashion styles are "constantly on the go." Taeyeon topped Gallup Korea's list of the most popular K-pop idols of 2016; she also appeared in the rankings in 2015 (at number three), 2017 (at number nine), and 2019 (at number seven). Taeyeon has been featured on the ''Forbes'' Korea Power Celebrity list in 2016 (at number 32), 2018 (at number 16), and 2019 (at number 23). In celebration of Women's History Month of 2024,
The Recording Academy National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, Inc. (NARAS), doing business as The Recording Academy, is an American Learned society, learned academy of musicians, producers, recording engineers, and other musical professionals. It is widely kno ...
named Taeyeon on the list as one of 15 inspiring K-pop soloists. In June 2015, she became the first K-pop female celebrity to reach seven million followers on
Instagram Instagram is an American photo sharing, photo and Short-form content, short-form video sharing social networking service owned by Meta Platforms. It allows users to upload media that can be edited with Social media camera filter, filters, be ...
and, as of November 2023, has over 19 million followers. Taeyeon sold over one million physical albums between 2011 and 2021, the highest-selling South Korean female artist at the time. She has influenced numerous K-pop artists, including Lovelyz's Jiae, Melody Day's Chahee,
Cosmic Girls WJSN (; ), also known as Cosmic Girls, is a South Korean girl group formed by Starship Entertainment and Yuehua Entertainment. The group is composed of ten members: Seola (singer), Seola, Bona (singer), Bona, Exy, Soobin, Luda (singer), Luda, ...
' Luda, CLC's Elkie, Sonamoo's High.D, Baek A-yeon,
Mamamoo Mamamoo (; commonly stylized in all caps) is a South Korean girl group formed and managed by RBW (company), RBW. The group is composed of four members: Solar (singer), Solar, Moonbyul, Wheein, and Hwasa. Known for their strong live vocals, Harm ...
's Moonbyul, and Heize. Boy band
BTS BTS (), also known as the Bangtan Boys, is a South Korean boy band formed in 2010. The band consists of Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V, and Jung Kook, who co-write or co-produce much of their material. Originally a hip hop group, they ...
named Taeyeon an inspiration for their 2014 single "Boy In Luv".


Philanthropy

In July 2019, Taeyeon donated ₩100 million to the Korean Red Cross, to help for support women, children and teenagers from low-income families in her hometown in
North Jeolla North Jeolla Province, officially Jeonbuk State (), is a Special Self-governing Province of South Korea in the Honam region in the southwest of the Korean Peninsula. Jeonbuk borders the provinces of South Chungcheong to the north, North Gyeo ...
. She also became the 132nd member of the "Red Cross Honors Club". The Red Cross Society of North Jeolla Province planned to expand its support for health supplies for women, girls and adolescents by recommending three primary, middle, and high schools in the region as beneficiaries of Taeyeon's donation. In January 2023, Taeyeon donated ₩100 million to the Stump Foundation for Youth, to be allocated for the support of vulnerable adolescents who are under out-of-home care and adolescents whose protection ends after turning 18 and who are now prepared to take on the responsibility of self-sufficiency. Through this donation, she became the second member of "The Forest Club" following former Hana Financial Group's Chairman Kim Jeong-tae, which is a group of major donors created by the Stump Foundation for Youth. In July 2023, The Stump Foundation for Youth revealed its 1st "Dream Site Project" had been completed with Taeyeon's donation. The project was to improve child and youth welfare facilities. With her donation, interior & exterior facilities were improved such as installing shower booths and replacing tiles for women's bathroom, replacing stairs and railings for dormitory, replacing library decks, and installing air conditioners. In March 2025, Taeyeon donated ₩100 million to the Korean Red Cross to help victims recover from the March 2025 South Korea wildfires.


Endorsements

In Asia, Taeyeon has been regarded by some media outlets as a beauty icon and leader in fashion. She has endorsed various Korean beauty brands since her debut, appearing in commercials and advertisements both as a solo artist and with the members of
Girls' Generation Girls' Generation (), also known as SNSD, is a South Korean girl group formed by SM Entertainment. The group is composed of eight members: Taeyeon, Sunny, Tiffany, Hyoyeon, Yuri, Sooyoung, Yoona, and Seohyun. Originally a nine-piec ...
and
Girls' Generation-TTS Girls' Generation-TTS (, also known as TTS, TaeTiSeo, or Girls' Generation-TaeTiSeo) is the first sub-unit of South Korean girl group Girls' Generation, formed by SM Entertainment in 2012. It is composed of three Girls' Generation members: Kim T ...
. Taeyeon's first solo endorsement was of A-Solution, a brand of acne cosmetics, in 2008. Two years later, she became the first female Asian brand ambassador of Korean skincare brand Nature Republic, along with boy group and labelmate Exo, for three consecutive years. In 2016, when Taeyeon's contract with Nature Republic expired, the cosmetic brand Banila Co. selected her to be its new spokesmodel due to her domestic and international popularity. In March 2019, Taeyeon represented the
Chanel Chanel ( , ) is a French luxury fashion house founded in 1910 by Coco Chanel in Paris. It is privately owned by French brothers, Alain and Gérard Wertheimer, through the holding company Chanel Limited, established in 2018 and headquarte ...
's Rouge Coco Flash Lipstick collection through beauty pictorial in the April issue of '' Elle Korea''. In September 2019, French luxury makeup brand Givenchy Beauty released a lipstick makeup pictorial with Taeyeon in magazine ''High Cut'' Vol. 247. In May 2020, Taeyeon become a muse for A'pieu, a Korean beauty subsidiary brand of
Missha MISSHA () is a South Koreabased skincare and cosmetics manufacturer, retailer and a franchise business. It is part of Able C&C Co., Ltd. Company In August 2009, the luxury Missha Homme Urban Soul line was launched with higher quality and are mo ...
; its official brand representative stated that "Taeyeon's pure atmosphere matches well to A'pieu's cosmetics." In August 2021, she was selected as ambassador for South Korean super-premium skincare beauty brand Sulwhasoo's "New Concentrated Ginseng Renewing EX" campaign. Amorepacific Corporation said that thanks to choosing Taeyeon to be the ambassador for this campaign, the "New Concentrated Ginseng Renewing EX" product line in the Chinese market contributed to a 50% growth in total Sulwhasoo sales and this product line has also grown strongly in the ASEAN region market. Following the announcement, she promoted the Sulwhasoo's campaign in various magazines, including '' Elle Korea'', '' Harper's Bazaar Korea'' and '' Cosmopolitan Korea''. In April 2022, Taeyeon was selected as a muse of global makeup brand Benefit Cosmetics. In March 2023, Benefit Cosmetics had promoted her to its brand ambassador. In the ''Singles Korea'' October 2023 issue, for which she was the cover girl, Taeyeon represented the Benefit Cosmetics' 24 Tint collection. In March 2024, Benefit Cosmetics released a beauty pictorial with Taeyeon to commemorate the cumulative sales of 45 million units of "Benefit Cosmetics' Dandelion Blush". In the '' W Korea'' February 2024 issue, Taeyeon cooperated with British high-end fragrance brand Penhaligon's to present its two perfume lines, "Penhaligon's Artemisia Eau de Parfum" and "Penhaligon's Luna Eau de Toilette". Aside from her activities in the beauty industry, Taeyeon also endorsed Waterside Stone 3 game of Gamevil in 2007, bottled mineral water brand Jeju Samdasoo in 2016, Sword and Magic game of Kakao Games in 2016, bakery café franchise brand Paris Baguette in 2017, nail-art product brand Gelato Factory in 2018 and 2019, Déesse Color Contact Lenses in 2018, and Hyundai's Haesang Direct Car Insurance in 2019. From 2013 to 2014, she was also the first and only foreign spokesperson of B-ing Collagen Drink by
Singha Singha (; RTGS: ''Sing'') is a pale lager beer manufactured in Thailand by the Singha Corporation Co. Ltd., a subsidiary of its parent company, Boon Rawd Brewery. Singha was first brewed in 1933, and in 1939 officially endorsed by King Rama ...
, a large Thai beverage corporation. She featured in commercial films for the product, broadcasting in various mass media channels, including numerous Thai local television and radio stations. Taeyeon also attended the B-ing Taeyeon's FinMeeting in
Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estim ...
, a fan meeting sponsored by Singha. In October 2020, she was selected as a model for Gran Saga game of Npixel, due to its widespread popularity, Taeyeon then had promotional activities for the game in many other markets such as Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, Malaysia and Singapore in December 2022. In April 2021, she was selected as an exclusive model for ChongKunDang Healthcare's allatME Collagen. In May 2021, Taeyeon and her pet dog Zero were selected as brand models for pet lifestyle brand LieVe. In July 2021, she became the brand model for YoungMan Pizza, with the company official stating that Taeyeon "fits perfectly" with their "healthy and bright" brand image" and cited her "positive and good influence on society" as another reason for her selection. In July 2023, Jung Kwan-young, CEO of the YoungMan Pizza franchise, announced that the brand had renewed a contract with Taeyeon as a brand model. She became a model for Olive Young Omni Channel Campaign with labelmate Key in July 2021. In September 2021, Taeyeon was announced as the new muse of the contemporary streetwear brand model for Nerdy. In March 2022, Taeyeon was announced as the global ambassador of self-hairstyling brand eZn. In May 2022, she was selected as a model for ''Moonlight Blade M'' game of Aurora Studios, the studios were responsible for development of original PC client games of
Tencent Tencent Holdings Ltd. ( zh, s=腾讯, p=Téngxùn) is a Chinese Multinational corporation, multinational technology Conglomerate (company), conglomerate and holding company headquartered in Shenzhen. It is one of the highest grossing multimed ...
. In May 2022, she was named house ambassador for French luxury fashion house
Louis Vuitton Louis Vuitton Malletier SAS, commonly known as Louis Vuitton (, ), is a French Luxury goods, luxury fashion house and company founded in 1854 by Louis Vuitton (designer), Louis Vuitton. The label's LV monogram appears on most of its products, ...
. She has been featured promoting the brand in various magazines, including '' Vogue Korea'', '' Harper's Bazaar Korea'', '' Elle Taiwan'', '' Elle Hong Kong'', and '' W Korea''. In October 2024, she became the ambassador for the fine jewellery line "Le Damier de
Louis Vuitton Louis Vuitton Malletier SAS, commonly known as Louis Vuitton (, ), is a French Luxury goods, luxury fashion house and company founded in 1854 by Louis Vuitton (designer), Louis Vuitton. The label's LV monogram appears on most of its products, ...
". for In March 2023, Taeyeon was selected as global ambassador for Tsingtao's non-alcoholic beverage. In June 2023, Taeyeon become the face for Narangd Cider, a zero-calorie soda product of Dong-A Otsuka; its official brand representative stated that "Taeyeon's unique healthy and fresh image matches well to Narangd Cider." In May 2024, Dongkook Pharmaceutical announced that Taeyeon was selected as a model for Madecassol, a brand of plant-based wound care products; its marketing representative commented that "We found her to be well-suited for the role of the "wound fairy", helping to care for children's injuries".


Discography

* '' My Voice'' (2017) * '' Purpose'' (2019) * '' INVU'' (2022)


Filmography


Films


Television series


Television shows


Web shows


Radio shows


Theatre


Concerts and tours


Headlining


Korea tours

* Butterfly Kiss (2016) * The Magic of Christmas Time (2017)


Asia tours

* Persona (2017) * 's... Taeyeon Concert (2018–2019) * The Unseen (2020) * The Odd of Love (2023) * The Tense (2025)


Japan tours

* Japan Tour 2019 ~Signal~ (2019)


Concert participation

* SM Town Live Culture Humanity (2021) * SM Town Live 2022: SMCU Express at Kwangya (2022) * SM Town Live 2023: SMCU Palace at Kwangya (2023)


Awards and nominations

Since debuting as a member of Girls' Generation, Taeyeon has received numerous nominations and awards for her solo activities in original soundtracks, radio show hosting and musical theatre. She won two Best Female Artist awards at the
Mnet Asian Music Awards The MAMA Awards (, formerly Mnet Asian Music Awards) is a major Music award, music awards ceremony presented annually by entertainment company CJ ENM. First held in South Korea, the majority of prizes have been won by K-pop artists, although ...
, as well as Bonsang awards at the 25th
Seoul Music Awards The Seoul Music Awards (; SMA) is a major South Korean music awards show presented by the newspaper Seoul Shinmun, ''Sports Seoul''. The award winners are selected based on a combination of criteria, including music sales, popular votes, and exp ...
and the 30th
Golden Disc Awards The Golden Disc Awards (, formerly spelled the Golden Disk Awards before 2015) is an annual South Korean major music awards ceremony that honors achievements in the local music industry. The awards ceremony was founded with the purpose to prom ...
. In January 2020, Taeyeon won the OST Award, Bonsang Award (Main Prize), and Daesang Award (Grand Prize) at the 29th Seoul Music Awards.


References


External links

* at
SM Town SM Town (stylized in all caps as SMTOWN) is a musical collective for the recording artists under South Korean entertainment company SM Entertainment. SM Town artists have performed at the annual SM Town Live world tours since the SM Town Liv ...
* {{Authority control 1989 births Living people 21st-century South Korean actresses 21st-century South Korean women singers Girls' Generation members Got the Beat members Japanese-language singers of South Korea Golden Disc Award winners Melon Music Award winners MAMA Award winners Grand Prize Seoul Music Award recipients People from Jeonju People from Wansan District Musicians from North Jeolla Province SM Entertainment artists South Korean contemporary R&B singers South Korean dance music singers South Korean female idols South Korean musical theatre actresses South Korean radio presenters 21st-century South Korean singer-songwriters South Korean voice actresses South Korean women radio presenters South Korean pop rock singers Circle Chart Music Award winners