Hwang Hyun-jin (Korean: 황현진; born March 20, 2000), known mononymously as Hyunjin, is a South Korean rapper, dancer and singer. He is a member of the South Korean boy band Stray Kids, formed by JYP Entertainment in 2017. Hyunjin has contributed to the group both as a performer and a lyricist.
Aside from his work with Stray Kids, Hyunjin has collaborated with other artists, such as Troye Sivan and Yeji of Itzy. He has also worked as a television presenter, hosting the weekly Korean music program Show! Music Core from 2019 to 2021. In addition to his music career, Hyunjin has worked as a brand ambassador for luxury brands, such as Versace and Cartier.
Early life and education
Hwang Hyun-jin was born on March 20, 2000, in Seoul, South Korea.[1][2]
Hyunjin had no dance training prior to becoming a trainee idol.[3] He was scouted on the street by a JYP Entertainment agent during his third year of middle school, while shopping with his mother.[4]
During his traineeship, in late 2017, Hyunjin appeared on the Mnet survival show Stray Kids, a contest centered on the formation of JYP Entertainment's new idol group.[9] By the time the show premiered on October 17, Hyunjin had been a trainee for two years.
After being confirmed as part of the group's line-up, Hyunjin was credited as a lyricist for the song "4419".[10] This track was performed alongside Bang Chan and Seungmin during the survival show as part of his effort to avoid elimination.[11] JYP Entertainment later included all songs performed by Stray Kids during the show in their pre-debut EP titled Mixtape.[12] He officially debuted with Stray Kids on March 25, 2018, with EP I Am Not through a debut showcase.[13]
In 2019, Hyunjin was announced as one of the presenters of the weekly chart show Show! Music Core, alongside SF9's Chani and Gugudan's Mina,[14] serving as co-host from February 16, 2019, to February 20, 2021 (episodes 621 through 714). In December 2019, he joined KBS's project group Bbangbbangz with Yoon Sanha, Choi Bomin, and Lee Daehwi, performing covers like GOT7's "Just Right" and Red Velvet's "Psycho" on Music Bank.[15][16] He also made his acting debut in the web series A-Teen 2 with a cameo appearance in the final episode, alongside fellow Stray Kids member I.N the same year.[17]
From February to June 2021, Hyunjin was placed on a temporary hiatus due to school bullying allegations,[18] and resumed regular activities with the group in July.[19][20] During his hiatus, he was absent from participating in the majority of Stray Kids' appearances on Kingdom: Legendary War, appearing only in their introduction round performance. He made his first reappearance by featuring in the music video for the group's release, "Mixtape: Oh," on June 26, 2021.[21]
In July 2024, together with his bandmates, it was announced Hyunjin had renewed his group contract with JYP a year earlier than expected, extending Stray Kids' affiliation with the label.[27]
Artistry
Hyunjin's dance skills have been noted for their precision and expressiveness. Additionally, Jack Lau in South China Morning Post described Hyunjin's voice as soft and soothing, demonstrating versatility beyond rapping.[3] He is not only known for his dancing but also showcases his skills as both a rapper and singer, contributing to the group's sound and performance style. In addition to his dancing and rapping skills Hyunjin is a skilled visual artist, he has shared many of his personal paintings on social media.[28]
Songwriting
The emotions in the lyrics I write are something only I know. In some ways, you might feel like I'm twisting my lyrics in a complicated way. I like writing lyrics that leave room for interpretation. I also get the most enjoyment from listening to someone else's music and interpreting it in my own way. So in terms of the 'style' aspect that you mentioned, I think I try to keep the melody easy-listening and the lyrics deep. I don't know how much that will be conveyed, but my songs have to be enjoyable for me to listen to.
Behind Stray Kids' production team, 3RACHA (bandmates Bang Chan, Changbin, and Han), Hyunjin is the fourth most accredited songwriter of the group, with 28 KOMCA credits as of September 2024.[30] He has contributed to various B-side tracks, including four sub-unit songs "Wow" in 2020, "Taste"[31] and "Muddy Water" in 2022,[32] and "Red Lights" in 2021. He was also the primary songwriter for "DLMLU" from Stray Kids' full-length Japanese album, The Sound,[33] and "Cover Me" from their EP Rock-Star.[34][35]
Hyunjin has been recognized for his contributions as a songwriter, particularly for his work on songs with emotive melodies and lyrics.[31]
SKZ-Record/Player and solo music
As of September 2024, Hyunjin had made nine contributions to Stray Kids' YouTube-based portfolio project, SKZ-Record/Player. These included the original solo songs "Little Star" (꼬마별), "Ice Cream" (stylised as ice.cream), "Contradicting", "Long for You",[36] and "Hey You".[37] "Little Star" (under the new title, "miss you"), "Ice Cream", and a new song, "Love Untold", were included in Stray Kids' digital compilation album, SKZ-Replay, released in December 2022. The remainder of his original SKZ-Record/Player songs are yet to see wider release.[38] He also has collaborated with bandmate I.N for the original duet "미제 (untitled)",[39] one group dance performance with Lee Know and Felix,[40] and two solo dance performances he choreographed, one to "Play with Fire" by Sam Tinnesz featuring Yacht Money in 2022,[41] and another to "When the Party's Over" by Billie Eilish in 2020.[42]
As of September 2024, Hyunjin is known to have several unreleased songs, including the solo song "Mic & Brush"[43] that he performed during Stray Kids' 5-Star Dome Tour.
Hyunjin was placed consistently in Tumblr's "K-Pop Stars of the Year", ranking 28th in 2018,[46] 18th in 2019,[47] 19th in 2020, 9th in 2021,[48] and 6th in 2022.[49] Hyunjin was ranked fifth in Billboard's 2024 K-Pop Artist 100.[50]
Hyunjin has also been named "K-Pop's performance leader" via an article in Octorber, 2021 after his dance performance for Studio Choom's Artist of the Month for October was released.[51] Hyunjin is also credited with revitalizing the long haired trend for male K-pop idols after going viral for his cover of "Psycho" by Red Velvet on KBSMusic Bank.[52]
In February 2023, Hyunjin was named as one of five top entertainers in Korea on Forbes Korea's "Top 30 under 30" list making him the youngest at the time.[53] On March 13, 2024, fashion magazine Vogue Business mentioned Hyunjin as the celebrity with the highest SNS engagement rate overall for the 2024 Fall Winter fashion week season (at over 37%) during the 'Versace Fall-Winter 2024 fashion' show.[54][55]
He has been cited as an inspiration or influence by multiple artists, including Haru of Nexz[56] and Yujin of Zerobaseone.[57][58]
Other ventures
Fashion and endorsements
Together with bandmate and fellow DanceRacha member Lee Know, Hyunjin featured in the April 2020 issue of Arena Homme+ Korea.[59] He was featured again in the magazine's February 2021 issue, alongside bandmate Felix, also part of Stray Kids' dance line.[60]
In 2021, Hyunjin, Lee Know, and Felix endorsed the Earthbeat sneaker for Etro.[61] On August 31, 2022, together with bandmate Felix, Hyunjin attended the Tod's Seoul event at Loop Station Iksun.[62] In April 2024, Hyunjin attended a Kilian Paris event[63] in support of endorsing the brand in W Korea.[64] In May 2024, he made his Met Gala debut with Stray Kids as guests of Tommy Hilfiger,[65][66] making them the first K-pop group to attend together wearing custom outfits by the same designer.[67][68]
Versace ambassadorship
On September 5, 2022, Hyunjin and Felix flew to Paris to attend the YSL Beauty X Dua Lipa event.[62] In May 2023, following his meeting with Lipa, Hyunjin was subsequently one of 60 guests invited to Cannes for Dua Lipa's debut fashion show, "La Vacanza", a collaboration with Versace.[69][70]
In July 2023, he also attended the opening of Versace's "La Vacanza" pop-up store in Seoul.[71][72] Later that month, Hyunjin was announced as a global brand ambassador for Versace,[73][74] making him the first South Korean and Asian male ambassador for the brand.[75] The partnership led to Versace designing multiple bespoke pieces for him, including outfits he wore to perform with Stray Kids at the 2023 VMAs, Lollapalooza Paris,[76] and the band's 5-Star Dome Tour.[77] Hyunjin has also featured Versace designs in Stray Kids' music videos, including "S-Class".[78] In 2024, the brand provided Hyunjin with custom outfits for Stray Kids' Dominate World Tour.[79][80]
He was the face of Versace's Holiday 2023 advertising campaign.[81][82] After a minor car accident delayed a planned appearance in September 2023,[83][84] Hyunjin attended his first Milan Fashion Week as part of his ongoing collaboration with the brand in February 2024.[70][85] In September 2024, he attended his second Milan Fashion Week, participating in the showcase for Versace's spring-summer 2025 collection.[86]
Cartier ambassadorship
In June 2023, Hyunjin modelled for Cartier as the cover star of Esquire Korea.[87] He modelled for the brand again in May 2024, as the cover model for Elle Korea.[88]
In September 2024, Hyunjin was announced as a brand ambassador for Cartier,[89][90] with a modeling feature for the brand in the October 2024 issue of Esquire Korea.[91]
Philanthropy
On February 16, 2023, it was reported that Hyunjin donated ₩100 million (US$76,589.47) through the international relief organization, The Promise, to aid the relief efforts following the earthquake in Turkey and Syria.[92] His contributions made him appointed as a member of the honors club on March 30.[93]
In November 2023, he participated in a fundraising event for the "Love Your W" campaign by W Korea to raise awareness about breast cancer.[94][95]
In 2024, to celebrate his birthday, he donated ₩100 million (US$76,589.47) to the Snail of Love, a social welfare organization that provides hearing-impaired people with artificial cochlear surgery and hearing aids to help them find sound, supports social adaptation of hearing children, and provides education to improve public awareness.[96]
Personal life
Health
In July 2022, Hyunjin sustained a hand injury impacting his participation in Stray Kids' Maniac World Tour.[97]
In September 2023, Hyunjin, alongside bandmates Lee Know and Seungmin, received medical attention following a minor road accident, resulting in the modification of a planned Stray Kids performance at Global Citizen Festival.[83][84]
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