Wheesung

Wheesung is a Korean R&B singer formerly under M.Boat Entertainment Group & YG Entertainment label. He left both labels when his contract ended in March 2006. He is now under the Orange Shock Agency label. His music, at the beginning of his career, was heavily influenced by R&B but pop had become more evident in his music in recent years. He isn't fluent in English, though his pronunciation is considered to be very good; He usually has 1 or 2 songs sung completely in English in all of his albums.

Wheesung has has done a large number of collaborations as well as writing and composing songs for other artists.

Profile

• Real Name: Choi Whee Sung (최휘성)
• Stage Name: Wheesung (휘성, フィソン / pronounced: Hwisung)
• Nicknames: Real Slow
• Birthday: February 5, 1982
• Blood type: O
• Height: 172 cm
• Weight: 63 kg
• Family: Parents & 1 Younger Brother (Hyuk Sung)
• Education: Sunmoon University changed to International Digital University
• Hobbies: Reading Comic Books

Information

Wheesung was first part of dance-team "ING" when he debuted in 1997. He later became the lead vocals for the short-lived boyband "A4". Due to musical differences & disagreements with other group members, He left after the release of their first album.

After leaving A4, he was taken under the management of YG Entertainment's sister company M.BOAT and was trained for two years before releasing his first solo album in 2002. Even before the release of his first album, Wheesung attracted attention from music lovers after being highly praised by veteran singers Shin Seung Hoon, Yang Hyun Suk & Seo Taiji. His debut album gained great popularity and quickly reached the top ten in music charts. In 2003, he released his follow-up album, It's Real. It proved to be as popular as his first, making him the best selling artist of 2003 in Korea. Unlike his debut album, It's Real wasn't restricted to R&B and it included different musical elements like pop and hip-hop.

For his third album's performances, Wheesung choose to perform his first performance at a different show instead of the natural first choice, SBS' Inkigayo. This move not only angered SBS, it also fueled a fierce disagreement between SBS and YG Entertainment. In the weeks that followed, SBS refused to let any artist belonging to the YG Entertainment & M.BOAT stable to perform in Inkigayo. In retaliation, Yang Hyun Suk, founder of YG Entertainment, posted a comment on YG's website stating that all artists under YG Entertainment would boycott the 2004 SBS Music Awards. The feud between the two companies ended after Wheesung performed his first comeback performance in SBS' Inkigayo, for his Love..Love..?Love..! album, in September 2005. He was the first YG artist to perform in SBS' Inkigayo in nearly a whole year.

His contract with YG Entertainment & M.Boat ended in March 2006. He signed a new contract that is reportedly worth 1.5 million won with his new company Orange Shock Agency. It was stated that he will be composing and producing more with his new company giving him more freedom to do so.

To date he has released 4 albums and participated in several other artists' albums. Wheesung's 5th album was expected to be released January 2007 but it met with delays. The album will now be released on the 4th of September, named Eternal Essence of Music this album was to include a duet with BoA but due to her busy schedule it was not possible to record the track in time for the album release. The song might be later released as a digital single or part of BoA's next Korean album.

Notable Concerts

In 2003, he joined Gummy, Se7en and Big Mama on stage at their joint concert called "Soul Train".

In the following year, he performed, for the first time, in the U.S. in a series of concerts called "New Dimension Tour". The tour featured JYP's Rain and Park Jin Young and YG's Se7en, Lexy and himself. Though the concerts weren't a success in terms of ticket sales, it helped expose Wheesung more to the foreign market. In the same year, he was among some 40 other South Korean artists to participate in the Unification Desire Project "Love". As the title suggests, the project gathered artists together to sing in hopes of seeing North & South Korea unified.

In 2005, he participated in several of m-flo's concerts. One being in Korea entitled "m-flo LOVES Korea" and another held in Budokan in November 2005, which was later released as a DVD called M-Flo Tour2005 Beat Space Nine at Nippon Budokan. He also joined YG Family (Se7en, Gummy, Big Mama, Jinusean, 1TYM, Lexy, Stony Skunk, 45RPM and Soul Star) in December 31, 2005 on stage in YG's 2005 ONE concert. Another notable concert he participated in that year is the "Korea/Japan Friendship concert".

He also appeared in the 2003, 2004 and 2005 Annual Korean Festival held in Hollywood Bowl, US.

Trivia

• He used to attend the same school as his good friend, Fany of Fly to the Sky.
• He used to date Gummy before they both became famous; now they both claim to be good friends.
• He play in Gummy's MV 그대 돌아오면
• His ideal girlfriends are singer Eugene (formerly of S.E.S) and actress Lim Soo Jung.
• He helped produce Eddie's debut album Just My Way.
• When he was still part of A4, his name was romanized as "Hwee Sung".
• Though he left YG Family in early 2006, he is on good enough terms to return and help voice train the vocalists of the group BIG BANG.
• He also joined the collaboration of singers known as Big 4 w/S.G. Wannabe, Vibe, and Seeya. He informally replaced singer Kim Jong Gook because he is serving his military. When a member of Seeya, Nam Gyu Ri, had her breast exposed during on of the Big 4 concerts, many netizens tooks pictures and it was a rage on the internet. Whee Sung on his website publicly bashed those who put the picture on the internet on his website.
• He, Gummy and Danny An (from G.O.D) worked on Baby Vox Re.V's first album.

Discography

Albums

• [2002.04.03] Like A Movie
• [2003.08.20] It's Real
• [2004.10.09] For The Moment
• [2005.09.22] Love..Love..? Love..!
• [2007.09.04] Eternal Essence of Music
• [2009.10.10] Vocolate

Mini Albums

• [2008.10.29] With All My Heart And Soul

Digital Singles

• [2005.04.xx] Ahee Chuhrum
• [2006.04.17] Against All Odds
• [2006.11.23] Memories of Midair ['The Restless' movie theme]
• [2008.04.01] Love Seat ['U-Turn' movie theme]
• [2008.05.27] We re Not Crazy
• [2009.02.18] Insomnia (Wheesung)

Others

• [1999.05.06] A4 - Yongseohaejulrae (용서해줄래)
• [2003.12.18] Color Of Soul Train
• [2004.11.16] New K-POP Compilation
• [2004.12.28] Love - Unification Desire Project

Collaborations

• [2001.06.18] Jang Nara - First Story (Track 10. 약속)(rap in Track 6. 4월 이야기 (april Story), 9. Blue)
• [2003.02.03] Tha Lowdown - LowDown (Track 3. Trip 2 Da Bay)
• [2003.02.07] Big Mama - Like The Bible (Track 09. Wine)
• [2003.02.07] Gummy - Like Them (Track 06. Do it) (chorus in Track. 05. 나는 & Track 12. 가버려)
• [2003.03.07] Se7en - Just Listen (Track 6. Unwanted Parting & Track 9. Luz Control)
• [2003.06.20] Masta Wu - Masta Peace (Track 9. It'z Time)
• [2003.10.06] Lexy - Lexury (Track 2. Oath)
• [2003.12.01] Jang Nara - 3rd story (Track 9. 약속)
• [2004.05.31] P-Type - Heavy Bass (Track 3. 돈키호테)
• [2004.06.04] Wanted - Like The First (Track 7. Believe)
• [2004.06.12] Taebin - Taebin of 1TYM vol. 1 (Track 8. Real Luv Story)
• [2004.07.07] Se7en - Must Listen (Track 15. Real Luv Story)
• [2004.09.09] Gummy - It's Different (Track 07. Tonight)
• [2004.10.26] A Moment to Remember OST (Track 6. 회상)
• [2004.11.12] JINUSEAN - Norabose (Track 6. 미스터 지누션 & Track 7. GOOD TIME)
• [2005.05.27] Eddie - Just My Way (Track 5. What's Wrong?)
• [2005.06.18] Lyn - One and Only Feeling (Track 7. You Don't Know Me)
• [2005.08.03] Joosuc - Seoul City's Finest : Superior Vol.2 (Track 6. Most Wanted)
• [2005.08.24] m-flo - Beat Space Nine (Track 5. I'm DA 1)
• [2005.09.02] Diva - Only Diva (Track 6. 76-70=♥)
• [2005.11.02] m-flo - Dope Space Nine (Track 12. I'M DA 1 (Tongarinnipopo no Kimchi Joseyo MIX))
• [2006.02.22] m-flo Tour 2005 Beat Space Nine at Nippon Budokan (Track 6. I'M DA 1)
• [2006.02.22] Tae Wan - A Love Confession (Track 11. Watch Out!)
• [2006.05.03] Kil Gun - BABY G (Track 2. A. U Ready?)
• [2006.08.26] REMADE 0506 (Track 5. 아프고 아픈 이름)
• [2006.11.23] The Restless (Jung Cheon) OST (Tracks 2. 손톱달, 4. 三日月 & 6. 月色)
• [2007.02.12] Ivy - A Sweet Moment (Track 2. 유혹의 소나타)
• [2007.03.15] Younha - A Perfect Day for Love Declaration (Track 10. 어린욕심)
• [2007.04.20] Viva Soul - Refresh (Track 13. Fallin' Down)
• [2007.05.11] Ji Eun - Rain (Track 04. 선택)
• [2008.04.10] Moon Ji Eun - Vivid (Moon Ji Eun) (Track 05. A Fox)
• [2008.07.14] Lee Hyori - It's Hyorish (Track 08. Sexyboy)

Awards

• 2003 18th Golden Disc Awards - Bonsang
• 2003 Korean Music Awards - Bonsang
• 2003 Seoul Gayo Awards - Bonsang
• 2004 Korean Music Awards - Best Male Performer
• 2004 M.NET KM Music Video Festival - Best R&B Artist
• 2004 19th Golden Disk Awards - Bonsang
• 2004 KBS Music Awards - Bonsang
• 2004 MBC Music Awards - Bonsang
• 2005 M.NET KM Music Video Festival - Best Male R&B Artist
• 2005 20th Golden Disk Awards - Bonsang
• 2005 SBS Gayo Awards - Bonsang

External Links & Sources

• Official Orangeshock Site
• TFL-approved Wheesung Fanlisting
• Just Wheesung - English Wheesung Forum

---

This article is a stub. You can help generasia by expanding it.