Nam Tae-hyun (Korean: 남태현; born May 10, 1994), also known as Taehyun, is a South Korean singer, songwriter, producer and actor. In March 2017, he founded a music label, South Buyers Club. Sometime afterwards, the label was renamed to The South.[2] Under the label, Nam debuted the band South Club, of which he is leader, main vocalist, guitarist, and main composer. He was previously the main vocalist of K-pop group Winner, in which he also composed and produced. In November 2019, Nam announced that he closed his music label and that the band had signed with new management.[3]
Nam Tae-hyun | |
|---|---|
 Nam performing at the 2018 Indiestance Final Concert | |
| Background information | |
| Born | May 10, 1994[1] Hanam, South Korea |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
|
| Instruments |
|
| Years active | 2013–present |
| Labels |
|
| Member of | South Club |
| Formerly of | |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul | 남태현 |
| Hanja | 南太鉉 |
| Revised Romanization | Nam Taehyeon |
| McCune–Reischauer | Nam T'aehyŏn |
Life and career
editPre-debut: Win: Who Is Next
editPrior to his debut as a member of Winner, Nam performed as a backup dancer for the YG Family Concert 2011.
In 2013, he competed in the reality program Win: Who Is Next as a trainee in "Team A", which he went on to debut as a member of group Winner.[4] Nam co-composed and co-wrote two songs that were used to compete on the show.
2014–2015: Official debut, 2014 S/S, and television appearances
editNam participated in the production of Winner's debut album, 2014 S/S, which was released in August 2014. He co-composed three songs from the album – "But (사랑하지마)", "Tonight (이 밤)" and his solo track "Confession (고백하는거야)".[5] The album topped several charts, including the Gaon Music Chart as well as the Billboard's World Albums Chart.[6]
In 2015, while the group was on hiatus, Nam made his acting debut on web drama Midnight Girl.[7] That same year, he played a supporting role in the drama Late Night Restaurant.[8] He was also cast in the joint Chinese-Korean production Under the Black Moonlight.[9]
2016: Exit : E, television appearances, and departure from Winner
editIn January 2016, Nam released the single "Pricked" (사랑가시) in collaboration with Mino as a warm-up track ahead of Winner's EP Exit : E.[10] The single charted at number two on MelOn.[11]
After nearly 18 months of hiatus, Winner's comeback mini-album Exit : E was released on February 1. The album featured five tracks, including "Pricked", and double title tracks "Baby Baby" and "센치해 (Sentimental)". Nam played a major role in the production of both title tracks, as well as for his solo "좋더라 (I'm Young)".[12]
In March 2016, Nam joined tvN's Actor School, a variety show featuring seven stars going through a series of trainings by actor Park Shin-yang, in order to brush up on their acting skills.[13][14]
On October 12, YG Entertainment stated that Nam would be halting promotional activities and receiving treatment for mental health issues. As a result, Winner's comeback was delayed indefinitely.[15] Later, on November 25, it was announced that he had withdrawn from the group and had terminated his contract with YG Entertainment.[16][17] The following day, he posted a handwritten letter on his personal Instagram account containing his apology, gratitude to fans and pledge to return with other music and projects.[18][19]
2017–present: Music creations and South Buyers Club
editNam continues sharing his music creations and covers on his SoundCloud account,[20] including a cover of Radiohead's "Creep", Park Hyo-shin's "Beautiful Tomorrow", and "Breath (숨)". His influences arise from artists across many genres, such as Nirvana, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, B.B. King, and Eric Clapton. He then created a Tumblr site on January 5,[21] posting announcements and communicating with fans from time to time. On January 23, Nam started recruiting applications for his upcoming band.
On March 25, Nam, together with his rumored band, South Club, held a guerrilla show at Pet Sounds Bar in Korea. The 30-minute show was livestreamed on platforms such as Instagram, and popular China video-sharing platform Miaopai. South Club performed a total of four songs, including tracks from The Beatles and Foster the People.[22] On April 11, Nam announced that his music label "South Buyers Club" has officially been registered as of March 30.[23] On May 26, South Club released the music video for their first pre-release track "Hug Me," which was a ballad rock track.[24]
South Club's first EP 90 was released on June 27, along with music videos for the two title tracks: "Liar" and "I got the Blues.". The name of the album was inspired by the expression of freedom of youths in the 90s. It was also due to the fact that all members of the band were born after the year 1990.[25] On July 9, the band came back with their first single titled "아니 (No)".[26] After the member Yooni's departure,[27] the band's first release as a four piece was the second single "누굴 위한 노래인가요 (Who Is This Song For?)", which became available for streaming on December 5, 2017.[28]
Radio DJ
editOn July 31, 2017, Nam started his career as a radio DJ.[29] He broadcast live on the Casper Radio Vlive channel on Mondays, at 11pm, to talk about various topics and to share his music with his fans. On his 32nd broadcast, on April 9, 2018, Nam announced that he would be doing his last broadcast on May 7, in order to focus more on his music.[citation needed]
Personal life
edit| External videos | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Nam Taehyun Answers Fan Questions About Mental Health, Rock Icons and South Club |
Nam has been open about his struggles with bipolar disorder and depression. He stated in a November 2018 interview with Rolling Stone India that while founding his label South Buyers Club took a toll to his emotional wellbeing that he hadn't recovered from at the time, his daily effort to stay productive helped him "overcome his [feeling of] loneliness and depression".[30] Later, he explained that "[w]hen I'm frustrated, I say that I'm frustrated—when I'm happy, I say that I'm happy." and that his approach of discussing his own mental state (and its positive influence on his fans) really isn't a "negative point of [his]" given that "[s]o many people struggle psychologically and that's just how people live".[31]
Following the suicide of fellow K-pop idol and actress Sulli (former member of the girlgroup f(x)) in October 2019, Nam spoke out against cyberbullying and malicious commenting by netizens, stating that he had previously attempted suicide because of similar harassment.[32][33]
Production credits
edit| Year | Artist | Song | Role | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Team A | "Go Up" | Co-lyricist | Win: Who Is Next, "Final Battle" |
| "Just Another Boy" | ||||
| 2014 | Winner | "Confession (고백하는거야)" | Lyricist, co-composer | 2014 S/S |
| "But (사랑하지마)" | Co-lyricist, co-composer | |||
| "Tonight (이 밤)" | ||||
| 2016 | "센치해 (Sentimental)" | Exit : E | ||
| "Baby Baby" | Co-lyricist, composer, co-arranger | |||
| "좋더라 (I'm Young)" | Lyricist, co-composer |
Discography
editSingles as a lead artist
edit| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Sales | Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KOR [34] |
CHN [35] |
US World | ||||
| "Confession (고백하는 거야)" | 2014 | 19 | — | — |
|
2014 S/S |
| "Pricked (사랑가시)" with Mino | 2016 | 7 | 229 | 4 |
|
EXIT E |
| "I'm Young (좋더라)" | 30 | — | — |
| ||
| "Take Me Out" | 2017 | — | — | — | — | Black OST |
| "Boy and girl (소년, 소녀)" | — | — | — | Children of 20th Century OST | ||
Singles as a featured artist
edit| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Sales | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JPN | |||||
| "Spoiler" (Japanese Mix) Epik High (featuring Taehyun of Winner) |
2014 | — | — | Shoebox Japan Edition | |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that region. | |||||
Filmography
editTelevision
editDrama
edit| Year | Network | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | MBC Every 1 | Midnight's Girl | Gong Ji-dan |
| SBS | Late Night Restaurant | Min-woo | |
| 2016 | Sohu TV | Under The Black Moonlight | Lee Kang-woo |
Reality
edit| Year | Network | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Mnet | Win: Who Is Next | As a Team A member |
| 2016 | tvN | Actor School | Ep. 1-10 |
| 2016 | JTBC | Half-Moon Friends | As a teacher |
| 2018 | Netflix | YG Future Strategy Office | Cameo (ep. 1) |
| 2018 | tvN | In-Law In Practice | as himself |
| 2019 | tvN | Studio Vibes | as himself |
Other
editRadio
edit| Year | Network | Program | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017–2021 | CaspermusicTV | Nam Taehyun's 11pm | DJ (every Monday) |
References
edit- ^ "Nam Tae Hyun - YG Stage Profile". YG Stage. Retrieved May 10, 2016.
- ^ "Nam Tae Hyun's Agency Discontinued, South Club Signs With New Agency". Soompi. November 4, 2019. Retrieved 2019-12-04.
- ^ "Nam Tae Hyun's Agency Discontinued, South Club Signs With New Agency". Soompi. November 4, 2019. Retrieved 2019-12-04.
- ^ "'WIN' 강승윤 속한 A팀, 최종 우승…'WINNER'로 데뷔". Nate. Retrieved May 9, 2016.
- ^ "Winner Reveals its 10-Song Tracklist for Debut Album". Mnet. August 6, 2014. Archived from the original on December 25, 2017. Retrieved December 24, 2017.
- ^ "Billboard World Album Chart". Billboard. 2 January 2013. Retrieved August 30, 2014.
- ^ "Winner's Nam Tae Hyun to Make Acting Debut through Web Drama". Mwave. March 24, 2015.
- ^ "WINNER Nam Tae-hyun to star in 'Midnight Diner'". Kpop Herald. June 5, 2015.
- ^ "WINNER's NAM TAE HYUN & KIM JIN WOO to Feature in the Drama Series Jointly Made by Korean & Chinese Production Companies". YG Life. September 4, 2015.
- ^ "WINNER to unveil entry single 'Pricked'". Kpop Herald. January 8, 2016.
- ^ "'Pricked,' WINNER's new song tops". Kpop Herald. January 11, 2016.
- ^ "[Herald Interview] Winner up next in YG baton relay". The Korea Herald. February 3, 2016.
- ^ "Winner′s Nam Tae Hyun to Receive Acting Lessons From Park Shin Yang on ′Actor School′". Mwave. December 24, 2015.
- ^ "Stars get acting lessons in new TV show". Korea Times. Retrieved January 7, 2017.
- ^ "Winner's Taehyun tentatively halts group activities, citing health problems". Kpop Herald. October 13, 2016.
- ^ "2NE1 disbands, and Winner member leaves group". Korea JoongAng Daily. November 28, 2016.
- ^ Choi, Na-yung. "YG, "2NE1 공식해체·위너 남태현 탈퇴" [공식발표] ("YG, "2NE1 Officially Disbands, Nam Tae-hyun Leaves WINNER" [official announcement]". OSEN. Retrieved February 25, 2017.
- ^ "Winner's departing Nam says he's grateful". Korea JoongAng Daily. November 29, 2016.
- ^ Chon, Hyo-jin. "'탈퇴' 남태현 "위너로 큰 사랑 받아 행복, 음악 계속 하겠다" [공식입장 전문] (Nam Taehyun, "I Was Very Happy To Have Received Such Great Love As Nam Tae Hyun of WINNER, I Will Continue Making Music") [full text of the official statement]". dongA.com. Retrieved February 25, 2017.
- ^ "SOUTH_CLUB". SoundCloud. Retrieved January 6, 2017.
- ^ "Namtaehyun". south-b-club.tumblr.com. Retrieved January 6, 2017.
- ^ Nam만고양이 (2017-03-25), 170325 South Club(남태현) 게릴라 공연 노래모음, retrieved 2017-04-08
- ^ "[공식입장] 前 위너 남태현, 개인 레이블 설립…밴드 활동 시동". Retrieved 2017-04-11.
- ^ "Nam Tae Hyun Returns as ′South Club′". Mwave. June 1, 2017.
- ^ "Nam Tae-hyun-leads South Club to drop 1st EP on Tuesday". Kpop Herald. June 22, 2017.
- ^ "Nam Taehyun's Band South Club's New Song 'No' Release on the 8th at Noon…'Anticipation UP'". Yahoo. BNT News. July 7, 2017.
- ^ "Login • Instagram". Archived from the original on 2021-12-24.
{{cite web}}: Cite uses generic title (help) - ^ "who's this song for release".
- ^ "Nam Taehyun's 1st broadcast". Retrieved October 2, 2017.
- ^ Chakraborty, Riddhi (November 28, 2018). "The Quiet Revolution of Nam Taehyun". Rolling Stone India. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
- ^ Chakraborty, Riddhi (November 30, 2018). "Exclusive: Watch Nam Taehyun Talk About Mental Health, Rock Icons and South Club". Rolling Stone India. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
- ^ Choi, Min-ji (October 17, 2019). "남태현, 악플 심경 토로 "나 역시 목숨 끊으려 시도한 적 있어" [전문]". The Korea Economic Daily (in Korean). Retrieved October 17, 2019.
- ^ Jang, Hye-won. "남태현 " 목숨 끊으려 시도 한 적 있다. 멈춰달라" 악플러에게 호소". Segye Ilbo (in Korean). Retrieved October 17, 2019.
- ^
- "Confession".
- "Pricked". April 11, 2016.
- ^
- ^ "2014 Download Chart - August". Gaon Chart (in Korean). Korea Music Content Industry Association. Retrieved January 5, 2015.
- ^ "2016년 03주차 Download Chart (Week 03 - 2016)". Gaon Music Chart. January 21, 2016.
- "2016년 04주차 Download Chart (Week 04 - 2016)". Gaon Music Chart. January 31, 2016.
- "2016년 05주차 Download Chart (Week 05 - 2016)". Gaon Music Chart. February 15, 2016.
- "2016년 06주차 Download Chart (Week 06 - 2016)". Gaon Music Chart. February 15, 2016.
- ^ "2016년 06주차 Download Chart (Week 06 - 2016)". Gaon Music Chart. February 15, 2016.
External links
edit
Media related to Nam Tae-hyun at Wikimedia Commons