Kim Sang-woo (Korean: 김상우; born July 3, 1993),[1] known professionally asRoy Kim (Korean: 로이킴), is a South Korean singer-songwriter and radio presenter. He began his singing career after winning the television talent showSuperstar K 4 in 2012.[2]
Roy Kim was born Kim Sang-woo inSeoul, South Korea, on July 3, 1993.[1] His father is a former executive of Seoul Takju, a prominentmakgeolli liquor manufacturer.[11][12] His mother is an artist.[13] Jung Yoon-hye, a former member of the girl groupRainbow, is Kim's cousin.[14]
During his elementary and middle school years, Kim attended Kyung Bok Elementary School and Whimoon Middle School. He was sent toAsheville, North Carolina, in the United States to attendAsheville School, which he graduated from in 2012.[15][13]
Kim was accepted to attendGeorgetown University in Washington, D.C., in 2012, but he delayed his enrollment to audition forSuperstar K 4. He entered his first year at Georgetown in 2013 and alternated between attending school in the United States and pursuing his music career in South Korea.[16][17] He was majoring in sociology, which he said is "helpful for writing lyrics."[12] In May 2019, Kim denied preparing for Georgetown graduation ceremony, and returned to Korea to face theBurning Sun scandal's investigators after finishing his final exam.[18] Despite the investigation, the university granted an undergraduate degree to Kim.[19]
In 2012, Kim auditioned forMnet's television talent showSuperstar K 4 (the South Korean equivalent ofAmerican Idol).[16] He was ultimately the season's winner, out of nearly two million applicants. Following his win, he performed at the2012 Mnet Asian Music Awards in Hong Kong.[15]
In June 2013, Kim released his first album,Love Love Love, which included the "mega-hit" single "Bom Bom Bom."[3] The single topped theGaon Digital Chart for two weeks andBillboard'sK-pop Hot 100 for three weeks after its release.[20][6] The album's title track, "Love Love Love" reached No. 2 on the Gaon chart and No. 4 on the Billboard chart.[21][22] Following the release of his first album, Kim won several awards, including Best New Male Artist at the2013 Mnet Asian Music Awards, 20's Booming Star at the 2013Mnet 20's Choice Awards, and Rookie of the Year and the Popularity Award at the 2014Golden Disc Awards.[4][23][5]
Kim released his second album,Home, in October 2014.[6] The album's lead single, also named "Home," was a success, topping South Korea's real-time music charts upon its release and reaching No. 2 on the Gaon Digital Chart.[24][25] That month, Kim embarked on a South Korean tour to promote the album.[26] In November, he contributed to the soundtrack for the television seriesPinocchio, with the song, "Pinocchio,"[27] for which he won Best Original Soundtrack at the2015 APAN Star Awards[28] and Favorite Foreign Artist at the 2015Hito Music Awards in Taiwan.[29] Kim also became the first foreign artist to perform at the Hito Music Awards since they were established in 2003.[30]
In December 2015, Kim released his third album,The Great Dipper. The album's title track was a ballad, which was a departure from Kim's previous acoustic folk singles.[7] At the end of the year, Kim performed at three solo concerts in Seoul, all of which had sold out before the release of his album.[31]
Kim released his first extended play,Blooming Season (Korean: 개화기), in May 2017.[8] In February 2018, he released the single "Only Then," which topped Korean music charts upon its release,[32] and which received a Platinum certification for digital sales byGaon in November.[33] For the song, Kim won Best Ballad at the 2018Melon Music Awards,Best Male Artist at the2018 Mnet Asian Music Awards, and a Digital Bonsang at the 2019Golden Disc Awards.[34][35][36]
In September 2022, it was confirmed that Kim would release a new album in October, the first after his discharge from military service.[37] On October 7, 2022, Kim released a photo of his new single "Take Me Back In Time" via his official SNS. The single was released on October 14. This pre-release single will be followed by the release of his fourth full albumAnd on October 25.[38]
On May 27, 2020, Kim released his self-produced single "Linger On", which is his first single in 1 year and 8 months, and will be his last single before enlisting into theRepublic of Korea Marine Corps for hismandatory military enlistment on June 15.[39][40] On December 2, 2021, it was reported that Kim will be discharged from military service on December 14, 2021,[41] without returning to the unit after his last vacation in accordance with theMinistry of National Defense guidelines for preventing the spread of COVID-19.[42]
^Kim, Da-eun (September 22, 2022)."로이킴, 10월 새 앨범 발매… 2년 5개월만 가요계 컴백" [Roy Kim releases a new album in October... Comeback in the music industry after 2 years and 5 months] (in Korean).Ilgan Sports. RetrievedSeptember 26, 2022 – viaNaver.
^Kim, Ye-na (October 7, 2022)."로이킴, '정준영 단톡방' 논란 극복…"음악 지키려 노력" [Roy Kim overcomes controversy over 'Jung Joon-young's group chat room'... “I try to keep the music] (in Korean). X-ports News. RetrievedOctober 7, 2022 – viaNaver.
^Jung Yu-jin (December 2, 2021)."[단독]로이킴, 12월 14일 미복귀 제대…현재 조용히 말년 휴가중" [[Exclusive] Roy Kim, discharged from return on December 14th... Currently quietly on vacation for the last year] (in Korean). SPOTV News. RetrievedDecember 2, 2021 – viaNaver.
^Kim Ji-seon (December 2, 2021)."해병대' 로이킴, 14일 미복귀 전역…"현재 말년 휴가 중" [Marine Corps' Roy Kim, discharged from the military without returning on the 14th... "Currently on last year's vacation] (in Korean). Money Today. RetrievedDecember 2, 2021 – viaNaver.
^Kang, Ga-hee (August 10, 2023)."총상금 1억 '초대형 노래방 서바이벌 VS'..초호화 프로듀서 라인업 공개" [Total prize money of 100 million won. "Super-large karaoke survival vs."The lineup of super luxurious producers will be released] (in Korean).Herald Pop. RetrievedAugust 10, 2023 – viaNaver.
