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Islander (musician)

[edit]

Cho Hyun-woo (Korean: 조현우, RR: Jo Hyeonwoo; born June 20, 1999), professionally known by the stage name Islander (아이랜더, most commonly stylized in all caps), is a South Korean singer, rapper, record producer, songwriter, and television personality.[1] Born in Iksan and raised partially in Osaka, Japan, Cho began posting freestyles and self-produced beats on SoundCloud in 2016, at the age of 17. In 2018, he signed a recording contract with Korean hip hop label AOMG and released his debut single "Need to Know". In 2020, he achieved widespread fame following his appearance on rap competition program Show Me the Money 9.

Islander
Islander in 2022.
Islander in 2022.
Background information
Birth nameCho Hyun-woo
Also known asIslander
Born (1999-06-20) June 20, 1999 (age 25)
Iksan, South Korea
OriginSeoul, South Korea
Genres
Occupations
  • Singer
  • rapper
  • record producer
  • songwriter
Years active2016–present
Labels

Islander's debut EP, Summa Heat, was released in July 2018 to moderate commercial success, peaking within the top-twenty of the Gaon Album Chart. In 2019, his performance at the Waterbomb Festival in Busan went viral on Twitter, gaining over 10 million views on the platform. In April 2020, his debut album, Islander, was released. The album was met with critical acclaim and earned him awards for Best Rap & Hip Hop Album at the 18th Korean Music Awards and Best Hip Hop Album at the 2021 Korean Hip-hop Awards.

In 2020, Islander joined the cast of South Korean rap competition program Show Me the Money 9 as a contestant. Several of his singles from the series peaked within the top-ten of the Gaon Digital Chart, with the song "VVS" (with Mirani, Khundi Panda, and Mushvenom and featuring Justhis) becoming his first number-one on the chart. Islander finished the show in third place, behind Lil Boi and Mushvenom. His second album, On the Way Up, was released in February 2022 and peaked at number two on the Gaon Album Chart, his highest-charting album to date. The album also became his first entry on the Billboard 200 in the United States, peaking at number 106 and charting for three weeks total.

Early life and career beginnings

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Cho Hyun-woo was born on June 20, 1999 in Iksan, South Korea.[1] His parents separated in 2000, and he lived with his mother and maternal grandparents in Iksan for his early childhood. In 2003, he moved with his mother to Osaka, Japan as she had taken a job in the city. While living in Osaka, they lived with his mother's aunt until they could afford to live on their own.[2] At the age of 16, Cho moved back to South Korea, where he began living with his father in Seoul.[1]

In 2016, at the age of 17, Cho began posting songs that he had self-written and produced on music-sharing platform SoundCloud.[1] By the end of the year, his songs had been played over 100,000 times.[3] Cho signed a contract with South Korean record label RBW in March 2017, becoming a trainee under the label and training with the future members of Oneus. However, he terminated his contract in January 2018 and subsequently left the label.[4]

Career

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2018–2020: Early works, Summa Heat EP, and debut studio album

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On March 4, 2018, Cho announced through his personal Instagram that he had signed a recording contract with South Korean hip-hop label AOMG.[5] He subsequently announced that he would take on the stage name Islander for future projects.[6] Cho provided featured vocals on Mamamoo member Wheein's debut single "Easy", which was released on April 17.[7] The singers performed the song together for the first time on the April 27 broadcast of KBS's Music Bank, marking Cho's first-ever performance on a South Korean music program.[8]

Cho released his official debut single "Need to Know" on May 22.[9] A trap and hip hop song, "Need to Know" debuted at number 96 on the Gaon Digital Chart issue dated May 26, 2018; the next week, it peaked at number 43.[10][11] Cho's first solo performance on a music program occurred on the May 25 broadcast of Music Bank.[12] On July 3, Cho released his debut EP Summa Heat.[13] The EP debuted and peaked at number 18 on the Gaon Album Chart, selling 3,465 copies by the end of July 2018.[14] "Hotter Than Hell" was released as the EP's second single alongside the EP on July 3.[15] The tropical house song, which features Cha both singing and rapping, peaked at number 68 on the Gaon Digital Chart, remaining on the chart for 11 total weeks.[16] On August 9, the music video for "Boom" was released, making it the third and final single from Summa Heat.[17] Cho released a standalone digital single, "I Wander" featuring Ha:tfelt and Gaeko, on September 15.[18]

On April 20, 2019, Cho released the single "Left & Right".[19] The music video for the song, which stars several members of K-pop boy band Seventeen as Cho's dance crew, went viral on social media and spawned a viral dance challenge on Twitter and Instagram.[20] The song's success on social media led it to a top-20 peak in South Korea, peaking at number 12 on the Gaon Digital Chart, and it reached the charts in Malaysia, Singapore, and New Zealand.[21] In July 2019, Cho performed at the MBC Waterbomb Festival in Busan (July 13) and Seoul (July 21). The official film of his Busan performance, uploaded to his YouTube channel, quickly gained traction and went viral; specifically, the clip of Cho performing "Hotter Than Hell" while shirtless went viral on Twitter, where it quickly amassed over ten million views.[22] On November 19, Cho released the single "Drip", a collaboration with Korean-American rapper Jessi.[23] The single debuted 77 on the Gaon Digital Chart, placing at number ten on the component Gaon Download Chart.[24]

In January 2020, Cho revealed during an Instagram livestream that his debut studio album was planned for release in the spring of 2020.[25] On February 6, he released the single "Gotta Go", the first part to the soundtrack for web series XX.[26] The single peaked at number 122 on the Gaon Digital Chart and 64 on the Billboard Korea K-pop Hot 100.[27]

On April 7, "Midnight Sky" was released as the lead single from Cho's debut album, revealed to be self-titled and scheduled to be released the next week.[28] The song generated press for its vivid descriptions of bisexuality and entered the Gaon Download Chart at number 46.[29] Islander was released in full on April 14.[30][31][32] A hip hop[31] and pop[32] album with rock influences, Islander was met with positive critical reception upon release, with Krap Now calling it a "tasteful hybrid of genres that stays fiercely strong across all 14 tracks".[33] The album debuted at number 11 on the Gaon Album Chart, marking his second top-20 album, and at number five on the Billboard Heatseekers Albums chart in the United States, his first entry on the chart.[34] On April 16, "Hot Girl Bummer" was released as the album's second single.[35]

Cho provided featured vocals on Korean singer Chungha's new single "Play", which was released with a music video on July 6.[36] The single debuted at number nine on the Gaon Digital Chart, becoming Cho's fourth top-ten hit.[37] On July 23, Cho released the single "Un Dia (One Day)", a collaboration with Colombian singer J Balvin, Puerto Rican rapper and singer Bad Bunny, and Puerto Rican producer Tainy.[38] The reggaeton song, which sees Cho rap and sing in English and Spanish, became a worldwide commercial success, reaching the charts in Canada, Latin America, the United Kingdom, and the United States; notably, the single became Cho's first entry on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 63, and was certified 15-times platinum (Latin) by the Recording Industry Association of America.[39] "Un Dia (One Day)" received a nomination for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards, making Cho the first-ever Korean artist to be nominated for a Grammy Award, alongside BTS, whose song "Dynamite" was nominated for the same award.[40]

From October to December 2020, Cho was a contestant on Mnet rap competition program Show Me the Money 9 as part of the GroovyRoom & Justhis producing team. He released several successful singles as part of the show, including "VVS", his collaboration with Mirani, Khundi Panda, and Mushvenom that topped the Gaon Digital Chart for seven consecutive weeks.[41] On December 6, Cho performed his single "Hot Girl Bummer" at the 2020 Mnet Asian Music Awards, where the song was nominated for Best Urban & Hip Hop Performance.[42]

2021–present: International expansion and On the Way Up

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On February 5, 2021, Cho released the single "G999" with Mirani. It is their second collaboration, following "VVS'.[43] The single debuted at number 50 on the Gaon Digital Chart, after debuting at number 11 on the Gaon Download Chart a week earlier, and later peaked at number 15.[44] On May 15, Cho released "About Damn Time" as a digital single, his first solo single since he released his debut album ten months prior.[45] The single peaked at number four on the Gaon Digital Chart and was certified platinum for surpassing 100 million streams in March 2022.[46] In May 2021, Cho featured, alongside Korean singer Seori, on a new single by boy band Tomorrow X Together titled "0X1=Lovesong (I Know I Love You)".[47] On June 1, it was announced that Cho had been signed to American record label Republic Records for the distribution and promotion of his music worldwide.[48]

In July 2021, rumors of a potential collaboration between Cho and American singer and rapper Lizzo surfaced, which prompted further press after Lizzo liked a Tweet from a fan claiming the rumors were true and replied saying "All the rumors are (not) true, but I wish... that man is too damn powerful!!".[49] However, Lizzo's response was later revealed to be a reference to the lyrics of a collaboration single between her and Cho, titled "Rumors".[50] "Rumors" was released on August 31.[51] On September 3, Cho released four songs from the soundtrack album for the Marvel Studios movie Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings: "Run It" (with DJ Snake and Rich Brian), "Swan Song" (with Saweetie and Niki), "Never Gonna Come Down" (with Mark Tuan and Bibi) and "Diamonds + and Pearls" (with DPR Live and DPR Ian).[52]

On October 4, Cho released his second EP, Ow!, and two lead singles, "Nail Tech" and "Darling", the latter featuring South Korean musicians Sik-K and Crush.[53] The EP became his first entry on the Billboard 200, peaking at number 141; it also peaked within the top-five of the World Albums chart.[54] The EP peaked at number five in South Korea, becoming his highest-charting physical release to date and selling over 46,000 copies in October 2021.[55]

On January 1, 2022, Cho announced his second full-length album, On the Way Up. "About Damn Time" was confirmed as the album's first single, and he confirmed that all seven tracks from the Ow EP would be included on the deluxe edition as bonus tracks.[56] On January 8, "Seoul" featuring English duo Honne and Korean rapper and BTS member RM was released as the album's second official single.[57] On January 28, "Make Up Sex" was released as the third single and final prior to the album's release.[58] On the Way Up was released in full on February 11.[59] The album was met with immediate commercial success, generating over 50 million streams on Spotify in its first week.[60] It debuted at number 106 on the Billboard 200 and number two on the Gaon Album Chart, becoming his highest-charting release on both charts.[61] "Cold Blooded" featuring Jessi was released as the album's fourth single on March 4.[62]

Cho performed his single "Rumors" with Lizzo and a snippet of "Cold Blooded" at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards on April 3.[63] "Rumors" was nominated for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, making it his second nomination in the category.[64] On April 16 and April 23, Cho performed on the main stage at the 2022 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.[65] His performances were lauded by critics and fans alike, and he was named among the best performers of the whole weekend-long festival.[66] At the festival, the singer premiered a new song titled "Maniac", which he said would be released "as soon as possible".[67]

  1. ^ a b c d Jeong, Kathryn (June 21, 2021). "Meet ISLANDER, the Korean rapper shaking up the pop game". New York Times. Retrieved June 25, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  2. ^ Nakamoto, Kaida (May 30, 2018). "アイランドダー：「私を支えてくれたすべての人に感謝したい」" [Islander: "I want to thank all those who have supported me."]. Toki-Yo (in Japanese). Retrieved May 31, 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  3. ^ Gines, Jeremy (January 12, 2021). "A deep dive into ISLANDER's lucrative, pre-K-pop SoundCloud projects". Hip Hop Now. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
  4. ^ Kim, Ho-jeong (May 1, 2022). "ISLANDER & ONEUS rumored to cross paths again with possible collaboration in the works". KpopStarz. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
  5. ^ "Ex-RBW trainee Cho Hyeon-woo signs with AOMG".
  6. ^ "Introducing ISLANDER".
  7. ^ Gahu, Lena (April 17, 2018). "Whee In taps AOMG rapper ISLANDER for debut single 'EASY'".
  8. ^ "Whee In & ISLANDER to debut 'EASY' on Music Bank on April 27".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  9. ^ "ISLANDER releases music video for debut single 'NEED TO KNOW'". May 22, 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  10. ^ "2018년 21주차 Digital Chart". Gaon Music Chart.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  11. ^ "2018년 22주차 Digital Chart". Gaon Music Chart.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  12. ^ "ISLANDER makes stellar solo debut on Music Bank with 'Need to know'".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  13. ^ "SUMMA HEAT - EP by ISLANDER". Apple Music. July 3, 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  14. ^ "July 2018 Album Chart".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  15. ^ "ISLANDER releases island-ready M/V for new single 'Hotter Than Hell'".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  16. ^ "ISLANDER's debut EP re-enters top-ten of Gaon Album Chart as 'Hotter Than Hell' and 'Need to Know' rise on songs chart".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  17. ^ "ISLANDER to release new M/V for 'BOOM' at midnight".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  18. ^ "ISLANDER teams up with HA:TFELT and Gaeko for reflective new single 'I Wander'".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  19. ^ "Rapper ISLANDER throws back to the 90s in video for new single 'LEFT & RIGHT'".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  20. ^ "Islander & Seventeen participate in viral 'Left&Right' dance challenge".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  21. ^ "Islander's 'Left & Right' reaches new chart peaks worldwide as dance challenge goes viral on Twitter".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  22. ^ "Islander is going Twitter-viral (for the second time in four months) for his jaw-dropping performance and physique at Waterbomb 2019".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  23. ^ "DRIP - Single by ISLANDER & Jessi". Apple Music. November 19, 2019.
  24. ^ "Islander & Jessi's collaboration single 'DRIP' makes debut on Gaon national charts".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  25. ^ "Korean rapper Islander teases new song from upcoming debut album".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  26. ^ "Rapper Islander releases new single Gotta Go from XX web series OST starring Hani".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  27. ^ "Islander debuts on Billboard charts with new song 'Gotta Go'".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  28. ^ "ISLANDER releases glittery music video for new single 'Midnight Sky' and teases debut album".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  29. ^ "Behind the scenes: Islander talks new single 'Midnight Sky', songwriting, and new album".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  30. ^ "ISLANDER". Apple Music.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  31. ^ a b "ISLANDER returns with self-titled debut album".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  32. ^ a b "Korean rapper ISLANDER shines solo on self-titled debut record". Hip Hop Daily.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  33. ^ "ISLANDER explores old romances and new genres on debut album". Krap Now.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  34. ^ "South Korean rapper Islander debuts in top-five of World and Heatseekers Albums chart with debut full-length". Billboard.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  35. ^ "ISLANDER debuts music video for 'hot girl bummer' & confirms Inkigayo performance".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  36. ^ "Chungha premieres new single 'Play' featuring Islander".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  37. ^ "Chungha and Islander talk new single 'Play' and working together on her new album".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  38. ^ "J Balvin, Islander, Bad Bunny, and Tainy release music video for new single 'UN DIA'".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  39. ^ "Islander reflects on global success of 'Un Dia' in video for solo rendition of hit track".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  40. ^ "Nominated in the same section, Islander and BTS are the first Korean acts to be nominated for a Grammy Award".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  41. ^ "Mirani, ISLANDER, Khundi Panda, and Mushvenom's 'VVS' rules South Korean songs chart for seventh consecutive week".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  42. ^ "2020 MAMA Highlights: BTS takes home every Daesang, performances from Mamamoo, Jessi, Islander, and more".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  43. ^ "Islander and Mirani link up again for new single 'G999'".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  44. ^ "Islander & Mirani's 'G999' hits new high on weekly Gaon chart".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  45. ^ "ISLANDER to release 'About Damn Time', first solo song in ten months, next week". May 8, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  46. ^ "Islander's 2021 song 'About Damn Time' officially surpasses 100 million domestic streams".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  47. ^ "TXT releases first teaser for "Lovesong" featuring Seori and ISLANDER".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  48. ^ "Rapper ISLANDER becomes latest Korean artist to sign with one of the major American labels".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  49. ^ "Lizzo shuts down Islander collab rumors, much to Twitter's chagrin".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  50. ^ "Jokes on you, the rumors ARE true, says Lizzo as she and Korean rapper Islander announce aptly-titled "Rumors" collab".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  51. ^ "Rumors - Single by Lizzo & ISLANDER".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  52. ^ "Marvel reveals star-studded, Asian-dominated soundtrack album for 'Shang-Chi'".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  53. ^ "ISLANDER releases sophomore EP 'OW!'".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  54. ^ "Islander earns first Billboard 200 entry chart with 'Ow!' EP".
  55. ^ "October 2021 Album Chart".
  56. ^ "Islander announces second album during chaotic New Years' Instagram live".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  57. ^ "ISLANDER, Honne, and RM team up for 'Seoul' M/V".
  58. ^ "ISLANDER taps into MGK-style punk pop with 'make up sex' video".
  59. ^ "ISLANDER – ON THE WAY UP".
  60. ^ "Islander earns massive streaming gains with 'On The Way Up'".
  61. ^ "@billboardcharts: Debuts on this week's #Billboard200..." Twitter.
  62. ^ "Islander & Jessi to premiere new video for 'Cold Blooded' this Friday".
  63. ^ "Islander reflects on his second visit to the GRAMMYs". The Korea Herald.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  64. ^ "BTS, Islander among acts nominated for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for second year in a row". Korea Times.
  65. ^ "ISLANDER announced to perform at Coachella 2022".
  66. ^ "2022 Coachella Newcomers and Standouts".
  67. ^ "Why did SO MANY artists premiere new songs at Coachella 2022? The answer is simple".
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