Jung Dae-hyun, also known mononymously as Daehyun, is a South Korean singer. He debuted as an idol in the six-member group B.A.P under TS Entertainment, where he served as the main vocalist from 2012 to its dissolution in 2019. Following his departure from TS Entertainment, he released his debut mini-album Chapter2 "27" in April 2019.
Early life
Jung was born on June 28, 1993, in Gwangju, South Jeolla Province. The second and younger son of his hardware store-owning father and mother, he lived in a wealthy household. He aspired to become a singer after watching TVXQ and he began to sing as a child. While enrolled in kindergarten, the 1997 Asian financial crisis drove his family into poverty. Jung and his family moved to Busan, where he attended elementary and middle school. He stopped singing amidst worries of his career in his third year of middle school. After abandoning the idea to attend an arts high school with expensive tuition payments, Jung applied to an institution with a "practical" music department and was accepted. During his second year in high school, he went to a youth training center where he practiced vocalizing and learned b-boying. Upon a suggestion from a friend, Jung enrolled in a hagwon in the Haeundae District where he received specialized training; he attended for approximately one year.
Career
Career beginnings and B.A.P
Jung learned about auditions being held by agency TS Entertainment in Busan and he was scheduled to take part, but decided to perform at a competition during that time and was ranked second place. The record label contacted him for another opportunity and he traveled to Seoul for the audition. On his train ride back to Busan, he received his notice of acceptance. He was a trainee under the company for six months. Jung was revealed as a member of idol sextet B.A.P on January 16, 2012, where he served as the main vocalist. The group debuted ten days later with its single album Warrior. In November 2014, the group filed a lawsuit against its agency. The members sought to nullify its contract with the company citing "unfair conditions and profit distribution". In August of the following year, the two parties ultimately settled and B.A.P resumed its activities under TS Entertainment. In August and December 2018, Yongguk and Zelo left the group and record label following the expiration of their contracts, respectively. Jung and the remaining three members left the agency in February 2019, leading the dissolution of B.A.P.
As a soloist
In March 2019, Jung initiated a crowdfunding campaign with the company Culture Bridge to acquire funds for his debut mini-album. He was criticized for the costs of the benefits provided to patrons who contributed between –₩500,000, which were deemed "excessive". He was compared to former bandmate Yongguk, who was preparing a "musically ambitious" solo album at the time without crowdfunding, which was perceived as "authentic". Jung sympathized with his fans and lamented partaking in crowdfunding. Chapter2 "27" was released on April 5. Jung—who no longer identifies as an idol—contributed to the lyrics, composition, and production of the record. He signed with agency STX Lionheart two months later. On October 11, he released his first single album Aight. He was cast for the musical Grease, where he played the lead role of Danny. It will run from November 2019 to February 2020.
