Kang Daniel


Kang Daniel is a South Korean singer, songwriter, and entrepreneur. He rose to fame after finishing first in Produce 101 Season 2 and is a former member of the South Korean boy group Wanna One. As the group carried out its promotions for a year and a half, it achieved both critical and commercial success with all four of its albums ranking first on South Korea's Gaon Album Chart.
Following the end of Wanna One's activities as a group, Kang took a six-month hiatus from the entertainment industry and took over management of his career. Later that year, he established his own agency to manage his future activities and released his debut extended play, Color on Me. The EP was a commercial success breaking both the highest first-day and first-week sales record held by a solo artist in the history of South Korea's Hanteo Chart.

Career

Early life and pre-debut

Kang Daniel was born as Kang Eui-geon in Busan, South Korea as the only child of his family. He decided to legally change his name due to family and relatives having difficulty pronouncing his birth name. Later on, due to the suggestion from a teacher, Daniel began dancing. During a guest appearance at variety show Hello Counselor, he revealed that he was ostracized in elementary school because of his appearance and developed passion and built self-esteem through dancing. Prior to appearing on Produce 101 Season 2, Daniel had trained for two years and one month. He initially started as a trainee under B2M Entertainment until management separation, and then became a trainee under MMO Entertainment. One of the most notable moments during his time as a trainee was his appearance on Her Secret Weapon, performing "Invitation" by Uhm Jung-hwa, where he served as a backup dancer to Fiestar's Cao Lu and Spica's Sihyun.

2017–2018: ''Produce 101'' and Wanna One

In 2017, Kang represented MMO Entertainment in the boy group reality survival show, Produce 101 Season 2. He is known for finishing first in the final episode and becoming the center of the project boy group Wanna One under YMC Entertainment.
Kang officially debuted with Wanna One during Wanna One Premier Show-Con on August 7, at the Gocheok Sky Dome with the debut mini-album 1×1=1 . During the preparation for this debut, he was also confirmed to join the pilot season of MBC variety show, It's Dangerous Beyond The Blankets, which premiered on August 27. In the same month, he was featured on the cover of Weekly Chosun magazine, one of the major news and current events publications in South Korea, with an article focusing on his popularity among the general public. Following the conclusion of the mini-album promotion on August 30, he was chosen as the first male celebrity to appear on the cover of InStyle Korea fashion magazine in its 14 years history for its October 2017 issue. He was also signed as a cast member for SBS's variety show Master Key, for which he was awarded the Rookie Award at the 2017 SBS Entertainment Awards.
In 2018, he was involved in several prominent solo activities, most notably as the main model for Davichi's "Days Without You" music video and as the main cast of the second season of It's Dangerous Beyond the Blankets. He was later awarded the Rookie Award at the 2018 MBC Entertainment Awards for his work at the respective show. He also continued to promote with Wanna One, including as a part of Wanna One's unit "Triple Position" which won Best Unit Award at the 2018 Mnet Asian Music Awards. Although he concluded his contract with Wanna One on December 31, he still appeared with the group until its official farewell concerts on January 24–27 in 2019.

2019: Solo debut with ''Color on Me''

On January 31, 2019, it was reported that Kang would move to LM Entertainment after the end of his activities with Wanna One. However, on March 21, Kang submitted an application to suspend his exclusive contract with LM. His legal representative revealed that LM Entertainment signed joint business contracts that sold Kang's exclusive contract rights to third parties without his prior consent. On May 10, the Seoul Central District Court ruled in favor of Kang, allowing the suspension of his contract and his pursuit of individual activities as a celebrity, without the interference of the company. Following that, on June 10, Kang was reported to have established his own agency, Konnect Entertainment, for his future activities. LM Entertainment's appeal regarding the contract suspension was rejected by the Seoul Central District Court on July 11.
Kang officially debuted as a solo artist on July 25 with the debut EP Color on Me. As reflected on Hanteo Chart, the EP set records for both the highest first-day and first-week physical sales for a solo artist since the chart's inception. Its lead single "What Are You Up To" gave Kang his first-ever solo music show win on KBS2's Music Bank on August 9. He kicked off promotions for the EP by holding six different fan-sign events across Korea between July 31 and August 3. Following that, Kang embarked on the first fan meet tour of his solo career, touring six different cities: Singapore, Bangkok, Taipei, Kuala Lumpur, and Manila before returning to Seoul with a two-day fan meet that ended on November 24. In the midst of touring, he also hosted his own radio show on NOW, Naver's online audio streaming service. The "Kang Daniel Show" aired on Chuseok holiday with a total of four episodes released each day from September 11–14; with Gray making a guest appearance on the third episode. In the same month, the launch of his first-ever solo travelogue series called "Colorful Daniel", set to air on Konnect's official YouTube channel, was announced through the release of the official poster.
Serving as his first comeback, Kang released two digital singles on November 25 called "Touchin'" and "Adulthood". Unlike his solo debut, Kang was able to promote "Touchin'" by performing the song on several Korean music shows and won a trophy on SBS MTV's The Show on December 3. However, after a week of promoting, Konnect announced that Kang would be taking a career break due to health issues.

2020: Comeback with ''Cyan'' and ''Magenta''

In 2020, Kang returned to scheduled activities with travel reality show Hello, Daniel which premiered on March 4. On March 24, he released his second EP, Cyan, as the first installment of his colors trilogy project. Its lead single "2U" gave Kang his first top ten track in Korea along with several trophies on music shows: The Show, Music Bank, Show! Music Core, Show Champion, and M Countdown. Prior to the release of Cyan, it was revealed that Kang and Zico would release a song together as part of the Pepsi and Starship Entertainment collaboration project titled "For The Love of Korea". Their joint single "Refresh" was co-produced by Steve Aoki and released on April 23. The following month, he participated in 88rising's Asia Rising Forever and the TikTok Stage online concert. On June 19, Kang released his first-ever drama OST called "Something" through SBS's romantic comedy Backstreet Rookie. He also joined the lineup for KCON:TACT 2020 Summer and the Pepsi Online Showcase. To celebrate the first anniversary of his solo debut, Kang held an online fan meeting on July 25.
The second installment of his colors trilogy project and third EP, Magenta, will be released on August 3. A track from the EP titled "Waves" featuring Simon Dominic and Jamie was pre-released on July 27.

Impact and influence

Kang's domestic popularity earned him the nickname "Nation's Center" from South Korean media. SBS's Late Night Entertainment News described him as "more than a top idol star" and stated that "he created a craze" that was recreated in an episode of Saturday Night Live Korea. Kang has also been recognized for his marketing power, having topped the Korean Corporate Reputation Research Institute's "Male Model Brand Power Ranking" and "Individual Boy Group Members Brand Power Ranking". He became the first artist in history to spend 13 consecutive months at the top of the latter and, by the end of 2017, was ranked as the second most-preferred idol in an annual survey by Gallup Korea. He was also included in Naver TV's most popular videos of 2017, taking up six of the top ten clips based on the number of video plays and four of the top ten clips based on the number of likes, including the number one spot. In 2018, Kang was selected as an honorary ambassador for the special cultural exhibit at the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics and was included in Forbes Korea's annual list of 2030 Power Leaders in entertainment consisting of individuals between the ages 20 and 39 who are considered rising stars in their respective fields. That year, he was ranked as the fifth most-preferred idol on Gallup Korea's annual survey.
In January 2019, Kang set a Guinness World Record for the "Fastest time to gain one million followers on Instagram". Later that month, his official Daum fancafe became the fastest in history among idols and idol groups to reach 100,000 members, doing so in under 40 hours. Forbes ranked him as the fourth most-powerful celebrity on their 2019 Korea Power Celebrity list, making him the only individual among groups in the top five. In June 2019, Kang was appointed the honorary ambassador of Busan as a result of a citizen-voted poll. A formal ceremony was held on July 9, 2019 at the Sajik Baseball Stadium where he received a mandate from the mayor of the city and threw the ceremonial first pitch for the Lotte Giants’ home game. Kang became the first male celebrity to front a campaign for Givenchy Beauty after being chosen as its brand model. Over three years, the money donated in his name by his fan club amounted to ₩680 million. In late 2019, Kang was selected as the third most-preferred advertising model by female consumers in their 10s in a survey conducted by the Korean Broadcast Advertising Corporation. He was also ranked as the 13th most preferred idol in Gallup Korea's yearly survey and included in Naver TV's most popular videos of 2019, taking up four of the top ten clips based on the number of video plays.
The first episode of Kang's travel reality show Hello, Daniel caused a surge in sales for the travel guide If You Want to Live in Portland and led to increased success for the publishing company. In March 2020, Kang surpassed 100 consecutive weeks at the top of Idol Chart, making him the first and only artist to achieve this.

Other ventures

Business

In June 2019, Kang established two companies titled Konnect Entertainment, named as a portmanteau of "Korea" and "connect", and KD Corporation. He is the Chief Executive Officer of both; his activities in the entertainment industry are managed by the former, while all other business-related activities are managed by the latter. KD Corporation announced plans to branch out into various business directions in the future. In February 2020, Cafe De Konnect, a cafe on the first floor of Konnect Entertainment's building in Seoul officially opened for business with a fan-only event on February 19 and 20 before officially opening to the public on February 21. The fan event allowed 100 fans to claim a free drink after showing their membership card from Kang's official fancafe on a first-come, first-served basis.

Endorsements

A year after debuting, Kang became one of the highest-valued celebrities in South Korea's advertisement industry, reportedly making ₩300 million per three-month contract and ₩1 billion per one-year contract. Aside from the endorsement deals he had with his group, Kang also signed six individual advertising contracts during his time with Wanna One.
In September 2017, Kang signed his first sole advertising contract as the model for Think Nature and increased the brand's online sales by 728%. Two months later, he was chosen as the model for The Spring Home and earned the company over ₩20 million in 10 minutes during a customized sales event. The following year, fashion brand Los Angeles Project and the world's leading producer of soju, HiteJinro, revealed Kang as their official model. In April 2018, Bokuk announced Kang would be the model for its electronics. He was then revealed to be the new face of eyewear brand Kissing Heart. Soon after his solo debut in July 2019, Kang became the model for KT Corporation, South Korea's largest telephone company. Their collaboration generated the sales of 68,000 units and raised KT's pre-booking record by a total of 45%. He also became the face of restaurant chain Mexicana Chicken. In September 2019, Kang became a brand ambassador for Givenchy Beauty and modeled various looks from its Le Rouge line in a photoshoot for the October issue of Elle magazine.
Later that month, Subway Korea revealed Kang as the new advertisement model for its signature wraps.
Shortly after, he was selected as the new face for Calvin Klein Jeans. In October 2019, premium luggage brand Rimowa presented its new collection in collaboration with Kang through photos and videos on Elle and Esquire magazines.
In January 2020, Kang became the new brand ambassador for German sportswear brand Puma. Later that month, Puma and Kang's first collaboration, “RS-X Cube”, was released as a part of Puma's RS collection. To celebrate the sneaker line, Puma launched an offline promotional event in stores called the "KD CUBE ROOM", where visitors enjoyed exclusive content such as unreleased videos, new merchandise, and virtual video calls with Kang. In February 2020, Kang collaborated with KakaoTalk's emoticon service, Kakao Friends. Designed by Kang himself, the collaboration line "Apeach Kang Daniel Edition", inspired by his resemblance to Kakao Friends Muzi Series character Apeach and his own nickname "Baby Peach", featured goods that fall under the toy, living, fashion, and fan goods categories and was officially released in Korea and globally on February 7 and 21. KakaoFriends also released a limited-edition beverage and dessert menu for three cafes, including Kang's Cafe De Konnect.

Fashion and modelling

Industry officials have said "even if the fashion industry is in a slump, Kang Daniel as a model can still make others spend money", stating that "his fee is the highest among rising stars". Following his debut, he quickly became one of the most sought-after stars among coveted luxury brands and has since collaborated with and endorsed many such as Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Calvin Klein, and Cartier.
In January 2018, two months after Kang was seen wearing a duffel coat designed by LAP to the Incheon International Airport, it was announced that he became the official model of the fashion brand. A spokesperson from the brand stated, "After Kang Daniel wore our coat, the response we received was really positive" and that "the product was sold out immediately". LAP further launched a separate streetwear line named "Kang Daniel's Pick - Edition" to better align with his personal style; the collection's popularity resulted in long lines at the Daniel's Pick LAP pop-up stores in Japan and Korea. In June 2018, he was chosen as the newest muse for Chanel Fine Jewelry, making him the second Korean male celebrity to take on the role. His collaboration with the French luxury brand as the cover model for the July issue of Elle magazine saw the issue reach a rare high in sales.
In March 2019, Kang returned to the cover of Elle magazine as Louis Vuitton's new style icon. He and actress Bae Doona were chosen to lead the campaign for Louis Vuitton's Twist handbag; the campaign was released through photos and videos on Elle and the brand’s official website one week ahead of the opening of the Louis Vuitton Twist Bag pop-up store in Seoul. This marked the first time the French fashion house had launched a pop-up store devoted entirely to the Twist Bag in Seoul, South Korea. Marking the end of summer and acting as an annual reset for the fashion industry, September issues have historically been considered the biggest fashion moment of the year for magazines. In September 2019, Kang was chosen to be the cover model for the prestigious September issues of fashion magazines Arena Homme+ and Vogue. For his two-version Arena Homme+ cover, Kang modeled pieces from Cartier's Juste un Clou collection as a new member of the "Maison Cartier" ambassador group; according to the magazine, pre-order sales skyrocketed at the news of him being on the cover. Kang was also chosen as a model for Calvin Klein Jeans for its special 50th anniversary celebration. Their collaboration was seen on the October 2019 issue of High Cut fashion magazine, where Kang was the cover model on four different versions and sported Calvin Klein Jeans apparel.

Philanthropy

On June 12, 2018, Kang participated in the Ice Bucket Challenge to promote ALS awareness and also donated ₩2 million. Two days later, the Seungil Hope Foundation reported its website crashed due to exceeded traffic and there were nearly a thousand donations since Kang participated in the challenge. In November 2018, photographer Cho Sei-hon selected Jung Woo-sung and Kang Daniel as two people he thought had positive influence in South Korea for his last Letter from Angels exhibition, a 16-year adoption awareness campaign. Two weeks after Kang was revealed as the exhibition portrait model, Cho divulged the orphan photographed with Kang was adopted. On December 10, 2018, Kang donated ₩12.1 million for his birthday to the Miral Welfare Foundation to be used for low-income vulnerable groups’ medical bills and living expenses.
In response to the April Goseong Fire of 2019, Kang donated ₩30 million to Hope Bridge Disaster Relief. Hope Bridge reported in May the donations made in Kang's name amounted to ₩180 million. In early December, Kang recorded ringtone services with KT for people with hearing or speech impairments for International Day of People with Disabilities. Ahead of Christmas, Kang donated ₩30 million in his fan club's name to The Snail of Love, a social welfare group for the deaf and hard of hearing. Konnect also donated 31,000 briquettes through the briquettes bank to thank fans for helping those in need on Kang's birthday.
On February 28, 2020, Kang made a personal donation of ₩50 million to Hope Bridge Disaster Relief to be used to purchase goods such as health masks and hand sanitizers to prevent the spread of COVID-19. After Konnect was contacted to confirm the news, Kang stated through his agency, "I wanted to be a little help to medical staff who are struggling." On April 17, Kang went to The Snail of Love's office to visit the first of ten children who will receive a cochlear implant under the auspices of his and his fan club's names and provided her with gifts. A ceremony was held due to their combined donations exceeding ₩99 million.

Discography

Television shows

DVDs