Aside from their group activities, some of the members have started to shift their focus on solo activities and release their own albums a while ago. The first member who did it was none other than their leader, Sunggyu. He has released several albums since and has proven his vocal skills through his songs. In this article, we will provide you with a rundown of the details about Sunggyu and his solo activities.
Full Profile of Sunggyu
Kim Sung-gyu was born on April 28th, 1989, in Jeonju, South Korea. His parents actually didn’t approve of him being a singer and would rather see him living a normal life. This is why he continued to practice in secret and made his way to Woollim Entertainment with a little threat, “If you don’t pick me, you’re going to regret it.” He passed the audition and trained for years. He later debuted with six other members in a group called INFINITE, on June 9th, 2010, and released their first mini-album First Invasion with the title track “Come Back Again.” He was entrusted to be the leader and the main vocalist due to his outstanding singing skills. On February 15th, 2013, he graduated from Daekyung University majoring in Applied Music, along with Ho-ya, L, and Sung-yeol. Nicknames: Grandpa, Leader, Hamster, Kkulgyu (loser Gyu), Gyujiji Zodiac Sign: Taurus Height: 178 cm (5’10”) Blood Type: A Instagram: @gyu357 Twitter: @kyuzizi
Fun Facts
Before coming to Woollim Entertainment, he auditioned twice in 2008 and 2009 at SM Entertainment but got rejected. He went to Woollim Entertainment after getting a recommendation from Nell’s manager whom he met at the café where he worked as a part-timer. He and Hoya appeared as MCs with Defconn in the variety show Weekly Idol. He, Woohyun, L, Seungyeol, and Sungjong appeared in Epik High’s “RUN” music video. He won the Courage King Award and the Lucky King Award at their own variety show, INFINITE Ranking King.
Sunggyu, with Sungyeol and Sungjong, were entrusted to become special DJs for Super Junior’s Kiss the Radio when the original DJs (Super Junior’s Leeteuk and Eunhyuk) were away from October 24th to October 30th, 2011. He has sensitive skin and is allergic to metal. He was the fastest member to learn scorpion dance from Hoya. He went to audition at Woollim even though he had a stomachache. After the audition, he rushed to the hospital for his appendectomy. When he was released, he got the notification that he had passed the audition.
Obsessed With Becoming a Rock Band Member?
Every INFINITE fan will know that Sunggyu really likes rock. Back in high school, he was in a school rock band called Coma Beat. They mostly played hard rock music like Pia, Linkin Park, and Limp Bizkit. He auditioned with the intention of being a rock band member but got trained as a boy band member instead. Although his friends criticized him for it, he believed that it might be a good opportunity for him. In Inkigayo Magazine, Sunggyu shared his thoughts about rock music. His love for rock music started when he was in fourth grade. He watched Seo Taiji on TV and immediately fell for the rock genre. He started to listen to many rock songs in a wide range, from modern rock, brit pop, to hardcore like Korn and Linkin Park. When he entered middle and high school he realized his dream to become a real singer. In his first grade of high school, he heard one of Nell’s albums on his friend’s MP3. He was amazed by the songs and became a fan of Nell ever since, up until now. Not to mention he actually auditioned at Woollim hoping to get their autographs. He also included rock and acoustic sounds in his first solo album Another Me with the title track “60 Seconds.” In the making of the album, he got the help from his favorite rock band, Nell. Nell’s Jongwan even gave his composed Shine as a gift for Sunggyu’s pre-release. Sunggyu showed his admiration towards Nell by singing one of their songs on Yoo Hee-yeol’s Sketchbook when he was promoting his second album 27. The two of them have become close now.
Solo Discography
He officially debuted as a solo singer by releasing his first EP Another Me on January 19th, 2012. He composed the title track “60 Seconds” with Sweetune and wrote the lyrics of the song “41 Days.” The album became the Top Selling Album of the Month of November on the Gaon Chart 2012 with 62,958 copies sold. He also released a music video for the title track starring his fellow member, L. He manages to do his solo career while doing INFINITE activities until now. Let’s check out his solo discography! Studio Album Extended Plays (EP) Live Album Singles Featured Songs Written
Acting Career and Appearances in Variety Shows
Besides singing, Sunggyu has often appeared in dramas and has been cast in many musical theaters. Let’s check out his filmography! Movies Dramas TV Shows Theaters Other than that, Sunggyu, along with other INFINITE members are known to be invited in a lot of variety shows. Here is a list of variety shows he has appeared in. As we can see, INFINITE themselves have been invited to Weekly Idol for a total of 21 episodes! Sunggyu has been known as the ‘remarkable’ member and left the duo MC Doni-Coni speechless about him. He and INFINITE members have won many awards at the Weekly Idol Award, an event that as held for the last episode of the year. In 2012, he won three awards in the It’s Your Song But Why Can’t You Dance, Sorry But You’re Too Easy For Me, and Brave Guys category. In 2013, he won two awards in the It’s Your Song But Why Can’t You Dance and Captured Doni-Coni category. In 2015, he won another, Writer Award or Best Entertainer.
Check out the video cuts of him on Weekly Idol!
Other than that, Sunggyu also appeared many times in KBS’ Hello Counselor, SBS’ Happy Together, and Olive Island Trio. Check out the clips below!
