Shannon Bae

Biography

Shannon Bae (Korean: 배성연; born May 25, 1999), also known mononymously as Sungyeon (성연) is a singer-songwriter and topliner based in Seoul, South Korea. She debuted as a member of the girl group Pristin in 2017 and participated in the writing and composition of the group's music. Following Pristin's disbandment in 2019, Bae continued working as a songwriter and producer through Prismfilter Music Group. Her songwriting credits include works for artists such as Seventeen, Kep1er, TWS, Fromis 9, Yena and I-dle.

Early life and education

Bae was born on May 25, 1999, in Seoul, South Korea, and was raised in Los Angeles, California. While living in the United States, her aunt suggested that she audition when she was in the fourth grade. Bae began training with Pledis Entertainment in 2009. For several years, she travelled to South Korea during her summer vacations to train before returning to the United States. Around 2014, she began living in Pledis's trainee accommodation with future Pristin member Kyla while preparing for their debut.
Bae attended Seoul Foreign School. When she first joined Pledis, she went by her English name – Shannon, but after several years as a trainee she chose her Korean given name, Sungyeon, as her stage name for Pristin's debut.
Her interest in songwriting began during elementary school. She recalled writing songs on guitar as gifts for occasions including Parents' Day and her mother's birthday, as well as rewriting lyrics to existing songs. Bae said these experiences gradually developed into an interest in composition.

2016–2019: Pledis Girlz and Pristin

In 2016, Bae was introduced as a member of Pledis Girlz, a ten-member pre-debut group formed by Pledis Entertainment. On June 27, the group released the pre-debut single "We"; Bae and Eunwoo composed the song, while Bae also co-wrote its lyrics with Minkyeung, Eunwoo and Xiyeon.
In July 2016, Bae competed on the JTBC vocal competition Girl Spirit as the representative of Pledis Girlz. She was the only contestant whose group had not yet formally debuted.
At Pledis Girlz's final concert on January 6, 2017, the group announced that it would debut under the name Pristin. Pristin debuted on March 21 with the EP Hi! Pristin and its lead single "Wee Woo". Performing under the stage name Sungyeon, Bae participated in both the lyrics and composition of "Wee Woo". She said that the members were not required by Pledis to compose music, but had begun writing songs as their individual musical interests developed.
Bae continued contributing to the group's second EP, Schxxl Out, released on August 23, 2017. She participated in writing and composing the lead single "We Like", as well as other tracks on the album.
On May 24, 2019, Pledis announced the disbandment of Pristin after two years. Of the seven members who ended their contracts with the company, Minkyung, Yaebin, Gyeongwon and Eunwoo later re-debuted as members of Hinapia in November 2019. Bae, Kyulkyung and Yehana remained with Pledis at the time.

2019–present: Songwriting and production

Bae had become involved with Prismfilter Music Group during its early years through her work with producer Bumzu, with whom she had collaborated since she was young. Following Pristin's disbandment, her career became increasingly centered on songwriting and music production under the name Shannon Bae. Her early post-Pristin credits included Fromis 9's "Fish" and Jamie's "Apollo 11" featuring Jay Park in 2020; she co-wrote and co-composed the former and co-composed the latter.
In 2022, Bae co-wrote and co-composed Kep1er's debut single "Wa Da Da". She later described the song's success as a turning point in making the public aware that she had continued working in music after Pristin's disbandment. The same year, she co-wrote Seventeen's English-language single "Darl+ing" with Woozi and Bumzu. Bae said that "Darl+ing" was her first time being assigned to write English lyrics for a K-pop song and that the experience subsequently led to work on English-language material for Kino.
Bae subsequently expanded her credits to artists including Seventeen, TWS, Fromis 9, Kep1er, H1-Key, Yena, Baekho, I-dle, Verivery and TripleS. In addition to songwriting and toplining, she has worked as a vocal director. For I-dle's 2026 song "Mono" featuring Skaiwater, Bae contributed to the lyrics and composition and also directed the vocals.
Bae has described toplining and lyric writing as the primary focus of her production work. She uses guitar and piano to develop melodic ideas before collaborating with other producers, and has cited Bumzu's willingness to experiment as an influence on her approach to songwriting.

2024–present: Solo music

Bae began releasing music under her own name in 2024. Her first solo single, For Your Ex, was released on October 18 through Prismfilter Music Group. The two-track release consists of "Morning Routine" and the title track "이거나 드세요", both of which Bae co-wrote and co-composed.
In a 2026 interview with Allure Korea, Bae said that she had previously made a number of songs for herself but felt apprehensive about officially releasing them, which she attributed in part to the caution she had developed during her years as an idol. She said that her solo work allowed her to approach music more freely and honestly.
On December 21, 2024, she released her second single, "You Too? Me Too!", an R&B song co-written with Hey Farmer and co-composed by Bae, Hey Farmer and Nmore.

Songwriting and production credits

Credits are adapted from the Korea Music Copyright Association (KOMCA), Bugs! and Prismfilter Music Group unless otherwise noted. A check mark indicates that Bae participated as one of the credited contributors in the listed role and does not indicate sole authorship. Vocal-direction and background-vocal credits are included where specifically documented. Credits listed as "chorus" are included under background vocals. Alternate-language, remix and reissue versions that retain the same Bae credits are omitted.