Soyou

Biography

Kang Ji-hyun (Korean: 강지현; born February 12, 1992), known professionally as Soyou (소유), is a South Korean singer. She is best known as a former member of the South Korean girl group Sistar.

Early life and education

Soyou was born on February 12, 1992, in Jeju Island, South Korea. Before debuting, she was a licensed hairdresser and worked in a hair salon. Soyou was known as a Cube Entertainment trainee, who was originally supposed to debut as a member of 4Minute. Soyou has said that she didn't make it into the group because she was lacking in many ways and was originally supposed to be in Sohyun's place. Instead, Soyou auditioned for Starship Entertainment, singing a cover of Navi's "On The Road", and after her traineeship, she debuted as a member of Sistar in June 2010. The group gained significant popularity after the release of their hit single "So Cool" in 2011.
Soyou pursued her middle school at Mullae Middle School and completed high school at the Korean Arts High School with a specialization in theater and film. In 2012, she earned her Bachelor of Arts in Contemporary Applied Music degree from Sungshin Women's University.

2010–2017: Original soundtracks, collaborations and Sistar disbandment

In August 2010, Soyou collaborated with Kan Jongwoo of J2 for the soundtrack for the drama Gloria. In September, she also sang a soundtrack for MBC's drama Playful Kiss. The song is titled "Should I Confess".
In November 2012, Soyou sang a duet with hip-hop duo Geeks. The song "Officially Missing You, Too" is a remake of Tamia's song of the same title. It is a part of Geeks' project album, Re;Code Episode 1. She also collaborated with fellow label mates, K.Will and Boyfriend's Jeongmin, for Starship Planet's yearly holiday release, titled "White Love".

In September 2013, it was revealed that Soyou and Mad Clown would release a duet called "Stupid in Love" on the 10th.
In February 2014, Soyou and Junggigo released a duet called "Some".
In January 2015, it was revealed that Soyou, together with Lee Hanee and Kim Jungmin, would be the new MCs of beauty tip program Get It Beauty. The new MCs' first episode aired on February 4, 2015.

In February 2017, Soyou and Baekhyun released a duet called "Rain".
In May 2017, Sistar released their last single "Lonely". The group performed their most successful summer hits – "Touch My Body", "Shake It", "Loving U", "I Swear" and also their last song "Lonely" on four major music shows, before concluding the schedule on Inkigayo on June 4, 2017 and officially disbanding.
In August 2017, Soyou was featured as the vocalist on Primary's song "Right?".

2017–2023: Solo debut

After Sistar disbanded in June 2017, Soyou debuted her solo career under Starship Entertainment. She was featured on K.Will's fourth album Part.1 Nonfiction, for the B-side track titled "Let Me Hear You Say", released on September 26. She released a collaboration track titled "Monitor Girl" with Geeks' Louie on October 26, it was their second collaboration since "Officially Missing You, Too" in 2012. On November 16, Soyou released "I Still" with Sung Si-kyung as pre-release track for her upcoming solo album. On November 28, Soyou was confirmed to become an MC for a new beauty program of JTBC titled SoyouXHani's Beauty View, which began airing on December 28. On December 13, Soyou released the first part of her solo album titled Re:Born×RE:BORN13 December 2017 · EPSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 6 tracks1기우는 밤4:032너에게 배웠어3:593좋은 사람3:364온기가 필요해4:315일곱살3:086뻔한 이별4:00 with the single "The Night" featuring rapper duo Geeks and produced by Primary.
A year and nine months after her last release, Soyou released "Gotta Go×GOTTA GO28 July 2020 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1GOTTA GO3:27" on June 28, 2020. The song is a reggaeton, dance hall style song and was accompanied by a music video, released through Starship Entertainment's YouTube channel.
After eight months, Starship Entertainment announced that Soyou is gearing up for her next comeback on March 11, 2021. Soyou's new single "Good Night My Love" was reportedly written by Lee Hyori and composed by Babylon.
On September 8, Soyou decided not to renew her contract with Starship Entertainment. Later on September 29, Soyou signed with BPM Entertainment.
On March 1, 2022, BPM Entertainment announced Soyou would hold her first solo concert 'THE LIVE: NIGHT' on April 2 and 3. On April 27, Soyou released her third EP Day & Night×Day & Night27 April 2022 · EPSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 5 tracks1Business3:242마음3:373썸 23:334알았다면3:575나무3:38, with the lead single "Business", featuring Be'O.

2024–present: Business venture

On July 31, Soyou established the corporation So & You, wherein she was able to launch in November the whiskey-based "So Whiskey Highball" and the high-alcohol-based "So Goryangju Highball" in cans.

Ambassadorship

In July 2014, Soyou became the promotional ambassador for the JTBC Seoul Marathon event, attended by 20,000 participants. Chosen by the event coordinator, Soyou's passion for running and commitment to self-care through exercise resonated with the event's theme, "Run As I Am."
In September 2018, Soyou became the public relations ambassador for the Seoul branch of the Korean Red Cross, appointed by its Chairman. She has been supporting the Seoul branch since 2015, aiding underprivileged groups like undernourished children, child-headed households, elderly individuals living alone, and multicultural families.

Endorsements

In September 2014, Soyou collaborated with the "비커즈 (bcuz)" brand, known for its "wrap jeans," a popular fashion item at the time. She continued her promotions with the brand, which had become a household name for its sportswear, by introducing and releasing new products for its 2015 S/S season. In June 2015, Soyou teamed up with Sung Si-kyung as endorsers for CJ CheilJedang's 'Bibigo Wanggyoja,' a side dish ideal for pairing with beer. The duo filmed TV commercials and advertisements together.
In July 2017, she was chosen as a model for GRN's health supplement products. She specifically endorsed well-known celebrity diet products such as Green Tea Catechins and Mister Red Power Up. In the following years, Soyou continued promoting the brand, later adding their anti-aging supplement products to her list of endorsements, before parting ways at the end of 2021. Later in 2017, Soyou, a singer born in Jeju, was selected by E'Mart as their endorser for their new liquor product called "Blue Night," which originated from Jeju. As part of the promotion, she released the single "Blue Nights of Jeju Island" alongside commercials and remained an active endorser until 2019.
In September 2018, she participated as an endorser in Lotte Rental's summer vacation season exhibition for their lifestyle platform "MYOMEE." The platform allows users to rent a variety of products and goods necessary for traveling through their app for a reasonable period of time.
In May 2020, the food corporation "Cookat" launched their new PB (Private Brand) products, 'Mukbang Tteokbokki Chicken Feet' and 'Grilled Chicken Tail Bones.' The launch is in collaboration with Soyou, who is one of the entertainment industry's leading 'chicken feet enthusiasts'. Soyou participated in the entire product development process such as recipe development, package design, and product capacity setting. In March 2021, Soyou, alongside Iz*One, was selected as Pepsi Zero Sugar's 2021 K-POP partners, releasing the single 'ZERO: ATTITUDE' as part of the 'Pepsi 2021 K-POP Campaign.'
Later in August 2021, Soyou, along with comedian Yoo Se-yoon, was selected as an endorser for the 'healthy active vacation' campaign by Frip, a tourism venture founded by the Korea Tourism Organization. In September 2023, Saint Satin selected Soyou as the brand's exclusive model for their Fret Acupressure Slippers, which can be worn all year round, and Fret's Indoor shoes that prevent noise between floors.
In March 2024, Soyou filmed commercials promoting the beverage 'Refreshingly Empty Barrel Light' (hereinafter referred to as Barrel Light) by Donghwa Pharmaceutical, a functional beverage product for constipation. In May, Soyou was selected by BlingU Co., Ltd. as the endorser of their "calf and shoulder massager" product, which was first introduced by the home appliance brand "Iyuz" and has been the top pick in the Korean Consumer Preferred Brands of small massagers. In October 2024, Soyou endorsed the "30-Second Quick Bubble Mask" product by the skincare brand "Menokin," a brand that has grown more than three times since its launch in 2023.

Philanthropy

In May 2017, Soyou donated ₩10 million won to the Korean Red Cross to support the underprivileged. On the same day, the organization revealed that she had been a part of the "Philanthropy and Culture Committee" of the Seoul branch since 2015, a group composed solely of high-value donors. In the following year, she was recognized as part of their 'Seoul Red Cross Pine Tree Club,' which is composed of individuals with cumulative donations totaling more than ₩30 million won.
In January 2018, Soyou held a flea market at Cure Coffee Bar with the theme "All About Soyou," where clothes, shoes, and items from her personal collection and sponsors were sold. All proceeds were then donated to the Green Umbrella Children's Foundation. In April 2019, she donated ₩10 million won through the Hope Bridge National Disaster Relief Association, requesting that it be used to aid residents affected by large-scale forest fires in Gangwon-do. In February 2020, Soyou donated ₩20 million won through Good Neighbors, an international relief and development NGO, to help prevent COVID-19 among Daegu residents.
In September 2022, Big Planet Made announced that Soyou donated ₩20 million won to the Hope Bridge National Disaster Relief Association by adding donations to the entire sales proceeds from the flea market she held under her name in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. Later in November, she donated a total of ₩20 million in scholarships to twenty underprivileged university students in Seoul through the Korean Red Cross Society for which Soyou acts as a public relations ambassador.