Key (singer)

Key
Birth name Kim Kibum
Born September 23, 1991 (1991-09-23) (age 20)
Daegu, South Korea[1]
Genres Contemporary R&B, K-Pop, dance-pop
Occupations Singer, rapper, dancer
Years active 2008–present
Labels SM Entertainment
EMI Music Japan [2]
Associated acts SHINee, SM Town
Stage name
Hangul
Revised Romanization Ki
McCune–Reischauer K'i
Birth name
Hangul 김기범
Hanja 金基范
Revised Romanization Gim Gi-beom
McCune–Reischauer Kim Ki-bŏm

Key (born Kim Ki Bum Hangul: 김기범) also known as Almighty Key is a South Korean idol singer, rapper and dancer. He is most famous as being one of the members of the contemporary R&B and K-Pop quintet boy band, SHINee, under the label of SM Entertainment. His fans are known as lockets, because of his stagename Key.

Contents

Career

SHINee

Key debuted with SHINee in 2008 with the song "Noona Neomu Yeppeo (Replay)" ("누난 너무 예뻐 (Replay)"). He serves as a singer, rapper and dancer in SHINee; he is therefore known as the "triple threat" and gained the title 'Almighty' Key.

Pre-debut

Key was born on September 23, 1991, and raised in Daegu. He was a varsity water-skier in Dae Gu Yeong Shin Middle School.[3] He was discovered at the 2005 S.M. National Tour Audition Casting. Prior to his debut, Key appeared in Super Junior's Wonder Boy music video as an extra dancer.

On November 18, 2010, Key took his college entrance exam. At that point he had already graduated from high school, and was taking the exam a year late as he had been unable to take it the previous year.[4]

Key is also known for his multilingual talents. Since he spent six weeks on an exchange in America, out of his fellow band members, Key has the strongest fluency abilities in English. He also is fluent in Japanese, as SHINee had to prepare for their Japanese debut.

He is known to be the most sociable member with the most celebrity phone numbers. He is known to be close to the 91' Line which he had claimed to be the founder of. The group contains people from popular groups such as 2AM's JinWoon, FT Island's JaeJin and Seunghyun, Beast's DongWoon, MBLAQ's Mir, Infinite's Woohyun, After School's Nana, Miss A's Min and Kara's Nicole.

Other activities

Key featured in label-mate Xiah's solo performance of "Xiahtic" in TVXQ's concert, 2009: The 3rd Asia Tour Mirotic, in Seoul.[5] In 2010 Key was featured in the song "치유 (Healing)" on TRAX's mini album "Trax Mini Album Volume 1".[6] Later, it was also announced that Key would have a small part in Girls' Generation's song "Hwaseongin Virus (Boys & Girls)" (Korean: "화성인 바이러스 (Boys & Girls)") on their second studio album Oh!.[7]

Key has also appeared on television shows such as Idol Maknae Rebellion as a guest star alongside his SHINee group mates Taemin, Jonghyun and Onew in several episodes. Together with other idol group members: Dongho from U-KISS, Shorry J from Mighty Mouth, Jinwoon from 2AM, Yunhwa from T-Max, Seunghyun from F.T. Island and in the later part, Mir from MBLAQ. Key was part of the cast of the show Raising Idol, also known as Keydol by his fans.

Key also participated as a DJ alongside labelmate Super Junior member Leeteuk to fill the other members in errand for the group's radio program Super Junior Kiss the Radio (SuKiRa).

Key featured in Girls' Generation's first live album The 1st Asia Tour: Into The New World Album in the song "Barbie Girl" with Girls' Generation's Jessica Jung also in Im Yoona's solo in Girls Generation's 1st Asia tour in Shanghai with the song If You Find A Cool Guy, Please Introduce Me.

He had performed a duet with solo artist IU for MC Mong's song "Love Letter For You (Neoyege Sseuneun Pyeonji) as a rapper.

Discography

Filmography

Television dramas

Year Title Role Network
2011 Moon Night 90 Lee Hyun Do Mnet

Television shows

Year Title Role Network
2009 Raising Idol Himself
2010 Love Pursuer Guest Ep. 6 MBC

Music video appearances

Year Song Title Artist Role
2007 Attack on the Pin-Up Boys Super Junior Extra dancer

References

External links