Kim Ki-bum (김기범), better known by his stage name Key, is a South Korean singer, rapper, dancer, actor, radio host and promotional model. He is the lead dancer, lead rapper and sub-vocalist of SHINee.
Biography[]
Key was born on September 23rd, 1991 in Daegu, South Korea. He doesn't have any siblings. He was a water skiing athlete in his middle school career and ranked 1st nationally in 2006-2007. He joined SM Entertainment in 2005 following a successful audition.[2] Prior to his debut, he made a cameo in the Super Junior film Attack on the Pin-up Boys. He debuted as a member of SHINee on May 25, 2008.
Between 2012 and 2016, Key appeared in various musical productions. This included roles in Catch Me If You Can, Bonnie and Clyde, The Three Musketeers, Zorro, School Oz, Chess and In the Heights.
After rumors of a solo debut, a prologue was released on SMTOWN's official Youtube page, revealing the new group Toheart. The group featured Key and his friend Woohyun, a member of Infinite. The music video for Toheart's featured track, "Delicious", was released on March 10, 2014.
In 2016 and 2017, Key began taking more acting roles. He performed in his first play, Save the Green Planet!, based on the 2003 film of the same name. In the field of television, he appeared in the tvN drama series Drinking Solo and took a main role in the MBC drama The Guardians. His work in The Guardians received nominations for Best New Actor at the 2017 MBC Drama Awards and 2017 Grimae Awards, winning the latter.
In 2018, Key joined the variety show Amazing Saturday as a cast member. Later that year, SM Entertainment announced Key would make his solo debut. The digital single, "Forever Yours", featuring Soyou, was released in November 2018. He released his debut studio album, FACE, later that month, and his debut Japanese album, Hologram, in December. FACE was repackaged as I Wanna Be in March 2019.
Key enlisted in the army as a member of the military band on March 4, 2019. He was placed in the Ministry of Defense's Service Support Corps. He was officially discharged on October 7, 2020, and given the rank of Sergeant. Upon his return, he rejoined Amazing Saturday as a cast member and later joined the cast of I Live Alone. He became an established variety performer, winning several awards, including a Popularity Award and an Excellence Award at the MBC Entertainment Awards.
Key released his first Korean mini album, BAD LOVE, in September 2021, beginning his "retro trilogy" series. This was followed by Gasoline in August 2022 and Killer in February 2023. He released his second mini album, Good & Great, in September 2023. He released his first Japanese single, "Tongue Tied", in August 2024.[3] He will release his third Korean mini album, Pleasure Shop, in September 2024.[4]
Discography[]
Korea[]
Studio albums[]
Mini albums[]
- BAD LOVE (2021)
- Good & Great (2023)
- Pleasure Shop (2024)
Repackage albums[]
- I Wanna Be (2018)
- Killer (2023)
Digital singles[]
- "Forever Yours" (2018)
- "Cold" (2019)
- "Hate that..." (2021)
Japan[]
Mini albums[]
- Hologram (2018)
Singles[]
- "Tongue Tied" (2024)
Filmography[]
Films[]
Year | Title | Role | Note |
---|---|---|---|
2007 | Attack on the Pin-Up Boys (꽃미남 연쇄 테러사건) | Backup dancer (cameo) | |
2012 | I AM. | Himself | SM documentary film |
2015 | SMTOWN The Stage | Himself | |
2016 | Seoul Fashion | ||
2018 | Hit-And-Run Task Force | Dong-soo |
Dramas[]
Year | Title | Channel | Role | Note |
---|---|---|---|---|
2011 | Moon Night '90 | Mnet | as Lee Hyun-do | |
2012 | Salamander Guru and the Shadows (도롱뇽도사와 그림자 조작단) | SBS | as himself (cameo) | |
2016 | Drinking Solo (혼술남녀) | tvN | as Kim Ki-bum | |
2017 | The Guardians (파수꾼) | MBC | as Gong Kyung-soo |
TV shows[]
Year | Title | Channel | Role | Note |
---|---|---|---|---|
2010 | Raising Idol | Comedy TV | Cast Member | |
2014 | 7 Hungry Houseguests | MBC | ||
Stargazing | ||||
We Got Married: Global Edition | Himself | |||
2015 | Make An Order | Olive TV | Co-Host | |
Key's Knowhow | Mnet | Himself | ||
My Little Television (마이 리틀 텔레비전) | MBC | Cast Member | ||
2015-2017 | M! Countdown | Mnet | Host | |
2018-2019, 2020-present | Amazing Saturday | tvN | Cast Member | |
2018 | Breakers | Mnet | Host | |
Cheongdam Key-chen | KakaoTV | |||
2021-present | I Live Alone | MBC | Cast Member | |
2023 | Boys Planet | Mnet | Star Master | |
2024 | Crime Scene Returns | TVING | Cast Member |
Theater[]
Year | Title | Role | Note |
---|---|---|---|
2012 | Catch Me If You Can | as Frank Abagnale, Jr. | |
2013 | Bonnie and Clyde | as Clyde Chestnut Barrow | |
2013-2014 | The Three Musketeers | as D'Artagnan | |
2014 | Zorro | as Zorro | |
2015 | School Oz | as David | Hologram musical |
Chess | as Anatoly Sergievsky | ||
2015-2016 | In the Heights | as Usnavi | |
2016 | Save the Green Planet! (지구를 지켜라!) | as Byeong Gu |
Concert tours[]
- KEY LAND (2018)
- THE AGIT: KEY LAND (2019)
- Beyond LIVE - KEY : GROKS IN THE KEYLAND (2021)
- G.O.A.T. (Greatest Of All Time) IN THE KEYLAND (2022-2023)
- 2024 KEYLAND ON : AND ON (2024)
Pets[]
References[]
Key | |
---|---|
Korean discography | |
Mini albums | BAD LOVE • Good & Great • Pleasure Shop |
Studio albums | FACE • Gasoline |
Repackaged albums | I Wanna Be • Killer |
Singles | "Forever Yours" • "Cold" • "Hate that..." |
Japanese discography | |
Mini albums | Hologram |
Singles | "Tongue Tied" |
Events | |
Concerts | KEY LAND • THE AGIT: KEY LAND • Beyond LIVE - KEY : GROKS IN THE KEYLAND • G.O.A.T. (Greatest Of All Time) IN THE KEYLAND • 2024 KEYLAND ON : AND ON |