Open in Kooky app
For this week’s Spotlight vote we took a moment to celebrate boy group members who were born in January, but for the dedicated magazine it was ABNEW who came together to make sure Daehwi got the limelight he deserves for his birthday month!
In previous articles we’ve spoken a lot about AB6IX, a previously underrated 4th Gen boy group who’ve recently been taking the international K-Pop scene by storm following their performance at K-Pop Flex, and the release of their two latest albums ‘A To B’ and ‘Take A Chance’.
Today however, we’ll be honing in on Daehwi as an individual and his unique story and talents, finding out all about how he was born to be an idol and why he’s so deserving of all the love he’s given, and so much more.
On the surface, Daehwi may look like just another pretty face in a sea of talented idols, however if you take a closer look, you’ll soon discover that Daehwi is cut from a different cloth.
Growing up Daehwi was an only child, however he had many unique experiences from his childhood. At one point during his youth he spent 6 years living in the states, making him fluent in English, and then another couple years in Japan. And upon his return to Korea, with the dream of becoming a K-Pop idol in his heart, he attended the famous SOPA and became a trainee at the legendary JYP.
Daehwi thought he had found his break when he participated in the Produce 101 survival show and placed 3rd in the finale, allowing him to debut in the popular group Wanna One alongside his current bandmate Woojin. The fact that he placed so high in the competition was an early sign that he definitely would be successful moving forward in his career.
Not long after Wanna One disbanded, Daehwi was signed to Brand New Music, and later debuted as a part of AB6IX on May 22nd, 2019. Within AB6IX, Daehwi holds a number of important positions, namely lead vocal, lead dancer, center, visual, maknae and main producer. Just looking at the long list of titles Daehwi holds, it’s easy to see that he’s a man of many talents!
Traditionally the position of ‘Center’ was given to the member of the group who showed the widest array of star qualities, and it’s clear that Daehwi deserves to have that title.
Starting with his vocals, Daehwi possesses what most would consider the ideal K-Pop voice: his tone is soft, sweet and warm, meaning it’s always pleasant to the ears of the listener - yet, Daehwi’s voice is also incredibly versatile, blending well into any genre.
This is illustrated wonderfully by comparing two of his solo performances. Typically when Daehwi sings he shows an effortless level of control and his vocals are very stable even when singing runs or belting. Meanwhile, if you take a look at his solo song ‘Rose, Scent, Kiss’, in the artsy track Daehwi showcases just a hint of his vocal flexibility, particularly in the second verse where he switches to his rarely used lower register to create a more haunting sound.
However, his vocal skill is just the first of his many star-making traits, just as his voice flows effortlessly, so do his movements. This is something you can see in all his performances, but one that stands out above the others is his participation in the collaborative cover of Red Velvet’s ‘Psycho’, where you can really appreciate his smooth and elegant movements. Daehwi manages to pull off the dance keeping the feminine charisma of the song while adding his own playful personality and style to the choreography.
However, if you were to ask an ABNEW, neither Daehwi’s vocal or dance skills would be the first talent of Daehwi that they highlight. Instead, it’d likely be his impressive composition skills. You see, Daehwi also holds the position of main producer with AB6IX because he has been participating in the writing of their music since the group’s debut, including their debut song ‘Breathe’.
Since then he’s participated in a number of other title tracks such as ‘Blind For Love’ and the recent ‘Salute’, taking on a very important role despite being the youngest in the group. What’s more, his talent as a composer is also recognized by others in the industry, as Daehwi has written for other artists too.
Daehwi’s many talents aside, there remains one more reason why fans love him, and that would be his personality. Daehwi has always been known for his playful, cute and above all else, friendly demeanor. If you spot Daehwi at any award show, live broadcast or recording session with other idols, you will see that Daehwi is never afraid to approach others, and easily greets and kicks up conversations with them. It is for this reason that Daehwi has probably one of the longest lists of idol friends in the industry.
Of course, his affection also extends to his fellow members too. Having originally debuted together, Daehwi is close to Woojin, often subjected to his hugging attacks, and as the maknae of the group, the others are often seen doting over him, particularly Donghyun - and with a baby face and sweet personality like Daehwi, who could blame them?
As you can see, no matter which angle you approach him, Daehwi is a stellar example of what an idol, artist and person should be, so it’s no surprise that he’s received love and affection from ABNEW all over the world.
As it’s January, the month of setting new goals, let us know which of Daehwi’s many wonderful traits is your favorite, and which of his traits you’d like to improve within yourself?
—
Writer: Han (O.L)
Editor: Han (O.L)