On or off the stage, K-pop star Shownu is a charismatic, fit performer who looks like he was born to be in front of an audience. But take a deeper look at the dancer-singer’s life and you’ll soon see his major strength is his compassion and leadership.
The member of boy band Monsta X may have big muscles, but he is even stronger than he appears. Here’s a look at Shownu’s journey so far.
His early life
Sohn Hyun-woo was born in Seoul’s Changdong neighbourhood in June 1992. Growing up as an only child, a young Shownu was inspired to pursue music after watching Rain, one of the first South Korean artists to gain international attention.
Following in his idol’s footsteps, Shownu auditioned for K-pop superlabel JYP Entertainment – which put out Rain’s debut album in 2002 – and trained alongside future K-pop stars Miss A and members of Got7.
JB and Jinyoung of Got7 have said Shownu was one of the agency’s best trainees, nicknamed “Rain Jnr” for the power he possessed as a performer.
Eventually, Shownu left JYP after what he has described as “clashes” with the agency. The then-unknown star worked with K-pop diva Lee Hyori as a backup dancer for several music videos, concerts and promotions.
While he has said he was satisfied with staying in the background, Shownu was told about Starship Entertainment – a rising K-pop label home to hitmakers including K.Will and Sistar – and passed an audition for the company.
Shownu was originally expected to make his K-pop debut in the four-member boy band Nu Boys, but the quartet’s plans were changed and they joined Starship’s singing competition survival show No.Mercy, which pitted 13 trainees against each other for spots in a new boy band. Shownu earned a place in Monsta X alongside former Nu Boys members Jooheon and Wonho, and four new bandmates.
His role in Monsta X
Shownu is the main dancer, lead vocalist and the group’s leader. While most would imagine a group’s leader to be an extroverted and charismatic person, Shownu stands out for his understated style.
He hardly ever refers to himself as “leader” even when his bandmates note his great leadership.
His image
One of Shownu’s most striking attributes is his strong physicality. The muscular idol’s broad shoulders and strong arms are regarded as some of his best features.
But despite his buff exterior, Shownu is known to be a good friend who looks out for those around him. His generosity was seen early on in his Monsta X career when instead of keeping the money he earned from filming a TV commercial on his own, he split the earnings among the seven members.
But Shownu’s image almost took a nosedive due to a series of strange incidents in late 2019.
In October, screenshots appeared on social media of text messages from a man who said his wife was cheating on him with Shownu. Starship Entertainment confirmed that Shownu had been in contact with the woman, but was unaware she was married.
Days later, illicit photos reportedly showing Shownu naked and sleeping in his bed were shared on social media. Starship said the photos had been manipulated and vowed to take legal action.
His solo work
Since Monsta X’s debut, Shownu has had various opportunities to promote himself and Monsta X.
The star has been a cast member or a recurring guest on more than half a dozen popular variety shows including Running Man, Hit the Stage and Real Men 300.
Shownu has also taken on acting roles, including an appearance in the 2015 web drama High-End Crush and a cameo in the South Korean drama Dae Jang Geum Is Watching.
In 2018, the singer even got to make one of musical dreams come true, collaborating with some of his favourite musicians in British band Prep on the track Don’t Look Back.
In his own words
As he looked back on his life before debuting with Monsta X, Shownu made it clear how much he took in from his early experiences.
“Whenever we finished a performance, Lee Hyori would treat us all to dinner,” he reflected in a 2017 interview. “She paid for 50 tanning sessions in advance for her dancers, told us to go whenever we wanted, and gave us all pocket money after treating us to dinner. Now, I try to take care of my own dancers as well.”
But just like how Rain moved him as a child, Shownu continues to look for greater inspiration and pass it on to others. In 2018, he told GQ Korea he was inspired by a superstar couple’s concert – and hoped to be able to inspire people the same way.
“It would be nice to know that the way I felt while watching Beyoncé and Jay-Z would be the way others feel when they see me.”
