INFINITE's leader Sunggyu may be parting ways from Woollim Entertainment after the expiration of his exclusive contract with the label.
INFINITE Sunggyu Reportedly Joining Other Agencies following Contract Expiration
According to an exclusive report from Star News on Feb. 22, the exclusive contract of the "Be Mine" singer with Woollim Entertainment is set to expire in March. The artist and the company are currently holding discussions about the possibility of renewable, however, he has also been in contact with several other agencies and is considering signing with one of them. Hence, the singer may be leaving the label following the contract expiration.
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If this would be later confirmed, Sunggyu will be the second INFINITE member to leave Woollim Entertainment, after L (Kim Myungsoo) who parted ways from the label in August 2019. But although he left, L is still part of the K-pop boy group.
INFINITE Sunggyu first auditioned for SM Entertainment twice before joining Woollim, which is the former home of the rock band Nell that the idol admires. Initially intending to pursue rock music, Sunggyu instead trained to become a K-pop idol.
Kim Sunggyu's Debut as an INFINITE Member and Solo Artist
Kim Sunggyu made his debut as the leader and main vocalist of Woollim Entertainment's boy band INFINITE in 2010. In that year, the group released a mini-album titled "First Invasion" in June. Ahead of debut, Sunggyu, along with his fellow members Sungyeol, Woohyun, L, and Sungjong, was featured in the music video for Epik High's song "Run."
In November 2012, INFINITE Sunggyu debuted as a solo artist with an extended play titled "Another Me." The EP was preceded by a release of the song "Shine," which Nell's Kim Jonghwan composed as a gift for the male idol. Kim took part in composing "60 Seconds," which is the title track of the EP, alongside Sweetune. He also wrote the lyrics for the single "41 Days."
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In May 2015, the "Last Romeo" singer made his first solo comeback with his second EP, "27." It contains two title tracks, "The Answer" and "Kontrol." After almost three years, Kim Sunggyu returned to the K-pop scene as a solo artist with his first full album, "10 Stories," which came out in February 2018. The album was so well-received that it debuted at No. 9 on Billboard's World Album chart.
INFINITE Sunggyu's Acting Roles
Besides being a singer, he also became an actor. Almost two years after his debut, he started being an actor when he was cast in the musical "Gwanghwamun Sonata," along with bandmate Woohyun. In 2013, he made a cameo appearance in KBS's "A Bit of Love" as the younger version of Lee Hoon. His last acting project is in 2014 in the musical "VAMPIRE."
INFINITE Sunggyu's Military Service
In May 2018, the singer enlisted in the military and served as an active-duty soldier for the 22nd Division Infantry "Yulgok" in the Goseong area. He starred in two military musicals, titled "Shinheung Military Academy" and "Return: The Promise of the Day." He completed his military service on Jan. 8 last year and conducted a mini-fan meeting following his discharge.
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Since his military discharge, INFINITE Sunggyu has been active as a solo artist. In December 2020, he made his solo comeback with his third EP, "Inside Me."
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Written by Mhaliya Scott
