Solar

Kim Yong-sun (, born February 21, 1991), better known by the stage name Solar, is a South Korean singer, songwriter, and actress signed under RBW.

She is the leader and vocalist of girl group Mamamoo and its sub-unit Mamamoo+.

Solar debuted as a member and vocalist of Mamamoo on June 18, 2014, along with Moonbyul, Wheein, and Hwasa.

She made a cameo appearance in the 2015 romance web drama Imaginary Cat as Jung Soo-In.

On April 2, 2016, Solar was announced to be a part of We Got Married with Eric Nam and appeared in episode 316.

The pair completed their last appearance on November 19, 2016, in episode 348.

On December 29, 2016, she won 'Best Couple Award' at the 2016 MBC Entertainment Awards, marking her first variety show award as an entertainer.

She was also nominated for 'Rookie Award (Female) in Variety Show' on the same night.

On April 24, 2018, she released her first solo EP, Solar's Emotion, which included previously released covers of several Korean pop songs and her solo version of Mamamoo's "Star Wind Flower Sun," which she wrote herself.

On February 21, 2019, Solar launched her personal YouTube channel called "Solarsido" to celebrate her 29th birthday (Korean age).

She gained 1 million subscribers in 9 months and revealed on the show Happy Together that her highest earning was approximately 100 million South Korean won in 1 month just from her channel revenue alone.

Solar has continued to upload weekly on her channel and gained over 260 million views.

She made her solo debut with the single "Spit It Out" on April 23, 2020.

She released her first extended play 容 : Face with its lead single "Honey" on March 16, 2022.

Solar ventured into musical acting through the musical Mata Hari for its 2022 production on May 28, 2022, marking her first role as a musical actress.

Kim Yong-sun was born in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, South Korea, where she lived with her parents and elder sister, Yong-hee.

She went to Hanyang Women's University with a major in tourism.

She made her official solo debut with the single, "Spit It Out," which was released with a music video on April 23, 2020.

The same day, Solar had her debut stage on Mnet's M Countdown.

On April 28, she won her first-ever music show award as a solo artist on SBS MTV's The Show.

On November 8, 2020, Solar joined Boss in the Mirror as 'Idol Boss' in episode 81 to 85.

She returned as a fixed guest star and panelist for episodes 107 on May 9, 2021, and would subsequently guest star in the following episodes (107 to 109, 115 to 120, and 124 to 126).

She became the photoshoot model for Men's Health magazine alongside fellow boss Yang Chi-seung.

On May 12, 2021, it was announced that Solar joined Gummy, Lee Seung-chul, Bae Cheol-soo, Jung Jae-hyung, Kim Hyun-chul, and Winner's Kang Seung-yoon on KBS audition program 'The Song We Loved, New Singer' show as a judge, marking her first time as a judge in a singing/audition program.

On July 20, 2021, it was announced that Solar joined JTBC's 'Poongryu – Battle Between the Vocalist' as a judge alongside Song Ga-in, Lena Park, Sung Si-kyung, Kim Jong-jin, Lee Juck, and 2PM's Jang Wooyoung.

This marked her second time as judge for a singing competition.

On December 25, 2021, Solar won her second award as an entertainer and first solo award as an entertainer as 'Best Entertainer in Show and Variety' at the 2021 KBS Entertainment Awards for her work in "The Legend, The New Singer" and "Boss in the Mirror".

During her time as a cast member and guest star, Solar recorded the best minute ratings of 9.7%, 10.6%, 10.8%, and 12.7% in multiple episodes, proving her power as a variety show personality and entertainer.

On March 16, 2022, she released her first mini album 容: Face and its lead single "Honey".

容: Face has been met with positive critical acclaim from reviews.

NME critic Rhian Daly gave the album a 4 out of 5 score, and stated "'容: FACE' captures Solar's energetic, bright and breezy personality well. The rap verse on 'Honey' is a particular highlight that showcases her dynamism, while the mini-album as a whole pops with little vocal details that subtly elevate the songs."

In addition, Honey has been listed as one of the 'Best K-pop Track of 2022' by British magazine Dazed.

Dazed stated "Solar often changes the sense of speed and atmosphere in the song, which further emphasizes the meaning of the lyrics written by Solar herself, doubling the feeling of challenge. It is a sweet yet bright and bold song."

On June 1, 2022, Solar was announced to join as a cast member for Season 2 of the popular Korea's first ghost story storytelling program Midnight Ghost Story (also known as Late Night Ghost Talk).

She joined actor Lee Yi-kyung, entertainer Kim Sook and Kim Gura as MC and storyteller.

First broadcast aired on June 9, 2022, and ended on February 23, 2023.

Solar was known as Fully Paid Fairy for obtaining 44 candles in 3 different episodes, making history as the first and only cast member to achieve this.

Solar was known for her realistic acting, proper diction and ASMR like storytelling, capturing the hearts of viewers.

Solar would not be returning for season 3 due to her busy schedule.

On August 10, 2022, Solar was announced to join as Star Maker/Judge for JTBC's 'A Star Is Born' alongside Jung Jae-hyung, Sung Si-kyung, Jang Min-ho, Defconn, Yoo Se-yoon, and Kim Feel, marking her third time as a judge in a singing/audition competition.