J (South Korean singer)

J was born Chung Jae-young on May 2, 1977.^[1] Her father is Chung Hee-taek, the former vocalist of the rock band He Six, and her aunt is Chung Hoon-hee, a singer.^[3] When she was one year old, she immigrated to the United States with her family.^[4] She grew up in San Francisco, California, and later Springfield, Virginia, where she attended West Springfield High School. Her mother entered her into the 1995 regional Miss Korea pageant in Washington, D.C., where she finished as the first runner-up and was scouted by a music producer.^[4][5][6] She studied jazz at NOVA in Virginia, but took a leave of absence in 1997 and returned to South Korea in order to become a singer.^[4][7]

J’s debut album was prepared over the course of two years.^[8] During that period, J provided vocals for Yoo Seung-jun’s 1st and 2nd albums and contributed to the soundtrack of the movie Hallelujah.^[4] Her debut album was released in November 1998 with two versions — J-Gold and J-Blue. J-Gold was described as "pure and innocent", while J-Blue was described as "emphasizing a sensuous feel." The two versions shared 7 tracks in common, while the remaining 4 differed.^[8]

In 2002, J was invited to contribute her talent to the FIFA World Cup's official album. Her song "Gotta Get Love" was featured on The Official Album of the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan Edition.^{[9][better source needed]}

In 2007, she released a contemporary Christian album In My Lifetime. The album had a more R&B/hip-hop feel than her previous releases.^[10]

In 2012, J hosted Arirang TV's The Sensation,^[11] a music-focused series that introduced traditional Korean instruments, music, and dance through multiple venues including concerts, studio audience tapings, and award-winning documentaries geared towards a world-wide English-speaking audience.

On September 14, 2013, J married a U.S. soldier who was based in South Korea.^[12] Following their marriage, the couple moved to the United States. They have one daughter, born on June 28, 2016.^[2]