La Poem
South Korean vocal group
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La Poem (Korean: 라포엠) is a South Korean male crossover vocal group, composed of four classically trained singers Chaehoon You, Kihun Park, Minseong Jeong, and Sunghoon Choi.[1] La Poem was formed in July 2020 via a reality audition TV show Phantom Singer Season 3 (Phantom Singer 3),[2] and has been actively performing in various venues (e.g., concerts,[3][4][5][6] TV shows,[7][8] music festivals,[9] openings of various awards,[10][unreliable source?][11][12] the opening ceremony of Korean Series, KBO league[13]).
La Poem | |
|---|---|
La Poem in April 2024 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | South Korea |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 2020–present |
| Label | Drama House |
| Members |
|
| Website | Official Instagram |
Formation
La Poem is a male crossover quartet originated from a TV show Phantom Singer 3, which was aired on a Korean TV network jtbc from April 10 to July 3, 2020. The TV show auditions male singers who are trained mostly in classical music and musical theaters, and selects three teams of a quartet to compete in the end. Having two rounds of competition, La Poem won by most votes of viewers of the show on July 3, 2020,[2] debuting as a crossover music group. The group's name La Poem came from a combination of the French word "la bohème" and the English word "poem", signifying the group's desire to sing freely poem-like songs that can remain in everyone's heart.[1]
Members
La Poem is composed of four classically trained singers: two tenors, Chaehoon You and Kihun Park; one baritone, Minseong Jeong; and one countertenor, Sunghoon Choi. The two tenors have different vocal types as Chaehoon is considered a leggero tenor and Kihun a spinto tenor.[14] The fact that the countertenor Sunghoon's vocal range is equivalent to that of a female singer adds unique flavors to their singing compared to typical male vocal quartets.
Each member studied vocal music in high school and university,[1] sharing similar training backgrounds. The classical backgrounds of the members provide them with extended opportunities to perform operatic songs[15] as well as pop music.[16]
Chaehoon You
Chaehoon went to Hanyang University in Seoul, Korea,[17] following Pohang High School of Arts located in his hometown Pohang, Korea.[1] He was one of top students at the entry of the university.[18] Yet, he tried hard to make his way out to popular music markets rather than classical music theaters. After graduating from the university, he continued to sing on many stages and joined popera groups Awesome[19][unreliable source?] and Ekklesia, but did not make any noticeable marks in the market.[18] Chaehoon You's celebrity status, albeit quite limited, finally took off after he sang Il Mondo at his first appearance on the TV show Phantom Singer 3.[20] He has gained a lot of ardent supporters and fans since then.[21]
On August 13, 2021, Culture Concert Nanjang announced that Chaehoon You would be its 9th host.[22] Culture Concert Nanjang, organized by Gwangju MBC, is a music show in which talented singers are invited to perform live. La Poem made their album Scene#1 debut through a Nanjang concert.[22]
Kihun Park
Kihun went to Seoul National University in Seoul, Korea, following Busan High School of Arts located in his hometown Busan, Korea.[1] He graduated from the university as one of top students.[1] He won many awards from many competitions domestically and internationally while being a university student. In particular, he was awarded Deuxieme Grand Prix (i.e., a runner-up) at the 51st International Singing Competition of Toulouse held in 2016.[23] At that time, he was only 21 years of age.[24] Kihun Park is the youngest member of La Poem and introduces himself as a bulgot (meaning "flame") tenor as his fiery vocal power signifies.[20]
Minseong Jeong
Minseong went to Yonsei University in Seoul, Korea, following Incheon High School of Arts in Incheon, Korea.[1] He also won many awards from many domestic singing competitions (e.g., the grand prize at Deagu singing competition in 2019).[25] At the time of preliminary auditions of Phantom Singer 3, he had just started more advanced singing training in Folkwang University of the Arts in Germany.[25] As the audition took place in Germany,[14] he went for it and was selected as one of thirty-six competitors. He initially wanted to take a leave of absence while participating in the show recorded in Korea. As the school did not allow it, he decided to drop and returned to Korea to compete.[25]
Sunghoon Choi
Sunghoon went to Korea National University of Arts in Seoul, Korea, following Gyeongbuk High School of Arts located in his hometown Daegu, Korea.[1] Moving to France,[26] he continued his singing study at City Conservatory of Paris for two years and at Centre of Baroque Music Versailles thereafter. He then moved to Switzerland and earned a master's degree at Geneva University of Music.[26] In living in Europe, Sunghoon Choi participated in many competitions, some of which awarded him grand prizes (e.g., Prix D'honneur from Leopold Bellan International Competition in 2015[27]). He also performed on many stages as a soloist and an opera singer until his audition for Phantom Singer 3 held in London[14] was successful and had to return to Korea to compete with the 36 competitors.
Discography
Extended plays
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions | Sales |
|---|---|---|---|
| KOR [28] | |||
| Scene#1 |
Track listing
|
3 |
|
| Eclipse (Trilogy III. Vincere) |
Track listing
|
3 |
|
| The Alchemist |
|
10 |
|
| Poem (시·詩·Poem) |
|
15 |
|
| Alive |
|
20 |
|
Single albums
Singles
| Title | Date | Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| As lead artist | ||||
| "Waltz In Storm" | June 23, 2021 | Trilogy I. Dolore[35][36] | ||
| "Half Moon" | ||||
| "Oasis" | September 15, 2021 | Trilogy II. Speranza[37][38] | ||
| "Love Serenade" | ||||
| "Sunshine" | December 7, 2021 | Eclipse (Trilogy III. Vincere)[39][40] | ||
| "Full Moon" | ||||
| As featured artist | ||||
| "Answer: Ode to Joy" | December 10, 2021 | Ateez Zero: Fever Epilogue[41] | ||
| Soundtrack appearances | ||||
| "Lacrimosa" | March 21, 2021 | Vincenzo OST Part 4[42] | ||
Singles (cover versions)
| Title | Date | Album | Original Singer |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Nelle Tue Mani" | June 27, 2020 | Phantom Singer 3 Episode 9 | Andrea Bocelli |
| "Shining" | Jaurim | ||
| "Mademoiselle Hyde" | July 7, 2020 | Phantom Singer 3 Episode 10 | Lara Fabian |
| "The Rose" | Bette Midler | ||
| "Star, Wind, Sunlight, and Love" | August 22, 2020 | Immortal Songs: Singing the Legend -- Kim Jong-kook & Turbo | Kim Jong-kook |
| "Breathe" | February 3, 2021 | Phantom Singer All Stars Episode 2 | Lee Hi |
| "Joke's on You" | February 10, 2021 | Phantom Singer All Stars Episode 3 | Charlotte Lawrence |
| "Rolling in the Deep" | March 10, 2021 | Phantom Singer All Stars Episode 7 | Adele |
| "Don't Forget Me" | April 7, 2021 | Phantom Singer All Stars Episode 10 | Baek Ji-young |
Filmography
Reality TV show
| Date | Network | Title | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 (April 10 – July 3) | JTBC | Phantom Singer 3 | Winner[2] |
| 2020 (August 22) | KBS | Immortal Songs: Singing the Legend | Won in two successive matches[7] |
| 2021 (January 26 – April 20) | JTBC | Phantom Singer All Stars[43][8] | Earned MVP awards in Round 2[44] and 3[45] |
| 2021 (May 27) | Mnet | Kingdom: Legendary War | Featured for Ateez's Answer: Ode to Joy[46][47] |
| 2023 (March 17) | TVING | Webtoon Singer | Featured with The God of High School, combining webtoon and performing with extended reality, this song was used by Blackpink in Shut Down, teammate with Yoo Se-yoon in the 5th episodes and won[48][49] |
Concerts and Tours
Phantom Singer 3 Gala Concert Tour (August - November, 2020)
Three quartets that had made it to the final competitions of the show Phantom Singer 3 had a concert tour together after the show was over. Three quartets including La Poem performed the songs that were sung by the singers during the TV show, with some new songs added to the list.
| Date | City | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| August 15 to 17 | Seoul | The Peace Hall, Kyung Hee University[5] |
| August 22 | Daegu | EXCO Exhibition Hall, Level 1 |
| October 17 | Ilsan | KINTEX Exhibition Center 1, Hall A |
| October 24 | Busan | BEXCO Exhibition Center 1, Hall 1 |
| November 13 to 14 (encore) | Seoul | The Peace Hall, Kyung Hee University |
Love Poem Concert (November 18, 2020)
A classical vocal concert was held with Bass Sonn, Hey-Soo in Seoul Arts Center, Seoul.[4]
Phantom Singer All Stars Gala Concerto Concerts (May 28 – June 6, 2021)
Nine quartets formed via Phantom Singer 1-3 got together and had a series of concerts in Olympic Hall, Seoul Olympic Park to continue the momentum of the TV show Phantom Singer All Stars. Due to time and space limits, three of the 9 quartets performed together on the same stage. La Poem performed on three different dates, and its detailed timetable is shown below.
| Date | Quartet | Note |
|---|---|---|
| May 29 | Hpresso (season 1), Miraclass (season 2), La Poem (season 3) | Phantom Singer 1–3 |
| June 4 | La Poem, Rabidance, Letteamor | Phantom Singer 3 |
| June 5 | La Poem, Rabidance, Letteamor | Phantom Singer 3 |
La Poem's 1st Concert <Scene#1> Tour (April 10 – August 15, 2021)
This is La Poem's first concert tour after its formation in July 2020. The tour was initially scheduled to begin in Seoul on March 27 to 28, 2021, but it was cancelled due to COVID-19 related social distancing measures. For this reason, La Poem's first concert was held in Busan (KBS Busan Hall) on April 10 and 11. Following the concert, the tour stopped for a while. As June began, concert venues were successively announced, the tour resuming in Ulsan, continuing in Suwon, Cheongju, Seongnam, Daegu, and finishing in Seoul.[50][36]
| Date | City | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| April 10 to 11 | Busan | KBS Busan Hall |
| June 26 to 27 | Ulsan | KBS Ulsan Hall |
| July 10 to 11 | Suwon | Gyeonggi Arts Center |
| July 17 to 18 | Cheongju | Cheongju Arts Center |
| July 24 to 25 | Seongnam | Seongnam Arts Center |
| August 7 to 8 | Daegu | Keimyung Arts Center |
| August 13 to 15 | Seoul | Olympic Hall, Olympic Park |
2021 Great Concert Series (November 12 to 13, 2021)
La Poem was invited to Great Concert Series for year 2021 hosted by Sejong Center. The concert was held in two consecutive days in Sejong Grand Theater in Sejong Center, Seoul, Korea.[51] La Poem sang to the instrumental accompaniment of Korea Coop Orchestra (conducted by Kwang Hyun Kim and played by 53 artists) and a session band, which was organized by Dreamus Company.
| Date | Concert | Artist |
|---|---|---|
| November 12 | Ditto: La Poem & Rabidance | La Poem, Rabidance |
| November 13 | Falling in La Poem | La Poem |
Serenade of La Poem (December 25, 2021)
La Poem had duet concerts from December 21 to 24; Chaehoon performed with Minseong on the 21st and 23rd and Sunghoon with Kihun on 22nd and 24th in CJ Towol Theater, Seoul Arts Center, Seoul.[52] Following these concerts, La Poem held a special event titled Serenade of La Poem combining a concert with a fan meeting in the same place on the 25th,[53] which was hosted by Dreamus Company and CJ E&M; and organized by Moss Music.