Kang Hye-yeon

Kang Hye-yeon (Korean: 강혜연; born December 8, 1990) is a South Korean trot singer. She is a former member of the girl groups EXID and Bestie, and has been active as a trot singer since the disbandment of the latter in 2018.^[1]

In this Korean name, the family name is Kang.

Kang Hye-yeon
Kang in 2014
Born	강혜연 (1990-12-08) December 8, 1990 (age 34) Jeju City, South Korea
Occupation	Singer
Musical career
Genres	K-pop Trot Ballad Dance R&B
Instrument	Vocals
Years active	2012–present
Website	https://kang-hyeyeon.com/
Korean name
Hangul	강혜연
Hanja	姜蕙姸
RR	Gang Hyeyeon
MR	Kang Hyeyŏn

Early life

Kang was born in Jeju City, her mother's hometown, but grew up in Incheon.^[1][2] She has been playing piano since she was four, and started dreaming of becoming a singer after seeing Maya perform at the Inha University festival when she was in sixth grade.^[3]

Career

Bestie and solo activities

While preparing for college, she saw an audition notice on the internet, recorded an MP3 and sent a demo file. She passed and, after being an idol trainee, she joined the girl group EXID and debuted under the stage name Dami on February 16, 2012.^[4][5][6] However, she left the group two months after the release of their debut album to focus on her studies.^[7]

After that, she signed with YNB Entertainment along with Haeryung and Yooji, who were active in EXID together, and debuted as the lead vocalist and leader of the four-member girl group Bestie in July 2013.^[8][9] Although Bestie achieved their own level of recognition, Kang was never paid and worked several part-time jobs.^[2][3]

She signed an exclusive contract on October 25, 2018 with Star Entertainment and Bestie eventually disbanded.^[10] A few days later, on October 31, she released the single "Waddaya" (왔다야), turning into a trot singer.^[11][12] Kang had always liked trot and competed on Mnet's trot survival program Trot X in 2014 while she was promoting with Bestie, so, when Star Entertainment CEO Choi Yang-su suggested that she try that genre, she readily accepted.^[13]

Kang rose to stardom in 2020–21 thanks to the TV show Miss Trot 2. Despite finishing in eighth place, her performance impressed the public and earned her the nickname 'Trot Squirrel'.^[3] On April 30, 2021, her first full-length album, Sunday Hye-yeon, was released.^[3] In November 2023, she once again garnered attention by participating in MBN's The Best K-Trot Singer.^[14]

In 2023 and 2024 she was appointed as promotional ambassador for South Korean islands,^[15][16] and in 2024 she was appointed as Jeju Island public relations ambassador.^[1]

Discography

Studio albums

• Sunday Hye-yeon (2021)

Singles

• Waddaya (2018)
• Mangottaeng (2020)
• You Idiot (천치 바보야; 2022)
• Comet: Broom Star (혜성(彗星):빗자루별; 2023)
• Yeon: Beautiful (연(姸):고울연; 2023)

Collaborations

• "Stick With U" by Quattro Code (2013)
• "Getting Bored?" by Yoon Seung-woo (2014)
• "Perfect Chemistry" by Just Cricket (2015)
• "You Can Take Your Time" by Rolling Paper (2018)
• "I Hate You So Much" with Jung Yi-han (2018)
• "Why Do You Call Me" with Hwang Woo-rim and Maria (2021)
• "Just the Two of Us" by Nam Jin (2022)
• "Coffee Cola" with Oh Song (2022)

Other releases

• Kang Hye-yeon Miss Trot Techno Medley (2020)
• What If I Just Leave? (2024)