Rising K-Pop sensation Kim Jong-hyun has sadly passed away, at the age of 27. His death, which occurred on 18th December 2017, has been ruled by South Korean authorities as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning. It has been reported that his sister believes the singer committed suicide, and supposedly communicated with him in his last moments via text message to say goodbye.
Jong-hyun’s career took off when he was selected to be a member of boy band Shinee, who have recorded six studio albums in South Korea and have performed several world tours.
His prominence in the Asian music industry grew quickly, with his participation in the song ‘Let’s Go’ (recorded to boost public awareness of the G-20 Seoul Summit in 2010) and his involvement of SM the Ballad, an experimental R&B project group. Jong-hyun continually appeared in various forms of Asian media, such as on the television show Immortal Songs 2, which features covers of classic songs, and as the host of radio show Blue Night (his performance later resulted in an excellence in radio award). As well as this, Jong-hyun regularly took part in collaborations and features on multiple Korean pop tracks.
The singer went on to have a brief solo career, with an EP and a single studio album – Base and She Is – both of which achieved commendable success within the South Korean pop charts. His efforts were further recognised; Jong-hyun is commended as one of only a handful of artists to truly distinguish themselves from the abundance of K-Pop stars in the 21st century.
Tributes have flooded in across the Internet since his death, from fans and media giants alike. At the age of 27, Jong-hyun joins the ever-expanding list of artists to pass away at such a young age, including Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain, The Doors’ Jim Morrison and the Rolling Stones’ Brian Jones – making him another member of the mysterious ’27 Club’.
Written By: Connor Winyard
He discovered the gem when he was 12 years old and still has it now, claiming it to be why he fell in love with music. He likes to play disc golf when he's not writing about music. He is a one-of-a-kind individual who is always the first to bust out his air guitar on the dance-floor.
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