Jay Park

Korean-American singer, rapper, and producer Jay Park (Park Jae-beom) infuses fresh energy into the R&B and hip-hop sounds of the 1990s and 2000s drawn from Michael Jackson, Usher, and Chris Brown. He shares their affinity for dance, belongs to the Art of Movement crew, and established the labels AOMG, H1GHR MUSIC, and More Vision. His career began inside the boy band 2PM before he stepped forward as a solo act via the Count on Me EP, which reached the top of the Korean chart and delivered his initial Top Ten Korean single, "Count on Me (Nothin' on You)." Additional projects such as New Breed, Evolution, Worldwide, and Everything You Wanted kept him on both the Korean pop and Billboard World charts, accumulating more Top Five entries through the close of the 2010s. His sixth proper album, The One You Wanted (2024), featured the number one single "GANADARA."

Born in Edmonds, Washington, Park immersed himself in hip-hop culture early on, drawn especially to rap and breakdancing, and turned that passion into an entertainment career after relocating to South Korea during his teenage years. Once he finished college, he pursued training aimed at the K-pop industry and joined the boy band 2PM, remaining with the group from 2008 to 2010 before launching his solo path. His debut EP, Count on Me, immediately topped the Korean chart. The following year brought the mini-album Take a Deeper Look, which climbed to number three on the Billboard World Albums chart. He then issued the chart-topping New Breed: Pt. 1 EP as the initial preview of his full-length debut, New Breed, which surfaced in early 2012, led the Korean chart, and entered the Billboard World Album chart at number four. Growing success as a Korean recording artist soon opened doors to acting, resulting in appearances on several television programs, among them Saturday Night Live Korea.

Over the ensuing years Park increased his output while forming alliances with more prominent names. Evolution, his second album, surfaced in 2014 and was soon followed by Worldwide. He delivered his third album in three years, Everything You Wanted, in 2016; it achieved his strongest placement yet on the World Album chart by reaching number three. He became the first Asian-American to join Jay-Z's Roc Nation label, and in 2018 he issued the Ask Bout Me EP, which included guest spots from 2 Chainz, Vic Mensa, and Rich the Kid. After The Road Less Traveled reached number 11 in Korea, he partnered with producer Hit-Boy on the EP This Wasn't Supposed to Happen, highlighted by the track "K-TOWN," near the decade's end.

Five years passed before Park returned with another full-length project, yet he maintained a steady flow of charting singles, most prominently the number one hit "GANADARA" in 2022. That song anchored his sixth proper album, The One You Wanted, which debuted at number nine on the Korean chart in 2024.