Kpop has taken the world by storm. Its infectious beats, mesmerizing music videos, and sleek choreography have captivated audiences across the globe. While Kpop has been primarily associated with Korean artists, the industry has expanded its reach for over a decade to include Chinese Kpop stars. As this article will focus on the best male Chinese Kpop stars, you will not see Jackson Wang or Lucas, who are from Hong Kong. We at SEOULSPACE feel it is important to recognize Hong Kong’s unique identity and culture. Hong Kong’s history, legal system, economy, and culture are distinct from China’s. As a Special Administrative Region of China, Hong Kong enjoys a high degree of autonomy, which allows it to maintain its own identity and way of life.
Top 100 Kpop Stars in 2023 – Q1
While Chinese Kpop stars have made great strides in the industry, they still face many challenges. One of the biggest challenges is the language barrier. Many Chinese Kpop stars have to learn Korean to communicate with their Korean counterparts, which can be difficult and time-consuming.
Another challenge is the cultural differences between China and South Korea. Political tensions between China and South Korea can affect the careers of Chinese Kpop stars. Some of these tensions in the past led to a ban on Korean entertainment in China, which had a significant impact on the careers of Chinese Kpop stars who were working in Korean Kpop groups.
Lay
Lay Zhang was born on October 7, 1991, in Changsha, Hunan, China. He was raised by his grandparents, who were both musicians. Lay started playing the piano at six and later learned to play the guitar and drums. After finishing high school, Lay moved to Seoul, South Korea, to pursue a music career. He attended the Seoul Institute of the Arts, where he studied Applied Music.
In 2011, Lay became a trainee under SM Entertainment, one of the largest entertainment companies in South Korea. He was later introduced as a member of EXO in 2012. Then he quickly gained popularity and became one of the top-selling boy groups in Asia. In 2015, Lay made his solo debut with the single “What U Need?” and released his first solo album, “Lose Control,” in 2016. The album was a commercial success, topping various music charts in China and South Korea. Apart from his music career, Lay has also ventured into acting. He made his acting debut in the Chinese television series “The Mystic Nine” in 2016. He has since appeared in various movies and TV dramas.
Lay has won numerous awards for his music, including the “Best Male Singer” award at the China Music Awards in 2017 and 2019 and the “Most Popular Singer” award at the Tencent Video Star Awards in 2018 and 2019. Lay has also been recognized for his acting skills, winning the “Best New Actor” award at the China Britain Film Festival in 2017 for his role in the movie “Kung Fu Yoga.”
Chenle
Zhong Chenle was born in Shanghai, China, on November 22, 2001. From a young age, he was interested in music and started playing the piano at five. Chenle also learned to play the guitar and drums.
In 2016, Zhong Chenle was introduced as a South Korean-Chinese boy group NCT member. He debuted with the group’s sub-unit, NCT Dream. Once there, he quickly gained popularity for his vocal and rap skills. Moreover, he has also pursued a successful solo career, releasing his first solo single, “Tomorrow’s Future,” in 2017. He has also contributed to the soundtracks of various movies and TV dramas.
Zhong Chenle has won numerous awards for his music, including the “Rookie of the Year” award at the Asia Artist Awards in 2016 and the “Best New Male Artist” at the Tencent Music Entertainment Awards in 2017.
In addition to his music career, Chenle has appeared in various TV shows and movies, including “King of Mask Singer” and “The Dreamed Path.”
The8
The8 was born on November 7, 1997, in Anshan, Liaoning, China. He started training in classical dance at six, and by the age of eight, he was already competing in dance competitions. The8 went on to train in contemporary dance and hip hop, which led to him being scouted by Pledis Entertainment.
In 2013, The8 became a trainee at Pledis Entertainment and was selected to be a member of Seventeen, which made its debut in 2015. As part of the group, The8 showcased his impressive dancing skills and contributed to the group’s songwriting and choreography. In addition to his activities with Seventeen, The8 has pursued a solo career, releasing his first solo song, “Dreams Come True,” in 2017. He has also appeared in various TV shows and commercials in China.
The8 has won several awards for his contributions to Seventeen’s music and performances, including the “Best Performance Award” at the 2017 Mnet Asian Music Awards. He has also been recognized for his dancing skills, winning the “New Force Award” at China’s 2018 National Dance Awards.
Renjun
Next on the list of the best male Chinese Kpop stars is Renjun. Renjun was born in Jilin, China, and grew up in a musical family. He trained in classical music and traditional Chinese instruments at a young age and later expanded his skills to include dancing and singing. Renjun was discovered by SM Entertainment, one of the largest K-pop entertainment agencies in South Korea, through its global audition program in China.
In 2016, Renjun became a trainee at SM Entertainment and was selected to be a member of NCT Dream, which made its debut in 2017. As part of the group, Renjun showcased his impressive vocal skills and contributed to the group’s songwriting and choreography. In addition to his activities with NCT Dream, Renjun has pursued a solo career, releasing his first solo song, “Guide,” in 2020. He has also appeared in various TV shows and commercials in China and South Korea.
Renjun has won several awards for his contributions to NCT Dream’s music and performances, including the “Rising Star Award” at the 2018 Asia Artist Awards. He has also been recognized for his vocal skills, winning the “Best Vocal Performance – Male” award at the 2020 Mnet Asian Music Awards.
Winwin
Winwin was born in Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China. He studied dance and martial arts at the Beijing Contemporary Music School. In 2015, Winwin was discovered by SM Entertainment, one of the largest K-pop entertainment agencies in South Korea, through its global audition program in China.
In 2016, Winwin became a trainee at SM Entertainment and was selected to be a member of NCT. He officially debuted with NCT in 2018 as part of NCT 127. Winwin is known for his impressive dance skills and contributed to the group’s songwriting and choreography. In addition to his activities with NCT, Winwin has pursued a career in acting, starring in the Chinese drama, “The King’s Avatar,” in 2019.
Winwin has won several awards for his contributions to NCT’s music and performances, including the “Rookie of the Year” award at the 2018 Soribada Best K-Music Awards. In addition, he has also been recognized for his dance skills, winning the “Best Dance Performance – Male Group” award at the 2019 Mnet Asian Music Awards.
Lu Han
Lu Han was born on April 20, 1990, in Haidian, Beijing, China. He graduated from the Beijing Shida Middle School and attended the Beijing Institute of Technology, where he studied Applied Technology.
In 2008, Lu Han participated in the SM Entertainment Global Audition in Beijing and became a trainee at the agency. He debuted in 2011 as a member of the popular South Korean boy group EXO. In 2014, Lu Han left EXO and pursued a solo career in China, where he quickly gained popularity and success. As a solo artist, Lu Han has released multiple successful albums and singles, including “Catch Me When I Fall,” “Our Tomorrow,” and “Medals.” He has also pursued a career in acting, starring in the Chinese dramas “The Witness” and “Sweet Combat.”
Lu Han has won numerous awards for his music and performances. Some examples include the “Best Newcomer” award at the 12th Top Chinese Music Awards and the “Most Popular Male Singer” at the 2016 Tencent Star Awards. Moreover, he has also been recognized for acting, winning the “Best New Actor” award at the 24th Beijing College Student Film Festival.
Jun
Wen Junhui, AKA Jun, was born on June 10, 1996, in Shenzhen, Guangdong, China. Before becoming a trainee at Pledis Entertainment in South Korea, he attended the Beijing Contemporary Music Institute.
Wen Junhui debuted as a South Korean boy group member, Seventeen, in 2015. He is among the best male Chinese Kpop stars due to his impressive vocal abilities and versatile dance skills. He has contributed to the group’s success with hits such as “Don’t Wanna Cry,” “Clap,” and “Left & Right.” In addition to his work with Seventeen, Wen Junhui has also pursued a solo career, releasing the Chinese singles “Can You Sit By My Side” and “Dusk.”
Wen Junhui has won numerous awards for his music and performances. This includes the “Best Performance Award” at the 2016 Asia Artist Awards and the “Popular Star Award” at the 2020 Korean Popular Culture and Arts Awards. He has also been recognized for his acting abilities, winning the “Best New Actor” award at the 2018 China Student Television Festival.
Xiaojun
Next on the list of the best male Chinese Kpop stars is Xiaojun. Xiaojun was born on August 8, 1999, in Dongguan, Guangdong, China. He attended Dongguan Nancheng Foreign Language School and became a trainee at SM Entertainment in 2018. Xiaojun is fluent in Mandarin, Cantonese, and Korean, which has allowed him to connect with fans from different regions.
Xiaojun debuted as a member of WayV, a Chinese boy group managed by SM Entertainment, in 2019. He is known for his soulful vocals and has contributed to the group’s success with hits such as “Love Talk” and “Kick Back.” In addition to his work with WayV, Xiaojun has also released solo music, including the single “Tears of a Demon.” Xiaojun has participated in writing and producing WayV’s music. This includes the song “Electric Hearts,” which he co-wrote and co-produced.
In 2020, Xiaojun made his acting debut in the Chinese drama “The Moon Brightens For You.” He has won several awards for his music, including the “Best New Asian Artist” award at the 2020 Mnet Asian Music Awards.
Kun
Kun was born on January 1, 1996, in Fujian, China. He attended Beijing Contemporary Music Academy and became a trainee at SM Entertainment in 2015.
Kun debuted as a member of NCT in 2018 and later joined WayV in 2019. He is among the best male Chinese Kpop stars. This is due to his powerful vocals, which have contributed to the group’s success with hits such as “Love Talk” and “Kick Back.” In addition to his work with WayV, Kun has released solo music, including “Awaken.”
Kun is fluent in Mandarin, Korean, and English, which has allowed him to connect with fans from different regions. He has participated in writing and producing WayV’s music, including the song “Dream Launch,” which he co-wrote and co-produced. In 2021, Kun made his acting debut in the Chinese drama “The Wind Blows in Changlin.”
Kun has gained a significant following on social media platforms such as Weibo and Instagram, with fans appreciating his talents and personality.
Hendery
Hendery is one of the top male Chinese kpop stars that can sing and rap very well. He is a member of the popular K-pop group NCT. He was born on September 28, 1999, in Macau, China, and his birth name is Wong Kun-hang. Hendery grew up in mainland China and moved to Hong Kong as a teenager.
Hendery began his career in the entertainment industry in 2016 when he participated in the Chinese reality show, “X-Fire.” He was later scouted by SM Entertainment and joined their pre-debut training team, SM Rookies.
In 2018, Hendery made his debut as a member of NCT. He is part of the sub-unit WayV, which comprises members from China and Thailand. WayV released its debut single, “Regular,” in January 2019.
Hendery has achieved a lot in his young career. He has won several awards, including the “Rising Star Award” at the 2020 Tencent Music Entertainment Awards. WayV has also been successful with its debut EP, “The Vision.” It reached number one on the iTunes Top Albums chart in several countries.
In addition to his music career, Hendery has also dabbled in acting. He appeared in the Chinese drama, “The Moon Knows Not My Heart,” in 2019.
Make sure also to check out our article on the top female Chinese Kpop stars.
