Musical talent is required of all K-pop stars, but it’s certainly not everything. Many go from K-pop into acting, modelling, hosting and other endeavours that put their music on the back burner.
Wendy from K-pop girl band Red Velvet offers a reminder of just how far a dedicated, passionate lover of music can go in the industry. Here’s why the world is taking notice of the powerhouse vocalist.
Her early life
She was born Son Seung-wan in Seoul’s Seongbuk-dong district on February 21, 1994. Her parents were both music lovers and Wendy, their younger daughter, knew she wanted to be a singer by the age of five or six.
After her family moved to Canada when she was in fifth grade, Wendy learned to play piano, guitar, flute and saxophone, and was a member of her school’s choir.
She had big ambitions to join the K-pop industry and auditioned for both Cube Entertainment and YG Entertainment.
On a whim, Wendy also went to SM Entertainment’s global audition in Canada with a friend and ended up being scouted by the agency known for legendary acts BoA, TVXQ!, Girls’ Generation, Exo, F(x) and more.
Wendy spent two years training at SM Entertainment and was introduced to the public in 2014 as a member of the SM rookies team that featured other stars looking to make their debut at the company.
Wendy played guitar and sang the Taylor Swift song Speak Now in a YouTube video that now has millions of views.
Her role in Red Velvet
Red Velvet made their debut in 2014 and Wendy’s powerful and versatile vocals have always played a crucial role in their songs. She established herself as a diva thanks to her singing on Red Velvet’s debut single Happiness in 2014.
Wendy’s time spent studying in Canada, as well as the United States, has made her fluent in English. This means she plays a crucial role in Red Velvet’s international activities, particularly in the US, where Wendy acts as the face of the group and communicates with local fans and media.
Her image
Music is Wendy’s life. Her activities revolve around it. From Lady Gaga to Alicia Keys to Pixie Lott, she has covered a range of artists. When a fan shared a clip of her singing a snippet of Lott’s Everybody Hurts, the British singer was impressed, saying “Wendy is unreal” on Twitter.
Wendy is also known for her image that goes back to her school days. She was a star pupil and was honoured in the President’s Education Awards that recognise American students for academic excellence.
Her dedication to hard work may have been a factor when she suffered a serious injury during a rehearsal for the 2019 SBS Gayo Daejeon music festival. According to reports, Wendy fell from the stage and sustained injuries to her face, as well as fractures to her pelvis and wrist. The young star spent weeks recovering and has not made any public appearances since.
Her solo work
She has still to release an official solo album, but Wendy has performed on soundtrack singles, including popular tracks for dramas Who Are You: School 2015 and The Beauty Inside, and holiday songs such as Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.
She has also collaborated with aartists including John Legend, Ricky Martin, Eric Nam and Yang Da-il.
In her own words
K-pop stars are known for their exhaustive schedules, and Wendy is no exception, but the singer has revealed that support from fans is what keeps her going.
“When I feel like I’m all over the place, I tend to control my mind at fan meetings or by reading letters from fans,” she told Marie Claire magazine in 2019. “Then I’m able to remember the important things that I had forgotten about and become clear-headed.”
Even when Wendy was seemingly at her lowest point following her accident in late 2019, the star posted an inspiring message to reassure fans that she would be back with more music soon.
“I’m not going anywhere and I’m going to be right here,” she posted on Instagram in her first public message since the accident. “Because I’m going to sing for all my life. So I will recover quickly so I can meet you on stage in good health as soon as I can. Till then, spend every day in happiness. I’m always so grateful and I love you.”
