Hueningkai (휴닝카이) is a South Korean singer-songwriter and producer under Big Hit Music. He is the youngest member of the boy group TOMORROW X TOGETHER.
History[]
2019: Debut with TOMORROW X TOGETHER, First KOMCA credits[]
On January 15, 2019, Hueningkai was introduced as the third member of TOMORROW X TOGETHER with the release of his teaser video on YouTube.[2]
The group debuted on March 4, 2019 with their first mini album The Dream Chapter: STAR.
Hueningkai helped in the writing and composition of the song Roller Coaster off TXT's first studio album The Dream Chapter: MAGIC, which made him the youngest K-pop idol to be registered under the Korean Music Copyright Association KOMCA.
2021: Listen[]
On January 4, 2021, it was announced that Hueningkai and his group member Taehyun would host the EBS Radio show Listen. They hosted the show from January 10, 2021 up until May 2, 2021.[3][4]
2024: Solo web series, First OST[]
On June 2, 2024, a teaser episode clip was released announcing Hueningkai's solo variety web series HUENINGKAI Wants to Start a Band.[5] On November 6, 2024, it was revealed that Hueningkai alongside his group member Taehyun will be releasing the OST "Can't Stop" for the Korean drama series Brewing Love.[6]
Personal life[]
Early Life[]
Hueningkai was born on August 14, 2002, in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA, under the birth name Kai Kamal Huening. He is of mixed ethnicity, with a Korean mother and a Brazilian born German-American father. Kai is the second child of his family; his older sister Lea (born 2000) was a member of the disbanded girl group VIVA, and has since debuted as a soloist. Kai's younger sister Bahiyyih (born 2004) has made her debut as part of the project group Kep1er formed through the survival show Girl's Planet 999 where she ranked 2nd.
Despite being born in Hawaii, Kai spent a lot of his childhood in China where his father was a TV personality and singer; the family stayed there for 7 years until they eventually moved back to Kai's mother's home country of South Korea.
Education[]
Hueningkai attended Lila Art High School until he transferred to Hanlim Arts High School where his bandmates Beomgyu and Taehyun attended.
During his time at Hanlim, Kai was a student of the Practical Dance Department.
On February 9, 2021, it was announced that Hueningkai graduated from the Hanlim Arts High School.[7]
Discography[]
OSTs[]
- "Can't Stop" (with Taehyun) (2024)
Credits[]
◯ = Participates as writing/composer/producer, ✖ = Not participated as writing/composer/producer
TOMORROW X TOGETHER Discography[]
Song | Album | Writing | Composing | Arranging |
---|---|---|---|---|
Roller Coaster | The Dream Chapter: MAGIC | ◯ | ◯ | ✖ |
Maze in the Mirror | The Dream Chapter: ETERNITY | ◯ | ◯ | ✖ |
Sweat | Unofficial songs | ◯ | ◯ | ✖ |
Wishlist | Minisode1: Blue Hour | ◯ | ◯ | ✖ |
No Rules | The Chaos Chapter: FREEZE | ◯ | ◯ | ✖ |
Dear Sputnik | ◯ | ◯ | ◯ | |
0X1=LOVESONG (I Know I Love You) feat. pH-1, Woodie Gochild, Seori | Digital single | ◯ | ◯ | ✖ |
MOA Diary (Dubaddu Wari Wari) | The Chaos Chapter: FIGHT OR ESCAPE | ◯ | ◯ | ✖ |
MOA Diary (Dubaddu Wari Wari) (Japanese Ver.) | Chaotic Wonderland | ◯ | ◯ | ✖ |
Sweet Dreams | Unofficial songs | ◯ | ◯ | ✖ |
Opening Sequence | Minisode 2: Thursday's Child | ◯ | ◯ | ✖ |
Lonely Boy | ◯ | ◯ | ✖ | |
Ring | GOOD BOY GONE BAD | ◯ | ✖ | ✖ |
Happy Fools (feat. Coi Leray) | The Name Chapter: TEMPTATION | ◯ | ◯ | ✖ |
Happy Fools (TOMORROW X TOGETHER Ver.) | Unofficial songs | ◯ | ◯ | ✖ |
Ring (Unplugged Ver.) | SWEET | ◯ | ✖ | ✖ |
Growing Pain | The Name Chapter: FREEFALL | ◯ | ◯ | ✖ |
Dreamer | ◯ | ◯ | ✖ | |
Blue Spring | ◯ | ◯ | ✖ | |
I'll See You There Tomorrow | Minisode 3: TOMORROW | ◯ | ◯ | ✖ |
Miracle | ◯ | ◯ | ✖ |
Videography[]
Trivia[]
- Education:
- Yongmun Middle School (Graduated)
- Lila Art High School (Transferred)
- Hanlim Multi Art School (Practical Dance Department)
- His 1st video entitled Introductory Film - What Do You Do? has the morse code DREAMING.
- His 2nd video entitled Questioning Film - What Do You See? showed his animal symbol is gecko, with the morse code SECRET and the symbols of ♥.
- His TMI says:
- Family: Father (German-Brazilian), mother (Korean), 1 older sister (Huening Lea) and 1 younger sister (Huening Bahiyyih).
- Hobbies and specialties: playing instruments and video games.
- Nickname: Hyuka, Ningning
- He has triple eyelids but when he's sleepy it becomes a six-folds eyelids.
- Loves egg tarts.
- Loves skinship, especially touching Soobin's belly.
- He's a music genius, he can play the piano, guitar, drums, etc.
- He has a collection of plushies.
- His TMI says:
- He lived in China for 12 years.
- He was the third member to be announced.
- He can speak 3 languages: English, Korean, Japanese.
- His older sister was a former member of VIVA. And his younger sister, nowadays is a member of the girl group Kep1er. All three siblings hold American passports. For Huening Kai, this means he isn't obliged to serve in Korean Military.
- He is the first foreigner to debut under Big Hit.
- His Spotify playlist was officially released on March 19, 2019.[8]
- He has perfect pitch. Ability that only around 1 in 10,000 people are thought to possess.[9]
- He was interested in music since a young age and wanted to inspire people from it (Debut showcase).
- Hueningkai's representative animal is a penguin 🐧.
- Hueningkai is a skilled instrumentalist; he can play guitar, piano and drums. He also has perfect pitch.
- Due to his all-rounder abilities, Kai has earnt the nickname '4th Generation Diamond Maknae'.
- He is half Korean (mother) and half German (father). He also has Polish and Scottish descent from his father’s side.
- He likes mint chocolate chip ice cream (Fanmeeting 030619).
- His favorite foods are seafood and pizza (Spotify K-Pop Quiz).
- His favorite global artist is Bruno Mars (V-LIVE).
- His love for plushies made him friends with the creator of Molang, who is a cartoon character who has a huge popularity in South Korea.[10]
- He has long legs and arms (TALK X TODAY Ep.1).
- He likes penguins and otters (TALK X TODAY Ep.5).
- He was in South Korea for kindergarten for a short time (Fansign 150319)
- His favorite movie is ‘Begin Again’ (Fansign 150319).
- His favorite colors are green (Fansign 150319) and black (Spotify K-Pop Quiz).
- He loves cats and said how he would love to raise one in a future. (Vlive).
- His solo fandom name is NINGDUNGIE (Fansign).
- His perfect home where he wants to live in one day is a cozy house with a yard (Vlive).
- His MBTI is ISTP.
- He doesn't have an ideal type, but one thing he likes is people with shorthair.[11]
- The animal he's most compared to is the penguin.
- His outstanding and extraordinary beauty has given him the name of CGKAI by the netizens.
- He's the MAKNAE (youngest) of the group.
- He made a band with his friends during middle school, where he was the vocalist.
- He prefers the second male lead in series or movies than the male lead. (Vlive)
- He likes to call his groupmates "Oppa". (Weverse)
- His favourite season is winter.
- He thinks "I like you" it's more heart-fluttering than "I love you". (Weverse)
- He made a handmade cake for his mom on her birthday. (Vlive)
- His sisters said in different occasions that they really never fought because Huening kai is a very kind brother who always makes sure to take care of them. Even Taehyun, one of his bandmates and bestfriend, said in Weverse that Kai's relationship with his siblings is as if it came out of a fairytale.
- Huening kai is also knows by the name of "Netflix boy" by the netizens for his looks that reminds them of the male protagonists of Netflix series.[12]
- He said someday wants to have the opportunity to visit his birthplace, Hawaii. (Vlive)
Gallery[]
To view the Hueningkai gallery, click here. |
References[]
- ↑ Weverse Magazine Interview
- ↑ ‘Introduction Film - What do you do?’ - 휴닝카이 (HUENINGKAI)
- ↑ Soompi: TXT Chosen As New DJs For EBS Radio Show
- ↑ Soompi: TXT’s Huening Kai And Taehyun To Step Down As DJs Of EBS Radio Show
- ↑ YouTube: HUENINGKAI Wants to Start a Band - EP.0
- ↑ YouTube (KOR): 드라마 '취하는 로맨스' OST 1차 하이라이트 메들리 공개! BREWING LOVE OST Highlight Medley ENA 월화드라마
- ↑ Allkpop: Fans celebrate TOMORROW x TOGETHER's 'Hanlimz' graduating from high school by sharing their adorable yearbook photos
- ↑ Spotify: #SpotifyxTXT Quiz
- ↑ 5 REASONS THAT MAKE HUENING KAI THE DIAMOND MAKNAE OF TXT.
- ↑ HUENING KAI AND HIS TOP 5 PLUSHIE MOMENTS
- ↑ Hueningkai Reveals He’s Attracted To Someone With Short Hair
- ↑ Knetz choose TXT Huening Kai as a idol who will really suits as the male lead in Netflix high teen drama!