TAEYONG (태용)

Lee Tae-yong — stage name TAEYONG — is a South Korean rapper, singer, dancer, and songwriter born on July 1, 1995, in Seoul. He is the leader, main rapper, and main dancer of NCT and its sub-unit NCT 127, as well as a member of NCT U and the supergroup SuperM. Since his debut in 2016, he has been one of the defining faces of SM Entertainment’s modern era — and increasingly, one of K-pop’s most compelling solo artists.

He was discovered by SM street scouts outside his school in 2012, joined as a trainee, and spent four years developing his craft before stepping into the public eye as part of pre-debut team SMROOKIES in late 2013. His official debut came on April 9, 2016, when NCT U released The 7th Sense — a track that still ranks among the most striking debut songs in K-pop history. He followed that with NCT 127’s debut in July of the same year.

As NCT’s leader, TAEYONG helped shape the group’s experimental “neo” sound across a decade of releases. He was the connective thread across NCT U, NCT 127, NCT 2018, NCT 2020, and SuperM — an unusually wide range even by K-pop standards. His performance presence, technical skill, and creative involvement in the group’s music set a high bar that younger members measured themselves against.

Going Solo: From SHALALA to WYLD

TAEYONG made his solo debut on June 5, 2023, with the mini album SHALALA — becoming the first NCT member to release a solo album. The project announced something beyond the group: an artist with a distinct voice and aesthetic sensibility entirely his own. He followed it in February 2024 with the six-track mini album TAP, writing the lyrics to every track and building his first solo concert setlist entirely from songs he created. That concert, TY TRACK, held in February 2024, traced his decade-long journey like a cinematic narrative and earned strong critical and fan reception.

In April 2024, he enlisted in the Navy for mandatory military service — serving in the Navy Band and Gugak Honor Guard as a cultural promotion soldier — and was discharged on December 14, 2025, becoming the first NCT member to complete mandatory service. Two days after discharge, he announced a solo concert tour. On December 25, he returned to the stage at the 2025 SBS Gayo Daejeon — his first official performance since completing military service, just eleven days after walking out of the base.

The full picture came into view on May 18, 2026, when TAEYONG released WYLD — his first full-length solo album and the most unfiltered statement of his career. A 10-track project spanning hip-hop, jazz, rock, electronic, hyperpop, and future bass, WYLD was written, composed, and produced with TAEYONG’s direct involvement across every track. The title track channels the raw energy of wild animals in motion; the album as a whole is the answer to a decade of discipline finally unleashed. His pre-album single Rock Solid (April 17, 2026), a collaboration with Grammy-winning artist Anderson .Paak, blended Korean and Western hip-hop sensibilities and signaled exactly the kind of artist he was becoming.

The Artist Beyond the Stage

Outside of music, TAEYONG has built a presence in fashion and visual culture that few K-pop artists match. In June 2023, he was named a global ambassador for LOEWE — a luxury house known for its literary and artistic sensibilities, and a fitting match for an artist whose instincts consistently run toward the unconventional.

He has also appeared as a judge on Street Woman Fighter (2021) and as MC on Anybody Can Dance (2022), demonstrating a comfort behind the camera that extends beyond performance. His creative output includes visual art, written content, and hands-on involvement in NCT’s broader creative identity.

As NCT marks its 10th anniversary in 2026 under the slogan “EVERYTHING, ALL AT ONCE, NEO,” TAEYONG stands at the center — not just as the group’s founding leader, but as a fully formed solo artist who has earned the right to his own story. WYLD is where that story truly begins.

Photo Credit: Taeyong’s Official SNS