Singer Hwang Chi-yeol said that his popularity in China began with just one fan.

“When I sang a song titled ‘Father’ at ‘Immortal Songs: Singing the Legend,’ there was a Chinese fan who cried for an hour after listening to my song,” said Hwang during a recent interview with a local fashion magazine.

“Staff of ‘I Am a Singer’ from China heard that story, and reached out to me. It all started from that one fan. With such a thought in mind, I try to do my best in everything.”


Photos released by the magazine Thursday showed the singer clad in various denim jackets and sweat shirts.

Hwang also shared how he had started out in music.

“I was one of those karaoke enthusiasts of this country. When something doesn’t pan out well, I hold onto it until it works -- the reason why I learned music by myself. I used to practice singing in a semi-basement for 17 hours a day and went out to outdoor bridges when neighbors complained about the sound,” he said.

Hwang recently released the EP “Be Myself,” fronted by the track “My Only Star.”

(lotus@heraldcorp.com)