Kang Ji-hyun is a South Korean singer, known professionally as Soyou. She was born on February 12, 1992, on Jeju Island. Before rising to fame, she was a licensed hairdresser and initially trained with Cube Entertainment, where she almost debuted with the girl group 4Minute. However, she eventually joined Starship Entertainment and debuted as a member of the K-pop group Sistar in June 2010. Sistar quickly gained popularity, especially with the release of their hit single "So Cool" in 2011. Throughout her career with Sistar, Soyou also pursued solo projects, contributing to various soundtracks and collaborations. One of these, her 2014 duet "Some" with Junggigo, became a major hit, earning several awards including Song of the Year at the Korean Music Awards. After Sistar disbanded in 2017, Soyou embarked on a solo career, releasing her first EP, Re:Born, in December 2017. This release featured the single "The Night." She continued her solo career with the release of her second EP, Re:Fresh, in 2018. She also released a string of successful singles, including "Gotta Go" in 2020 and "Good Night My Love" in 2021. Later in 2021, Soyou signed with BPM Entertainment and continued her musical journey, releasing her third EP, Day & Night, in April 2022, featuring the lead single "Business" with Be'O. She also held her first solo concert, THE LIVE: NIGHT, in 2022. A fourth extended play titled Summer Recipe arrived in 2023, peaking at number 93 on the South Korean charts.
