When speaking about the king of K-R&B, any fan of the genre will present a number of possible contenders such as DEAN or Crush, and you’ll certainly hear the name Zion.T on the shortlist. For many people, us included, Zion.T holds a very special place in our hearts. Though he is considered one of the bigger soloists these days, his success wasn’t a simple path. If you’ve been curious about diving into the K-R&B scene and weren’t sure where to start, this is a handy guide to Zion.T’s musical journey on the scene.

Kim Haesol began his journey on the Korean music scene in 2011, collaborating with bigger names in the industry like Dok2, Simon D, and Primary. In the beginning, most of his work came in the form of features for different artists and singles. At the time, he was signed at Ameoba Culture, a label run by the members of Dynamic Duo, which helped him get a number of features with other artists big on the scene.

His first studio album Red Light came out almost two years to the date of his debut, with title track “Babay” featuring Gaeko fairing decently on the charts and receiving some critical acclaim. But despite his features for the aforementioned artists along with behemoth names like G-DRAGON, his true breakthrough didn’t occur until 2014 with this single “Yanghwa Bridge.”

His sales doubled from this single alone, skyrocketing him into the spotlight and solidifying his position as a top soloist in the industry. To fans of a harder or more intense sound, it may be difficult to understand why “Yanghwa Bridge” was received so well, and the answer lies in the raw emotion behind the song and his lament of growing up and maturing, finally understanding the words of his father and the intensity of his emotions. Even to this day, this ballad elicits goosebumps from listeners, zeroing in on a deep familial love sung in Haesol’s distinctive and unforgettable vocal timbre. It’s a combination of the emotional string melody, the easily distinguishable passionate singing, and sentimental lyrics that hits all listeners at their core and continues to resonate. Only a very talented artist is able to do this, which is likely why he became so recognized with this release.

Many fans will tell you the lore of the legendary duo of Zion.T and Crush, a favorite of many for their friendship and regular collaborations. The duo took over the charts in 2015 with their collaboration single “Just,” another soft bluesy ballad that tackled the emotional turmoil that comes along with the end of a relationship.

Perhaps it was his distinct vocals that made him particularly popular, or his signature eccentric video style and perpetual habit of wearing sunglasses, but Zion.T was never easily forgettable once he’d made it to the top. His next major hit, “Eat,” dropped in the same year, and matched the 2.5 million peak sales of “Yanghwa Bridge.” “Eat” is another soothing track where Zion.T croons comfortingly about his understanding of the difficulties of day-to-day life.

He had yet another No.1 hit track in that year with “No Makeup” and began to appear on variety shows, namely as a producer with KUSH on Show Me The Money 5 and a judge on MIXNINE. ARMYs may recall a performance on the 2015 KBS Song Festival stage with BTS’s Jungkook and Zion.T, where the duo performed a live version of “Yanghwa Bridge,” a dream to the maknae of the group.

His next mini-album came in 2017. OO and lead single “The Song” broke one million in sales and peaked at No.1 on the charts. “The Song” had a much more upbeat and playful tone than some of his other hits, showing that he’s able to exhibit different sides to his music. 

His latest album ZZZ was released in 2018, with Red Velvet’s Seulgi featured on the title track “Hello Tutorial.” Although it was his last album release, he can be found featured by other great artists in the genre such as LOCO and Colde, among others. Zion.T’s discography is a great jumping-off point for diving into the world of K-Hip-Hop and K-R&B.

If the world of K-Hip-Hop or K-R&B seems intimidating on the surface, a quick look into Zion.T will help open up the world via a slow and steady stream. Versatility in his collaborations showcases many different artists with similar tastes and builds interest in other artists in the genre along the way. 

Not only is he a great gateway into the different genres of Korean music, but a soloist whose music brings the familiar warmth and comfort of home. It’s hard to argue his impact on growing the K-R&B genre into the mainstream, and there’s no doubt he’ll continue to produce great music throughout his career.