With experience in martial arts, b-boying, songwriting, fashion, and much more, there’s nothing that SEVENTEEN’s The8 can’t do.

SEVENTEEN

The8, born Xu Minghao, is one of SEVENTEEN's two Chinese members. He left China as a teenager to pursue a career as a K-pop idol, making his debut in SEVENTEEN under Pledis Entertainment at the age of 17. He is known for being one of the most skilled dancers in the group, however his experience in dancing started long before his debut as he was a part of a B-Boy group for six years while still living in China. Additionally, he practiced Kung Fu and Wushu from the age of five. His dance style is notably infused with influence from his background in martial arts as well as b-boying. He dreamed of becoming an idol since he was young as he watched many variety and reality shows. The8 is a member of SEVENTEEN’s Performance unit alongside Jun, Hoshi, and maknae Dino. He is the lead dancer, sub vocalist, and sub rapper of the group. The8 is credited for writing tracks for SEVENTEEN such as: “Highlight,” “Campfire,” “Oh My!,” “Wave,” and more.

Solo

His first solo song “Night and Rain” was released nearly three years into his career, on March 8, 2018. The8 has released six singles in total: “Night and Rain,” “Dreams Come True,” “Falling Down,” “Side By Side,” “Hai Cheng,” and “A Bite of Summer.” Unfortunately, he is yet to release a solo album. With the singer's first language being Chinese, it is natural for his solo songs to be written in his native language. His solo track “Side By Side” is the only one to have a Korean version of the song. 

Fashion

Throughout his career as an idol, The8 has been known for his bold and diverse taste in fashion. In September, the idol attended Paris Fashion Week brands Balmain and Givenchy. At the Balmain show he donned a black and white fringed jacket over an eye-catching sheer shirt. With the Givenchy show he took a more laid back approach, wearing a seemingly comfortable all gray outfit that nicely complemented his bleached hair. The8 has long wished to attend Paris Fashion Week and was honored to be alongside many other amazing and well known artists, while also being able to represent SEVENTEEN in the process.

Edited by Lacey Diluvio