Artist Highlight: JAY B
Take a look at the career of GOT7’s Lim Jaebeom (JAY B) beyond his work as an idol.
GOT7
JAY B debuted nearly 10 years ago under the name JB as the leader of JYP Entertainment’s boy group GOT7. The group still stands with all seven original members despite military enlistments, solo projects, and all members now being signed to different labels.
Other Projects
In 2012, JAY B made his debut in JJ Project alongside fellow GOT7 member Jinyoung. Their debut song “Bounce” reached over one million views in two days, and now sits at 24.7 million. Five years after GOT7’s debut, JAY B and maknae Yugyeom formed a sub-unit called Jus2. The duo released only one EP, Focus, which reached 100 thousand sales and peaked at No. 2 on Korean charts and No. 6 on U.S world charts. JAY B writes, produces, and composes songs under the name Def. for himself, GOT7, Korean R&B crew ØFFSHORE, and other artists.
Outside of music, JAY B is known as a philanthropist, actor, and model. He continuously shows an interest in fashion and has even launched his own clothing lines in 2019 and 2021.
Solo
Following his 2021 departure from JYP Entertainment, JAY B released his first single track “Switch It Up” featuring Sokodomo. On May 25, 2021 he became the first Korean solo artist to chart on the Billboard R&B Digital Song Sales Chart and the third to chart on the Billboard R&B/Hip Hop Digital Song Sales Chart. JAY B released his first solo EP SOMO: Fume in August 2021 featuring various artists such as Jay Park, Wheein, JUNNY, G1nger, and Sokodomo.
2023
JAY B released a three track long EP titled Seasonal Hiatus on February 14, 2023. Throughout the EP, JAY B blends together various genres he loves, creating relaxing tracks tied together with his swooning vocals. The EP was his final gift to his fans before enlisting in the Korean military as a public service worker. The physical EP included a calendar that spans from February 2023 to November 2024, which is the duration of his service. Despite his military duties, JAY B still posts on social media. He recently uploaded videos of a camping trip on YouTube, where he can be seen taking time to relax and enjoy nature.
Edited by Lacey Diluvio