Biography
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Born
25 August 2002 (age 22)
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Born In
Daegu, Korea, Republic of
Charley Yang (born August 25, 2002) known professionally as BoyWithUke, is a Korean-American singer, songwriter, musician, and internet personality. He rose to popularity on the online platform TikTok, with a popular series called "Minute-Long Songs". Through this series he wrote lots of the songs he's released, including his international hit "Toxic". (2021) He is currently an independent artist, after his deal with Republic Records ended.
Career
2020–2021: Beginnings on TikTok and "Toxic"
BoyWithUke began uploading to TikTok in 2020 after being introduced to the platform by his brother. At first, his content did not attract much attention on the platform, until 2021, when several of his videos (including Minute-Long Songs) started to perform well.
In September 2021, BoyWithUke released his extended play Faded, which features the single "Toxic". "Toxic" went viral on TikTok and was featured in over sixty-nine thousand videos on the platform. It was streamed around half a billion times. The single reached No. 1 on the Billboard Alternative Airplay charts after being on the charts for thirty-one consecutive weeks, which was the sixth-longest rise to No. 1 in Alternative Airplay's history. "Toxic" was certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) and platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
During this period, BoyWithUke was known for hiding his face behind an LED mask, featuring a black background and 2 blue circles for eyes.
2021–2022: Republic Records and Serotonin Dreams
In late 2021, BoyWithUke signed a deal with record label Republic Records. In 2022, he released the single "IDGAF", featuring Blackbear, from his album Serotonin Dreams. He released his debut major-label album, Serotonin Dreams, under Republic Records. It debuted at No. 7 on the Billboard Alternative Airplay and Billboard 200 charts and features "Toxic" as its lead single. After the album's release, BoyWithUke was listed as one of the top ten Billboard Emerging Artists. On September 30, 2022, he released the single "Sick of U" featuring Oliver Tree.
Throughout 2022, BoyWithUke opened for the indie-pop trio AJR on their OK Orchestra Tour.
As of March 2023, he had seven million followers on TikTok and almost two hundred thousand streams in the United States, according to Luminate Data.
2023: Antisocial and Lucid Dreams
BoyWithUke released the extended play Antisocial on February 24, 2023. It contains three songs, including the already debuted single, "Rockstar", which was released on February 10, as well as two songs that had previously been teased on his TikTok, "IDTWCBF (Friends)" and "Nosedive". On April 7, 2023, BoyWithUke released another single, "Out of Reach". It is the full version of one of his minute-long songs on TikTok. He also debuted the single with a Roblox concert featuring "Out of Reach", "Toxic", and "IDGAF".
On October 6, 2023, BoyWithUke released his fourth studio album Lucid Dreams. The album featured "Rockstar," a single also on the extended play Antisocial. Lucid Dreams consists of BoyWithUke talking about his problematic childhood and struggles with depression.
On October 9, 2023, BoyWithUke revealed his face at the end of his music video for "Homesick". On an Instagram and TikTok post the next day, he revealed his face and name. In the same post, he said he found that the mask gave him confidence in the past, but now it was negatively affecting his physical and mental health. BoyWithUke also expressed his plans to start a new chapter of his music without a mask.
2024-Present: Burnout
As of September 3, 2024, BoyWithUke has released 2 singles off of his album Burnout, to be released on November 8, 2024. BoyWithUke has stated this will be his last album under the pseudonym "BoyWithUke", not explaining further. The Album Burnout will be his first album not to follow his naming scheme of having the word "dreams" in the title.
As of September 3, 2024, BoyWithUke currently has 7.7 million followers on TikTok and 2.7 billion streams on Spotify.
Artistry
BoyWithUke's music is centered around the ukulele but also incorporates other instruments such as the piano. He self-composes his music on GarageBand from his iPad, a free digital audio workstation for Apple devices.
BoyWithUke's music has been described as "alternative", "sad-rap" and "alt-pop".
BoyWithUke's albums are said to follow a "Dreams Saga", with Melatonin Dreams talking heavily about depression and suicidal thoughts. Fever Dreams is said to be based upon one being less depressed and suicidal than its predecessor, but ultimately still focuses its core values on low self-esteem and generally melancholic and depressed themes. Serotonin Dreams is supposedly him "waking up" and the "Magnum Opus" of the saga as overall unlike its antecedent, Serotonin Dreams is focusing on realization and generally more positive values, whilst still having occasional references to the values of its predecessors.
Personal life
BoyWithUke keeps most of his personal life private. He has revealed that he lives in Boston, Massachusetts, and was born in Daegu, South Korea. BoyWithUke stated that he was forced into classical music from the age of four, but later dropped it. This was followed by him resuming music through writing music in high school. BoyWithUke revealed that he kept his identity hidden because he wants people to pay attention to his music and talent and not his looks. In October of 2023, he officially revealed his face and name, Charley Yang.
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