| Zhong Chenle | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Birth Date: | 2001 11, df=yes | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Birth Place: | Shanghai, China | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Years Active: | 2009–present | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Zhong Chenle (; born 22 November 2001),[1] known mononymously as Chenle (Hangul: 천러), is a Chinese singer and actor based in South Korea. Zhong began his career as a child singer, having performed in various concerts and television shows in China and abroad. At age nine, he became the youngest singer to be invited to perform solo at the Golden Hall of Vienna.[2] Through his solo career, Zhong has released three albums and hosted one concert in China. At the age of fourteen, Zhong signed with South Korean entertainment company SM and subsequently moved to South Korea in 2016 to debut as a member of the South Korean boy band NCT through its sub-unit NCT Dream, which went on to become one of the best-selling boy bands in South Korea.
Zhong was born in Shanghai, China on 22 November 2001. He studied at the Beijing Contemporary Music School, graduating alongside NCT bandmate Renjun in the class of 2020.[3] In 2006, Chenle entered the Shanghai Ying Siu Sing School and attended dance classes. In 2008, he was admitted to the Shanghai Little Flute Art Troupe and studied vocal music with Huang Jing.
In 2009, Zhong participated in the Hajj children's channel held by Yueyue Elf Vs Season Trial, where he was runner-up and won the Elf Genie Award. In 2010, he participated in the National Chinese Young Talent Selection and won a gold medal.
In January 2011, at age nine, Zhong was invited to perform the song "Memory" from Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical Cats at the Golden Hall of Vienna; at the time, he was the youngest singer to have ever performed solo there. On 16 June, Zhong led the audience in singing the Chinese national anthem at the second Nie Er Music Week opening ceremony in the Shanghai Grand Theater. In July, Zhong released his twelve-track second solo album, My Wings. At the end of the month and in August, Zhong participated in the opening and closing ceremonies of the Shanghai International Children's Art Festival on the Shanghai Grand Stage at the Shanghai International Convention Center.
Zhong began his professional career as a singer after participating in singing competitions such as China's Got Talent.[4] He has released three albums.[5] He used to perform cover songs, many of which were of former child star Declan Galbraith, and upload them to YouTube. Zhong joined the World Organization of Child Ambassadors of Peace, headquartered in Washington, D.C., and founded and presided over by pianist, songwriter, and producer Ezekiel Elkin, representing China as a young cultural diplomat. Zhong served as Chinese Ambassador at an international multicultural show created by Elkin in Buenos Aires in August 2014; he performed "The Dragon's Romance", a song Elkin wrote specifically for him.
In December 2012, Zhong participated in the First Plenary Session of the Huangpu District of Shanghai and elected the district chief with the highest votes. His first known minor acting roles were in 2013, when he featured in Chinese drama The Queen of SOP 2 at age 11. In 2014, Zhong held a solo concert at the Shanghai Concert Hall.[6]
See main article: NCT (group) and NCT Dream. In August 2016, at age 14, Zhong began his career as an idol in South Korea by debuting as a member of NCT Dream, a sub-unit of NCT.[7]
Zhong became the main DJ of the radio show Yuedong Seoul on 12 October 2020, which aired from 9 pm to 10 pm KST and was live-streamed on the official TBS eFM 101.3 MHz YouTube channel.[8] Zhong departed Yuedong Seoul on 12 September 2021.[9]
In February 2021, Zhong featured on the song "Too Good" from IMLAY's fourth EP Utopia.[10]
See main article: NCT discography.
| Title | Year | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Yellow Maple Leave" | 2011 | Shanghai Art Humanities Channel "Time Song" premiere | |
| "Strong Children" | 2012 | ||
| "Do Not Be Afraid" | Monster Wanted Order theme song | ||
| "Amazing Grace" | Shenzhen TV's Beware 00 Opening remarks | ||
| "An Angel" | Shenzhen TV's The Mysterious Baby Mid-Autumn Festival Concert with Rice premiere | ||
| "Childhood Companion" | Jade Qiaolin Story OST | ||
| "Travel The Wind" | Jade Qiaolin Story theme song | ||
| "Can You Feel The Love Tonight " | The Lion King theme song | ||
| "The Dragon's Romance" | 2014 | Wunderkindz by "Zeke & The Kiddos" summit in Buenos Aires, Argentina | |
| "A New Beginning" | 2020 | Graduation song with Renjun NCT | |
| "Too Good" | 2021 | From IMLAY's EP Utopia | |
| "Snow Dream" | with Yeri of Red Velvet, Haechan and Jisung of NCT, and Ningning of Aespa | ||
| "Where You Are" | 2022 | with Super Junior Ryewook, SHINee Onew, NCT Doyoung, and Xiaojun | |
| "蓝洋海龟 (Marine Turtle)" | 2023 | single by NCT U, sung with Kun, Xiaojun, and Renjun | |
| "活下去爱下去" | 2024 | The Double OST |
All credits are adapted from the Korea Music Copyright Association, unless cited otherwise.[11]
| Year | Song | Artist(s) | Album | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | "Like We Just Met" | NCT Dream | ISTJ | Co-writer |
| "蓝洋海龟 (Marine Turtle)" | Kun, Xiaojun, Renjun, Chenle | SM Station: NCT Lab | Co-producer | |
| "Marine Turtle" (Korean ver.) |
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Soul Rhythm | Pre-debut |
| 2014 | A Candy for Mother |
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | The Queen of SOP 2 | Pre-debut |
| Bund Police |
| Year | Title | Title in Mandarin | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | China's Got Talent | 中国达人秀 | Pre-debut | |
| Sunday My Biggest | 周日我最大 | Performing the song "Tomorrow" | ||
| 2011 | Happy Blue Sky | 快乐蓝天下 | Performing the song "Memory" | |
| We Have a Set | 我们有一套 | Performing the songs "Memory" and "You Raise Me Up" | ||
| Day Day Up | 天天向上 | Performing the song "Memory" | ||
| 2012 | Red Star | 红星闪闪 | ||
| Talented Children's Voice | 天才童声 | |||
| Innocence Hit the Earth | 童心撞地球 | |||
| Table Plan | 同桌计划 | Performing the song "Memory" | ||
| Sound One Team | 天声一队 | Performing "Memory", "Tell Me Why" and other songs. | ||
| The Mysterious Baby Mid-Autumn Festival Concert with Rice | 饭没了秀之魔力宝宝中秋演唱会 | Performing the song "Tell Me Why" | ||
| Beware 00 | 小心00后 | Performing the song "Amazing Grace" | ||
| 2013 | Flash World | 闪天下 | Performing the songs "My Songs", "Tell Me Why" and "Can You Feel The Love Tonight" | |
| I Love My Motherland | 我爱我的祖国 | Performing the song "You Raise Me Up" | ||
| Super Voice | 超级童声 | Judge | ||
| China New Voice Generation | 中国新声代 | Performing the songs "Amazing Grace" and "Snail" | ||
| 2014 | Wunderkindz by "Zeke & The Kiddos" | 神童们 | Performing the song "The Dragon's Romance" (El romance del dragón - 龙月情缘) |
See also: List of awards and nominations received by NCT.
| Year | Award | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Yueyue Elf Vs Season Trial "Elf Genie Award" | ||
| 2010 | National Outstanding Students Competition | ||
| 2010 | National Award For Young Talents in China |