H.O.T.
| H.O.T. | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | High-five Of Teenagers |
| Origin | Seoul, South Korea |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) | Singer |
| Years active | 1996–2001 |
| Labels | SM Entertainment |
| Associated acts | |
| Website | Official website |
| Past members |
Moon Hee-joon Jang Woo-hyuk Tony An Kangta Lee Jae-won |
H.O.T. (Hangul: 에이치오티, pronounced "H-O-T" not "hot") was a popular five-member South Korean boy band in the mid to late 1990s. They were formed by SM Entertainment in 1996 and disbanded in 2001. In addition to South Korea, the band was popular in Taiwan, People's Republic of China and Korean and Asian communities in the Americas. H.O.T. was the first group to have an album become a "million seller" in K-pop, despite there being a financial crisis in South Korea at the time.
They are credited as the first K-pop boy band and the forerunners of the "idol group" trend in the Korean music industry, H.O.T. successfully turned mainstream Korean music into music for the younger generation. Made up of five teenagers at the time of their debut, they were formed to specifically target teenagers, hence their name "High-five Of Teenagers".
H.O.T. was formed by producer Lee Soo-man, the head of SM Entertainment, in 1996. Their music comprises a mixture of rap, ballads, dance, and later Rock. Singer Kangta provided most of the ballad vocals.
The first member that Lee Soo-man picked was Kangta. The manager saw him dancing and singing with a friend at an amusement park, and was impressed. Second was Moon Hee-joon, who after auditioning was accepted into the band. Hee-joon then invited his friend Lee Jae-won to audition, who was subsequently also admitted. The fourth to join the band was Jang Woo-hyuk, after winning first place in a dancing contest. He was asked to try out and became the fourth member to join.
SM Entertainment then traveled to LA to hold auditions. Tony An, originally discovered by Brothers Entertainment in the United States, and his friend Andy Lee both joined the band. However, Lee's parents later withdrew support, causing him to leave the band and join Shinhwa in 1998. The new group was called H.O.T. - High Five of Teenagers.
H.O.T. was a group that enjoyed massive success in their career, allowing them to become major influences on the future of boy bands and the rest of the music scene in Korea. Their popularity also led to the creation of female groups in Korea.
H.O.T. made their debut with their first album, We Hate All Kinds of Violence in September 1996, which placed them instantly on top with teenage girls in the country.
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