Cai Xukun facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Cai Xukun
蔡徐坤
Cai in 2019
Born	(1998-08-02) August 2, 1998 (age 26) Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
Other names	KUN
Occupation	Singer-songwriter dancer actor
Years active	2012–present
Musical career
Genres	C-pop R&B Electric Soul
Instruments	Vocals
Labels	KUN Studio
Chinese name
Chinese	蔡徐坤
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Cài Xúkūn Bopomofo ㄘㄞˋ ㄒㄩˊ ㄎㄨㄣ Wade–Giles ts'ai hsü k'un

Cai Xukun (born August 2, 1998), known as KUN, is a famous Chinese singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor. He first joined the group SWIN in 2016 after being on a TV show called Super Idol.

Later, he left SWIN and joined another TV show, Idol Producer. He finished first and became the leader of the boy group Nine Percent in 2018. From 2020 to 2022, he was also a cast member on the popular TV show Keep Running.

Many of KUN's solo songs are his own original creations. His first EP, "1", was a huge success. All the songs on it topped music charts in China. His song "Pull Up" broke 10 records and was number one on several charts for many weeks. Another hit, "Wait Wait Wait", was also number one on music lists for weeks.

In January 2019, KUN was named a "China-Jamaica Goodwill Ambassador". This means he helps build good relationships between the two countries. He also started his first solo tour in North America and the U.K. in April 2019. After his tour, he released his second EP, "Young". This EP sold over 5.67 million copies in just one week! Because of this, people called him the "King of Digital Singles".

Early Life and School

KUN was born on August 2, 1998, in Wenzhou, China. He spent some of his childhood with his grandparents in Huaihua, Hunan. He later grew up in Shenzhen, Guangdong.

When he was in elementary school, KUN was a helpful student. He was chosen to be the principal's assistant and the student union's president. He also won awards in essay writing contests. KUN was even considered to join the famous group TFBoys. However, his parents wanted him to focus on school first.

After elementary school, he moved to Shenzhen for middle school. Around age 16, he studied in the United States at Grace Brethren High School in Simi Valley, California.

KUN's Amazing Career Journey

2012–2014: Starting Out

KUN began his career early. In April 2012, he was on a TV show called Up Young! on Hunan TV. He made it to the top 200 contestants.

In August 2012, KUN started acting. He played the younger version of a character in the show Half a Fairytale. He also acted in another TV series, "Police Woman Li ChunChun". In 2014, he played a young character in the movie Lock Me Up, Tie Him Down.

2015–2017: Super Idol and SWIN

In 2015, KUN went to South Korea to join the reality show Super Idol. This show was made by Anhui TV and MBC. During the show, KUN trained very hard and faced tough competition. He improved his skills a lot and made it into the Top 3.

After Super Idol, KUN returned to China. He debuted as a member of the Chinese boy group SWIN. The group had many fans, but their company didn't manage them well. SWIN didn't get many chances to perform or appear in public. This caused their popularity to go down. In 2017, KUN decided to leave the company.

2018: Idol Producer and Becoming a Star

After some time away, KUN joined the TV show Idol Producer as an independent trainee in late 2017. He performed his own song, "I Wanna Get Love", in the first episode. KUN quickly gained a huge fan base and became very popular on the show.

He received many votes and stayed at the top of the rankings. In the final round, he got over 47 million votes! On April 6, 2018, KUN officially became the leader and center of the boy group Nine Percent.

Soon after Idol Producer, a web-drama KUN filmed in 2017 was released. It was called I Won't Get Bullied by Girls. KUN played the main role, Ye Lin. This show was a teen comedy and became very popular because of KUN's fame. By May 2018, it had over 700 million views!

From April to May 2018, KUN's first solo song, "I Wanna Get Love", was number one on China's music charts for almost three weeks. In July, KUN started his own personal studio. On his 20th birthday, August 2, 2018, he released his EP "1" for free. It had three songs: "Pull Up", "You Can Be My Girlfriend", and "It's You".

"Pull Up" was an instant hit. It broke 10 records on QQ Music, China's biggest music streaming platform. KUN also helped edit the music video for "Pull Up". He released another song, "Wait Wait Wait", in August, which quickly topped many music charts.

In October, KUN performed "You Can Be My Girlfriend" live at a charity event. He donated 600,000 RMB (Chinese money) to a charity project. In November, Nine Percent released their first original album, To the Nines. KUN helped write the lyrics for two songs on the album, "Rule Breaker" and "Good Things".

In December, KUN's song "Wait Wait Wait" won an award as one of the Top Ten Pop Songs of the Year. This was his first big music award. He also performed his songs at New Year's Eve concerts.

2019: Ambassador, New Songs, and First Solo Tour

On January 10, 2019, KUN was honored as the "China and Jamaica's Goodwill Ambassador". He said he hoped to be a good role model for young people. A week later, he released "The Lunar Song", the theme song for a movie. This song was a special collaboration with the famous actor Jackie Chan.

In January, a documentary series about KUN called Cai Xukun's Unfinished was released. In February, he released an artistic music video for "Wait Wait Wait", directed by the award-winning Dave Meyers.

On Chinese New Year in February, KUN performed a new song, "That Spring", for Beijing TV. This was his first song written entirely in Chinese. Later that month, he released his first Chinese single, "No Exception". This song was a collaboration with another musician, Yoga Lin. "No Exception" quickly became number one on many Chinese music charts.

On March 1, KUN announced his first solo tour, "KUN ONE North America/U.K. Tour 2019". He performed in cities like Vancouver, San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, and London. Tickets for some shows sold out in minutes! In March, he also released his first DJ mix, "Bigger".

On April 19, KUN released the song "Hard to Get". He first performed this song during his solo tour. The music video for "Hard to Get" was viewed over 10 million times on YouTube and 100 million times on Weibo.

In May, KUN attended the Asian Film and TV Week. He also finished the last shows of his KUN ONE tour. In June, KUN was a guest judge on World's Got Talent. He also performed a special mix of his songs. This episode became a trending topic on Weibo.

On July 26, KUN released his EP Young. It was a huge hit, selling over 63 million copies. This set a record for digital albums sold in 2019. KUN was very involved in creating this EP. He helped with the production, music video ideas, editing, choreography, and even the cover design.

On October 31, KUN performed his new song "Rebirth". It was later re-released in January 2020 as a collaboration with American producer Kshmr. This was KUN's first time working with a foreign artist. The song shows KUN's desire to be fearless and break boundaries.

2020: Youth With You and "Lover"

In January 2020, it was announced that KUN would be the "Youth Representative" for Youth with You Season 2. This is a survival show that helps create new music groups. KUN was a mentor on the show, working alongside stars like Lisa from Blackpink.

In March, KUN and actress Tong Liya released a song called "The Mountains and Rivers Are on My Chest". They released it to encourage people fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. In April, KUN joined the cast of Keep Running. He also released the song "Home" to support people during the COVID-19 lockdown. This song quickly became a top trending topic on many Chinese social media platforms.

On May 24, KUN released his hit single "Lover". It quickly became number one on QQ Music's charts. KUN helped write and produce "Lover". The song was first performed on Youth with You Season 2 with the trainees. The "Lovers Dance Challenge" using the song was used over 400 million times on Chinese social media.

At the end of 2020, KUN was ranked 31st on the Forbes China Celebrity 100 list.

2021: First Studio Album and Wax Figure

On April 6, 2021, KUN announced his new album, 迷 (Mi). It received over 1 million pre-orders on QQ Music in just two hours! This made him the fastest artist to reach that number in 2021. KUN was involved in producing the album and directing the music video for one of its songs.

On December 16, Madame Tussauds in Hong Kong revealed KUN's wax figure. It wears the outfit he wore on World's Got Talent in 2019.

2022: "Hug Me"

On July 2, 2022, KUN released the single "Hug Me". This song became very popular. It was one of the top ten most streamed songs of 2022 on major Chinese music platforms like QQ Music and NetEase Cloud Music.

2023: KUN World Tour and "Hug Me (Remix)"

On March 22, 2023, KUN announced his 2023 WORLD TOUR-迷宫重启. The tour included stops in Macau, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Singapore, and Kuala Lumpur.

On June 22, he released "Hug Me (Remix)". This was a new version of his popular song "Hug Me" from 2022.

Endorsements and Brand Partnerships

KUN is a popular choice for many brands. In 2018, he became an ambassador for skincare, L'Oréal Paris, and the smartphone company Vivo. He also became the global spokesperson for Aussie shampoo.

In 2019, Levi's announced KUN as their brand ambassador. On May 31, Prada named KUN as its China ambassador. He was the first Chinese spokesperson for the brand and appeared in their Fall/Winter 2019 advertising campaign. KUN also attended Prada's fashion show in Shanghai.

In 2020, KUN became an ambassador for more brands, including Kosé, Givenchy Beauty, and FILA sportswear.

In 2021, the British fragrance brand Jo Malone appointed KUN as their brand ambassador. He also worked with hair brand Schwarzkopf. Since 2023, Prada Beauty has named KUN as their fragrance ambassador.

In 2022, the Swiss watch company TAG Heuer named KUN its Chinese ambassador. The company's CEO said KUN's talent and daring spirit matched their brand.

In 2023, the South Korean sunglasses brand Gentle Monster announced a collaboration with KUN. He worked as the director for their 'Crystal Clear' project.

In May 2024, the Italian luxury fashion brand Versace appointed KUN as their global brand ambassador. In August, KUN became the global brand ambassador for the footwear company Avia (shoes). In December, Maison Margiela Fragrances announced KUN as their spokesperson for Bath and Body products.

Artistry: KUN's Music Style

Influences

KUN says he is inspired by artists like Stevie Wonder and Lana Del Rey. He likes the "soul and jazz vibe" that takes people on an emotional journey through music. You can hear this in his first English song, "Wait Wait Wait," which mixes pop, electronic, and soul music.

Themes and Genres

KUN has written and produced most of his own solo songs. This includes "I Wanna Get Love", his EP "1", and "Wait Wait Wait". He also helped write songs for Nine Percent's album "To the Nines". KUN's music style is very diverse. It includes Future R&B, Urban R&B, Hip-hop, Pop, Dance, and Electronic Soul.

Helping Others: Philanthropy

KUN often uses his social media to encourage his fans to help others.

In August 2018, KUN donated money to a center that helps children with autism. In October 2018, he performed at a charity event and anonymously donated 600,000 RMB. This money helped build facilities for students in rural areas to learn music and other activities.

In November 2018, KUN worked with a traditional musician from the Yi ethnic group. They filmed a program to raise awareness and preserve ancient Chinese music and instruments.

In December 2018, KUN joined a charity project called "Battle Against Poverty" with Jackie Chan. KUN visited a poor area on Hainan Island to help. He introduced local products, like salted duck eggs, during a live broadcast. Because of KUN's popularity, all 80,000 eggs sold out in one minute! His fans also made big donations to different charity causes, like buying school supplies and building roads. By the end of 2018, KUN's fans had donated about 5,000,000 RMB.

On May 12, 2019, KUN was named the Goodwill Ambassador of the China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation. He promised to promote programs for disaster prevention. On June 16, he became the Arts and Philanthropy Ambassador for a modern art center. He helps promote educational programs for children from less fortunate backgrounds.

After an earthquake in Sichuan in June 2019, KUN donated 100,000 RMB to help with relief efforts. He also donated books and school supplies to a local primary school.

KUN started a charity fund on October 17, 2019. This fund helps children in remote Chinese areas. He donated over 600,000 RMB and promised to donate 3 million RMB more over the next three years. This money will mainly support primary school choirs and other charity activities.

On January 26, 2020, KUN donated 600,000 RMB to help with medical needs during the COVID-19 pandemic in Wuhan, China. His fan clubs also raised over 500,000 RMB for the cause.

Discography

• Mi (迷) (2021)

Tours and Concerts

Filmography

Films

Television Series

Television Shows

Awards and Nominations

Forbes China Celebrity 100

Images for kids

• 

  Cai in 2019

See also

In Spanish: Cai Xukun para niños