Henry Lau facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Henry Lau
Henry Lau in 2018
Born	(1989-10-11) October 11, 1989 (age 35) Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Alma mater	Berklee College of Music
Occupation	Singer songwriter musician record producer
Years active	2007–present
Musical career
Genres	K-pop Mandopop R&B
Instruments	Vocals violin piano guitar drums
Labels	SM Monster Entertainment Group
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese	劉憲華
Simplified Chinese	刘宪华
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Liú Xiàn Huá Yue: Cantonese Jyutping Lau4 Hin3-waa4 Hong Kong Romanisation Lau Hin-wa
Korean stage name
Hangul	헨리
Transcriptions Revised Romanization Henri McCune–Reischauer Henri

Henry Lau (born October 11, 1989) is a talented Canadian singer, songwriter, and musician. He is also a record producer. Many people know him simply as Henry. He is famous in South Korea and China.

Henry first became known in 2008 as a member of the K-pop group Super Junior-M. Later, in 2013, he started his solo music career with an album called Trap. One of his songs, "It's You," became super popular. It was the most streamed Korean song from a TV show on Spotify for two years in a row (2018 and 2019).

In 2018, Henry decided to leave his old company, SM Entertainment. He then joined Monster Entertainment Group. Besides music, Henry has also acted in movies. He made his Hollywood debut in 2019 in the film A Dog's Journey. In 2020, he starred in the action movie Double World. This movie was special because it was released worldwide on Netflix and a Chinese streaming service at the same time.

Henry is also well-known for his appearances on TV shows. He was on popular programs like Real Man and I Live Alone. For his TV work, he won awards like the Best Newcomer Award in 2014 and the Excellence Male Award in 2017.

Henry's Early Life and Musical Start

Henry Lau was born on October 11, 1989, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. His father is from Hong Kong, and his mother is from Taiwan. His father worked in real estate, and his mother was a stay-at-home mom. Henry has an older brother, Clinton, and a younger sister, Whitney. His brother Clinton is now the CEO of Henry's current music company.

Henry started playing the piano when he was four years old. He began violin lessons at age five. His violin teacher was a former violinist from the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. He also learned to play the electric violin. Henry earned high honors in both violin and piano from the Canadian Royal Conservatory of Music. In high school, he learned a hip-hop dance style called boogaloo popping.

Henry never thought he would become a singer. He didn't even know much about K-pop until his friends told him to try out for SM Entertainment. For his audition, he played a Vivaldi piece on the violin while also dancing. He also sang without music. He got an offer from the company the very next week.

Even though he had offers from colleges for classical music, Henry chose to go "down the K-pop road." He felt it was the only way he could do everything he loved: dancing, singing, and playing instruments. His mother was very impressed after visiting the company in South Korea. She helped convince his father to let him accept the offer. Henry can speak four languages: English, Mandarin, Korean, and conversational Cantonese.

Henry's Music Career: From Group to Solo

Joining Super Junior-M (2007–2012)

Henry first appeared as a violinist in a music video for the K-pop group Super Junior in 2007. In 2007, his company, SM Entertainment, announced that Henry would join a new sub-group called Super Junior-M. This group would focus on music for China. Super Junior-M officially started on April 8, 2008. They released their first album, Me, soon after.

In 2009, Super Junior-M released another album called Super Girl. This album won many awards. Henry also sang on a song called "Love Me" for another artist, Zhang Liyin. He performed his own English song, "Sick of Love," during Super Junior's tour.

In 2010, Henry took a short break to study music at Berklee College of Music in Boston. There, he learned more about singing and producing music. He also wrote songs for Super Junior, like "All My Heart" and "Andante." He was also part of a special project group called Younique Unit. In 2012, Henry got his first main acting role in the film Final Recipe. He played a young chef who enters a cooking contest. To prepare, Henry practiced cooking for hours every day.

Solo Debut and TV Fame (2013–2014)

Super Junior-M released their second album, Break Down, in January 2013. Henry's production team, NoizeBank, helped produce two songs on the album. NoizeBank is a team Henry formed with his friends from Berklee.

On May 30, 2013, Henry announced he would start his solo music career. He was the first male solo artist from SM Entertainment in 13 years! His first solo album, Trap, came out on June 7, 2013. The main song featured Kyuhyun from Super Junior and Taemin from Shinee.

Henry in Bangkok in February 2013

In February 2014, Henry joined the TV show Real Man. This show is about celebrities experiencing military life. Henry quickly became a fan favorite because he was always positive and eager to learn about Korean culture. His appearances on this show and Star King made him even more popular. This led to more TV shows and advertisements.

His second solo album, Fantastic, was released in July 2014. Henry also released a Japanese version of Fantastic in October.

More TV Shows and Hit Songs (2015–2017)

In January 2015, Henry made his acting debut in a Korean TV drama called Persevere, Goo Hae-Ra [ko]. He also released two songs for the drama's soundtrack. In March 2015, Henry joined the show We Got Married. He also appeared in the drama Oh My Venus.

In 2016, Henry was very active in China. He appeared on many reality shows, including Sisters Over Flowers 2. He also co-wrote a song for the singer Se7en. Henry also released songs through SM Station, like "Runnin'" with Sistar's Soyou.

Henry at Esquire China's MAHB Awards in November 2017

In January 2017, Henry joined the Chinese reality show Back to Field. He also appeared on the popular South Korean show I Live Alone. On I Live Alone, he impressed viewers by using live loops to play music. He later became a regular cast member on the show. During his time on the show, he composed a song called "Girlfriend." It became very popular and reached number one on many South Korean music charts.

He released more singles in 2017, including "Real Love" and "I'm Good." He also co-produced a song called "Lemonade Love." In October, he released "It's You," which he co-composed for the TV drama While You Were Sleeping. This song became the most streamed Korean TV show song on Spotify for two years.

New Company and Acting Roles (2018–Present)

In January 2018, Henry arranged a new version of the song "Daughter's Love" for the movie The Monkey King 3. In February, he released the song "Monster" in three languages. On April 30, 2018, Henry announced that he had finished his contract with SM Entertainment. He decided to start his own studio in China. Henry also joined the second season of the busking show Begin Again.

In 2018, he was cast in the main role for the Chinese movie Double World. This film was released globally on Netflix in July 2020. In August 2018, Henry was cast in the American film A Dog's Journey, which came out in May 2019. This was his first American movie. In November 2018, Henry announced he had joined Monster Entertainment Group. He founded this company with his brother, Clinton, to help build his career worldwide.

Henry at the Korea First Brand Awards in December 2019

Henry returned for the third season of Begin Again in July 2019. On May 9, 2019, he released "Untitled Love Song," his first song under his new company. In August, he released the song "I LUV U." He also released "Don't Forget" in October. In December, he released the Chinese version of "I LUV U."

In February 2020, Henry released "Thinking of You." He also featured on the song "Nice Things" with AlunaGeorge. In May, he joined the fourth season of Begin Again. In August, Forbes Korea named Henry a '2020 Korea Power YouTuber'. This was for his YouTube series 'Henry Together,' where he works with young music talents. In September 2020, Henry sang on "Take Over," the official song for the 2020 League of Legends World Championship. In October, he was confirmed to star in the second season of the American TV series Dramaworld.

On November 18, 2020, Henry released his third album, Journey. The album reached number one on the Gaon Album Chart. Critics praised the album for showing Henry's unique musical style. In December, Henry was recognized as the '2020 Art Patron of the Year'. This was for his work promoting arts through his 'Henry Together' series and his role as an ambassador for the Orchestra of Dream.

In August 2021, he joined the fourth season of Street Dance of China as a team captain. He also released a song called "Home" with Roy Wang.

Henry's Musical Talents

Henry is a very skilled musician who plays many instruments. He can play the violin, piano, drums, and guitar. He is famous for his live performances, where he often uses several instruments and special loop pedals. These pedals allow him to record and play back sounds instantly, creating a full sound by himself.

People in China have nicknamed him "one-man band." This happened after a performance in 2019 where he used live looping. He played drum pads, a glass bottle, a kick drum, a marimba, a piano, and an electric violin, all while singing!

Other Things Henry Does

Businesses

In May 2018, Henry opened a Taiwanese restaurant called Xiao Zhan in Seoul, South Korea. He has since opened a second location.

Arts and Photography

In October 2021, Henry's artwork was shown at the START Art Fair in London. His art was part of a special exhibit that celebrated the global influence of K-pop.

Ambassador Roles

Since 2019, Henry has been a Goodwill Ambassador for important non-profit groups. These include the International Vaccine Institute and the Save the Children charity. In May 2020, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism named Henry a promotional ambassador for Orchestra of Dream. This program helps provide music education to children and young people, especially those who are less fortunate. Henry performed with the orchestra at their 10th Anniversary Concert in November 2020.

In June 2021, Henry became an ambassador for Seoul's Instrument Donation and Sharing Campaign. This campaign collects used musical instruments and gives them to people and schools who need them. In March 2022, he was appointed as a school violence prevention ambassador by the Mapo Police Station.

Discography

Extended plays

• Trap (2013)
• Fantastic (2014)
• Journey (2020)

Filmography

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Henry Lau para niños