Hyo

Kim Hyo-yeon was born on September 22, 1989, in Incheon, South Korea. Her formal dance training began in elementary school, where she studied hip hop, jazz, and Latin dances. In 1999, at age 10, she enrolled in Winners Dance School, renowned for its focus on various hip-hop styles. During this period, she formed the dance team Little Winners with Min from Miss A. At age 11, Hyoyeon successfully auditioned for SM Entertainment through the SM 2000 Casting System. Her training included a period in 2004 when she was sent to Beijing to study Chinese alongside Super Junior’s Siwon. She received extensive dance instruction from notable choreographers, including the Electric Boogaloos, Kim Hye-rang, Poppin Seen, Kwang Hoo, and Shim Jae-won of Black Beat, and also worked with one of Janet Jackson’s choreographers.

Hyo officially debuted in August 2007 as a member of Girls’ Generation under SM Entertainment. The group quickly gained recognition, performing their debut single “Into the New World” on Mnet’s School of Rock before their official debut on SBS’s Inkigayo. In November 2007, Girls’ Generation released their self-titled debut studio album. A significant milestone occurred in January 2009 with the release of their EP “Gee,” which held the number-one position on KBS’s Music Bank for nine consecutive weeks, setting a record at the time. In January 2010, the group released their second studio album, “Oh!.” Later that year, in September 2010, Girls’ Generation debuted in Japan with the Japanese version of “Genie.” Their first eponymous Japanese studio album was released in June 2011, reaching number one on the Oricon Albums Chart, a first for a foreign girl group.

Demonstrating her diverse talents beyond group activities, Hyo participated in the second season of “Dancing with the Stars” in 2012, where she and her partner, Kim Hyung-seok, secured second place. In October 2012, she joined SM Entertainment’s special dance group Younique, releasing the single “Maxstep.” In May 2013, she became an Asian ambassador for Topshop’s Hong Kong branch. The same year, she coached on the competitive dance show “Dancing 9.” In 2015, Hyo released her book “Hyo Style,” offering insights into fashion and lifestyle, and hosted her reality show “Hyoyeon’s One Million Likes.” Her solo music career as HYO began in December 2016 with the release of “Mystery” via SM Station. She continued to release solo singles like “Wannabe” (2017) and rebranded as DJ Hyo with “Sober” in 2018, actively performing in domestic club tours and EDM concerts. In August 2018, she became part of Girls’ Generation’s sub-unit Oh!GG, releasing “Lil’ Touch” in September. Hyo has continued to release music as a DJ and solo artist, including her first extended play “Deep” in 2022, and performed in the supergroup Got the Beat.