Looking for a new Chinese idol obsession? Heeeeere’s Luhan

Are you getting pulled ever deeper into the world of Chinese idols and are hoping to find your next obsession? You’ve learned about Wang Yibo, Xiao Zhan, Yang Mi, and WinWin. Now you’re ready to find your next big obsession, but don’t know where to start. Lucky for you, we’ve got plenty of our fave Chinese idols ready for you to pick from. 

Right now, we’re all about Luhan. So if you’re curious about this former Exo member turned actor, then here’s everything you need to know about Luhan.

Exo years (2011-2014) 

Luhan, also known as Luhan, was born on April 20, 1990, in Beijing, China. He made his debut in 2011 with the group known as Exo, which he was part of until 2014. Luhan was studying in South Korea when he was scouted for the group. 

During his time with Exo, Luhan performed with the main group and the Mandarin sub-group known as Exo-M. During this time, Exo’s profile was slowly beginning to rise in Korea, China, and worldwide though they wouldn’t hit true worldwide success until after Luhan left. 

In 2014, Luhan sued SM Entertainment, who managed Exo, to have his contract terminated so he could leave the band. According to the lawsuit, he cited health issues along with being treated differently from his Korean bandmates. 

Music career (2015-Present)

After leaving Exo, Luhan continued to pursue music and also went into acting. We’ll be breaking both up into different sections, though there is overlap. Luhan released music for films that he’s appeared in such as 20 Once Again (2015). 

In between acting roles, however, Luhan started to make his own music. He released his first solo album in 2015 with Reloaded, which went platinum. Luhan would win Best Digital Album of the Year and Best Male Singer of the Year at the QQ Music Awards along with various other awards for his work.

In 2016, he began work on XXVII (27), which is based on his personal growth journey and is meant to be a series of albums with the titles Xperience, Xplore, Venture, Imagination, and I. 

His most recent release is the song “Dream Up”, which was released early in 2020. 

Acting career (2015-Present) 

Luhan made his feature film debut with the film 20 Once Again, a remake of the Korean film Miss Granny. For his performance in the film, Luhan won Newcomer of the Year at the Beijing International Film Festival. He also joined the cast of Hurry Up, Brother and starred opposite of Yang Mi in The Witness that same year.

Other films that featured Luhan are Time Raiders, The Great Wall, and the upcoming Shanghai Fortress. 

Luhan is also known for his work in television as well starring in such series as Fighter of Destiny and Sweet Combat. 

Why love Luhan?

Luhan is definitely a talent to watch. While he has been called China’s answer to Justin Bieber, that feels like an unfair comparison. Luhan has a very great range in both his acting and music, which leads to a lot of great performances. He just has a really great breadth of solo work to enjoy, especially if groups aren’t really your thing. 

While his acting career is not quite as robust as his singing career, it’s clear that Luhan takes special care in the projects he chooses. When he does act, he gives it his all, which makes for some truly great performances.