Solji

K-pop star Solji, born Heo Sol-ji on January 10, 1989 in Seoul, has been a part of and shaped the sounds of multiple vocal groups while also releasing solo material. While still a teenager, she was teamed with Kim Ga-hee, and later Kim Song-yi in the duo act 2NB. She released solo albums and singles, such as Challenge and “Love Shake” starting in 2008. 2NB lasted until 2012, at which time Solji became the vocal coach for the girl group EXID, and eventually joined the quintet as a performer after a some of the original members left. The band had a mega hit with “Up & Down” in 2014, which topped the pop charts for months. She gained individual notoriety when she became the winner on the first season of King of Mask Singer in 2015, leaving no doubt as to her considerable singing skills. A hyperthyroid condition, diagnosed in 2016, sidelined her from live activities with EXID, though she remained a member of the group and recorded with them. In 2020 she signed with a new agency in order to focus on a solo career, and later that year she released “Rains Again”, her first solo single in over a decade, to great acclaim. © ©Copyright Music Story Steve Woods 2020