WOODZ: An Artist To Watch

If anyone asks me, “Who is the top all-rounder,” my answer will be Cho Seungyoun, also known as Woodz, with no hesitation!

Don’t know who Woodz is? Then, I have an introduction for you to get to know this fantastic singer-songwriter a bit more because you’re missing out!

Under Yuehua Entertainment, Cho Seungyoun debuted in a Korean-Chinese boy group, UNIQ, with their debut single ‘Falling in Love’. He was the group’s main rapper and sub-vocalist, but you will see later on that he is much more than that. From the get-go, he had participated in writing his rap verses in songs and some lyrics.

UNIQ’s Falling in Love

Due to the rising political conflict between Korea and China in 2015, UNIQ’s group activities together became more infrequent, leading its members to focus more on solo activities. Seungyoun continued on his musical journey by making his project group, MOLA, with Park Jimin, producer NATHAN, Seventeen’s Vernon, Pentagon’s Kino, and guitarist Hoho. They have released a couple of songs with the group’s members, one of my favorites being ‘Pickup The Phone.’

Seungyoun then went on Show Me The Money 5 in 2016. Although he had been eliminated early on, he had positively shown off his superb rapping, nonetheless. After his appearance on the competition show, he then co-founds the production crew Drinkcolor with producers EDEN, ODDTOM, and MOLA member NATHAN.

Barely a few days later, on July 29th, Seungyoun made his official solo debut with self-produced hip-hop single ‘Recipe,’ under the name Luizy. He released a few more tracks under Luizy, but Seungyoun ended up dropping the stage name by 2017.

However, his musical journey didn’t stop there. Seungyoun went on to produce and write music for both himself and other artists. A couple of songs he had helped in producing for others includes ‘Always’ for the survival show The Unit, ‘Evanesce Ⅱ’ for Super Junior D&E, and ‘It’s Okay’ for the Chinese show Idol Producer.

By February 2018, Cho Seungyoun’s solo name officially became WOODZ.

Not only was he producing music, but he also co-founded his production team, TEAM HOW, and went back to promoting as a solo artist. In 2018, he had released R&B heavy tracks ‘Pool’, ‘Different,’ and ‘meaningless.’ All of WOODZ’s had such a distinct and chill vibe that I absolutely enjoyed. His vocals in all these songs are smooth and so easy to the ears.

WOODZ’s Different

Thus, we reach 2019, and this is probably where Seungyoun was able to gain more recognition for his talent and efforts. I, for one, fallen victim to Seungyoun’s charms within this year, because this was when he had decided to participate in the popular survival show, Produce X 101. At first, I didn’t really give him much thought as I was focused on the other participants. However, as the episodes go by, and the more he was able to showcase his musicality, the more I began to root for the man.

Not only did he have some killer visuals, but Seungyoun was also able to show off his sharp dancing skills and his vocal prowess. As someone who used to be seen as only a rapper, this show was evidence of how much of an all-rounder Cho Seungyoun is.

I was overly thrilled to see Seungyoun had made it into the final lineup that was X1. It was unfortunate that X1 had to disband shortly after their debut due to Mnet’s manipulated votes controversies.

Alas, this is still not the end of Seungyoun’s musical journey.

Recently, he had made his comeback as WOODZ with his first mini-album, Equal. His title track, ‘Love Me Harder,’ is dangerously addicting with the added whistles, his dynamic vocals, and fast-paced beat. Seungyoun proved his massive passion for music has he participated in writing lyrics and composition in all the songs on the album.

Cho Seungyoun prides himself as an artist, and it’s so fulfilling to see him grow more and more to the person he is today. He had gone through hardships and dark times in his life, but he was able to push through it all and continue working on what he loves to do.

I also recommend looking into behind-the-scenes content to see how fun-loving and passionate this man is towards his music and fans.

While Seungyoun did gain more fans after participating in Produce X 101, I feel as though he deserves much, much more! He is the ultimate package. He can sing, dance, rap, produce songs, speak multiple English, and more. So, if you haven’t given his songs a listen, you should do it now and be enamored by them.

You won’t be disappointed!

Also, check out my last Artist To Watch article here, if you haven’t already!