Jackson Wang

Jackson Wang (Chinese: 王嘉爾; Korean: 왕잭슨; born 28 March 1994) is a Chinese rapper, singer, dancer, record producer, fashion designer, and music video director. He is the founder of record label Team Wang and is the creative director and lead designer for fashion brand Team Wang Design.[2][3][4] Born and raised in Hong Kong, Wang initially gained widespread recognition after joining JYP Entertainment’s K-pop boy group, Got7, in 2014. In 2017, he founded Team Wang and began releasing solo music in China and internationally thereafter. His first solo album, Mirrors, debuted in 2019 and reached number 32 on the Billboard 200 in the United States. In 2021, Wang left JYP Entertainment and formed the Chinese hip hop group, Panthepack, under Team Wang. Prior to his music career, Wang was a sabre fencer and competed in numerous domestic and international competitions.

Life and career
1994–2016: Early life and debut with Got7
Main article: Got7
Wang was born in Hong Kong[5] on 28 March 1994.[6] He was raised by two athletic parents: fencer Wang Ruiji and gymnast Sophia Chow.[7] Wang started his fencing training at the age of ten. He went on to win multiple awards as part of the Hong Kong national fencing team,[8][9] including first place at the Asian Junior and Cadet Fencing Championship in 2011.[7]

In 2010, while playing basketball at his school,[10] Wang was noted by a representative of South Korean talent agency JYP Entertainment and invited to participate in the global auditions in Kowloon. In December 2010, it was announced that he passed the audition, ranking first out of 2,000 applicants.[10][11] While preparing for the 2012 London Olympics, he was offered a scholarship to attend Stanford University for fencing, but turned it down as a result of the successful audition.[7] In July 2011, Wang moved to Seoul, South Korea for his K-pop training.[12] He made an appearance on the reality survival program Win: Who Is Next two years later. The program was a competition between YG Entertainment trainees (who later debuted as members of Winner and iKon), and JYP trainees. Wang appeared alongside fellow trainees Mark, Yugyeom, and BamBam, who were then selected as members of Got7.[13] The group released its first single, “Girls Girls Girls,” of its debut EP Got It? on 16 January 2014.[14]

In 2014, Wang joined his first variety show, SBS’ Roommate, as a member in its second season. Wang’s individual popularity rose after he appeared on the series, and he was later awarded the Newcomer Award at the 2014 SBS Entertainment Awards.[15] He subsequently appeared on several other Korean variety shows such as Star King, Law of the Jungle, Happy Together, Radio Star, Problematic Men, Our Neighborhood Arts and Physical Education, Saturday Night Live Korea, A Look At Myself, and others. On 12 May 2015, Wang was appointed as a new MC for SBS’ music show Inkigayo, following the departure of ZE:A’s Kwanghee.

In December 2015, Wang made his Chinese television debut as one of the presenters (alongside He Jiong) on the Chinese version of the show Please Take Care of My Refrigerator,[16] called Go Fridge, which was well received. He also wrote the lyrics, composed, and arranged the theme song for the show in seasons 2 and 3.[17] In March 2016, Wang was appointed as MC for Fresh Sunday, a show on Hunan TV.[18]

On 29 April 2016, Got7 held their first concert in Seoul, where Wang performed his self-composed songs “I Love It” and “WOLO (We Only Live Once)” with his group members Yugyeom and BamBam.[19] In November 2017, prior to the release of Got7 second Japanese extended play “Turn Up”, Wang dropped out of all group activities in Japan due to health concerns and conflicting schedules.[20][21] In December 2016 Wang’s first solo commercial for Midea was released in China.[22] In July 2016, Wang appeared on the Chinese reality TV series, Fighting Man.[23] In December of that year, he was named Variety Star of the Year at the Tencent Variety Show Star Awards.[24]