Who is Holland? 5 things about K-pop’s first openly gay idol
Holland, 22, whose debut song, ‘Neverland’ has been seen 9 million times, talks about ‘first love’, being a gay ‘role model’ and bullying after coming out at school
If you are a K-pop fan, but have not heard the name of rising star Holland, then you should definitely read this article.
The 22-year-old, who made his K-pop debut only this year, is the first openly gay idol in South Korea – a nation where lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning (also known by the acronym LGBTQ+) relationships are still taboo subjects and gay marriage has not been legalised.
The video of Holland’s first song release, Neverland, racked up more than 1 million views on YouTube in a single day and, up to now, has been watched more than 9 million times.
That’s a huge accomplishment for an independent solo artist just starting out in South Korea, who was not promoted at all.
Holland is planning a new album, which is expected to be released later this year.
When I decided to come out in [my] middle school days, I told one of my closest friends about being gay. The next day everyone in school was gossiping about it
He told the South Korean television show SBS PopAsia that he was also preparing for a world tour.
1. First single – ‘Neverland’
Based on Holland’s experiences of growing up as a gay person in his home country, Holland’s first single Neverland – launched in Korea at midnight on January 22 – quickly became a YouTube hit.
Some comments from viewers on YouTube have compared him with the Australian singer Troye Sivan, who is also an iconic gay singer.