* En anglais uniquement
Under her stage name
Ben, South Korean pop singer Lee Eun-young found mainstream success in the mid-2010s, both with her own singles and EPs, as well as numerous soundtrack appearances. Primarily known for her sweet romantic ballads,
Ben was already seven years into her solo career when in 2019 she landed her first chart-topping hits with "180˚" and "Thank You for Goodbye."
Born and raised in Incheon, South Korea, Lee got her start in 2010 as a member of the pop trio Bebe Mignon. Following the group's demise in late 2011, she launched a solo career under the name
Ben, releasing her debut EP, 147.5, a collection of wistful piano ballads with sweeping string arrangements. Standing just 4' 10" tall, the title refers to her petite size, though her powerful voice certainly belies her scant height. Widespread success eluded her until a 2014 holiday collaboration with acts like 4men, Vibe, and MIIIII called "Lonely Christmas" gave
Ben her first chart placement. Her second EP, 2015's My Name Is Ben, fared better than her first reaching, number 36 on the Gaon pop chart. Meanwhile, she'd begun to contribute songs to a variety of film and television soundtracks where she gained wider exposure, landing hits with "Like a Dream" from the show Another Miss Oh and "Misty Road" from Love in the Moonlight. Following another EP (Soulmate) and a handful of singles and collaborations,
Ben made her album debut with 2018's Recipe, a collection of bright but low-key pop and her signature ballads. The album made a commendable chart showing as did its lead single, "Love, ing," though it was her follow-up EP released later that year that gave
Ben her first number one hit. Arriving in December 2018, "180˚" made a swift run to the top of the pop charts and soon went platinum, a feat she repeated in 2019 with the non-album single "Thank You for Goodbye."
Ben's success continued later in the year with "Can You Hear Me" from the Hotel Del Luna soundtrack. ~ Timothy Monger