# J (South Korean singer)

Chung Jae-young (Korean: 정재영; born May 2, 1977), better known by the stage names J and J.ae (Korean: 제이), is a Korean-American singer based in South Korea. She debuted in 1998 with the album, J: Gold.

## Early life

J was born Chung Jae-young on May 2, 1977. Her father is Chung Hee-taek, the former vocalist of the rock band He Six, and her aunt is Chung Hoon-hee, a singer. When she was one year old, she immigrated to the United States with her family. She grew up in San Francisco, California, and later Springfield, Virginia, where she attended West Springfield High School. Her mother entered her into the 1995 regional Miss Korea pageant in Washington, D.C., where she finished as the first runner-up and was scouted by a music producer. She studied jazz at NOVA in Virginia, but took a leave of absence in 1997 and returned to South Korea in order to become a singer.

## Career

J’s debut album was prepared over the course of two years. During that period, J provided vocals for Yoo Seung-jun’s 1st and 2nd albums and contributed to the soundtrack of the movie Hallelujah. Her debut album was released in November 1998 with two versions — J-Gold and J-Blue. J-Gold was described as "pure and innocent", while J-Blue was described as "emphasizing a sensuous feel." The two versions shared 7 tracks in common, while the remaining 4 differed.
In 2002, J was invited to contribute her talent to the FIFA World Cup's official album. Her song "Gotta Get Love" was featured on The Official Album of the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan Edition.
In 2007, she released a contemporary Christian album In My Lifetime. The album had a more R&B/hip-hop feel than her previous releases.
In 2012, J hosted Arirang TV's The Sensation, a music-focused series that introduced traditional Korean instruments, music, and dance through multiple venues including concerts, studio audience tapings, and award-winning documentaries geared towards a world-wide English-speaking audience.

## Personal life

On September 14, 2013, J married a U.S. soldier who was based in South Korea. Following their marriage, the couple moved to the United States. They have one daughter, born on June 28, 2016.

## Discography
### Studio albums

| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Sales |
| Title | Album details | KOR (MIAK) | KOR (Circle) | Sales |
| Gold | Released: November 27, 1998 Label: Seoul Records | — | — | |
| In Love | Released: April 20, 2000 Label: Seoul Records | 7 | — | KOR: 231,895 |
| Chocolate | Released: December 1, 2000 Label: Seoul Records | — | — | |
| Beautiful Ones | Released: June 20, 2001 Label: Pony Canyon Korea | 6 | — | KOR: 107,596 |
| Dim The Lights | Released: April 11, 2002 Label: Midas | 11 | — | KOR: 47,862 |
| The Crush of Love | Released: April 23, 2004 Label: Plyzen | — | — | |
| In My Life | Released: January 1, 2007 Label: Rise Up Korea | — | — | |
| In Love Again | Released: November 8, 2007 Label: Sponge Entertainment | 29 | — | KOR: 2,077 |
| Sentimental | Released: February 3, 2010 Label: CEN Entertainment | No data | — | |
| SuperStar | Released: July 1, 2011 Label: Pony Canyon Korea | No data | 15 | |

### Extended plays

| Title | Album details |
| Good Day | Released: October 24, 2012 Label: EM Company |

### Singles

| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album |
| Title | Year | KOR (Circle) | Album |
| "Goodbye" (굿바이) | 1998 | — | Gold |
| "Like Yesterday" (어제처럼) | 2000 | — | In Love |
| "Undivided Love" | 2000 | — | Chocolate |
| "Light" (빛) | 2001 | — | Beautiful Ones |
| "Until Then" (그때까지) | 2002 | — | Dim The Lights |
| "Sad But True" (슬프지만 진실) | 2004 | — | The Crush of Love |
| "I Told You I Love You" (사랑한다 말했잖아) | 2006 | — | Non-album single |
| "Father's Song" | 2007 | — | In My Life |
| "In Tears" (눈물로) (feat. Lee Jung) | 2007 | — | Non-album single |
| "Just Ten Days" (열흘만) | 2007 | — | In Love Again |
| "Alcohol and Pure Love" (술과 순정) (feat. Eun Ji-won and Miryo) | 2008 | — | In Love Again |
| "You Don't Even Know" (모르면서) | 2008 | — | Love Child (digital single) |
| "Toast" (with Humming Urban Stereo) | 2008 | — | French Toast (digital single) |
| "Sweet Dream" | 2009 | — | Romance Zero OST |
| "Saying I Love You" (사랑한다는 말) (with Alex) | 2009 | — | SuperStar |
| "Dream" (feat. Supreme Team) | 2009 | — | SuperStar |
| "No. 5" (feat. Eun Ji-won) | 2010 | 44 | Sentimental |
| "SuperStar" (feat. Jiggy Dogg) | 2011 | 82 | SuperStar |
| "Nightmare" (악몽) | 2011 | 76 | Non-album single |
| "Two of Us" (둘이서) (with Lee Jae-hoon) | 2011 | 39 | Good Day |
| "Good Day" (멋진 하루) | 2012 | — | Good Day |
| "Blue Sky" (feat. HavyT) | 2013 | — | Non-album singles |
| "Happy Person" | 2013 | — | Non-album singles |
| "Starry Starry Days" (별의 별) (with lapin) | 2017 | — | Non-album singles |

## Awards and nominations

| Award | Year | Category | Nominee | Result |
| Golden Disc Awards | 2000 | Popularity Award | "Like Yesterday" (어제처럼) | Won |
| Mnet Asian Music Awards | 2000 | Best R&B Performance | "Like Yesterday" (어제처럼) | Nominated |
| Mnet Asian Music Awards | 2001 | Best Female Artist | "The Saddest Words" (가장 슬픈 말) | Nominated |
| SBS Gayo Daejeon | 2000 | R&B Award | J | Won |
| Seoul Music Awards | 2000 | Best New Artist | J | Won |