Led Apple
| Company type | Music group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 2010 |
| Founder | StarKim Entertainment |
| Headquarters | South Korea |
Area served | South Korea, Japan, Europe |
| Products | Music albums, singles |
Led Apple (; stylized as LEDApple) was a South Korean rock group established by StarKim Entertainment in 2010. The band's final roster consisted of Seo Youngjun (Jun), Lee Kyumin (Kei), and Kim Hyoseok (AKi).
Initially, the name "Led" represented "Logic Egoism Delete," but this was later reinterpreted to embody the idea of "shining as brightly as LED lights" during their performances, honoring their inspiration, Led Zeppelin. The term "Apple" reflected their fresh image and musical style. On August 16, 2015, the group announced a name change to LedT, effective from September 1, 2015.
Their debut occurred on October 6, 2010, with the single "Dash," a cover of a track originally by Baek Ji-young. Throughout their career, they released six singles and three mini-albums before officially disbanding on March 6, 2016.
2010–2011: Debut and member transitions
Prior to debuting, member Minyong took part in Superstar K. The band was introduced as a five-member "idol rock band" on September 27, 2010. A teaser for their debut single was unveiled on September 29, followed by the first live performance of "Dash"—a remake of Baek Ji-young's song—on October 6. The accompanying music video premiered the following day. This single was included in their album Logic Egoism Delete. Their official debut stage was on Mnet's M! Countdown on November 11, 2010.
On February 1, 2011, I-OH exited the band due to tuberculosis but remained affiliated with the agency. Vocalists Minyong and Sunghyun also left for undisclosed personal reasons. Subsequently, three new members—Hyoseok, Jaehoon (who assumed leadership), and Kyumin—joined the lineup for the mini-album Niga Mwonde (Who Do You Think You Are). A comeback teaser released on June 13 sparked controversy for depicting underage drinking in a club environment.
The mini-album and its lead track were launched on June 15 alongside two music videos. The band faced accusations of plagiarism due to similarities with CN Blue's "Love," but their agency explained that both songs were composed by Lee Sang-ho. On July 19, they released "Birthday Killer," addressing hostility from anti-fans; despite receiving critical acclaim, it failed to enter the Gaon top 100 chart.
Following promotional activities, leader Jaehoon departed for personal reasons. On October 28, Keon U joined the group; he is known as the son of composer Park Kwang-hyun. Hanbyul was announced as the new leader on November 3, expanding the ensemble to six members.
On November 7, a teaser for the mini-album CODA was released featuring a science fiction theme; this was followed by an extended "drama teaser" on November 9. The music video for the single "Eojjeoda Majuchin" ("Ran Into You By Chance") premiered on November 11 and starred former SeeYa member Nam Gyu-ri as a cyborg love interest. In early December, CODA reached number six on the Gaon Chart. On December 15, Led Apple earned a nomination for "Anticipated Super Rookies for 2012" at the Wave K Super Rookies Awards, finishing third behind RaNia and B1A4.
2012–2014: K-Rookies Party, Vol. 1 and solo performances
On January 29, 2012, Led Apple unveiled a teaser for their single "Time Is Up". Shortly thereafter, Youngjun was appointed as the new leader. The band returned to Mnet's M! Countdown on February 2 to stage their comeback and released the single on February 3 with intensive promotions including a music video launched on February 6. Beginning February 12, Led Apple starred in their reality program Led Apple Entertainment, which aired on SBS MTV from February 15 through March 21.
On March 5, they announced a new digital single titled "Sadness," which was released on March 9 accompanied by a comeback performance on KBS's Music Bank. On March 16, Led Apple made their Japanese debut at K-Rookies Party, Vol. 1 concert in Tokyo where they performed four songs and expressed intentions to return. The music video for "Sadness" followed on March 26; the track peaked at number 58 on the Gaon Chart.
After these activities, Led Apple held their inaugural solo concert titled Now Playing – Led Apple in Seoul, Vol. 1 on May 11 at Soundholic City in Seoul with guest band Toxic participating. Due to strong demand, additional concerts were scheduled in Daegu and Busan on May 18 and May 19 respectively. They also announced a second solo concert in Japan set for June 23 at Shinagawa Prince Stellar Ball in Tokyo; however, Keon U was absent owing to health concerns.
On July 5, 2012, Led Apple released the music video for "Run To You," taken from their third mini-album sharing the same title and promoted it through various music shows. Shortly thereafter Keon U left due to ongoing health issues.
The group held their second solo concert series titled "Now Playing Led Apple Vol. 2" at Hongdae's v-hall on October 5, 2012. Later that year on November 15, they released the single "Let The Wind Blow".
In 2013, Led Apple initiated the 'Music Note' series via their official YouTube channel featuring weekly cover performances. Revenue generated from advertisements on these videos was donated to "Save The Children," an organization dedicated to children's rights advocacy. A total of fifty videos were produced from January through December with plans to continue.
On June 16 of that year, they released their third mini-album Bad Boys. This was followed by the Japanese single "Gimme Kimi Love" on July 31. On November 3 they issued the Korean digital single "With The Wind" along with its music video; subsequently releasing their Japanese album The Greatest World on December 25.
In early 2014, Led Apple delivered the digital single "Left Alone" on January 22 and later premiered the music video for "Who Are You" on March 20 which also included a Japanese version.
2014–2016 Member Changes and Group Dissolution
Shortly following LED Apple's 4th anniversary on October 28, 2014, members Hanbyul, Kyumin, and Kwangyeon announced their exits from the band. Hanbyul chose to embark on a solo career, Kyumin expressed intentions to focus on the Hip-Hop genre, and Kwangyeon stepped down due to health-related concerns. These decisions were fully supported by their management. The band’s final performance featuring all original members took place in December 2014. Subsequently, in 2015, LED Apple welcomed three new additions to their lineup.
Contrary to earlier reports, on January 1, 2015, LEDApple's official website confirmed that Kyumin would continue as part of the group. A few days later, on January 5, Steroyal’s official Facebook page announced two fresh members: Hyunsang and Kyosung.
LEDA JAPAN’s Facebook page detailed the revised five-member roster as Hyeonsang (lead vocals), Kyumin (vocals), Kyosong (bass), Youngjun (guitar), and Hyoseok (drums). Their sound fused classic band instrumentation with electronic music elements, defining LED Apple's unique "Dance-Rock Band" identity that attracted both national and international attention.
The ensemble officially ceased activities in 2016.
European Tour
| Date | City | Country | Venue | Event Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| February 14, 2014 | Rotterdam | Netherlands | Maassilo | 2014 World Tour Netherlands |
| February 15, 2014 | Bucharest | Romania | Turbohalle | 2014 World Tour Romania |
| February 21, 2014 | Cologne | Germany | Die Kantine | LEDApple in Germany |
| February 22, 2014 | Milan | Italy | FACTORY Milano | 2014 World Tour Italy |
Japanese Tour
| Date | City | Venue | Event Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 31, 2014 | Shibuya, Tokyo | SHIBUYA-AX | 2014 World Tour Japan |
| April 4, 2014 | Osaka | Azalea Taishō, Taishō-ku, Osaka | First Photo Session & Mini Live |
| April 6, 2014 | Shibuya | ASTRO HALL | First Photo Session & Mini Live |
| May 7, 2014 | Shibuya | Tower Records Shibuya | Who Are You Event |
| June 7, 2014 | Osaka | BIG CAT | Hot Summer with Osaka |
| June 15, 2014 | Tokyo | 渋谷Club Quattro | Hot Summer with Tokyo |
| August 2, 2014 | Shibuya | Shibuya Kōkaidō | Jump!! with Japan |
| October 19, 2014 | Tokyo | Toyosu, Toyosu PIT | "Kiss me" Ledapple JAPAN BIG LIVE 2014
(Launch of Live - 2014 F/W New Mini Album "Kiss Me Darling") |
Second European Tour
| Date | City | Country | Venue | Event Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 9, 2014 | Paris | France | Divan Du Monde | Hot Summer in Paris |
| August 10, 2014 | Berlin | Germany | Columbia Club | Hot Summer in Berlin |
| August 22, 2014 | Vienna | Austria | (szene) Wien | LEDApple in Vienna |
| August 23, 2014 | Moscow | Russia | VOLTA Club | LEDApple in Moscow |
| August 24, 2014 | Helsinki | Finland | Gloria | LEDApple in Helsinki |
| August 30, 2014 | Warsaw | Poland | Klub Progresja | LEDApple in Warsaw |
| October 31, 2014 | Athens | Greece | KYTTARO Live Club | LEDApple Jump! in Athens |
| November 1, 2014 | Istanbul | Turkey | Bronx Pi Sahne | LEDApple Jump! in Istanbul |
| November 2, 2014 | Barcelona | Spain | BIKINI Barcelona | LEDApple Jump! in Barcelona |
LEDApple 2014 The Last Live Tour 「ありがとね LEDA」
| Date | Location | Venue | Event Name |
|---|---|---|---|
| December 21–22, 2014 | Shibuya, Tokyo | Shibuya VUENOS | LEDApple Day |
| December 23–25, 2014 | Shibuya, Tokyo | Shibuya THE GAME | Happy Christmas Day |
| December 27, 2014 | Osaka | Osaka LIVE SQUARE 2ndline | LEDApple Day in OSAKA |
| December 29, 2014 | Shibuya, Tokyo | Shibuya WWW | Music Note Day Vol.1 |
| December 30, 2014 | Tokyo | Omotesando GROUND | Music Note Day Vol.2, New Year's Eve Countdown |
| December 31, 2014 | Tokyo | Omotesando GROUND | New Year's Eve Countdown |
Past members
- I-OH ()
- Sunghyun ()
- Minyong ()
- Jaehoon ()
- Keon U ()
- Hanbyul ()
- Kwangyeon ()
- Kyo ()
- JUN ()
- AKi ()
- Kei ()
Member Timeline
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color:blue width:7 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from bar:I-OH from:start till:02/11/2011 Color:a bar:Minyong from:start till:06/15/2011 Color:a bar:Sunghyun from:start till:06/15/2011 Color:a bar:Kwangyeon from:start till:10/28/2014 Color:a bar:JUN from:start till:end Color:a bar:Jaehoon from:06/16/2011 till:10/27/2011 Color:b bar:AKo from:06/16/2011 till:end Color:b bar:Kei from:06/16/2011 till:10/28/2014 Color:b bar:Kei from:01/01/2015 till:end Color:b bar:KeonU from:10/28/2011 till:07/05/2012 Color:c bar:Hanbyul from:11/03/2011 till:10/28/2014 Color:c bar:Hyunsang from:01/05/2015 till:06/27/2015 Color:d bar:Kyosung from:01/05/2015 till:06/27/2015 Color:d
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EPs
| Title | Release Information | Highest Chart Positions | Sales Figures | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KOR | JPN | |||
| Niga Mwonde (니가 뭔데) |
|
— | — | |
| Run To You |
|
12 | — |
|
| Bad Boys |
|
7 | — |
|
| KISS Tour |
|
— | 38 | |
| "—" indicates releases that either did not chart or were not launched in the specified market. | ||||
Single albums
| Title | Album information | Peak chart rankings | Sales figures |
|---|---|---|---|
| KOR | |||
| LEDApple |
|
— | |
| CODA |
|
6 |
|
| Time Is Up |
|
22 |
|
| "—" indicates albums that either did not enter the charts or were not released in the specified region. | |||
Singles
| Title | Year of release | Highest chart positions | Sales numbers | Associated album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KOR |
JPN | ||||
| "Dash" | 2010 | — | — | LEDApple | |
| "Niga Mwonde" (니가 뭔데) | 2011 | —[lower-alpha 1] | — |
|
Niga Mwonde |
| "Someone Met By Chance" (어쩌다 마주친) | 89 | — |
|
CODA | |
| "Time Is Up" | 2012 | 73 | — |
|
Time Is Up |
| "Sadness" | 61 | — |
|
Template:N/A | |
| "Run To You (Swing)" | 62 | — |
|
Run To You | |
| "Let The Wind Blow" (바람아 불어라) | 58 | — |
|
rowspan="2" Template:N/A | |
| "I'll Be There For You" (Korean version) | 2013 | 60 | — |
| |
| "Are You Eating Well?" (밥은 제때 먹는지) | 51 | — |
|
Bad Boys | |
| "Bad Boys" (feat. Kang Ye-bin) | 72 | — |
| ||
| "With The Wind" (바람따라) | 76 | — |
|
rowspan="5" Template:N/A | |
| "Greatest World" | — | 15 | |||
| "Left Alone" (둘도 없는 바보) | 2014 | 86 | — |
| |
| "Who Are You?" | — | — | |||
| "Who Are You ～愛のフラワー～" | — | 10 | |||
| "—" indicates singles that did not chart or were not released in the indicated market. | |||||
Soundtrack contributions
- 2012: "Smile Again" – from the Lovers of Haeundae original soundtrack
- 2013: "Going to You" – featured on the Bel Ami OST
- 2014: "Call My Name" – included in the Marriage, Not Dating soundtrack
Headline performances
- Now Playing – Led Apple in Seoul, Vol. 1 (2012)
- LEDApple First Concert in Japan (2012)
- LEDApple World Tour Concert (2014) – visiting Japan, Netherlands, Romania, Germany, Italy, and Greece
- Hot Summer with (2014) – held in Tokyo and Osaka
- Hot Summer in (2014) – toured through France, Germany, and Poland
- LEDApple Mini Tour in Europe (2014) – performed in Austria, Russia, and Finland
- LEDApple 2014 The Last Live Tour 「ありがとね LEDA (Thank you, LEDA)」 (2014) – concerts in Shibuya, Osaka, and Tokyo
Guest appearances
- K-Rookies Party, Vol. 1 (2012)
Accolades and nominations
| Year | Award/Organization | Category | Work | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Wave K Super Rookies Awards | Predicted Super Rookies for 2012 | LED Apple | Nominated |
| 2012 | 20th Korean Culture Entertainment Awards | Rookie Award (Male Idol Division) | LED Apple | Awarded |
References
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