Before he was doing the Waterbomb circuit and judging survival shows, Baekho was NU’EST’s main vocal, music producer, and resident tough guy with a heart of gold. Here are some of his best moments while he was promoting with his boys.
You might have seen him on the judging panel of a survival show, on a random Instagram reel, or on the Waterbomb Manila stage last February. However he got your attention, Baekho is certainly one to watch.
Carving out a unique space for himself in the industry with a mishmash of music production, variety show appearances, and live stages, life has changed a lot for Baekho since March 2022, when he and his members decided to pursue their own paths after the expiration of their exclusive contracts with Pledis Entertainment. Now going beyond the traditional idol path, he’s well on his way to becoming the artist he wants to be.
Before all this, though, he was wielding a bamboo sword in the teasers for a group called NU’EST, set to debut on March 15, 2012. Baekho was the group’s main vocal and would go on to produce many of their songs at the height of their career. Let’s take a look at some of his most iconic moments while the group was still active.
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Produce 101′s “Sexy Bandit”
Produce 101 is quite the touchy subject across fandoms, but NU’EST’s Hail Mary pass was so legendary that it inspired many other groups to follow the same path, for better or worse. Sensing that this was their last chance, four of the five members participated in the second season of the show to impressive results, each of them getting recognized for different reasons.
For his part, Baekho was initially introduced as an intimidating presence due to his manly appearance. The show presented him as this almost scary figure, playing what came to be known among fans as “Jungle Music” and showing trainees’ shocked reactions whenever he entered the room. Despite this—or perhaps because of it—viewers couldn’t help but be drawn to him. He was eventually given the nickname “Sexy Bandit” because his intro shot in his team’s performance of BTS’ “Boy In Luv” showed off his irresistible appeal.
This was followed up with an amazing vocal cover of BLACKPINK’s “Playing With Fire” and the legendary concept evaluation song “Open Up”, proving that he had the talent to back up his looks.
The Call – “Bastard”
After the events of Produce 101, NU’EST finally had their moment in the sun. Alongside a series of successful comebacks, the group received love calls to appear on several variety shows. Baekho, known for his vocal prowess and producing skills, appeared on the second season of The Call, a musical variety show that brought artists together to collaborate and produce their own original songs.
He was teamed up with singer Yun Minsoo and former Produce 101 judge Cheetah in a sexy performance that blew up the fandom. In “Bastard,” he played a no-good boyfriend drunkenly trying to get back to his girlfriend’s good graces while she cursed him out. Instead of his usual high register, he sang in a low, garbled voice, mimicking the slurring sound of someone under the influence. It felt like the Sexy Bandit was cast as the scumbag ex-boyfriend in a manhwa, foreshadowing Baekho’s potential to go beyond the typical idol image.
Variety Show Appearances and Another Class Hosting
The Call was just the beginning of Baekho’s variety run. He had major appearances in popular shows, like King of Masked Singer and Law of the Jungle, and even won an award for being one of the main hosts of Let’s Go, Man Soo Ro, an inspiring show about Kim Sooro’s journey to achieve his dream of running a small football club.
Right before NU’EST’s disbandment in 2022, Baekho was appointed the host of Idol Challenge: Another Class 2. The show featured a donation challenge for idols and their fans, the proceeds of which would go to underprivileged children. This is particularly meaningful as NU’EST had appeared on the show during its previous season. After disbandment, members Jonghyeon (JR) and Aaron appeared separately with Baekho as host, giving LOVEs a chance to see their boys reunited for a good cause.
Men’s Health Covers
Undeniably, one of Baekho’s major stan-attracting features is his impressive physique. After struggling with his weight for a long time, he started keeping up a daily workout routine that he follows to this day. He also admits that he’d rather be on a strict exercise regimen than stop enjoying his favorite meals. Also, his muscles aren’t just for show. On an episode of Idol Room, he showed off his strength by carrying all the other four NU’EST members at once.
His physicality is so well-known that he was chosen to be on the cover of Men’s Health Korea twice, once for their November 2018 issue and a second time for January 2020. The cover for the latter had three different versions, which fans immediately jumped on and quickly sold out. As expected of the reigning Waterbomb God.
Fearless Baekho in NU’EST Road and LOVE STORY
While Baekho is most known for his strong image, it doesn’t take long for fans to discover the teddy bear underneath. They call him “Princess Baekho” because he said when he was a kid, he wanted to become a princess when he grows up. He also often shows his soft side with his members, taking care of them in between moments of good-natured teasing.
If you still can’t unhear that jungle music though, just watch him try to take on a haunted house. In NU’EST Road, the boys go to a theme park in Japan and take turns entering a haunted house. While the members cook up a scheme to make Ren go in first, it turns out that Baekho is just as terrified of going alone and ends up waiting for Minhyun and Jonghyeon to be his human shield.
A similar situation happens in a “haunted school” themed episode of LOVE STORY. Shenanigans ensue on Baekho’s turn to go on the mission, where he pleads with the school ghosts and gets jumpscared by a pirate game.
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KCON LA 2019 – “Dejavu”
If you’ve listened to a NU’EST song released past 2015, chances are Baekho’s had a major hand in making it. Starting with the group’s fourth EP, Q is, and he’s been a main producer on all their albums, writing songs that play to each member’s strengths and making sure that line distribution is as equal as slices on a pizza. Alongside the production group PRISMFILTER—a familiar name to Carats—he’s responsible for NU’EST’s signature sound, those deep, groovy riffs balanced out by soaring musical peaks.
Many of NU’EST’s hits are great examples of Baekho’s work, though one “Dejavu” stage stands out as a meaningful testament to his talent. “Dejavu” was originally the title track of NU’EST W’s second EP, released in 2018 while the group was promoting with four members. After the group returned to five in 2019, the KCON LA audience got to witness the song performed for the first time with Minhyun back on the team. Instead of completely upending the line distribution, Baekho added a new verse that brought in a new dimension and perspective, showing how his thoughtfulness as a producer brought out the best in his team.
“Tiny Riot” cover
As with his music production roots, Baekho’s time with NU’EST was also the promising start of his singing career. Their discography chronicles both his personal journey as an artist as well as the group’s growth as a whole. His transformation is evident, from his first solo song, “Happy Birthday,” to dramatic ballads like “Happy Until Now,” to the trademark sexy confidence of “Need It.” Just his high notes in “Where You At” are legendary. He’s also been in a handful of musicals and done a number of K-drama OSTs, but perhaps one of his best performances was one of his last activities as part of NU’EST, a rendition of Sam Ryder’s “Tiny Riot.”
In an interview with GQ Korea, Baekho likened his time with NU’EST to a second shot at the ball when playing golf. “I’m nervous and excited and anxious and worried,” he says of his solo promotions. “But somehow, I feel kind of reassured too. I was happy when I promoted as NU’EST. Because of NU’EST, I’ve come to a good place. From here, I can go anywhere I want to go next.”
It’s an inexplicably heartbreaking thing to have a group disband, especially one that’s been through as much as NU’EST has, but for Baekho and other soloists of his generation, it’s just another part of the same beautiful story. And with his diverse talents, work ethic, and love for the craft, you can bet Baekho has an exciting chapter ahead.
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Source: NU’EST Official YouTube Channel, MNet K-Pop Official YouTube Channel, Men Noblesse
