Top 10 Best Lead Vocalists of Korean Boy Bands

In every boy band, each member has a specific role, such as lead vocalist, lead dancer, or rapper. The lead vocalist often has the majority of the parts in a song, which makes their voice particularly influential in shaping our listening experience.
The Top Ten
1 Yesung - Super Junior Kim Jong-hoon better known by his stage name Yesung, is a South Korean singer and actor. He is a member of the South Korean boy band Super Junior and its subgroups Super Junior-K.R.Y., Super Junior-H and S.M. The Ballad.

Everyone always chooses Kyuhyun, but I think it's mainly because he has a lot of younger fans who are biased towards his good looks. Although he is a good singer, Yesung is overlooked a lot despite having the most abilities. Also, people think he can't sing live when the other members say he is among the top. I think it's because he always sings such high notes that it gets tiresome, and not to mention that his voice is husky so it doesn't blend well with microphones. When he sings on radio shows or just variety shows though, it's amazing!

2 Kyuhyun - Super Junior Cho Kyu-hyun (born February 3, 1988) is a South Korean singer and actor. He is a member of the South Korean boy band Super Junior, its sub-groups, Super Junior-M and Super Junior-K.R.Y., and a former member of the South Korean ballad group S.M. The Ballad. He is one of the first four Korean artists... read more

Technically, all of the KRY is good with well-taught singing skills. I choose him over Yesung and Ryeowook because he has a more powerful vocal than the two. A lot of people think Yesung's voice is very powerful, but if people listen closely, he tends to lose strength when shouting high notes. I have to admit that Kyuhyun lacks pitch control, but maybe it's the effect of bringing too much emotion. Yesung and Ryeowook have better pitch control. But still, I love his voice, and I think Kyuhyun's way of singing is just effortless. Besides, the improvisations he chooses to use are often quite hard, and vocally, he has a bigger range than Yesung and Ryeowook.

3 Ryeowook - Super Junior Kim R yeowook (29), better known by the mononym Ryeowook . He is a South Korean Singer, Actor and Musical Actor .
He is a member of the South Korean boy band "Super Junior" (debuted in 2005) and sub-groups "Super Junior-K .R. Y" and "Super Junior-M" .

Ryeowook was discovered through the CMB... read more

He's got one of the most unique vocals in K-pop. And despite what most people think, he isn't all about high notes. His collaboration song with Beige shows that he can hit low notes as well, and after many years, the emotion in his singing has greatly improved. He has great technique and powerful, sharp vocals that can either give you energy or help you relax. His technique is better than Yesung's, and his unique sound puts Kyuhyun and his generic (but still beautiful) voice out of the way. He is Super Junior's secret and rare gem. Very underrated but very talented.

4 Jung Yong Hwa - CN Blue

Yong Hwa has a very versatile voice with so much power, you need to hear it live to truly appreciate what a strong vocalist he is. His voice is able to carry above the instruments during his rock numbers with clarity, nuance, and emotion. I've heard him sing live in a concert with other singers, and you can tell the difference. His is a true rock voice, not about shouting but projecting his powerful voice above the music. I love how he can go from sexy and raspy to emotional and rock, to smooth and jazzy, and his transition to falsetto is so natural. And when he raps, you feel that he's telling you a story. I now love everything about Yong Hwa, but it was his voice that first got me to truly notice him.

5 Ken - VIXX

Ken's voice is actually better than Leo's, and he's more consistent live. Ken really deserves more recognition. The songs VIXX sings are crazily choreographed and composed, and Ken is good enough to handle it all.

A voice that mesmerizes and captivates audiences due to his flawless execution and consistency. Some may even be bothered by this perfection, but no one can deny his raw gift.

Ken's voice is slightly better than Leo's, in my opinion. He can belt effortlessly. His voice is thick and versatile, which matches my personal taste.

6 Jonghyun - SHINee

His voice is the reason I got into Kpop. The moment I heard his first lines in "Ring Ding Dong," I was totally captivated. I thought his voice was incredible, despite the fact that I was kind of weirded out by the dancing, the song, and the video, plus he looked kind of scary (his eyebrows, you know). But now he's my ultimate bias, and I can't get enough of him. I know there are other great Kpop vocalists, but Jonghyun's voice never fails to amaze me. He has complete voice control and the right emotion put into his singing.

7 Leo - VIXX

Leo's voice melts my heart, and his high note is really amazing. He does it so easily. His voice contains so much power. He is an amazing vocalist and I believe he will be well received if he goes solo.

Leo has an angelic voice, and his voice is consistent (no cracking during live performance). He has the skill, and his voice can really melt your heart, especially his high note.

Leo's voice is just heavenly. There's a power to it that one wouldn't expect from a shy and almost-whisper voice kind of guy.

8 Chen - EXO

High notes and low notes aside, Chen's technique is incredible. He's a dedicated vocalist who wants to sing more than anything. He didn't even want to be an idol at first because he thought it wasn't really singing. He debuted with an already impressive voice but has continued to work hard to improve since then. Just listen to "Best Luck" (an incredible OST) compared to his recent OST, "I'm Not Okay" - the difference is just astounding.

He's really grown into what was an already amazing voice, and if he continues, I honestly think he might be one of the top vocalists in Korea. For further evidence, just look up an analysis of his voice. He's not only truly gifted but works hard to use that gift to the best of his abilities.

9 Onew - SHINee

Once you hear his voice, you'll never forget it. You'll never be wrong in recognizing it again. It's really awesome. Some people might not think his voice is as good as others, but I really like it.

Go hear him sing "Friend" at SHINee World II and be amazed. He held a note for over 48 seconds straight, and it never wavered, perfectly clear the whole time.

He really has the voice of the angels. It's like a blend of honey and chocolate, sweet and soft. This voice is somewhat deeper, which makes it much more unique.

10 Kim Hyun-joong - SS501 Kim Hyun-Joong is a South Korean entertainer, actor, singer, dancer, and the leader and main rapper of boyband SS501.
The Contenders
11 Daesung - Big Bang

He can sing so many genres really well, from hip hop and trot to even heavy metal. You've got to listen to his version of This is the Moment. It's going to blow your socks off! His voice is really powerful and can be sweet too, just like in the song when he did a feature in Gummy's Japanese song. I can't understand why he's not in the top 10.

He should have been in the top 5. Not bragging, but he can sing different genres, maybe all of them in fact, from slow to hip hop and so many more. His voice is very unique. It can fit many languages when he sings in different languages. Even if he is not singing seriously, his voice is very soothing, relaxing, and so forth.

12 Taeyang - Big Bang

Taeyang is a very good singer with a powerful voice.

The best male vocalist in Korea so far!

13 Junsu - JYJ/TVXQ

Probably one of the most expressive and talented vocalists in South Korea, if not all of Asia. He's been acknowledged by countless music experts as being the best male idol vocalist and also been heavily praised by one of the most famous singers in South Korea: Patti Kim. Several musicians known for condescending idols have actually admitted that Junsu would make a really good musician, and that including dances in his performances is a waste of his vocal talent, which they believe he should focus more on. Many of the people on this list actually admire Junsu, and more than one of them entered the K-Pop industry because of him.

His voice is known as "Asia's treasure." If that doesn't speak for itself, I don't know what will.

14 D.O. - EXO-K

I think there's no need to have a very great voice and great technique in singing to create a beautiful song. It just needs 'something'. And he got that one thing. (Doesn't mean that his technique is bad, it's good for sure). I don't know, somehow he gives the soul to the song, and he always seems to sing from the heart.

When he sings 'sorry', you just want to forgive him. And when he sings 'I love you', you can't help yourself but to love him back. Ballad songs are destined to be sung by him.

I just love D.O's smooth vocals. He is one of the main reasons I started stanning EXO. Those runs he can do and the way he can hold a note live, wow, that's hard to do. Even when he's singing backup, music experts still pick out his backup vocals. He needs to drop an R&B album.

15 T.O.P. - Big Bang Choi Seung-hyun, better known by his stage name T.O.P, is a South Korean rapper, singer-songwriter and actor.
16 G-Dragon - Big Bang

G-Dragon totally has a wicked voice that captivates everyone who hears him. I mean, who else can deliver the best rap from classy to deep husky voice, while pulling off a full wide range of singing genres? He's truly a powerful and great performer.

G-D is the best rapper! His original voice is quite different from his singing voice. This shows how much effort he puts into his singing. He raps and sings wonderfully. Unique voice. All his songs are catchy!

17 Daehyun - B.A.P

To be honest, Daehyun is one of the very few vocalists in the K-Pop industry who managed to leave a remarkable first impression on me. The first time I heard Warrior, I wasn't that interested until I heard his part - and his powerful vocals blew me away! I was even more impressed when I found out that those powerful vocals actually belonged to the handsome member of B.A.P, Daehyun!

Up to this day, I still keep repeating his parts in Warrior because his voice is just too good. Personally, I love Daehyun best.

18 Lee Hongki - F.T. Island

Hongki deserves to be better known. The fact that he is less known than most other candidates explains his low ranking. He is the only singer who makes me feel the songs. His husky voice is incredibly powerful and full of emotion.

Furthermore, compared to most other singers, he does not use microphone effects or soundtracks. He always sings live, delivering really impressive performances with their intensities.

Hongki's voice is pure talent. He is born with it and did not need to have years of training like most idols.

I hope Hongki and other F.T. Island members attract more interest. They really deserve it, whatever their talent level or personality.

19 Changmin - TVXQ

Changmin is indeed a powerful singer who possesses both range and technique when it comes to singing those broad high notes that he's famous for. He is well known for being able to execute them live, and he has been mentioned numerous times over the years for his extreme talent. Therefore, I believe that he should be number 1.

Changmin can hit notes that I haven't heard from anyone else! Ever! It's like a talent from the heavens! His voice is really beautiful!

Changmin deserves to be in the top 10. His vocal range is unbelievable, and his high notes are incredible. SM has these amazing vocalists. JYH is an awesome singer, so no comments about his place, but still, according to me, the order should be 1. Kyuhyun, 2. Changmin, 3. Ryowook, 4. Yesung, 5. Onew, 6. Jung Yong Hwa, 7. Jonghyun, 8. D.O., 9. Chen, 10. Baekhyun, 11. Sangmin... It should be in this order.

20 G.O - MBLAQ

His voice amazes everyone who listens to it because at moments it can be sweet, and at another, it can be really manly. This turns out to be very impressive since, due to that ability, he can please different kinds of tastes.

If you haven't heard it yet, please go ahead and try it. I bet you'll be amazed too!

When he starts to sing, everything stops. His voice is marvelously flexible, and his high notes are wonderful.

His part in "Mona Lisa" is amazing, and he even sings English covers well, so I know for sure that he's great at pronouncing vowels and mimicry, since he doesn't speak it fluently.

21 Yoseob - BEAST

Recently, BEAST songs have been featuring very high-pitched notes, and yet their choreography is quite complex. And yet, Yoseob still can reach the note even when he has a complex dance routine and always gives a real singing live performance.

His voice was powerful and can touch everybody's heart. The feeling and heart that he puts into singing are great. He has an incredible voice, just like an angel's voice.

Yang Yoseob's singing has gotten much better these days! This is already proved that he can sing live with those kinds of dancing steps which are totally exhausting without making mistakes. He is the best among the best. He can sing a rock song and ballad song very well. He also can dance well. Indeed, he is the main vocal. No hesitation. Proud to be B2UTY! B2ST forever!

22 U-Know Yunho - TVXQ

I love his voice so much. He improves so quickly. He can sing and dance so perfectly! True God of the East!

He has different voices and he has only improved since the split :) You should listen to his new song November with Love... I was amazed at his voice and also his voice from Purple Line.

23 Jin - BTS

He has a great 5-octave vocal range. After listening to Dionysus, no one can deny how impressive his singing talent actually is.

24 Sunggyu - INFINITE

Sunggyu is perfection. His voice itself is perfection. It's so unique and different from other K-pop idols' voices because it really suits any genre of music, be it ballad or rock. He really pulled off his solo album works very well, bringing out the very rock-ish mood of the songs. If you watch his Immortal Song 2 performances, you could really feel how much passion he puts into his performances. All his performances only leave me stunned at the end. I hope more people would recognize his talent and Infinite's talent as a whole. Woohyun is as good.

25 Jimin - BTS

He can hit all the high notes and can sing with a very stable voice. Love you!

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