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The South Korean singer and actor Holland, who debuted in January 2018 with the single Neverland, is known as K-pop's first-ever openly LGBTQ+ idol. Despite K-pop's vast and wide history with music and pop culture, it might be surprising to learn that there were no predecessors in K-pop who openly embraced or talked about their homosexual identities. The same buds from the hostility that Korea, like many other countries, had towards LGBTQ+ communities.
Holland's journey with his sexuality isn't just talking about himself but also about Korea and K-pop's attitude towards the community. While the idol felt comfortable enough talking about him being gay in an interview, his own family only learned about his sexuality following the release of the interview.
Right from his debut, he has taken a bold stance to present himself as an openly gay idol. With so much uniqueness and complexity embedded in his music and fashion, here's everything you need to know about K-pop's first-ever openly LGBTQ+ idol.
From debut to fashion: All about Holland's journey as K-pop's first openly gay idol
Holland, also known as Go Tae-sob, was born on March 4, 1996. He kicked off his debut with a bold statement piece in a music video for his first single, Neverland, by including a same-sex kissing scene into the same. Right from his debut, the idol has been receiving a lot of support from K-pop fans. The music video for his debut single has received 13 million views so far.
Showcasing himself as a person belonging to the LGBTQ+ community right from the start has garnered him a lot of attention, especially from younger LGBTQ+ fans who've been searching for an idol to look up to. His stage name, Holland, also holds significance for his sexuality. Shifting his name from Go Tae-sob to a more westernized name alludes to his gratitude towards the country that was the first to legalize same-sex marriages.
As many might have anticipated, being the first openly LQBTQ+ idol or public figure in the industry can be quite burdening and scary, given the responsibilities he'd have to unconsciously take up. Holland revealed that he himself wasn't all that mature and knowledgeable during the time of his debut, but the same changed as he interacted more with people in the industry, navigating through a perspective that best fits his goals in creating music.
But with respect to his sexuality, here's what he had to say about the importance of being K-pop's first-ever openly LGBTQ+ idol, who had no predecessors to follow in the footsteps of.
"When I was younger, there wasn't a Korean idol singer who has openly come out or revealed their LGBTQ+ status. So during my schooling years, when I was going through a tough time, I was influenced a lot by Western LGBTQ+ pop artists, I knew we needed a similar figure in Korea."
He continued his answer to Vogue with,
"I also wanted to share my story by making meaningful music for people to listen to. I got inspiration from the broader culture and mindset of the generation, and also from looking back on my own life, the experiences I went through."
However, this doesn't mean that Holland was ready to face all the battles that were thrown at him. The idol's bold stance also led to negative reactions and criticism from the public. There were also times when he'd be quite overwhelmed with younger LGBTQ+ fans reaching out to him about their experiences on coming out and for advice on the same.
Regardless, he shares a wonderful message with his fans belonging to the community, stating that these negative reactions are never the fault of the individual and that they are more than worthy of love and support.
Another intriguing and important aspect of Holland is his intricate relationship with fashion. While fashion has always been an integral part of K-pop in general, it takes on deeper meaning for the idol. Not only does he constantly experiment with unique fashion styles, but he also actively engages with the fashion industry through events like Paris Fashion Week, Vogue Magazine features, and adorning diverse luxury brand collections.
He's opened up about his fashion interests quite a few times, and the answers have stayed the same. One of his favorite fashion brands is Ann Demeulemeester, and he has a lot of respect for its fashion directors, Robbie Spencer and Sebastien Meunier. Additionally, his other inspirations come from Tyler, the Creator, Rihanna, Cardi B, Kanye West, and G-Dragon. With respect to his own style, the idol describes it as a comfortable street style that is romantic at times.
Despite his limited discography, many fans have stormed in for his slow and peppy indie songs alongside the K-drama OSTs he's created. Following his debut song Neverland in 2018, he released two songs in the same year titled I'm Not Afraid and I'm So Afraid. He then released a self-titled EP that included many of his earlier songs.
In 2019, Holland released a single titled Loved You Better, and rolled out OSTs for BL K-dramas like DAY BY DAY for Oh! My assistant and Ocean Likes Me for the drama of the same title, which he himself starred in. Additionally, he also played a supporting role in the BL K-drama, Roommates of Poongduck 304. His next single, Number Boy, is set to be released this year.
With such an experimental and all-rounder artist as K-pop's first-ever openly LGBTQ+ idol, fans couldn't be happier to have Holland kickstart a new and much-needed genre and community in the industry.
