From20

from20
from20 in 2026
Background information
Born	Kim Rae-hwan (1992-02-15) February 15, 1992 (age 34) Gangneung, South Korea
Genres	K-pop synthpop R&B
Occupations	Singer-songwriter record producer music video director chief executive officer
Instrument	Vocals
Years active	2012–present
Label	Way Better
Formerly of	Big Star
Website	waybetterofficial.com/product/campain_detail.html?product_no=18&cate_no=45
Korean name
Hangul	김래환
RR	Gim Raehwan
MR	Kim Raehwan

Kim Rae-hwan (Korean: 김래환; born February 15, 1992), better known by his stage name from20 (프롬트웬티), is a South Korean singer-songwriter, record producer, and music video director. He is a former member of the boy group Big Star, where he was the main vocalist from 2012 to 2019. In 2021, he co-established the entertainment company Way Better with Hello Gloom and began releasing music as a soloist that year. The pair served as chief executive officers of the record label from its inception until 2026.

Early life

from20 was born Kim Rae-hwan on February 15, 1992, in Gangneung, Gangwon Province. He is the younger of two children; he has an older sister. He was an honors student from elementary school. After scoring poorly on the College Scholastic Ability Test, he decided to pursue a music career rather than attend university. He moved to Seoul at age 20, supporting himself through several part-time jobs and skipping meals when he was unable to afford food.

Career

2012–2019: Career beginnings

from20 made his debut under his given name as the main vocalist of the five-member boy group Big Star of Brave Entertainment in 2012. In 2017, he released a self-produced R&B mixtape entitled 1st Mixtape [20/25; Start to Prefer Blue, Cuz Sometimes I Feel So Blue.] on SoundCloud. Later that year, he competed on the survival competition program The Unit: Idol Rebooting Project alongside bandmates Feeldog, Jude, and Sunghak. On February 5, 2018, from20 enlisted in compulsory military service. He did his basic training at the 22nd Infantry Division and became a full-time reserve soldier. Big Star disbanded in 2019 following the expiration of the members' contracts.

Artistry

A K-pop artist, from20 primarily records synthpop and R&B. He has expressed an interest in the popular culture of the 1980s and 1990s. His music has incorporated electronic elements, particularly synthesizers. As a music video director, from20's has drawn inspiration from films such as The Terminator (1984) and Rocky (1976). His first studio album 20 incorporated synthpop, acoustic easy listening, and rock music. from20 has explored a range of musical styles, blending pop and rock on "from20", delving into electropop with "Bad Revenge", and combining R&B with elements of pop on "TMI".

With the release of "Eye Candy" in 2025, from20's music shifted to pop and hip-hop influenced by music from the late 1990s and early 2000s. He further explored R&B and hip-hop on his second studio album Rated R. He has cited Michael Jackson as an artistic inspiration and has expressed admiration for IU. from20's music ranges from high-energy songs to ballads sung in Korean and English. Writing for Vanity Teen, Aedan Juvet described from20's vocal timbre as rich and soulful.

Public image

As a soloist, from20 has increasingly embraced more provocative concepts in his music. Writing for Mediafine, Oh Seo-yun described his artistic approach as one that "places discomfort and directness at the forefront", noting a dichotomy between his artistic identity and his family's political ties. from20 campaigned in support of his father, Democratic Party politician Kim Joong-nam [ko] for the 2024 South Korean legislative election and again in the 2026 South Korean local elections, the latter of which Kim was elected Mayor of Gangneung. from20's public support for his father's campaign contrasted with the common practice among South Korean entertainers of avoiding overt political expression.

During performances for the Fast on the Highway concert tour, from20 and Hello Gloom raised the national flag of each host country alongside a pride flag. Jang Jin-ri of SpoTV News described their public advocacy of acceptance and diversity as uncommon among male K-pop artists. In a review for Billboard, Jeff Benjamin described from20's KCON LA 2026 performance as a powerful statement, noting that he was "surrounded by a spectrum of different people", while lamenting "the type of diversity K-pop audiences simply do not usually see represented on these kinds of stages". from20 has attributed the inclusion of "different body types, different genders, different skin tones" in his music videos and performances to his parents teaching him to "love everyone regardless of how they present themselves or who they are".

Discography

Filmography

List of concerts tours

Notes

References

External links

• waybetterofficial.com/product/campain_detail.html?product_no=18&cate_no=45