David Choi
Encyclopedia
David Yong Choi (born March 22, 1986) is an American
musician and YouTube
video producer living in Los Angeles
. He performs a mix of original songs and covers of pop hits. Choi released his debut album, Only You, in October 2008. His second album, By My Side, was released on May 19, 2010. His songs and tracks have been heard on NBC, FOX, VH1, MTV, A&E, E!, Travel Channel, Style, PBS, Food Network, Disney, as well as in commercials internationally. He has worked with companies including Kelloggs, Starburst
, the American Cancer Society
, General Electric
, YesStyle
, Samsung
, and J. C. Penney
. On YouTube, he has over 900,000 subscribers, 102,000,000 total video views, and more than 13 million channel views. As of November 2011 he is YouTube's 15th most subscribed musician and 62nd most subscribed user overall. Choi worked as a songwriter and producer at Warner/Chappell Music
, which signed him on after his participation in an American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) workshop. On February 21, 2009, he performed at the annual Kollaboration
talent show
.
His humorous song "YouTube, A Love Song" has received over 2.6 million views. The music videos for his singles Won't Even Start and That Girl, which are posted on both his and producers Wong Fu Productions
' YouTube channels, has received a total of over 5 million views. He also posts non-music videos such as vlog
s on his second channel. Choi often appears in online videos with fellow YouTube
personalities, mostly playing a humorous character with a very straight face (his prominent trait). Some YouTube personalities, like Shane Dawson
and Wong Fu Productions
, often use Choi's music in their videos.
on March 22, 1986. He is of Korean descent and comes from a musical family. His parents, Ray Choi and Jane Choi own a music store named "Grace Store" and his father plays the autoharp
.
At a young age, David had to play piano
and violin
, which he did not particularly enjoy. However, he was concertmaster of his school orchestra. He never heard a pop song until he was in sixth grade, when he heard Smash Mouth
's All Star
. Soon he came across the song All the Small Things
by Blink 182 and attempted to play it with the guitar. Choi stopped taking violin lessons in high school. In ninth grade, Choi began taking jazz piano
lessons and began composing music. He entered a contest and submitted an instrumental pop song, and won his first award.
. He learned how to use it himself a few days after downloading it. He learned a few songwriting tips from a friend named Judy.
In 2004, Choi won the grand prize in David Bowie
’s Mashup contest. Appearing in USA Weekend Magazine with Usher
, he received the grand prize for the magazine's John Lennon Songwriting Contest
for teens. This marked the start of his musical career, at first as a staff songwriter/producer, when Warner Chappell Music signed him. In 2006, his humorous YouTube
love song, entitled Youtube (A Love Song) was uploaded on December 30 that year, and brought him "overnight" fame. Since then he has been composing humorous songs, like "It's Rad To Pick Your Nose" and "I Think I Like You." "My Company" was also a half-humorous, half-love song. His YouTube love song, to his surprise, was posted on the homepage of the website. He stated in a blog post that he found out when a friend told him, "you're on the homepage." He soon received requests for new songs, a live performance and an album. He did want to release his songs in an album, but as he was a signed songwriter/producer at that time, he had to go through a lot of legal procedures and accept a lot of contractual conditions. Thus, he left Warner, and stayed unsigned so he could carry on with his album release.
on it, collaborating with Wong Fu Productions
in producing his first official music video
. The album also bonded him with Korean fans, releasing a special Korean edition with three bonus tracks.
was produced by David Choi and his friends from production company Wong Fu Productions
. He collaborated with them for the second time, the first being the music video
on "Won't Even Start", and Julia Chang acted as 'that girl' alongside him. He also released a Korean edition, with two bonus tracks: Valentines and My Company.
. This music video features Jenny Ong. David also started to help his father, Ray Choi, in uploading YouTube
videos of Ray playing the autoharp
. His song "I Choose Happiness", of which the instrumental version is always used in KevJumba and Wong Fu Productions
videos, was also chosen to be used in the 2011 film "Lucky"
. David Choi announced that he is going to release his third album, "Forever and Ever" on October 25, 2011.
, San Francisco, Portland
, and Seattle, as well as in Vancouver
, Canada
.
In 2010 Choi embarked on his second tour singing live in the United States East Coast cities of Washington DC, New York
, Boston
, and Chicago
as well as Toronto
, Canada
. The year after (2010) he visited the few cities again.
In August 2010, David Choi went to Singapore
for vacation and tour. He was there for eleven days, one day being his vacation day where he went to Sentosa
and Night Safari. In 2011, Choi went on a short tour around North America again, entitled "Spring Tour", this time including Houston, Chicago
, and Hawaii
. He also frequents Korea
.
In the summer vacation of 2011, David announced another tour – this time his first continental tour (as he went around Southeast Asia), his Asia-Pacific Tour. He went to Hong Kong
, Indonesia
, Philippines
, Singapore
, Malaysia and Australia
. In Australia, David was supported by Australian acts Amelia Jae
and Jayesslee. In Singapore, he had Inch Chua
to do an introductory three songs and sing his and Kina Grannis' "My Time With You". Again, David went to small venues, like the Esplanade Recital Studio, which holds about 245 people.
Accompanying with tours, David also has meet-and-greet sessions, where he meets his fans.
" genre, with his songs being slow, and mostly about love, relationships, and break-ups. His songs have been described as "often to melt girls' hearts" and they really seem like oldies, in contrast with modern love songs like Dynamite
, which often involve partying and rapping, or Bruno Mars
songs, which don't really describe relationships. This is probably because David grew up listening to classical and jazz music. His songs are like sources of motivation, for example "Valentines", which encourage singles to wait.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
musician and YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
video producer living in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. He performs a mix of original songs and covers of pop hits. Choi released his debut album, Only You, in October 2008. His second album, By My Side, was released on May 19, 2010. His songs and tracks have been heard on NBC, FOX, VH1, MTV, A&E, E!, Travel Channel, Style, PBS, Food Network, Disney, as well as in commercials internationally. He has worked with companies including Kelloggs, Starburst
Starburst (confectionery)
Starburst is the brand name of a cuboid-shaped, fruit-flavoured soft taffy candy manufactured by The Wrigley Company, a subsidiary of Mars, Incorporated...
, the American Cancer Society
American Cancer Society
The American Cancer Society is the "nationwide community-based voluntary health organization" dedicated, in their own words, "to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by preventing cancer, saving lives, and diminishing suffering from cancer, through research, education, advocacy, and...
, General Electric
General Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
, YesStyle
YesStyle
YesStyle, established in 2006, is an online retailer of Asian men's and women's apparel, jewelry, accessories, bags, beauty, and other fashion products targeting men and women ages 18 to 35. One year after its establishment, it has added a children and babies section in its product offerings...
, Samsung
Samsung
The Samsung Group is a South Korean multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Samsung Town, Seoul, South Korea...
, and J. C. Penney
J. C. Penney
-External links:*...
. On YouTube, he has over 900,000 subscribers, 102,000,000 total video views, and more than 13 million channel views. As of November 2011 he is YouTube's 15th most subscribed musician and 62nd most subscribed user overall. Choi worked as a songwriter and producer at Warner/Chappell Music
Warner/Chappell Music
Warner/Chappell Music, Inc. is an American music publishing company, and a division of the Warner Music Group. The company traces its origins back to 1811 and the founding of Chappell & Company, a music publishing company and instrument shop on London’s Bond Street that, in 1929, began a rapid...
, which signed him on after his participation in an American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) workshop. On February 21, 2009, he performed at the annual Kollaboration
Kollaboration (talent show)
Kollaboration is an annual talent show created by a small group of professional young Asian American and Asian Canadian volunteers.-History:...
talent show
Talent show
A talent show is an event where participants perform their talent or talents of acting, singing, dancing, acrobatics, drumming, martial arts, playing an instrument, and other activities to showcase a unique form of talent, sometimes for a reward, trophy or prize...
.
His humorous song "YouTube, A Love Song" has received over 2.6 million views. The music videos for his singles Won't Even Start and That Girl, which are posted on both his and producers Wong Fu Productions
Wong Fu Productions
Wong Fu ProductionsShort films by Wong Fu Productions prior to the group's graduation from the University of California, San Diego, included a logo with the Chinese characters for "Wong Fu" . The last film to feature this logo was License Plate, released on August 18, 2006. Films produced after the...
' YouTube channels, has received a total of over 5 million views. He also posts non-music videos such as vlog
Vlog
Video blogging, sometimes shortened to vlogging or vidding or vidblogging is a form of blogging for which the medium is video, and is a form of Web television. Entries often combine embedded video or a video link with supporting text, images, and other metadata. Entries can be recorded in one take...
s on his second channel. Choi often appears in online videos with fellow YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
personalities, mostly playing a humorous character with a very straight face (his prominent trait). Some YouTube personalities, like Shane Dawson
Shane Dawson
Shane Dawson is an American YouTube actor and comedian. Dawson is known for making comedy videos featuring many recurring characters , impersonations , and spoofs of popular music videos and television shows...
and Wong Fu Productions
Wong Fu Productions
Wong Fu ProductionsShort films by Wong Fu Productions prior to the group's graduation from the University of California, San Diego, included a logo with the Chinese characters for "Wong Fu" . The last film to feature this logo was License Plate, released on August 18, 2006. Films produced after the...
, often use Choi's music in their videos.
Childhood and education
David Choi was born in Anaheim, CaliforniaAnaheim, California
Anaheim is a city in Orange County, California. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was about 365,463, making it the most populated city in Orange County, the 10th most-populated city in California, and ranked 54th in the United States...
on March 22, 1986. He is of Korean descent and comes from a musical family. His parents, Ray Choi and Jane Choi own a music store named "Grace Store" and his father plays the autoharp
Autoharp
The autoharp is a musical string instrument having a series of chord bars attached to dampers, which, when depressed, mute all of the strings other than those that form the desired chord. Despite its name, the autoharp is not a harp at all, but a chorded zither. -History:There is debate over the...
.
At a young age, David had to play piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
and violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
, which he did not particularly enjoy. However, he was concertmaster of his school orchestra. He never heard a pop song until he was in sixth grade, when he heard Smash Mouth
Smash Mouth
Smash Mouth is an American rock band from San Jose, California. The band was formed in 1994, and was originally composed of Steve Harwell, Greg Camp, Paul De Lisle and Kevin Coleman as lead vocals, guitar, bass and drums respectively...
's All Star
All Star (song)
"All Star" is a single by Smash Mouth, released in 1999.It was featured on their album Astro Lounge and is one of the group's most successful songs. The music video featured cameos of William H...
. Soon he came across the song All the Small Things
All the Small Things
"All the Small Things" is a song by American pop punk band Blink-182. It was the second single released from the band's third album Enema of the State...
by Blink 182 and attempted to play it with the guitar. Choi stopped taking violin lessons in high school. In ninth grade, Choi began taking jazz piano
Jazz piano
Jazz piano is a collective term for the techniques pianists use when playing jazz. The piano has been an integral part of the jazz idiom since its inception, in both solo and ensemble settings. Its role is multifaceted due largely to the instrument's combined melodic and harmonic capabilities...
lessons and began composing music. He entered a contest and submitted an instrumental pop song, and won his first award.
Start Of His Career (2002–2006)
He started to compose his music digitally at first, with a program called Acid ProACID Pro
Sony ACID Pro is a professional digital audio workstation software program. It was originally called "ACID pH1" and published by Sonic Foundry, but is now developed and sold by Sony Creative Software....
. He learned how to use it himself a few days after downloading it. He learned a few songwriting tips from a friend named Judy.
In 2004, Choi won the grand prize in David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
’s Mashup contest. Appearing in USA Weekend Magazine with Usher
Usher (entertainer)
Usher Terry Raymond IV , who performs under the mononym Usher, is an American singer-songwriter, and actor. He is considered around the world to be the reigning King of R&B. Usher rose to fame in the late 1990s with the release of his second album My Way, which spawned his first Billboard Hot 100...
, he received the grand prize for the magazine's John Lennon Songwriting Contest
John Lennon Songwriting Contest
The John Lennon Songwriting Contest, named for the former member of The Beatles, is a songwriting competition for songwriters, open to amateurs and professionals. The contest accepts instrumental pieces as well as songs with a vocal component. Though all entries must include a CD, cassette, or...
for teens. This marked the start of his musical career, at first as a staff songwriter/producer, when Warner Chappell Music signed him. In 2006, his humorous YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
love song, entitled Youtube (A Love Song) was uploaded on December 30 that year, and brought him "overnight" fame. Since then he has been composing humorous songs, like "It's Rad To Pick Your Nose" and "I Think I Like You." "My Company" was also a half-humorous, half-love song. His YouTube love song, to his surprise, was posted on the homepage of the website. He stated in a blog post that he found out when a friend told him, "you're on the homepage." He soon received requests for new songs, a live performance and an album. He did want to release his songs in an album, but as he was a signed songwriter/producer at that time, he had to go through a lot of legal procedures and accept a lot of contractual conditions. Thus, he left Warner, and stayed unsigned so he could carry on with his album release.
Only You (2007–2008)
David Choi released his first album in 2008 and it was entitled Only You. It contained mostly love songs, notably Love, Won't Even Start, Something To Believe and Only You. In 2009, David released a Korea Special edition of the album, containing three bonus tracks. Won't Even Start became his hit single, and he released a music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
on it, collaborating with Wong Fu Productions
Wong Fu Productions
Wong Fu ProductionsShort films by Wong Fu Productions prior to the group's graduation from the University of California, San Diego, included a logo with the Chinese characters for "Wong Fu" . The last film to feature this logo was License Plate, released on August 18, 2006. Films produced after the...
in producing his first official music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
. The album also bonded him with Korean fans, releasing a special Korean edition with three bonus tracks.
By My Side & That Girl (2009–2010)
Within a space of half a year (4th Quarter 2009 to 1st Quarter 2010), David compiled composed songs into his sophomore album, which was released in 2010 on May 18, By My Side. He released a music video on the lead single "That Girl" that same date. The music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
was produced by David Choi and his friends from production company Wong Fu Productions
Wong Fu Productions
Wong Fu ProductionsShort films by Wong Fu Productions prior to the group's graduation from the University of California, San Diego, included a logo with the Chinese characters for "Wong Fu" . The last film to feature this logo was License Plate, released on August 18, 2006. Films produced after the...
. He collaborated with them for the second time, the first being the music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
on "Won't Even Start", and Julia Chang acted as 'that girl' alongside him. He also released a Korean edition, with two bonus tracks: Valentines and My Company.
Forever and Ever (2011–present)
During his tours in 2011, David Choi sang two songs he wrote during 2010, "You Were My Friend" and "This and That is Life". He has blurted that a third album will include these two songs. On July 7, 2011, David released his third music video, for his single "By My Side", once again a collaboration with Wong Fu ProductionsWong Fu Productions
Wong Fu ProductionsShort films by Wong Fu Productions prior to the group's graduation from the University of California, San Diego, included a logo with the Chinese characters for "Wong Fu" . The last film to feature this logo was License Plate, released on August 18, 2006. Films produced after the...
. This music video features Jenny Ong. David also started to help his father, Ray Choi, in uploading YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
videos of Ray playing the autoharp
Autoharp
The autoharp is a musical string instrument having a series of chord bars attached to dampers, which, when depressed, mute all of the strings other than those that form the desired chord. Despite its name, the autoharp is not a harp at all, but a chorded zither. -History:There is debate over the...
. His song "I Choose Happiness", of which the instrumental version is always used in KevJumba and Wong Fu Productions
Wong Fu Productions
Wong Fu ProductionsShort films by Wong Fu Productions prior to the group's graduation from the University of California, San Diego, included a logo with the Chinese characters for "Wong Fu" . The last film to feature this logo was License Plate, released on August 18, 2006. Films produced after the...
videos, was also chosen to be used in the 2011 film "Lucky"
Lucky (2011 film)
Lucky is a crime comedy film starring Colin Hanks. The film featured the song "I Choose Happiness" by David Choi.- Plot :After Ben wins $36 million in the lottery, Lucy marries him, strictly for the cash. Just as she's beginning to have genuine feelings for him, however, Lucy discovers that he's a...
. David Choi announced that he is going to release his third album, "Forever and Ever" on October 25, 2011.
Tours
Choi embarked on his first tour from November 12 to November 19, 2009. He sang live in the United States West Coast cities of San Diego, Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, San Francisco, Portland
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, and Seattle, as well as in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
In 2010 Choi embarked on his second tour singing live in the United States East Coast cities of Washington DC, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, and Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
as well as Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The year after (2010) he visited the few cities again.
In August 2010, David Choi went to Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
for vacation and tour. He was there for eleven days, one day being his vacation day where he went to Sentosa
Sentosa
Sentosa, which translates to peace and tranquility in Malay , is a popular island resort in Singapore, visited by some five million people a year...
and Night Safari. In 2011, Choi went on a short tour around North America again, entitled "Spring Tour", this time including Houston, Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, and Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
. He also frequents Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
.
In the summer vacation of 2011, David announced another tour – this time his first continental tour (as he went around Southeast Asia), his Asia-Pacific Tour. He went to Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
, Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, Malaysia and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. In Australia, David was supported by Australian acts Amelia Jae
Amelia Jae
Amelia Jae Nina McMurray is an Australian pop singer-songwriter and musician.In 2011, Amelia launched her critically acclaimed debut album, No Ordinary Day to a sold out capacity audience of over 500 people. In the same year, she officially introduced herself to the entertainment world through...
and Jayesslee. In Singapore, he had Inch Chua
Inch chua
Inch Chua Yun Juan is a Singaporean singer-songwriter, musician, composer and multi-instrumentalist. She gained national recognition after being the first Singapore solo artist to be invited to the prestigious South by Southwest Music Festival. She has since gained visibility with the release of...
to do an introductory three songs and sing his and Kina Grannis' "My Time With You". Again, David went to small venues, like the Esplanade Recital Studio, which holds about 245 people.
Accompanying with tours, David also has meet-and-greet sessions, where he meets his fans.
Genre and lyrics
David Choi's music genre falls mostly under the modern "balladBallad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many...
" genre, with his songs being slow, and mostly about love, relationships, and break-ups. His songs have been described as "often to melt girls' hearts" and they really seem like oldies, in contrast with modern love songs like Dynamite
Dynamite (Taio Cruz song)
"Dynamite" is the fourth single from English recording artist Taio Cruz's second album Rokstarr. It was written by Cruz, Max Martin, Bonnie McKee, and Dr. Luke, and produced by Dr. Luke and Benny Blanco for the international version of Rokstarr. In the UK, the song was released as the first single...
, which often involve partying and rapping, or Bruno Mars
Bruno Mars
Peter Gene Hernandez , better known by his stage name Bruno Mars, is an Filipino-American singer-songwriter and record producer. Raised in Honolulu, Hawaii by a family of musicians, Mars began making music at a young age...
songs, which don't really describe relationships. This is probably because David grew up listening to classical and jazz music. His songs are like sources of motivation, for example "Valentines", which encourage singles to wait.
Portrait
For quite awhile David was portrayed by netizens and fans as a sad and solemn guy with a poker face, having not smiled for two years (2006–2008). He promised he would not smile until he reached 77,777 subscribers, a goal he accomplished. The tune and melody he uses in his songs are often happy melodies, for example "Something To Believe" and "My Time With You".Discography
- Only You (2008 – CD (digipakDigipakDigipak is a patented style of CD, DVD or BD packaging, and is a registered trademark of AGI World Ltd., an Atlas Holdings company.-Features:...
) and iTunes) - Only You (Korea Special Edition) (2009 – CD; only for Korea +3 bonus tracks)
- By My Side (2010 – CD (digipakDigipakDigipak is a patented style of CD, DVD or BD packaging, and is a registered trademark of AGI World Ltd., an Atlas Holdings company.-Features:...
) and iTunes) - YouTube Covers Volume 1 (2010 – iTunes exclusive)
- YouTube Covers Volume 2 (2010 – iTunes exclusive)
- By My Side (Korea Special Edition) (2010 – CD; only for Korea +2 bonus tracks)
- Forever and Ever (2011 [released on 25th October] – CD and iTunes)
Songs in other media
| Year | Used In (producers) | Type | Song |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | J.C. Penney J.C. Penney J. C. Penney Company, Inc. is a chain of American mid-range department stores based in Plano, Texas, a suburb north of Dallas. The company operates 1,107 department stores in all 50 U.S. states and Puerto Rico. JCPenney also operates catalog sales merchant offices nationwide in many... |
Web Ad: "Back-to-School Interactive Initiative" | "My Time With You"(with Kina Grannis Kina Grannis Kina Kasuya Grannis is a Japanese American guitarist and singer-songwriter. She is of Japanese, English, Irish, French, and German descent.... ) |
| 2009 | Up In Da Club (Wong Fu Productions Wong Fu Productions Wong Fu ProductionsShort films by Wong Fu Productions prior to the group's graduation from the University of California, San Diego, included a logo with the Chinese characters for "Wong Fu" . The last film to feature this logo was License Plate, released on August 18, 2006. Films produced after the... ) |
4-Part Series | "Something To Believe |
| 2010 | Playful Kiss Playful Kiss Playful Kiss is a South Korean drama that is based on the popular Japanese manga Itazura Na Kiss by Tada Kaoru. The show stars Jung So Min as Oh Ha Ni and Kim Hyun Joong as Baek Seung Jo. It aired from September 1, 2010 till October 21, 2010 and had a total of 16 episodes. On November 2, 2010, a 7... |
Korean Drama | "Won't Even Start" |
| 2010 | Secret Garden Secret Garden (TV series) Secret Garden is a 2010 South Korean television drama, starring Ha Ji-won, Hyun Bin, Yoon Sang Hyun, Kim Sa-rang, Lee Jong Suk and Yoo In-na. It was broadcasted on SBS from 13 November 2010 to 16 January 2011. It won a number of awards at both the SBS Drama Awards and 47th Paeksang Arts Awards in... |
Korean Drama | "Love" |
| 2010 | Agents of Secret Stuff (HigaTV and Wong Fu Wong Fu Productions Wong Fu ProductionsShort films by Wong Fu Productions prior to the group's graduation from the University of California, San Diego, included a logo with the Chinese characters for "Wong Fu" . The last film to feature this logo was License Plate, released on August 18, 2006. Films produced after the... ) |
Web Film | "My Time With You"(with Kina Grannis Kina Grannis Kina Kasuya Grannis is a Japanese American guitarist and singer-songwriter. She is of Japanese, English, Irish, French, and German descent.... ) |
| 2011 | Strangers, again (Wong Fu Productions Wong Fu Productions Wong Fu ProductionsShort films by Wong Fu Productions prior to the group's graduation from the University of California, San Diego, included a logo with the Chinese characters for "Wong Fu" . The last film to feature this logo was License Plate, released on August 18, 2006. Films produced after the... ) |
Short Story | "So Weightless" |
| 2011 | My Princess My Princess (TV series) My Princess is a South Korean television drama series broadcast by MBC in 2011, starring Kim Tae-hee and Song Seung-hun.-Synopsis:... |
Korean Drama | "By My Side" "Won't Even Start" |
| 2011 | All My Love | Korean Drama | "Happily Ever After" "해피 몽땅" |
| 2011 | Samsung Zipel Grandstyle (Samsung Samsung The Samsung Group is a South Korean multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Samsung Town, Seoul, South Korea... ) |
Fridge Advertisement | "By My Side" |
| 2011 | Renault SM5 (Samsung Samsung The Samsung Group is a South Korean multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Samsung Town, Seoul, South Korea... ) |
Car Advertisement | "Only You" |
| 2011 | Lucky Lucky (2011 film) Lucky is a crime comedy film starring Colin Hanks. The film featured the song "I Choose Happiness" by David Choi.- Plot :After Ben wins $36 million in the lottery, Lucy marries him, strictly for the cash. Just as she's beginning to have genuine feelings for him, however, Lucy discovers that he's a... |
Movie | "I Choose Happiness" |
Filmography and TV appearances
| Year | Title | Producer | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Funemployed (episodes 7,8,10 & 11) | Wong Fu Productions Wong Fu Productions Wong Fu ProductionsShort films by Wong Fu Productions prior to the group's graduation from the University of California, San Diego, included a logo with the Chinese characters for "Wong Fu" . The last film to feature this logo was License Plate, released on August 18, 2006. Films produced after the... |
Aaron (music teacher) |
| 2010 | The Allergy | Wong Fu Productions Wong Fu Productions Wong Fu ProductionsShort films by Wong Fu Productions prior to the group's graduation from the University of California, San Diego, included a logo with the Chinese characters for "Wong Fu" . The last film to feature this logo was License Plate, released on August 18, 2006. Films produced after the... |
Chris' Girlfriend (after "smoke reaction") |
| 2010 | BEST CREW – The Audition | Nigahiga | Jeffery (the new member) |
| 2010 | Interview with Channel News Asia (TV Appearance) | Mediacorp MediaCorp Media Corporation of Singapore, better known as MediaCorp, is a group of commercial media companies in Singapore, with business interests in television and radio broadcasting, interactive media, and, to a lesser extent, print publishing and film-making.... |
Himself |
| 2011 | Strangers, again | Wong Fu Productions Wong Fu Productions Wong Fu ProductionsShort films by Wong Fu Productions prior to the group's graduation from the University of California, San Diego, included a logo with the Chinese characters for "Wong Fu" . The last film to feature this logo was License Plate, released on August 18, 2006. Films produced after the... |
Donatello (Don) |
| 2011 | THE ANNIVERSARY | David Choi Music | Himself |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Nominated Work | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | David Bowie Mash-up Contest David Bowie David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s... |
"Big Shakin' Car" (Mashup of "Shake it" and "She'll Drive a Big Car") | N/A | |
| John Lennon Songwriting Contest John Lennon Songwriting Contest The John Lennon Songwriting Contest, named for the former member of The Beatles, is a songwriting competition for songwriters, open to amateurs and professionals. The contest accepts instrumental pieces as well as songs with a vocal component. Though all entries must include a CD, cassette, or... |
Himself | Teens | ||
| Songwriter Universe Song of the Month | "Anything You Want" | February |