Xu Minghao (; ; born November 7, 1997), known professionally as The8 (; also stylized as The 8), is a Chinese singer and dancer based in South Korea. Managed by Pledis Entertainment, he is a member of the South Korean boy band Seventeen, its performance team, and the sub-unit V8.
In 2018, he had his official solo debut with the release of "Night and Rain" and served as one of the two dance mentors in the Chinese survival show Youth With You. In 2024, he released his first EP titled Stardust.
Early life and education The8 was born in Haicheng, Liaoning, China on November 7, 1997. He attended Beijing Contemporary Music Academy.
Career 2008–2013: Early actives in China
The8 began learning martial arts at the age of four and later trained in breaking for five years beginning in elementary school. He later joined a youth b-boy crew in China and developed skills in tumbling and acrobatics, while also participating in breaking competitions.
In 2008, The8 appeared on the Chinese program CCTV Variety Show. In February 2010, he appeared on Hunan Television's Day Day Up as the leader of the youth breaking crew Dance Power. During the appearance, the crew performed street dance, and when host Wang Han asked about his ambition, The8 said that he wanted to become a star.Audio of the exchange was later sampled in the opening of “Friend”, a track from his 2026 unit album V8 with Vernon.
In April 2012, The8 led Dance Power at the sixth BBOY IN SHANGHAI World Breaking Competition, where the crew reached the top eight of the global finals.
While attending school in Beijing, The8 continued training in breaking and was cast while taking a breaking class.
Late 2013–2015: Pledis training and pre-debut
While attending school in Beijing, The8 was scouted while taking a breaking class and then moved to South Korea to train under Pledis Entertainment. He trained with Pledis for approximately one year and five months before Seventeen's debut.
In a 2020 retrospective segment from SEVENTEEN Comeback Show [Heng:garae], The8 recalled that while living in China he had watched videos that of the Seventeen trainees from the show and seen them as celebrities before meeting them in South Korea.
In July 2014, he began appearing with the group's pre-debut trainees during the fifth and final season of Seventeen TV, titled Last Seventeen TV.
Following Pledis' training process, The8 was confirmed as one of Seventeen's final 13 members in April 2015. He later appeared in the MBC Music reality series Seventeen Project: Debut Big Plan, which followed the group's preparations for debut.
2015–present: Seventeen, solo activities and sub-unit activities He made his first appearance on Seventeen TV in late 2014. The8 debuted as a member of the South Korean boy band Seventeen with their first extended play (EP) 17 Carat on May 29, 2015. After debuting with Seventeen, The8 also landed a television role in Real Class - Elementary School in 2017. On December 12, 2017, Pledis Entertainment announced that The8 would be suspending his promotional activities due to a waist injury. He returned to promotions with the release of Seventeen's special album Directors Cut in February 2018.
In 2018, The8 participated in the Chinese reality television show Chao Yin Zhan Ji alongside bandmate Jun. In 2019, he served as one of the two dance coaches (alongside Jolin Tsai) in the Chinese survival show Youth With You. The8 made his solo debut on June 9, 2019, with the single "Dreams Come True". On May 4, 2020, he announced the release of a second single, "Falling Down", released four days later.
On April 8, 2021, The8 announced the release of his third single, "Side by Side". It was released on April 13 in both Chinese and Korean. On May 4, 2021, The8 released a single called "Mom's Missed Call" along with bandmate Jun, with all proceeds donated to help children in need in China. The single was a part of the Dandelion Philanthropy Music Project for the Chinese Children's Charity Association. In September 2021, Pledis Entertainment announced that The8, alongside bandmate Jun, would be temporarily taking a break from Seventeen activities in order to work in China for the rest of the year. The8 and Jun arrived back in South Korea late December that year.
On March 18, 2022, The8 released the single "Hai Cheng" (海城), which he dedicated to his hometown. On December 4, 2024, The8 released his first EP titled Stardust. The Chinese-language EP comprises three songs, including the lead single "Orbit" featuring JinJiBeWater. On February 2, 2025, The8 began serving as a producer and mentor in the survival show Chuang Asia: Season 2.
On June 29, 2026, The8 and Vernon debuted as V8, Seventeen's sixth sub-unit, with their self-titled debut EP V8. The eight-track EP explored electronic and hyperpop-influenced music and included the lead single "singasong", which The8 and Vernon co-composed with Mechatok, as well as The8's solo track "8DM".
Discography
Extended plays + List of extended plays, showing selected details Title DetailsCertifications Stardust Released: December 4, 2024 Label: Pledis Entertainment Formats: NFC card (in China), digital download, streamingQQ: Diamond
Singles Title YearPeak chart positionsAlbum CHNPeak chart positions on the China TME UNI Chart: "Orbit": "Star Crossing Night": KOR DLPeak chart positions on the Circle Download Chart:
"Orbit": "Night and Rain"2018—— rowspan="7" "Dreams Come True"2019—— "Falling Down"2020—— "Side by Side"—126"Mom's Missed Call" ()(with Jun)2021—— "Hai Cheng" ()2022—— "A Bite of Summer" ()—— "Orbit" () (feat. JinJiBeWater_)2024 8 14Stardust "Star Crossing Night" (feat. Gali)2025 5 — "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that region.
Other charted songs Title Year Peak chart positions Album CHNPeak chart positions on the China TME UNI Chart: "54321 (Lift Off)" and "Cold Love": "Skyfall": KORPeak chart positions on Circle Digital Chart:
"54321 (Lift Off)" (feat. Vernon) 2024 23 — Stardust "Cold Love" 25 — "Skyfall" 2025 7 52 Happy Burstday "8DM" 2026 — 81 V8
Soundtrack appearances Title Year AlbumNotes "Pāi Shǒu (Live)" ()2018Chao Yin Zhan Ji Episode 2Chinese version of Seventeen's "Clap" "My I (Live)" (with Jun)Chao Yin Zhan Ji Episode 4Chinese version of Seventeen's "My I" "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star (Live)" ()(with Zhou Zhennan)Chao Yin Zhan Ji Episode 5 "Secret (Live)" ()(with Victor Ma)Chao Yin Zhan Ji Episode 6Original by Chang Chen-yue "Wǒ Yuàn Yì (Live)" ()(with Sara Liu, Victor Ma)Chao Yin Zhan Ji Episode 7Original by Faye Wong "Supernatural (Live)" ()(with Victor Ma)Chao Yin Zhan Ji Episode 8 "In My Feelings (Live)"(with Victor Ma)Chao Yin Zhan Ji Episode 9Original by Drake "Busy and Blind (Live)" ()(with Victor Ma)Original by Sylvia Chang "Just...Pǔ Tōng Friends (Live)"()(with Victor Ma)Chao Yin Zhan Ji Episode 10Cover of Musiq Soulchild's "Just Friends (Sunny)" "Fall In Love (Live)"(with Victor Ma) "Highlight (Live)"(with Li Zhenning, Shi Mingze, Zhan Yu, Bo Yuan, Wen Yechen, Shen Qunfeng, Wu Zelin)2019Youth With You Episode 11Original by Seventeen "Brothers for One Time" ()(with Jun) Seven Days OST "Maze" 2020 The King: Eternal Monarch Chinese version OSTOriginal by Paul Kim "Hide" () 2021 Who is the Murderer () OST "Youth Is Young" () (with Wang Baoqiang, Yang Di, Chen Zheyuan, Shen Yue, Zhang Yitong)2023Youth Periplous Season 4 (青春环游记 第四季) OST "Fly! Birdy Friends"2024Protect the Black Forest! Birdy Friends OSTKorean and Chinese versions "Hào Dí Sa Huá Fán" () (with Charlene Choi, Yang Di, Henry Lau, Lars Huang)Youth Periplous Season 5 (青春環游記 第五季) OST "Time Spoken in Ink" () My Wife's Double Life OST "When The Wind Blows" () OST
Filmography Television shows Year Title Role 2010 Day Day Up Cast member 2017 Real Class - Elementary School 2018 Chao Yin Zhan Ji (潮音戰紀) 2019 Youth With You Dance mentor 2021Dancing Millennium Cast member 2023All-Star Street Dancing ShowYouth Periplous Season 4 2024Youth Periplous Season 5Heart Signal Season 7 2025 Chuang Asia: Season 2 Producer
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