LAY

Zhang Yixing (Chinese: 张艺兴; born (1991-10-07)October 7, 1991), known professionally as Lay Zhang or simply Lay (Korean: 레이), is a Chinese singer-songwriter, record producer, dancer, and actor. He is a member of the South Korean-Chinese boy group Exo and its sub-group Exo-M under SM Entertainment. He was first known after participating in the Chinese television talent show Star Academy in 2005. Apart from his musical activities, he is also known for starring in numerous dramas and films such as Ex-Files 2 (2015), The Mystic Nine (2016), Kung Fu Yoga (2017), and The Island (2018). In April 2015, Zhang established a personal agency for his solo activities, serving as an exclusive management and record label. In September 2015, he released his autobiography, Standing Firm at 24, which broke several online book records. In July 2016, Zhang was appointed by the Communist Youth League of China (CYLC) of Changsha as a publicity ambassador, the first celebrity to hold such a title. On October 28, 2016, Zhang released his first EP Lose Control in South Korea and China. The EP was a commercial success, peaking at number one on the Gaon Album Chart as well as number four on Billboard's US World Albums chart, and made him the first Chinese artist to enter the iTunes Top 60. In 2016, market research company Kantar and Chinese business magazine CBN Weekly launched the CelebrityZ Top 100 Most Valuable Celebrities list, where Zhang came in at the 23rd spot.In September 2017, Zhang came in at the 20th spot on the 2017 Forbes China Celebrity 100 List with estimated earnings of 120 million yuan. He came in the 11th spot in 2019.