A third generation Korean-Japanese is rising as a new singer in Japan.

The 26 year old Jonte (real name Si Jong-tae) stands 180 cm tall and has good looks on top of exceptional singing talent. He began to earn recognition when he auditioned for a spot in the Japanese band Exile last September. He made it to the final round, dazzling music officials and the 13,000 audience members at the audition site, but the coveted spot went to another applicant. However, he later signed a deal with Japan's largest management company, Avex.

He reemerged on the music scene as songs from his debut album began to be released one by one starting in April. His mid-tempo heart-wrenching love songs have surpassed two million downloads, creating a "Jonte syndrome" even before his official debut.