Xu Minghao (born November 7, 1997, in Anshan, Liaoning, China), known professionally as The8, is a Chinese singer and dancer based in South Korea. After attending the Beijing Contemporary Music Academy, he appeared on the Chinese programs CCTV Variety Show in 2008 and Day Day Up, participating in the 6th Shanghai World Dance Competition in 2012, where he placed in the top 8, earning his nickname. First appearing on Seventeen TV in late 2014, he debuted as a member of the South Korean boy band Seventeen on their first EP, 17 Carat on May 29, 2015, prior to appearing in television series Real Class - Elementary School in 2017. In March 2018, The8 released the mixtape Night and Rain and participated in the Chinese reality television show Chao Yin Zhan Ji alongside bandmate Wen Junhui, making his solo debut on June 9, 2019 with the single "Dreams Come True." His next tracks "Falling Down," (2020) and "Side by Side" (2021) gained him considerable popularity, boosted further by "Hai Cheng," and "A Bite of Summer (尝一口夏天)" in 2022. After a stint on All-Star Street Dancing Show and Youth Periplous Season 4 in 2023, he returned the following year with "时光语墨" (Time Spoken in Ink), which reached number 33 on the Top 200 Tencent Music charts in China. On December 4, 2024, The8 unveiled his debut EP, Stardust. The Chinese-language release includes three tracks, with the lead single "Orbit" featuring JinJiBeWater.
