The Pulse of K-Entertainment

Lay Zhang
ArtistChromosome Entertainment Group

Lay Zhang

Lay Zhang (张艺兴), born Zhang Yixing, turned his start in EXO into one of the broadest post-group expansions any idol has built. After debuting under SM Entertainment in 2012, he scaled his solo career across music, film, variety, touring, and company-building until the Lay Zhang brand functioned less like a side project and more like its own entertainment system.

That scale rests on real catalog depth. Releases such as Lose Control, NAMANANA, LIT, and later singles kept his music career active while screen work and business moves widened the audience around him. Rather than treating the EXO connection as a closed chapter, Lay kept that history in view while building a China-led operation with a different commercial ceiling.

His 2026 visibility around Nouer Entertainment and NOUERA made that executive side even clearer. Lay matters on HITKULTR because he is not only a performer. He is a case study in how an idol career can evolve into a wider cultural and business platform.

1 articles10 creditsDebut: April 8, 2012Chinese

Gallery

Discography

2026
POP IT LIKEMini Album
Executive ProducerNOUERANouer Entertainment
2024
PsychicSingle
Solo Artist
2022
WestEP
Solo Artist
2021
EastEP
Solo Artist
2020
LITAlbum
Solo Artist
2018
NAMANANAAlbum
Solo Artist
2016
Lose ControlEP
Solo Artist

Filmography

2023
No More BetsFilm
Actor
2017
Kung Fu YogaFilm
Actor

Other Credits

2020
Winter BegoniaC-Drama
Actor

Fans Also Ask

Is Lay Zhang still a member of EXO?
Yes. Lay Zhang has continued to identify himself as part of EXO even after his contract with SM Entertainment ended in 2022. His day-to-day career has been centered on China and his own company, but his public positioning has consistently maintained that EXO connection rather than treating it as erased history.
When did Lay Zhang start his solo career?
Lay Zhang launched his Chinese solo career on October 28, 2016 with the EP Lose Control. The release opened a run that later included NAMANANA, LIT, East, and West, establishing him as one of the rare EXO members to build a large-scale independent identity outside standard group promotions.
What is Chromosome Entertainment Group?
Chromosome Entertainment Group is the company Lay Zhang founded in 2020 to manage and expand his work as an artist, producer, and executive. The label signaled a shift from solo star to long-term builder, giving him a platform to develop new talent and shape projects beyond his own releases.
What movies and dramas has Lay Zhang acted in?
Lay Zhang's screen credits include The Mystic Nine, Kung Fu Yoga, Winter Begonia, and No More Bets. Those projects helped push him beyond idol status in the Chinese market, showing he could carry prestige television, commercial film, and music-industry credibility at the same time.
What did Lay Zhang do for NOUERA in 2026?
Lay Zhang served as executive producer on NOUERA's third mini album POP IT LIKE in 2026. The project linked his Chromosome-era creative leadership to a newer rookie act and gave HITKULTR a direct bridge between his long-established artist brand and the next generation of Asian pop development.

Latest Articles

NOUERA performing in the official POP IT LIKE music video Video still: Nouer Entertainment / SL8IGHT Visual Lab
Music5 min read

NOUERA Hits Career High With POP IT LIKE: 240K First-Week Sales and an EXO Collab That Delivered

NOUERA third mini album POP IT LIKE posted 240000 first-week Hanteo sales, a career high powered by EXO Lay executive production and a music video that broke 10 million views.

PakMarch 18, 2026
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