Xu Minghao

Xu Minghao, known professionally as The8, 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 its sub-unit V8.

Xu was born in Haicheng, Liaoning, China, on November 7, 1997. He began learning martial arts at four years old and trained in breaking for five years starting in elementary school. Joining a youth b-boy crew in China, he developed skills in tumbling and acrobatics while competing in breaking contests. He later attended the Beijing Contemporary Music Academy.

Xu made early television appearances in China, including on CCTV Variety Show in 2008. In February 2010, he appeared on Hunan Television's Day Day Up as the leader of the youth breaking crew Dance Power, where he stated his ambition to become a star. This exchange was later sampled in the track "Friend" on his 2026 sub-unit album V8. In April 2012, he led Dance Power to the top eight of the global finals at the sixth BBOY IN SHANGHAI World Breaking Competition.

While taking a breaking class in Beijing, Xu was scouted and subsequently moved to South Korea to train under Pledis Entertainment. He trained for approximately one year and five months. In July 2014, he appeared in the fifth season of Seventeen TV, titled Last Seventeen TV. He was confirmed as one of Seventeen's final 13 members in April 2015 and featured in the reality series Seventeen Project: Debut Big Plan.

Xu officially debuted with Seventeen on May 29, 2015, with the extended play 17 Carat. In 2017, he appeared in the television program Real Class - Elementary School. He temporarily suspended activities in December 2017 due to a waist injury before returning for group promotions in February 2018 with the release of Directors Cut.

In 2018, Xu appeared on the reality show Chao Yin Zhan Ji alongside bandmate Jun. He served as a dance coach on the survival show Youth With You in 2019 before making his official solo debut on June 9, 2019, with the single "Dreams Come True." He released subsequent singles including "Falling Down" in 2020 and the bilingual track "Side by Side" in 2021. He also released the charity single "Mom's Missed Call" with Jun to support the Chinese Children's Charity Association.

Xu released the hometown-dedicated single "Hai Cheng" in March 2022, followed by his first Chinese-language EP, Stardust, on December 4, 2024. In February 2025, he became a producer and mentor on Chuang Asia: Season 2. On June 29, 2026, Xu and bandmate Vernon debuted as the sub-unit V8 with a self-titled EP featuring electronic and hyperpop styles, including the co-composed lead single "singasong" and Xu's solo track "8DM."