Gaelle Hypolite, or simply just Gaelle, is a Haitian artist, model, and producer based in South Korea under STRIGIDAE.
She originally grew to prominence after appearing in various advertisements within the Korean entertainment industry and for her participation in albums by popular groups and artist such as Feng Hongxi, duové, and OWLLIANCE, among others.
Early Life[]
Gaelle Hypolite was born on April 20, 1998, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, into a family that deeply valued creativity and resilience. Growing up in a culturally vibrant yet challenging environment, Gaelle was surrounded by the rhythmic sounds of compas, zouk, and traditional Haitian music. Her parents, both educators, fostered a love for learning and the arts in their children. From a young age, Gaelle displayed a natural aptitude for music and storytelling, often writing her own songs and performing for friends and family.
Gaelle’s early exposure to music was accompanied by a fascination with production. While many of her peers were focused on singing or dancing, Gaelle found herself captivated by how songs were constructed. Her father’s old laptop, coupled with free software, became her first tool for experimenting with beats and melodies. By the time she was 13, Gaelle had taught herself the basics of digital audio production, blending her love of Haitian rhythms with global genres like pop, hip-hop, and electronic music- an impressive feat for such a young girl in an fairly impoverished environment.
Her journey into the world of K-pop began serendipitously. As a teenager, Gaelle discovered Korean dramas and K-pop through YouTube, drawn in by the storytelling and polished production values. While she was incredibly moved by artists such as BoA, Taeyang, and IU, she harbored most of her admiration for Alex, a member of the girl group RaNia. Being able to watch someone who looked like her, while also demonstrating versatility, stage presence, and talent within an extremely colorist society was awe-inspiring. Gaelle admired the dedication idols like Alex, who took to the Korean music industry to carve their open paths for diversity in new environments. The more she observed, the more she saw parallels between the emotive storytelling in Korean music and her own artistic aspirations.
At 15, Gaelle began sharing her self-produced tracks on platforms like SoundCloud, gaining a small but loyal following. Her songs, a fusion of Haitian and Korean musical influences, stood out for their unique soundscapes and deeply personal lyrics. Around this time, she also started learning Korean through online resources, driven by her dream of working in the South Korean music industry.
In 2015, after saving up money from part-time jobs and receiving support from her family, Gaelle traveled to South Korea through an international music festival submission. While there, she participated in an open audition hosted by a mid-tier entertainment company looking for diverse talent. Gaelle performed an original song she had written and produced, impressing the judges with her musicality, vocal tone, and heartfelt performance.
Training in Korea was a transformative experience for Gaelle. While the rigorous schedule and cultural differences posed challenges, her adaptability and determination helped her thrive. Gaelle’s production skills set her apart from other trainees, as she often contributed to the arrangement and composition of demo tracks for various artists and eventually earning a job as a producer. Her ability to blend various global influences with K-pop’s signature style earned her respect from her peers and trainers.
Career[]
TBA
Personality[]
TBA
Endorsements[]
- prettyr1se (2021)
Relationships[]
- including both romantic and platonic.
TBA
Credits[]
| Artist | Song | Album | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | |||
| Vitamin | "MR. DOCTOR" | MR. DOCTOR | Producing |
| duové | "étude" | étude | Producing |
| "MR. DOCTOR (Oiseau Ver.)" | Producing | ||
| -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 2025 | |||
| Feng Hongxi | "Peaches" | Excelsior | Producing |
| "Can't Get You Out" | Writing; Producing | ||
| Khan | "NEW YOUTH" | NEW YOUTH | Producing |
| -- | -- | -- | -- |
Trivia[]
- TBA