| “ |
Beside~ You, BESTie! Hello, we are BESTie! |
” |
| —BESTie | ||
BESTie (베스티) was a four-member girl group formed by YNB Entertainment. They debuted on July 11, 2013 with the single "Pitapat".
The group has presumably disbanded following the departures of three of the members since 2017.[1][2]
History[]
2013: Debut with "Pitapat", "Love Options", "Zzang Christmas"[]
Prior to debuting as BESTie, Hyeyeon (under the stagge name Dami), U.Ji and Haeryung were previously members of AB Entertainment's girl group EXID. Since leaving the group in April 2012 for personal reasons, Hyeyeon and U.Ji left to pursue their academic schedules, while Haeryung left to pursue her acting career.[n 1][3] With the addition of Dahye, they made their debut as a group on July 11, 2013, with the release of their first single "Pitapat" and its accompanying music video.
On October 16, the group released their second digital single "Love Options". They then released their third digital single "Zzang Christmas" in December.
2014-2015: "Thank U Very Much", "Like a Star", Hot Baby, Love Emotion[]
On February 28, 2014, the group released their fourth digital single "Thank U Very Much" along with its music video. On June 27, they performed a cover of Girls' Generation's "Mr.Mr." along with AOA's Choa, Jimin, Hyejeong and Chanmi, and Girl's Day for a special Music Bank stage. BESTie then released their subsequent digital single "Like a Star" on July 11 in celebration of their first debut anniversary. Shortly afterward, the group released their first mini album Hot Baby on July 28. A repackage edition featuring the new title track "I Need You" was later released on August 29. In September, Hyeyeon featured on Yoo Seung Woo's single "Lovers' Song", and on December 19, BESTie covered SUPER JUNIOR's "Mamacita" on Music Bank as a year-end performance.
On May 8, 2015, the group released their second mini album, Love Emotion, featuring the title track "Excuse Me" along with its accompanying music video. On August 29, BESTie performed at New Delhi's Sirifort Auditorium as part of the 2015 Feel Korea in New Delhi tour. That year, the group won the Next Generation Award at the Golden Disk Awards. They also collaborated with other artists, with Uji collaborating with The Channels on the single "Love Letter" and Chad Future's "So Good", Dahye featuring on Yoo Se-yoon's "We Fought", and Hyeyeon featuring on Just Cricket's "Perfect Chemistry".
2016-2018: Canceled comeback, members' departure, disbandment[]
In January 2016, it had been reported that Dahye fell from the stairs, fracturing her ankle and right arm, and needed time to recover; YNB Entertainment stated that BESTie's comeback has been pushed back to give Dahye time to receive sufficient rest and stability. It was announced that BESTie would be coming back in May with a new album with a possible release date, which ultimately never materialized. Later that summer, U.Ji participated in JTBC reality singing competition Girl Spirit, where she finished in the third place. The group's last performance was on December 16, 2016 at Military Year End Concert.
On September 5, 2017, YNB Entertainment announced that BESTie's U.Ji and Dahye had terminated their exclusive contracts with the agency and left the group. Hyeyeon and Haeryung would then continue to promote as BESTie, with the possibility of reorganizing the group and adding new members.[2] Later that month, Hyeyeon participated on the reality survival show The Unit, ranking 27th place in the finale.[4]
In September 2018, Hyeyeon left BESTie after her contract with YNB Entertainment had expired. She then signed with Star Ent. a month later, leading to the group's disbandment.[1]
Aftermath[]
- After signing with Star Entertainment, Hyeyeon made her solo debut as a trot singer under her real name, Kang Hye Yeon, with her first mini album Great. She later participated in Miss Trot Season 2.
- U.Ji is currently active as a musical actress but is also well-known for her previous appearances on various Korean variety shows.
- Dahye debuted as a soloist on September 25, 2020 with her first digital single Poison.
- Haeryung resumed her acting career, now under her real name Na Hae Ryung, and has since appeared in various dramas.
Members[]
| Name | Position(s) | Years active |
|---|---|---|
| Hyeyeon (혜연) | Leader, Lead Vocalist, Lead Rapper | 2013–2018 |
| U.Ji (유지) | Main Vocalist, Lead Dancer | 2013–2017 |
| Dahye (다헤) | Main Rapper, Main Dancer, Sub Vocalist | 2013–2017 |
| Haeryung (해령) | Lead Dancer, Sub Vocalist, Visual, Maknae | 2013–2018 |
Discography[]
Mini albums[]
- Hot Baby (2014)
- Love Emotion (2015)
- I Need You (repackage) (2014)
Digital singles[]
- "Pitapat" (2013)
- "Love Options" (2013)
- "Zzang Christmas" (2013)
- "Thank U Very Much" (2014)
- "Like a Star" (2014)
Gallery[]
.png "BESTie Pitapat concept photo (2).png (899 KB)")
.png "BESTie Love Options concept photo (2).png (7.91 MB)")
.png "BESTie Love Emotion group photo (3).png (625 KB)")
Notes[]
- ↑ It was later revealed that their departure was due to a contract break between producer Shinsadong Tiger and AB Entertainment. This issue, intensified by plagiarism allegations surrounding their debut song "Whoz That Girl", led to the members' forced exit from the group.
References[]
Official links[]
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