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Standby, cue! Hello, we are Gugudan! |
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| —gugudan | ||
gugudan (구구단) was an eight-member girl group under Jellyfish Entertainment. Originally as nine, they debuted on June 28, 2016 with the mini album Act.1 The Little Mermaid.
Their name stands for 'multiplication table' in Korean, and represent the nine different charms of each member.
They officially ended their activities and disbanded on December 31, 2020 after four years together and two of inactivity.[1]
History[]
Pre-debut[]
In January 2016, members Nayoung, Sejeong, and Mina represented their company in survival reality show, Produce 101, and all three managed to make it to the finals together. In the end, only Sejeong and Mina were the only one to make it to the final lineup of I.O.I, debuting afterwards.
2016: Debut with Act.1 The Little Mermaid[]
Despite early reports being denied of members Sejeong and Mina debuting in a three member girl group with Nayoung, it was stated that they will be part of Jellyfish Entertainment's first and new girl group.[2] After multiple teasers, on June 17, the group's name was revealed.[3] On June 28, the group officially debuted with Act.1 The Little Mermaid, with the title song "Wonderland". The song used the fairy tale of a mermaid as motif.[4][5] The next day, they announced their mascot, a cute blue fox-type creature named "Ggyu" who will deliver news about the group and connect to fans.[6]
On December 13, the group participated in Jellyfish Entertainment's yearly winter project, "Jelly Christmas 2016", with various senior label mates like VIXX and Seo In Guk. The title track, "Falling" (니가 내려와) was released.[7]
2017: Act.2 Narcissus and "Act.3 Chococo Factory"[]
On January 20, it was reported that the group was set for a February comeback.[8] On February 15, the group dropped their first teaser image for their upcoming comeback through their social media accounts. Their new album was titled Act.2 Narcissus, with the teaser image playing on the the theme of Narcissus from Greek mythology. While the group was originally scheduled to release their album and music video on February 28 at 12 a.m. KST, It was rescheduled to be released on February 27 at 6 p.m. KST after major Korean music sites will be undergoing a reform in how their charts are managed. After multiple teasers, on February 27, the album was released with the title song "A Girl Like Me".[9] The album reinterpreted the term "Narcissism" to express a more positive message unique to the group, of loving ourselves as we are. The group used the 16th century Italian painting Narcissus by Caravaggio as a motif for the album. The title track is described as a song that appeals to the group's charms in a cute and confident way, to a guy that they have fallen in love with at first sight. The song was described as having an exciting beat and addictive lyrics.
In Early October, it was announced that gugudan will be making a comeback as an eight-member group do to Soyee's leg injury and her taking a break from the group's activities.[10] The group's first single "Act.3 Chococo Factory" was released on November 8, 2017 with "Chococo" being used to promote the single. The title track was described to be an upbeat electro-pop song and was inspired by the story Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory with the music video growing more surreal as it progresses.[11] The M/V is filled with references to popular brand's like: M&M (named G&G in the video), Hershey’s Kisses (with the girl's even wearing hat's inspired by the candy and Hana advertising the treat to a fellow band-member Sejeong), Ferrero Rocher (here called Mimiro Rocher) and Kim Sejeong|Sejeong later going Super Saiyan in reference to the popular anime series Dragon Ball.
2018: "Act.4 Cait Sith", Hyeyeon's departure and Act.5 New Action[]
On January 15, 2018, it was announced by Jellyfish Entertainment that the group will make a comeback with nine member's after Soyee's hiatus.[12] On January 18 the single's title was confirmed to be "Act.4 Cait Sith" and from January 19–22, the group released teaser image's for the album and members. On January 24, released "Waltz A Cappella", a teaser video for the title track, "The Boots".[13] The music video for "The Boots" was released on January 31, with the release of the single being pushed back a day due to schedule complication's.[14] The song is about being yourself and loving who you are.
On May 17, Jellyfish stated that Hyeyeon would be taking a break from activities due to health concerns.[15] On October 25, it was announced that she would be leaving the group but would continue to be signed under Jellyfish.[16]
gugudan made their debut in Japan with the release of Stand By on September 19. On September 21, the group held their debut showcase and fanmeeting titled Gugudan 1st Showcase ＆ Fanmeeting "Dear Friend" in Tokyo, Japan at Tokyo Akasaka Blitz.[17]
On October 27, gugudan announced that they will make their first comeback in nine months with their third EP Act.5 New Action on November 7. On October 28, the first series of individual teaser's was released followed by the second batch the following day. On October 30 the album's packaging and track list was released. The album's Highlight Medley was released on November 2. The final third series of teaser images (this time for the album's title track "Not That Type") was released on November 4.[18]
2020: Disbandment[]
On December 30, 2020, Jellyfish Entertainment announced that the group had disbanded. The group officially ended activities on December 31.[19][20] The company also announced that all members would remain under the agency.
Aftermath[]
- Mimi debuted as a solo artist with the digital single "Overcome" which was released on April 22, 2022.
- Hana (now Shin Yeon Suh) and Haebin released a duet song, "D_Edition #Color" on March 21, 2023.[21][22]
- Hana had joined FN Entertainment on August 24, 2021. She would from then on continue with her acting career, going by her birth name, Shin Bo Ra.[23] Sometime in 2022, it was revealed that Hana had left the company after her contract had expired after exactly a year and decided not to renew.[citation needed]
- On February 21, 2023, Hana signed with newly-established agency MUE A Entertainment. She would continue her activities as an actress through the stage name Shin Yeon Suh (신연서).[24]
- Haebin debuted as a solo artist with the digital single "Float" which was released on August 16, 2021.
- Nayoung signed an exclusive contract with Goodman Story Entertainment on January 3, 2022, where she will be promoting as an actress.[25]
- Sejeong had renewed her exclusive contract with Jellyfish on May 11, 2021.[26]
- On February 24, 2023, Jellyfish Entertainment announced their decision to end their exclusive contract with Sally.[27] Since the end of her activities in South Korea, Sally has focused on her career as an actress in China.
- Soyee signed an exclusive contract with Noah Entertainment on April 18, 2022. She will be promoting as an actress under her birth name Jang So-jin.[28]
- On June 15, 2023, Mina would be leaving Jellyfish Entertainment following the expiration of her exclusive contract and decided not to renew. She was also in talks to sign a contract with acting agency Story J Company.[29] On July 3, 2023, Story J Company announced that they officially signed with Kang Mina.[30]
- Hyeyeon signed an exclusive contract with Beyond J on March 4, 2022. She will promote as an actress under the stage name Jo Aram.[31]
Members[]
| Name | Position(s) | Time Table | Symbol | Years active |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mimi (미미) | Vocalist, Visual | #7 | ↗ | 2016–2020 |
| Hana (하나) | Leader, Main Dancer, Vocalist, Rapper, Visual | #1 | ✿ | 2016–2020 |
| Haebin (해빈) | Main Vocalist | #6 | 🎼 | 2016–2020 |
| Nayoung (나영) | Lead Vocalist, Rapper, Visual | #4 | ✳ | 2016–2020 |
| Sejeong (세정) | Main Vocalist, Face of the Group | #3 | ☘ | 2016–2020 |
| Sally (샐리) | Lead Dancer, Lead Rapper, Vocalist | #8 | 8️⃣ | 2016–2020 |
| Soyee (소이) | Main Vocalist | #2 | ♯ | 2016–2020 |
| Mina (미나) | Main Rapper, Main Dancer, Vocalist, Maknae (2018-2020) | #9 | ✵ | 2016–2020 |
| Hyeyeon (혜연) | Lead Vocalist, Lead Dancer, Rapper, Maknae (2016-2018) | #5 | ❤ | 2016–2018 |
Sub-units[]
- gugudan OGUOGU (2017–2018)
- gugudan SEMINA (2018)
Table[]
| Name | gugudan OGUOGU | gugudan SEMINA |
|---|---|---|
| Mimi | ||
| Hana | ||
| Haebin | ||
| Nayoung | Former | |
| Sejeong | Former | |
| Sally | ||
| Soyee | ||
| Mina | Former | Former |
| Hyeyeon | Former |
Discography[]
Mini albums[]
- Act.1 The Little Mermaid (2016)
- Act.2 Narcissus (2017)
- Act.5 New Action (2018)
Single albums[]
- "Act.3 Chococo Factory" (2017)
- "Act.4 Cait Sith" (2018)
Collaborations[]
- "Jelly Box Jelly Christmas 2016" (2016)
- "Story About : Some, One Month Episode 5" (2017)
OSTs[]
- "School 2017 OST Part.1" ("Believe in this Moment") (2017)
- "20th Century Boy and Girl OST Part.2" (2017)
Trivia[]
- Was known as gx9 prior to their official name announcement.
- Sejeong and Mina are former members of I.O.I.
- Sejeong, Mina and Nayoung were contestants of Produce 101.
Gallery[]
Promotional[]
.png "Act 1 The Little Mermaid (2).png (2.04 MB)")
.png "Gugudan Act5 New Action group promo photo (3).png (1.59 MB)")
References[]
Official links[]
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