| “ |
Hello, we are SUPER JUNIOR! |
” |
| —SUPER JUNIOR | ||
SUPER JUNIOR (슈퍼주니어) is a 10-member boy group under SM Entertainment and Label SJ. They debuted on November 6, 2005 with the studio album Super Junior 05.
Contents
- 1 History
- 1.1 2005–2006: Debut with Super Junior 05, "Show Me Your Love", "U", SUPER JUNIOR-K.R.Y.
- 1.2 2007: SUPER JUNIOR-T, Don't Don, repackage
- 1.3 2008: 'Super Show 1', SUPER JUNIOR-M, SUPER JUNIOR-Happy, Japanese debut with "U / Twins", "Marry U"
- 1.4 2009: Sorry, Sorry, "It's You", "Sorry, Sorry", departure of Kibum and Hangeng, 'Super Show 2'
- 1.5 2010: Bonamana, repackage, Kangin's hiatus, "Tok Tok Tok", 'Super Show 3'
- 1.6 2011: "Miina (Bonamana)", Mr. Simple, A-Cha, 'Super Show 4', "Mr. Simple", SUPER JUNIOR-D&E
- 1.7 2012: "Opera", Sexy, Free & Single, Spy, "Sexy, Free & Single"
- 1.8 2013: 'Super Show 5', Hero, "Blue World"
- 1.9 2014: Mamacita, 'Super Show 6', This is Love, "Mamacita (Ayaya)"
- 1.10 2015: Devil, Magic, multiple enlistments, Label SJ
- 1.11 2016: "Devil / Magic", Kangin's hiatus
- 1.12 2017: Play, "On and On", 'Super Show 7'
- 1.13 2018: "Super Duper", Replay, One More Time, "One More Time"
- 1.14 2019: Kangin's departure, Time_Slip, 'Super Show 8', "I Think I"
- 1.15 2020: Timeless, I Think U
- 1.16 2021: Star, The Renaissance
- 2 Members
- 3 Sub-units
- 4 Discography
- 5 Filmography
- 6 Concerts
- 7 Awards and nominations
- 8 Trivia
- 9 Gallery
- 10 References
- 11 Official links
History
2005–2006: Debut with Super Junior 05, "Show Me Your Love", "U", SUPER JUNIOR-K.R.Y.
The group debuted with twelve members (Leeteuk, Heechul, Yesung, Hangeng, Kangin, Shindong, Sungmin, Eunhyuk, Siwon, Donghae, Ryeowook and Kibum) on November 6, 2005, under the name 'SUPER JUNIOR 05' with the studio album of the same name. They promoted two singles of the album: its powerful title track, "Twins (Knock Out)", and the bright, teen pop dance song "Miracle", which, according to the members, garnered a bigger public reaction.[2]
Their next release, on December 15, 2005, was a collaboration single with TVXQ! titled "Show Me Your Love". Heechul participated in the writing of the track.[3]
It was intended for them to be a rotational group, with members regularly being added and removed.[4] That concept, however, faced opposition after the fans got attached to the group's current members. Only one member, Kyuhyun, was added before the concept was dropped, and the group, changing its name to simply SUPER JUNIOR, became a group with a fixed number of members.[5][6]
The digital single "U", released on June 7, 2006, was the first release Kyuhyun participated in. Its title track, "U", also gave the group their first music show win.[7][2] They went on to win four more times, for a total of five wins.[8]
On August 10, 2006, Heechul sustained injuries after being involved in a car accident and had to have metal rods implanted in his leg. He had to rest for about six months. Though the injury never fully healed and he experiences chronic pain in his ankle,[9] he continued participating in stage performances and concerts for a few years. However, after his leg's condition worsened around 2013, 2014, he started to participate less in activities like music show performances and to sit out live performances when necessary. Accomodations like getting a smaller part in the choreography or being only at the end of songs were also made.[9] He still participates in song recordings and music video filmings.[10][11]
SUPER JUNIOR's first sub-unit, SUPER JUNIOR-K.R.Y., composed of Kyuhyun, Ryeowook and Yesung, made their debut on November 25, 2006, performing "The One I Love" on Music Bank. They are credited as the first official sub-unit of k-pop.[12]
2007: SUPER JUNIOR-T, Don't Don, repackage
SUPER JUNIOR's second sub-unit, SUPER JUNIOR-T, composed of Leeteuk, Heechul, Kangin, Shindong, Sungmin and Eunhyuk, made their debut with the trot single album "Rokkugo!!!" on February 23.
On April 19, Leeteuk, Shindong, Eunhyuk and Kyuhyun and two of the group's managers were riding in SUPER JUNIOR's van when they were involved in an accident. All four members sustained injuries - though Shindong's and Eunhyuk's were superficial -, and Leeteuk and Kyuhyun had to be hospitalized. The latter was in a critical state, but he eventually recovered, though he was absent from group activities for four to five months.[4][13]
The group's second studio album Don't Don was released on September 20. Its title track, with heavy metal sounds, contained lyrics criticizing society.[2] Don't Don's repackage was released on November 5.
2008: 'Super Show 1', SUPER JUNIOR-M, SUPER JUNIOR-Happy, Japanese debut with "U / Twins", "Marry U"
They kicked off their first Asia tour on February 22. Tickets to the concerts sold out quickly.[14] The live album of the tour, The 1st Asia Tour Concert Album 'Super Show', was released on May 19.
The third sub-unit of the group, SUPER JUNIOR-M, debuted during the tour, on April 23, with their first album Me. The sub-unit, whose releases are in Mandarin, was created in order to promote in China, and it contains two members, Zhoumi and Henry, that are not part of SUPER JUNIOR itself, as well as the SUPER JUNIOR members Hangeng, Siwon, Donghae, Ryeowook and Kyuhyun.[15][16] (Eunhyuk and Sungmin were added to the unit in 2011 for the promotions of Perfection after Hangeng's departure.)[17][18]
The group's fourth sub-unit, SUPER JUNIOR-Happy, composed of Leeteuk, Yesung, Kangin, Shindong, Sungmin and Eunhyuk, debuted on June 5 with the mini-album Cooking? Cooking!.
SUPER JUNIOR made their Japanese debut on July 9, with the special single "U / Twins".
In August, they won the Favorite Artist Korea award at the MTV Asia Awards.[19]
On November 26, they released a second Japanese single, "Marry U".
2009: Sorry, Sorry, "It's You", "Sorry, Sorry", departure of Kibum and Hangeng, 'Super Show 2'
The group completed their first Asia tour after having performed a total of ten shows in South Korea, Thailand and China, with the last one being on March 7, 2009.
Their third studio album Sorry, Sorry was released on March 12. The album, that was the best-selling album of the year,[20] "catapulted SUPER JUNIOR to Hallyu stardom"[15] and can be considered their biggest hit[2]. The album's title track, "Sorry, Sorry", was popular all across Asia, receiving critical and commercial success and topping charts in multiple countries. The song has a focus on choreography, with eye-catching and addictive moves,[20] and it was covered all over the world in events like flash mobs, but also by other k-pop groups, even years after its release. The song was a trendsetter in various ways.[15][19] It also earned them ten music show wins.[8]
The group's second digital single, "It's You", was released on May 14. Its title track was described as a "dance and contemporary R&B song" with a "mellow approach".[15]
The Japanese version of "Sorry, Sorry" was released as a single on July 15.
Sometime in 2009, Kibum stopped participating in group activities, leaving the group to focus on his acting career.[21][22]
Hangeng also filed a lawsuit against SM Entertainment to terminate his contract after he faced difficulties and inequalities as he was not Korean. Starting from 2009, he no longer participated in group activities.[23][24]
Four months after the end of their first Asia tour, the group embarked on their second one, 'Super Show 2', starting from July 17.[25] The tour's live album was released on December 10, 2009.
Their last release of 2009 was on December 15 with a promotional single titled "Seoul", in collaboration with Girls' Generation.
2010: Bonamana, repackage, Kangin's hiatus, "Tok Tok Tok", 'Super Show 3'
SUPER JUNIOR finished their second Asia tour on April 10, 2010, with a total of fifteen shows in seven countries. They set multiple records with the tour, "becoming the first artists to hold a standing concert in China as well as the foreign artist to attract the largest audience".[26] Their concert in the Philippines - the first held solely by Korean singers - was also the biggest music event ever held in the country at the time.[27]
Then, on May 13, the group released their fourth studio album Bonamana. The title track, also titled "Bonamana", won six times at music shows.[8] The album's repackage was released on June 28.
After being charged for driving under the influence of alcohol and committing a hit-and-run, Kangin announced a hiatus and started his military service on July 5.[28][29]
The digital single "Tok Tok Tok" was released on August 10. It's a traditional trot song and it was first introduced during 'Super Show 3'.[2]
On August 14, they kicked off their third Asia tour at the Seoul Olympic Stadium.[30]
2011: "Miina (Bonamana)", Mr. Simple, A-Cha, 'Super Show 4', "Mr. Simple", SUPER JUNIOR-D&E
The last show of their third Asia tour was in Vietnam on May 7. In total, they visited ten countries and performed twenty shows.[30][31]
On June 8, the Japanese single "Miina (Bonamana)" was released.
SUPER JUNIOR's fifth studio album, Mr. Simple, was released on August 3. With eleven wins, the title track, "Mr. Simple", is the SUPER JUNIOR song that received the most music show wins.[32][8] In 2015, its music video also reached 100 million views, making SUPER JUNIOR the first SM boy group to achieve that milestone.[33][2]
Less than a month after Mr. Simple's release, on September 1, 2011, Heechul enlisted for his military service.[34]
Also in September, the court ruled in favor of Hangeng's lawsuit against SM Entertainment and he officially left the group.[28]
Mr. Simple's repackage, A-Cha, was released on September 19.
The live album The 3rd Asia Tour Concert Album 'Super Show 3' was released on October 24.
Starting on November 19 with the first concert being in Seoul, the group kicked off the 'Super Show 4', their first world tour and fourth international tour.[35]
They released their fourth Japanese single, "Mr. Simple", on December 7.
The group's fifth sub-unit, SUPER JUNIOR-D&E, composed of Eunhyuk and Donghae, officially made their debut on December 16 with the single "Oppa, Oppa".
2012: "Opera", Sexy, Free & Single, Spy, "Sexy, Free & Single"
Kangin completed his military service on April 16.[36]
The Japanese single "Opera" was released on May 9.
The group completed their fourth international tour on May 27 after two encore concerts in Seoul. During the tour, they visited a total of ten cities in eight countries, for twenty-four shows.[37]
SUPER JUNIOR's sixth studio album, Sexy, Free & Single, was released on July 1 (digital) and July 4 (physical). Its title track of the same name, "a soulful house song with an R&B sound", won eight times at music shows.[8] The album's repackage, Spy, was released on August 5.
The Japanese single "Sexy, Free & Single" was released on August 22.
Leeteuk started his military service on October 30.[38]
2013: 'Super Show 5', Hero, "Blue World"
SUPER JUNIOR kicked off their 'Super Show 5' world tour in March. For the first time, "each member participated in choosing clothes, songs and stage sets"[39]. They would visit locations like Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Lima, Japan, China, Thailand, Philippines, Singapore as well as European destinations.[39][40]
Yesung enlisted in the military on May 6.[41]
The group released their first Japanese studio album, Hero, on July 24.
The live album SUPER JUNIOR World Tour 'Super Show 4' was released on July 27.
Heechul came back from his military service hiatus on August 13.[34]
In October, the group was invited to hold a lecture at Oxford University. As guest lecturers, Eunhyuk, Siwon, Kyuhyun and Kangin discussed about k-pop and hallyu and also talked about their own success as artists.[19]
The Japanese single "Blue World" was released on December 11.
2014: Mamacita, 'Super Show 6', This is Love, "Mamacita (Ayaya)"
The last concert of 'Super Show 5' was held on February 22 in Beijing. During the tour, the group visited a total of 20 cities for 28 shows, each of them sold out. They were also the first Korean artists to hold solo concerts in Mexico and London.[42]
Leeteuk completed his military service and was officially discharged on July 29.[43]
The seventh studio album, Mamacita, was released on August 29. The title track, "Mamacita", was an urban swing song with Latin influences, and came with a comedic music video with a Wild West concept.[44] It earned nine music show wins.[8]
SUPER JUNIOR kicked off their sixth international and third world tour in Seoul on September 20.[43] The concert they held on September 21 was their 100th show, and they were the first Korean group to reach this milestone.[45]
A special version of Mamacita, titled This is Love, was released on October 23.
The single "Mamacita (Ayaya)" was released on December 17.
2015: Devil, Magic, multiple enlistments, Label SJ
Shindong started his military service on March 24,[46] closely followed by Sungmin on March 31.[47] Sungmin, criticized for the way he handled the announcement of his marriage, also went on hiatus at that time and hasn't promoted with the group since.[28]
Yesung was officially discharged from the military on May 4.[41]
The last concerts of the 'Super Show 6' world tour were encore concerts held in Seoul on July 11 and 12.[48] With 22 shows, they visited a total of 13 cities.
The special album Devil was released on July 16. It commemorated the group's tenth anniversary. With lyrics speaking of an attraction to a woman compared to a devil,[2] the title track "Devil" was described as a trendy song[49] with a "highly stylized groove".[50]
Though Kibum hadn't been participating in group activities since 2009, he only officially left the group in August 2015, when his contract with SM Entertainment expired and he left the company.[21][22][28]
Devil's repackage and second part, Magic, was released on September 16. Its title track was a groovy dance song with a "vintage funky guitar".[2]
At the Teen Choice Awards, in August, the group won the Choice International Artist award, where they were nominated against artists like One Direction and 5 Seconds of Summer. Their fandom, E.L.F., also won the Choice Fandom award.[51]
Eunhyuk and Donghae enlisted two days apart, on October 13 and 15 respectively. Siwon enlisted a month later, on November 19.[52]
The live albums Super Show 5 - SUPER JUNIOR The 5th World Tour and Super Show 6 - SUPER JUNIOR The 6th World Tour were released simultaneously on November 6.
On the same day, SM Entertainment also announced that a new label called Label SJ, affiliated with SM, had been established exclusively to manage SUPER JUNIOR's activities, like their albums and concerts, in an independant way. That also includes their solo activities and activities as sub-units.[53]
2016: "Devil / Magic", Kangin's hiatus
The Japanese single "Devil / Magic", containing the Japanese versions of the tracks "Devil" and "Magic", was released on January 6.
After being under investigation for driving under the influence of alcohol, Kangin went on hiatus in May.[54]
On October 11, Ryeowook started his military service.[55]
Shindong completed his military service on December 23.[56]
Though Sungmin was discharged on December 30, he was still on hiatus from group activities.[57][28]
2017: Play, "On and On", 'Super Show 7'
Early in the year, it was announced that the group would have a comeback later in the year after more members had come back from their military service.[58] With both Sungmin and Kangin still on hiatus, it was announced that neither of them would participate in the recording and promotions of SUPER JUNIOR's upcoming album.[59] Ryeowook, still doing his military service, and Kyuhyun, who enlisted on May 25, did not participate either.[60][61]
Eunhyuk was officially discharged from the military on July 12 and Donghae on July 14, followed by Siwon on August 18.[58]
The song "One More Chance", a sentimental pop-rock ballad co-written by Donghae and Eunhyuk and co-composed by Donghae, was pre-released on October 30.[59] Then, Play was released on November 6. Siwon participated in the recordings and music video filmings but did not participate in the promotions.[59] Kyuhyun's military service was still ongoing but he can be heard on the album as some of his vocals were pre-recorded. Play's title track "Black Suit", a swing-infused dance song with a funky retropop vibe, was described as powerful, dynamic and playful.[62]
The Japanese single "On and On" was released on December 6.
SUPER JUNIOR kicked off 'Super Show 7', their seventh international tour, on December 16 in Seoul. The members participated in the planning of the concerts.[63]
2018: "Super Duper", Replay, One More Time, "One More Time"
The single "Super Duper" was released on March 23 as a STATION release. It was first performed during their concert tour 'Super Show 7'.
Play's repackage, Replay, was released on April 12. The title track, "Lo Siento", described as a perfect merge of K-pop and Latin music, was made in collaboration with Play-N-Skillz and features the singer Leslie Grace.[64] The song entered Billboard's Latin Digital Song Sales chart, making them the first Korean artist to achieve that feat.[19] It contains lyrics in Korean, English and Spanish.[64] The song was conceived as a gift for their Latin American fans, which have been strong supporters of the group for a long time.[65]
Ryeowook was officially discharged from the military on July 10.[66]
On September 2, the group performed at the closing ceremony of the 2018 Asian Games.[67]
The digital single "Animals" was pre-released on September 27, followed by the release of the mini album One More Time on October 8, with a title track featuring Reik.
The Japanese single "One More Time" was released on November 28.
2019: Kangin's departure, Time_Slip, 'Super Show 8', "I Think I"
The 'Super Show 7' tour concluded after encore concerts in Seoul on March 2 and 3.[68] Leslie Grace also participated in the Latin American shows of the tour.[65]
On May 7, Kyuhyun was officially discharged from the military.[69]
After the release of SUPER JUNIOR's ninth album was announced for later in the year, it was announced in June that neither Kangin nor Sungmin would take part in the promotions.[70]
Soon after, in July, Kangin officially left the group.[71]
The album Time_Slip, on October 14, was their first release since all the members completed their military service. The songs "Somebody New", "Show" and "The Crown" were pre-released in September, and "I Think I", a groovy, Latin-inspired song, was pre-released on October 4.[72] The album's title track, "Super Clap", is a vibrant dance pop track with a retro feeling and electro-disco elements that "is meant to inspire its listeners to take a break from the hardships of reality".[73]
On October 12, they kicked off their world tour 'Super Show 8' in Seoul.[72][74] Because of the condition of his leg, it was announced that Heechul would not participate.[75]
"I Think I", the group's twelfth Japanese single, was released on November 7.
At the KKBOX Music Awards in Taiwan, the group won the Artist of the Year award. They were the first foreign-language recipient of that award.[19]
2020: Timeless, I Think U
Timeless, the repackage of Time_Slip, was released on January 28. "2YA2YAO!", the title track, a hip-hop song with a style never seen before for SUPER JUNIOR, was written and composed by Zico.[76]
On February 12, the Japanese mini album I Think U was released.
The last shows of the 'Super Show 8' world tour were initially postponed and then cancelled amidst the coronavirus pandemic.[77][78]
They held an online concert, 'Beyond the Super Show', on May 31.[79]
The group announced in October that they would release an album in December for their fifteenth anniversary.[80] The album is titled The Renaissance, which means "rebirth".[81] On November 6, the exact day of their anniversary, they pre-released the song "The Melody" and its music video. Leeteuk and Yesung participated in writing the lyrics, which are about looking back on the group's memories and feeling grateful and express their hopes to keep singing together.[82] On December 2, another song was pre-released: a remake version of their 2014 track "Raining Spell for Love", with new "synth sounds and a sophisticated piano arrangement".[80]
It was announced on December 9 that the release of the album, originally planned for December, was delayed to January 2021, as the choice of the title track kept changing. A performance video of the song "Burn The Floor", the choreography of which involve the use of lights,[83] was released on December 16. The lyrics of the track compare the singer's relationship with their lover to a sensual dance performance.[84] Another song of the album, "Tell Me Baby", was pre-released on December 23 with a sweet animated video.[80]
2021: Star, The Renaissance
The Japanese best album Star was released on January 27.
On January 8, the new release date of The Renaissance was set to February 16.[80] Then, at the beginning of February, the release was postponed one last time, from February 16 to March 16.[85] On that date, the album was finally released with its title track "House Party". The playful song, with lyrics relating to the COVID-19 pandemic, encourages the listeners to continue respecting the health guidelines while inviting them to the group's virtual party.[86]
Members
| Name | Position(s) | Year(s) active |
|---|---|---|
| Leeteuk (이특) | Leader, Vocalist, Sub-Rapper | 2005–present |
| Heechul (희철) | Lead Rapper, Vocalist, Face of the Group | 2005–present |
| Yesung (예성) | Main Vocalist | 2005–present |
| Shindong (신동) | Lead Dancer, Lead Rapper | 2005–present |
| Eunhyuk (은혁) | Main Dancer, Main Rapper, Vocalist | 2005–present |
| Siwon (시원) | Vocalist, Visual, Center | 2005–present |
| Donghae (동해) | Lead Dancer, Lead Vocalist, Sub Rapper | 2005–present |
| Ryeowook (려욱) | Main Vocalist | 2005–present |
| Kyuhyun (조규현) | Main Vocalist, Maknae | 2006–present |
| Inactive | ||
| Sungmin (성민) | Lead Vocalist, Lead Dancer | 2005–present |
| Former | ||
| Hangeng (한경) | Vocalist, Lead Dancer | 2005–2009[87] |
| Kibum (기범) | Lead Rapper, Vocalist | 2005–2009 |
| Kangin (강인) | Vocalist | 2005–2019 |
Sub-units
- SUPER JUNIOR-K.R.Y. (2006–present)
- SUPER JUNIOR-T (2007, 2008, 2015)
- SUPER JUNIOR-M (2008–2014)
- SUPER JUNIOR-Happy (2008)
- SUPER JUNIOR-D&E (2011–present)
Discography
Korean
Studio albums
Live albums
|
Mini albums
Special albumsDigital singles
Promotional singles
Collaborations
OSTs
|
Japanese
Best albums
- Star (2021)
Studio albums
- Hero (2013)
Mini albums
- I Think U (2020)
Singles
- "Marry U" (2008)
- "Sorry, Sorry" (2009)
- "Miina (Bonamana)" (2011)
- "Mr. Simple" (2011)
- "Opera" (2012)
- "Sexy, Free & Single" (2012)
- "Blue World" (2013)
- "Mamacita (Ayaya)" (2014)
- "Devil / Magic" (2016)
- "On and On" (2017)
- "One More Time" (2018)
- "I Think I" (2019)
Special singles
- "U / Twins" (2008)
Filmography
Reality shows
- SJ Returns (VLive, 2017–present)
- Super TV (XtvN, 2018)
- SJ Global (YouTube, 2021–present)
Concerts
- The 1st Asia Tour: Super Show (2008–2009)
- The 2nd Asia Tour: Super Show 2 (2009–2010)
- The 3rd Asia Tour: Super Show 3 (2010–2011)
- SUPER JUNIOR World Tour: Super Show 4 (2011–2012)
- SUPER JUNIOR World Tour: Super Show 5 (2013–2014)
- SUPER JUNIOR World Tour: Super Show 6 (2014–2015)
- SUPER JUNIOR World Tour: Super Show 7 (2017–2018)
- SUPER JUNIOR World Tour: Super Show 8 (2019)
Awards and nominations
- Main article: List of awards and nominations received by Super Junior
Trivia
- The meaning of their name comes from their original concept: as they were intended as a rotational group, where older members would graduate to move on to solo endeavours and new members would continuously be added, the group would always be young, thus "junior" being in the name.[5]
- Additionally, they debuted under the name 'Super Junior 05' because, as the lineup would regularly change, the '05' meant it was the lineup for 2005. In 2006, the new version would have been called 'Super Junior 06', and so on. When the rotational concept was dropped, so was the '05' in their name.[5]
Gallery
(Leeteuk, Siwon & Donghae)
(Donghae, Leeteuk & Siwon)
(Shindong, Kyuhyun & Eunhyuk)
(Shindong, Kyuhyun & Eunhyuk)
(Yesung, Ryeowook & Heechul)
(Yesung, Ryeowook & Heechul)
References
Official links
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