Mnet is back at it again with season 2 of the successful reality show, Queendom! Even before the lineup was announced, K-pop fans all over the world were looking forward to the show's premiere. We're a few episodes in and we’re totally hooked! And if you haven't followed any of the contestants before or you've just been a casual listener, we've got you covered.
Get to know more of these talented K-pop artists in this Queendom 2 starter pack:
1. Kep1er
The youngest among all the contestants, Kep1er is a project group formed through another Mnet reality show, Girls Planet 999, where the Top 9 would debut under WAKEONE and Swing Entertainment. The group officially debuted in January 2022 with their first EP, "First Impact."
Only 10 days after release, their title track, "Wa Da Da" won no. 1 in MCountdown, making Kep1er one of the fastest K-pop girl groups to get their first music show win. The group also had record-breaking album sales. They hold the record for the highest first-day sales of any girl group album in the Hanteo charts with more than 150,000 album sales.
This nine-membered group consists of Choi Yu Jin (also from the group CLC), Kang Ye Seo, Mashiro Sakamoto, Shen Xiao Ting, Kim Chae Hyun, Kim Da Yeon, Hikaru Ezaki, Seo Young Eun, and Huening Bahiyyih. Kep1er is considered a monster rookie and will definitely hold their own against senior groups in Queendom 2!
2. Hyolyn
The most senior among the Queendom 2 contestants, Hyolyn is a successful singer and songwriter. She debuted in June 2010 as a member of Sistar, one of the most popular second-generation K-pop groups. Sistar was known to be the summer queens with their sexy summer songs being popular hits both in South Korea and internationally. In 2011, Hyolyn also formed a sub-unit with fellow Sistar member, Bora, and they released "Ma Boy." It's one of those LSS-inducing songs that even non-fans are familiar with.
Hyolyn made her solo debut in November 2013 with the album, Love And Hate. It has two title tracks, "One Way Love" which won first place in several music shows, and "Lonely" which also reached the Top 5 of different music charts.
And though Hyolyn is the only solo act in the lineup, her stage presence and talent fill up the stage. She is no doubt a strong contender for the top spot of Queendom 2.
3. LOONA
The group with the most number of members participating in Queendom 2, LOONA is a twelve-member group formed through a special pre-debut project where one member is revealed as the "Girl Of The Month." The revealed members would then release EPs and singles together through sub-units. This project went on for over a year until all the official members of LOONA were announced consisting of Hee Jin, Hyun Jin, Ha Seul, Yeo Jin, Vi Vi, Kim Lip, Jin Soul, Choerry, Yves, Chuu, Go Won, and Olivia Hye. The group officially debuted in August 2018 with their EP, [+ +] (read as plus plus).
As of 2022, LOONA has four EPs, 10 singles, 13 single albums, and 19 promotional singles under their belt. They also made their Japanese debut in September 2021 with a double A-side single, "Hula Hoop / Star Seed." LOONA also released an English song, "Star," as a gift to their global fans.
Unfortunately, LOONA had a rough start on Queendom 2 when the group couldn't join the first performances due to COVID-19. However, they were given the chance to still show the "PTT (Paint the Town)" stage they prepared so hard for. We see them bouncing back on their second stage, covering Hyolyn's "Shake It" and giving it a dose of their own color.
4. WJSN (also known as Cosmic Girls)
With eight to 10 members participating in Queendom 2, WJSN is actually a South Korean-Chinese girl group with initially twelve members. In December 2015, ahead of their official debut, the sub-units of WJSN were announced: Wonder Unit, Joy Unit, Sweet Unit and Natural Unit. WJSN then officially debuted in February 2016 with their mini album "Would You Like?" including double title tracks, "Mo Mo Mo" and "Catch Me." In July 2016, another member was added to the group, making them officially thirteen members. They then released their second mini album, "The Secret," the following month with complete members.
WJSN has won several awards over the years like Rising Star Award and New Wave Award at the Asia Artist Awards, M2 Hot Star Award at the Genie Music Awards, New Artist Award at the Korean Entertainment Arts Award, and New K-wave Music Icon Award at the Soribada Best K-Music Awards to name a few.
Their song, "As You Wish," from their seventh mini album of the same name, won no. 1 in several music shows, making it the perfect choice for the group’s signature song stage in Queendom 2.
For their cover stage performance, WJSN did their own darker and more intense version of GFRIEND's "Navillera." Check it out here:
5. Brave Girls
Known as the queens of climbing back up the charts, Brave Girls debuted in April 2011 with the original five-member lineup. The current members, Min Young, Yu Jeong, Eun Ji, and Yu Na, joined in 2016 to form a seven-member lineup but eventually some of the other members left the group.
In February 2021, a performance video compilation of "Rollin'" became viral on YouTube causing the song to rise back up the charts despite being released almost four years before. This is considered a rare occurrence in the Korean music industry and the Brave Girls members shared that they were actually on the brink of disbandment when "Rollin'" had its newfound success. The song became so popular that the group repromoted the song in music shows and Brave Girls went on to win their first music show win on Inkigayo.
Queendom 2 might just be the group's next challenge in achieving their dreams. It's their chance to show the world that they have the talent and potential to be a group you'll have your eye on. They're not afraid to show their experimental side. Instead of going with "Rollin'" for their signature song, they decided to mix it up with another song, "Chi Mat Ba Ram."
6. VIVIZ
The group with a unique story, VIVIZ debuted in February 2022 so technically they are the youngest team in the Queendom 2 lineup. But not quite: The VIVIZ members are formerly from the super successful girl group, GFRIEND, who debuted in January 2015 with their EP, Season Of Glass. While the group experienced recognition upon their debut, they shot to fame because of their viral "Me Gustas Tu" fan cam where the members were seen working hard to continue their performance despite the stage being dangerously slippery. The group went on to be one of South Korea's most loved girl groups known for their knifelike choreography and sweet image. GFRIEND disbanded in May 2021 which left the whole K-pop community in shocked disbelief.
Members Um Ji, SinB, and Eunha then signed under BPM Entertainment to reunite as VIVIZ. They released their first EP, "Beam Of Prism" with the title track "Bop Bop!" which gave them their first music show win on Show Champion only a few days since their debut.
In Queendom 2, VIVIZ made a tribute to their GFriend days by picking "Time For The Moon Night" and "Rough" for their signature song stage. VIVIZ is definitely ready to show the world that they are "senior rookies" who will rise again.
All the contestants have interesting back stories and unique qualities which will surely translate to their stage performances. We can't wait to watch each one until the very end. Who are you rooting for? Which artist/s do you want to win in Queendom 2?
Fun fact: Girls Generation's leader and successful solo artist Kim Taeyeon is the main host of this season along with entertainer Lee Yong Jin as the ~queen manager.~
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