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| Sunye, a former member of Wonder Girls / Courtesy of Blockberry Creative |
By Dong Sun-hwa
From the late 2000s to the early 2010s, three female K-pop acts Wonder Girls, Girls' Generation and KARA enjoyed their heyday, spearheading the second generation of K-pop. Today, they are not as active as they used to be, but the former members of Wonder Girls and KARA are gearing up to return to the stage as solo artists, while all eight members of Girls' Generation are preparing for their reunion as a group.
Ex-Wonder Girls member Sunye is slated to put out her first solo album, "Genuine" on July 26, about 15 years after debuting as the leader of her team in 2007. The JYP Entertainment group took the music scene by storm soon after its debut, thanks to the success of their retro-tinged songs like "Tell Me" (2007), "So Hot" (2008) and "Nobody" (2009), which were all characterized by catchy melodies and easy-to-follow dance movements.
But Sunye, who was reputed for her performing skills, put a hold on her career in 2013 after tying the knot with James Park, a Korean-Canadian missionary. She departed from Wonder Girls two years later, and was mostly out of the public eye until she appeared on tvN's reality show "Mama The Idol" last year.
In the program ― which featured female K-pop stars who had been on hiatus due to pregnancy and child rearing ― Sunye formed a project group named "Mamadol (M.M.D)" with other singers including the former After School member Kahi, and showed that she hadn't lost her edge at all. Numerous viewers, especially mothers on career breaks who could put themselves in the members' shoes, gave the singers unwavering support.
"I had to muster up my greatest courage to take on a new challenge on this show," Sunye said through her agency after the program wrapped up in February. "I feel like I received an underserved gift that I did not expect."
Sunye's upcoming album will carry five tracks including the lead single, "Just A Dancer," according to her new management company Blockberry Creative. The agency added that the singer will unfold her genuine stories in the upcoming release.
"Its lead single, 'Just A Dancer,' is a medium-tempo dance track revealing Sunye's confidence as an artist," it said in a statement. "It will offer four more tunes including, 'Now I Fly' and 'Glass Heart.'"
"Glass Heart" will hit multiple streaming platforms on July 19 ― a week before the release of "Genuine" ― to give a taste of Sunye's music style.
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| Nicole, a former member of KARA / Courtesy of JWK Entertainment |
After bursting on to the music scene in 2007, KARA rose to stardom with the songs like "Mister" (2009) and "Lupin" (2010). "Mister," in particular, became one of its biggest hits, after the live performances featuring the members' "butt dance" went viral.
KARA was highly popular in Japan. It is the first K-pop girl group to play a concert at the Tokyo Dome, the biggest indoor baseball stadium in Japan's capital city that can accommodate more than 40,000 people.
But Nicole quit the act in 2014 and began forging a solo career with her debut solo EP, "First Romance." She also kicked off her solo venture in Japan as well, releasing the studio album, "Bliss" (2016) and numerous other singles.
"Nicole recently wrapped up filming a music video for her new digital single, and is preparing to appear on different music shows in Korea," her record label JWK Entertainment said in a statement. "Her fans will be able to see her mature side through her new release."
There has been a rumor that KARA members will reunite this year to celebrate the group's 15th anniversary of debut, but the group's agency DSP Media revealed that nothing has been finalized and that they are still discussing the issue.
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| K-pop act Girls' Generation / Courtesy of SM Entertainment |
On the other hand, Girls' Generation has already confirmed that all eight members will roll out a new album together in celebration of the 15th anniversary of the group's debut.
According to the team's management company SM Entertainment, a new album by Girls' Generation will arrive in August, about five years after it dropped its sixth full-length album, "Holiday Night." But any further details are being kept under wraps.
Since its debut in 2007, Girls' Generation has been a marquee name in the K-pop universe. The group, famed for its bubbly songs and the versatility of its members, released a series of chart-topping hits such as, "Gee" (2009), "Genie" (2009) and "Lion Heart" (2015). Although some members ― such as Tiffany and Seohyun ― did not renew their contracts with SM, they are still part of their group. All eight members are currently appearing on JTBC's reality show, "Soshi Tamtam."
