The group I.O.I is returning to the music scene to mark their 10th anniversary since debut.
On the 23rd, Swing Entertainment said, "I.O.I (Lim Nayoung, Chung Ha, Kim Se-jeong, Jung Chaeyeon, Kim So-Hye, Yoo Yeon-jung, Choi Yoo-jung, Kim Doyeon, Jeon Somi) has confirmed a comeback in May," and "they are currently preparing a new album." Swing Entertainment will take charge of I.O.I's management and oversee comeback activities through this 10th anniversary project.
This activity, realized about nine years after 2017, is a reunion commemorating I.O.I's 10th debut anniversary and holds special meaning for fans. The members have consistently expressed their willingness to reunite in various interviews and public appearances, and after long discussions they have come together again. However, Kang Mina and Zhou Jieqiong will not participate in this activity due to unavoidable scheduling conflicts, and I.O.I will make their comeback as a nine-member group.
As the members, who have built active careers as solo artists, actors and entertainers in their respective fields, come together as one team again after 10 years since formation, global fans are focusing on the new music I.O.I will present and the upgraded stages. There is also interest in what kind of synergy the members' accumulated experiences and personalities will create in team activities.
I.O.I was a project group formed by public votes through Mnet's Produce 101 in 2016 and debuted in the music industry in May of the same year. Starting with their debut song "Dream Girls," they released a string of hit songs including "Whatta Man," "Very Very Very," and "Sonagi," winning first place on music shows and dominating major music charts, quickly establishing themselves as a representative girl group in the industry.
Based on these achievements, I.O.I proved their singular presence by winning rookie awards at major award shows such as Mnet Asian Music Awards, Golden Disc Awards and Seoul Music Awards. In addition to music activities, they were active on various entertainment programs, cementing their position as the "national girl group," and concluded official activities after their concert in January 2017.
Along with the album release, I.O.I plans to meet global fans directly starting with a Seoul concert and continuing with an Asia tour. They have announced a show of unprecedented scale to quench fans' thirst after nine years, and it is expected to mark a spectacular climax to the 10th anniversary activities.
Meanwhile, detailed schedules and album information about I.O.I's 10th anniversary comeback will be released sequentially at a later date.
[Photo] Provided by each agency
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