The Wonder Girls (Korean: 원더걸스) is a South Korean girl group. Their producer and manager is singer-songwriter Park Jin-Young and the Wonder Girls are signed to his talent agency, JYP Entertainment. Each of the five original members were selected through auditions. Debuting in early 2007, they became popular in the fall of that year with the song "Tell Me." They have scored four consecutive #1 hit singles: "Tell Me", "So Hot", "Nobody" and "2 Different Tears". In 2008, they won two Daesangs ("Artist of the Year" Awards).
The group began their entry into the American market in 2009, with the English version of their hit single "Nobody".
They are co-managed in the United States by JYP Entertainment and Jonas Group.
2007–2008: Debut, The Wonder Begins, and The Wonder Years
As a group, the Wonder Girls were introduced through the program called MTV Wonder Girls which was filmed and directed by MTV. The first four episodes outlined the characteristics and profiles of each member and showcased their schedules for the day. Shortly after selecting Yeeun as the fifth member, the Wonder Girls had their first showcase in the MTV Studio. For the showcase, they performed a cover of "Don't Cha" by the Pussycat Dolls as well as their own songs, including "Irony" and "미안한 마음" ("It's Not Love"). Sunye performed a solo act by singing her cover of Destiny's Child's "Stand Up for Love", while Hyuna performed solo through a showcase of her dancing skills. The other three members — Yeeun, Sunmi and Sohee — performed a cover of Janet Jackson's "Together Again".
The group began their entry into the American market in 2009, with the English version of their hit single "Nobody".
They are co-managed in the United States by JYP Entertainment and Jonas Group.
2007–2008: Debut, The Wonder Begins, and The Wonder Years
As a group, the Wonder Girls were introduced through the program called MTV Wonder Girls which was filmed and directed by MTV. The first four episodes outlined the characteristics and profiles of each member and showcased their schedules for the day. Shortly after selecting Yeeun as the fifth member, the Wonder Girls had their first showcase in the MTV Studio. For the showcase, they performed a cover of "Don't Cha" by the Pussycat Dolls as well as their own songs, including "Irony" and "미안한 마음" ("It's Not Love"). Sunye performed a solo act by singing her cover of Destiny's Child's "Stand Up for Love", while Hyuna performed solo through a showcase of her dancing skills. The other three members — Yeeun, Sunmi and Sohee — performed a cover of Janet Jackson's "Together Again".
The Wonder Girls officially debuted in early 2007 on MBC's 쇼! 음악 중심 ("Show! Music Core"), singing "Irony", the hip-hop single from their debut mini-album, The Wonder Begins. The mini-album sold 11,454 physical copies in 2007. The Wonder Girls official fanclub was established, with the name of "Wonderful". Additionally, the group held several showcases in China after receiving Chinese lessons. Throughout the rest of 2007, however, members of the Wonder Girls were beset by various injuries and health problems. On June 25, Sohee was sidelined for a month after tearing a knee ligament in a fall from a running motorcycle during the filming of her movie, 뜨거운 것이 좋아 ("I Like It Hot"). The remaining four members continued performing until late July, when Hyuna was withdrawn from the group by her parents due to their concern over her problems with chronic gastroenteritis and fainting spells. In the autumn of 2007, Good Entertainment, the talent agency sent their trainee Yubin to JYP Entertainment as a replacement for Hyuna. She made her debut three days later in the group's live performance of "Tell Me" on Music Bank.
Their first full-length album, The Wonder Years, was released the following week with "Tell Me". Due to the last-minute addition of Yubin, the album version does not contain her part. However, the performance version of the song was reworked to include a bridge with rapping by Yubin. The single was a hit and reached number one on various Korean television and internet music charts, including KBS's Music Bank.[citation needed] The choreography for the song was simple and widely imitated: by October, many fan performances of the dance circulated on video sharing sites such as YouTube and Daum, including one by a group of policemen who were eventually profiled on SBS's Star King. The dance's popularity was immense and the explosive attention it received became widely known as the "Tell Me Virus", earning the group the title of 'Korea's Little Sisters'.[citation needed] Videos of the dance came from fans the Philippines and as far away as France, and the song also earned the Number One spot in Thailand. And I love them :)
The Wonder Girls had an extensive promotional schedule for their album and in late 2007 they began performing their second single, "이 바보" ("This Fool"). They made numerous appearances on variety and game shows, sang live on radio shows, at music festivals, on music programs, and in special joint performances with other groups such as Big Bang and Girls' Generation. MTV has also aired four seasons of The Wonder Life, a reality TV series starring the girls. The Wonder Girls returned to Korea in spring of 2008. In May, a picture of each member was released over a period of five days, starting with Yeeun and ending with Sohee. A preview track from the upcoming single was then released. There were rumours that past member Hyuna would be returning to the group; JYP Entertainment however confirmed the story was untrue. Their new single, "So Hot", was released on May 22, 2008; the song topped online charts soon after. They then performed in mid-2008 on MBC's Show! Music Core, performing "So Hot" and "This Time". The full single was released soon after containing the title track, the rap version of "Tell Me", "This Time", and "You're Out". Due to a vocal cord injury, Yubin temporarily lip-synched her parts under doctor's orders.
Their first full-length album, The Wonder Years, was released the following week with "Tell Me". Due to the last-minute addition of Yubin, the album version does not contain her part. However, the performance version of the song was reworked to include a bridge with rapping by Yubin. The single was a hit and reached number one on various Korean television and internet music charts, including KBS's Music Bank.[citation needed] The choreography for the song was simple and widely imitated: by October, many fan performances of the dance circulated on video sharing sites such as YouTube and Daum, including one by a group of policemen who were eventually profiled on SBS's Star King. The dance's popularity was immense and the explosive attention it received became widely known as the "Tell Me Virus", earning the group the title of 'Korea's Little Sisters'.[citation needed] Videos of the dance came from fans the Philippines and as far away as France, and the song also earned the Number One spot in Thailand. And I love them :)
The Wonder Girls had an extensive promotional schedule for their album and in late 2007 they began performing their second single, "이 바보" ("This Fool"). They made numerous appearances on variety and game shows, sang live on radio shows, at music festivals, on music programs, and in special joint performances with other groups such as Big Bang and Girls' Generation. MTV has also aired four seasons of The Wonder Life, a reality TV series starring the girls. The Wonder Girls returned to Korea in spring of 2008. In May, a picture of each member was released over a period of five days, starting with Yeeun and ending with Sohee. A preview track from the upcoming single was then released. There were rumours that past member Hyuna would be returning to the group; JYP Entertainment however confirmed the story was untrue. Their new single, "So Hot", was released on May 22, 2008; the song topped online charts soon after. They then performed in mid-2008 on MBC's Show! Music Core, performing "So Hot" and "This Time". The full single was released soon after containing the title track, the rap version of "Tell Me", "This Time", and "You're Out". Due to a vocal cord injury, Yubin temporarily lip-synched her parts under doctor's orders.
After a very brief hiatus, the Wonder Girls made a comeback in early fall of 2008. The full music video for "Nobody" was revealed, and the single was digitally released simultaneously. They performed the following weekend on Show! Music Core, Music Bank, and Inkigayo. The song went to #1 on KBS' Music Bank, staying there for four consecutive weeks, and also won Cyworld's "Song of the Month" award in September and October 2008. Like "Tell Me", "Nobody" also sparked a dance craze.
At the 2008 MNet KM Music Festival Awards, the Wonder Girls took home three awards, including the highly-desired "Song of the Year" award, as well as "Best Music Video" for "Nobody", and "Best Female Group". The group also won an award at the 2008 Golden Disk Awards a month later for high digital sales. At the 18th Seoul Music Awards, the Wonder Girls won the Daesang ("Artist of the Year" award), the highest award offered, for "Nobody", along with two other awards.
In February 2008, the Wonder Girls joined their producer Park Jin-young for his month-long concert tour through Korea and the United States (including New York City and Los Angeles) as special guests, and took the opportunity to film the music video for "Wishing on a Star" while in New York City. Park had stated that the concerts were also meant to be a showcase for his other protégés, such as Min, G-Soul, and Lim Jeong Hee. They were also selected as a top girl group by Virgin Media, which put them amidst the popular girl groups Pussycat Dolls, Girls Aloud, and Danity Kane. By the end of 2008, the Wonder Girls had earned ₩12 billion (equivalent to $9 million US) as a group.
At the 2008 MNet KM Music Festival Awards, the Wonder Girls took home three awards, including the highly-desired "Song of the Year" award, as well as "Best Music Video" for "Nobody", and "Best Female Group". The group also won an award at the 2008 Golden Disk Awards a month later for high digital sales. At the 18th Seoul Music Awards, the Wonder Girls won the Daesang ("Artist of the Year" award), the highest award offered, for "Nobody", along with two other awards.
In February 2008, the Wonder Girls joined their producer Park Jin-young for his month-long concert tour through Korea and the United States (including New York City and Los Angeles) as special guests, and took the opportunity to film the music video for "Wishing on a Star" while in New York City. Park had stated that the concerts were also meant to be a showcase for his other protégés, such as Min, G-Soul, and Lim Jeong Hee. They were also selected as a top girl group by Virgin Media, which put them amidst the popular girl groups Pussycat Dolls, Girls Aloud, and Danity Kane. By the end of 2008, the Wonder Girls had earned ₩12 billion (equivalent to $9 million US) as a group.
The Wonder Girls tour started on February 28, 2009 in Bangkok, Thailand. The Wonder Girls, along with mentor JYP, then held concerts in the United States, visiting Los Angeles on March 5, La Mirada on March 6, and New York City on March 8. They also performed for a small crowd at MTV Iggy on March 10. The group then returned to South Korea, holding concerts in late March in Seoul and Busan. This tour was documented in the M.net reality show Welcome to Wonderland.
After the end of the tour, the Wonder Girls debuted a music video for "Now", a cover of Fin.K.L's single from their third album. They also created a commercial for LG, with a version featuring only the dance was released online on April 9, 2009. The Wonder Girls also started their official MySpace Music account. The page confirmed that the group would launch in the United States with the official release of an English version of "Nobody" in the summer of 2009.
In June 2009, JYP Entertainment announced that the Wonder Girls would be joining the Jonas Brothers on the North American leg of the Jonas Brothers World Tour 2009. The company also announced that "Nobody" would be the first English single, followed by "Tell Me", and that an English album would be forthcoming. It was later revealed that in order to concentrate on their American debut, both So-hee and Sun-mi dropped out of high school.
The Wonder Girls released an English version of their single "Nobody" on June 26, 2009, just one day before the start of their tour with the Jonas Brothers. The Wonder Girls were initially signed on for 13 concert dates across the US, but they were eventually given the opportunity to join the Jonas Brothers for a total of 45 concert dates. "Nobody" eventually made a debut on the Billboard Hot 100 in October 2009, making the group the first Korean group to ever enter the chart. The song also went on to top the Taiwan and Hong Kong music chart.
2010: Line-up changes, International tour, and Television Series
After the end of the tour, the Wonder Girls debuted a music video for "Now", a cover of Fin.K.L's single from their third album. They also created a commercial for LG, with a version featuring only the dance was released online on April 9, 2009. The Wonder Girls also started their official MySpace Music account. The page confirmed that the group would launch in the United States with the official release of an English version of "Nobody" in the summer of 2009.
In June 2009, JYP Entertainment announced that the Wonder Girls would be joining the Jonas Brothers on the North American leg of the Jonas Brothers World Tour 2009. The company also announced that "Nobody" would be the first English single, followed by "Tell Me", and that an English album would be forthcoming. It was later revealed that in order to concentrate on their American debut, both So-hee and Sun-mi dropped out of high school.
The Wonder Girls released an English version of their single "Nobody" on June 26, 2009, just one day before the start of their tour with the Jonas Brothers. The Wonder Girls were initially signed on for 13 concert dates across the US, but they were eventually given the opportunity to join the Jonas Brothers for a total of 45 concert dates. "Nobody" eventually made a debut on the Billboard Hot 100 in October 2009, making the group the first Korean group to ever enter the chart. The song also went on to top the Taiwan and Hong Kong music chart.
2010: Line-up changes, International tour, and Television Series
On January 22, 2010, it was announced that Sunmi would be postponing her musical career to pursue an academic career and that Hyerim (Lim), a JYP trainee, would take her place.[35][36] Sunmi continued as a member of the Wonder Girls through the month of February in order to complete scheduled events.
The Wonder Girls had been preparing their debut English album, with half (six tracks) to consist of English versions of Korean singles and the other half of brand new material, initially scheduled for release in February 2010. They were also planning to have a headlining tour in January 2010; however, due to the departure of Sunmi, plans for both the tour and the album were delayed.
Due to the popularity of the group in Asia and worldwide, the electronics brand Sony Ericsson chose the girls to be the ambassadors of Sony Ericsson in the Asia Pacific Region which will see promotional activities in South Korea, China, Japan, Singapore, Indonesia, Taiwan as well as Australia and New Zealand. After the announcement, the girls flew to Singapore where they held a press meeting performing their songs "So Hot", "Tell Me" and "Nobody".
The Wonder Girls had been preparing their debut English album, with half (six tracks) to consist of English versions of Korean singles and the other half of brand new material, initially scheduled for release in February 2010. They were also planning to have a headlining tour in January 2010; however, due to the departure of Sunmi, plans for both the tour and the album were delayed.
Due to the popularity of the group in Asia and worldwide, the electronics brand Sony Ericsson chose the girls to be the ambassadors of Sony Ericsson in the Asia Pacific Region which will see promotional activities in South Korea, China, Japan, Singapore, Indonesia, Taiwan as well as Australia and New Zealand. After the announcement, the girls flew to Singapore where they held a press meeting performing their songs "So Hot", "Tell Me" and "Nobody".
