Korean pop stars have captured hearts across the globe. Well over a hundred so-called ¡°idol¡± groups are active as of 2021. One of them, LOONA has become the first girl band appointed by KOCIS as promotional ambassador.

Noteworthy Debut

Since their debut, LOONA has captured the attention of many. Whereas a typical ¡°idol¡± group would debut through an album release, LOONA introduced each member on a monthly basis with individual single albums, hence the band¡¯s catchphrase, ¡°Get to know a girl each month.¡± Starting with HeeJin, for September 2016, the group¡¯s debut project wrapped up by presenting its last debuting member Olivia Hye in March 2018.

The project was tremendous by all means. Requiring KRW 9.9 billion in investment, the project involved the production of 34 albums, 48 digitals and 29 music videos. It was pricey, but by all accounts, it reaped results just as great. The group¡¯s official YouTube channel recorded over 100 million views; the debut album of its sub-group ¡°yyxy¡± entitled ¡°Beauty&thebeat¡± even made the Billboard World Album charts, ranking fourth to leave an unprecedented mark.

After the release of its last member¡¯s debut album in 2018, LOONA proceeded with sub-group activities until later that year. On August 19, 2018, all 12 of its members took to the stage together, the first such concert entitled ¡°LOONAbirth.¡± The occasion marked the beginning of its official foray into activities as a complete group.

Irreplaceable Presence:
Welcome to the LOONAverse

Another of LOONA¡¯s strengths is the unique realm it has carved out for itself. ¡±Idol¡± groups have been quick to establish a branded ¡°universe¡± unique to the group and its identity. Not unlike its predecessors, LOONA also boasts a carefully crafted, intricately built universe dubbed the ¡°LOONAverse.¡± Not only does each member harbor her own brand identity, but every character also turns out to be in symbiosis with three others — hence, the three four-member units. The units are divided into the earthly ¡°1/3,¡± heavenly ¡°yyxy¡± and the in-betweeners named ¡°ODD EYE CIRCLE.¡± They coalesce into an entirety dubbed ¡°LOONAverse,¡± interwoven with corresponding elements that fit together towards the overarching narrative that defines their ¡°story.¡±

LOONA members bond harmoniously in addition to being strong individual performers.
©BlockBerryCreative

Expanding Quickly & Constantly

Since reaching the top 5 of Billboard¡¯s World Album rankings before the group¡¯s official debut, LOONA has since topped the Billboard World Digital Song Sales Chart, the iTunes album charts in 56 nations and the U. S. A. iTunes Single album charts. It was the first K-pop girl group to do so, and its song ¡°Star¡± from the album ¡°[12:00]¡± (an October 2020 release) stayed on the North American Radio charts¡¯ top 40 for nine consecutive weeks, earning accolades from overseas music commentators.

LOONA sparked particular interest in Europe, sweeping countries like Italy. Every group member is specially beloved for her unique appearance and authentic tone of voice. Every single member harnesses more performance and all-around K-pop skills to be considered a ¡°main¡± rather than a ¡°sub¡± member. With their discography flaunting the charms of each member, LOONA is sure to impress with each and every performance filled with eclectic sounds and choreography.

LOONA was officially and ceremonially appointed as promotional ambassadors for KOCIS on May 20. The commemorative performance marking the occasion also symbolized the mutual determination to foster intercultural exchanges to bring hope to citizens of the pandemic-wrought world in any — and every — way we can.

Unlike idol groups¡¯ typical
debuts, LOONA¡¯s left an impression.