Who Were The Members of 4Minute and Why Did It Disband?

Who Were The Members of 4Minute and Why Did It Disband?

4Minute was a five-member all-girl Korean pop group that debuted in 2009. They were formed by Cube Entertainment (CE) and for seven years, they thrilled fans with their music, unconventional dance style, and modern feminine image, winning themselves a stream of female fans. The members of 4Minute released several hit singles like “Hot Issue” in 2009, “Muzik” and “What’s your name”.

With 7 mini albums to their portfolio, the 4Minute group went on to win major awards like the Golden Disc Award, Billboard Japan Music Award, and Seoul Music Award. However, their disbandment on June 15, 2016, came as a shock to many although the reasons behind it may have justified the move. To know more about the members of 4Minute and why they disbanded, here are facts we have dug up for your reading pleasure.

Who Were The Members of 4Minute

4Minute consisted of Jihyun, Gayoon, Jiyoon, HyunA, and Sohyun. Here’s a look at their individual profiles:

Jihyun

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Nam Ji-Hyun was 4Minute’s leader, dancer, and vocalist. Born January 9, 1990, Jihyun has a degree in Contemporary Ballet. She’s appeared in the dramas “Love and war 2”, “Grand Prince” among others. She became the group’s leader after just 6 months in training.

Gayoon

Who Were The Members of 4Minute and Why Did It Disband?
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Born Heo Ga-Yoon on May 18, 1990, Gayoon was the group’s lead vocalist. She has appeared in movies and dramas like Drug King and Let’s Eat 2 and attended Dongguk University.

Jiyoon

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Jiyoon was a rapper and vocalist in the group. She was born Jeon Ji Yoon on October 15, 1990. Jiyoon majored in Post Modern Music at the university. Her favorite songs are those sung by Katy Perry.

HyunA

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Kim Hyun Ah was the face of the group, rapper, dancer, and vocalist. She was a member of the group Wonder Girls before signing with CE. She majored in Contemporary Arts and does a lot of solo work. She was born on June 6, 1992.

Sohyun

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Kwon So Hyun attended the same university as Gayoon where she majored in Theatre and Film. She was a member of the girl group “Orange” at age 12. Due to cyberbullying, the group disbanded. Sohyun has a passion for acting. In 4Minute she was a rapper, dancer, and vocalist. Sohyun was born on the 30th of August, 1994.

Why Did They Disband?

The disbandment of 4Minute sparked a wave of speculations owing to the timing, in the middle of the tour. Only HyunA renewed her contract.

Since then, some facts have emerged. CE stated that as the members’ contracts neared expiration, they tried persuading the girls to renew but they decided otherwise and the group had to be dissolved.

On the other hand, it was becoming increasingly obvious that CE was focusing a lot on HyunA’s solo career and promoting her image which was the strongest in the group. When the other four wanted to renew their contracts, no one paid them much attention. Feeling ostracized, they decided to leave and so the group had to be disbanded.

What Are They Doing Now

Jihyun went into acting, signing with the Artist Company. She took her mother’s last name and is now officially Son Ji Hyun. Gayoon is also acting, signing with BS company. In 2018, she left BS Entertainment and is now a free agent with the stage name Jenyer.

Jiyoon signed with JS E&M to launch her solo singing career. Despite success there, she left the agency in 2017 and continues to release singles independently. Sohyun turned to act soon after disbandment. She signed with 935 entertainment but left the agency in 2017 to “The CNT” in February of 2018.

HyunA was the only member to renew her contract with Cube Entertainment. She has released several singles since, going on tours and debuting in the label’s new subunit called “Triple H”. A dating scandal between her and one of the unit’s members surfaced in 2017, however. There was an outcry from Korean fans who are known for not supporting relationships between Kpop groupmates or celebrities. This led Cube Entertainment to send HyunA and her boyfriend E’Dawn out of the group “Triple H” and the label. Although CE recalled her to discuss issues with her, HyunA left the agency in 2018 and in 2019, signed with Psy’s P NATION.

In June 2019, all five members of 4Minute got together through different means to celebrate the group’s 10th anniversary.

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