Sonamoo (Korean: 소나무; lit. Pine Tree; stylized in allcaps)[4] was a South Korean girl group formed by TS Entertainment. Originally a seven-member group, members Sumin and Nahyun left the group in 2019 after they filed a lawsuit to terminate the contracts with their company.[5] They made their debut on December 29, 2014, with the extended play, Deja Vu.[4]
Career
2014–2015: Debut and further mini-album releases
On December 29, 2014, Sonamoo officially debuted with the release of their debut EP Deja Vu and single of the same name, and held their debut showcase performance.[6][7][8] The album debuted at the number one spot on Gaon's weekly Album Chart.[citation needed] On February 25, 2015, they promoted "Just Go" as the second single off of their debut album.[9]
On July 20, 2015, Sonamoo released their second extended play Cushion. The lead single of the same name was co-produced by EastWest and ₩uNo, who is known for being the former member of Speed, Taewoon.[10] Members D.ana and NewSun also contributed to the writing of rap portions for two tracks: "Deep" and "Let's Make A Movie". On September 1, 2015, they followed up their Cushion promotions by promoting "Round N Round" as the second single from the album.[citation needed]
2016–2021: Nahyun & Sumin's lawsuits, TS shutdown and disbandment
On June 29, 2016, the group released their third extended play I Like U Too Much, with the title track of the same name. The album presented a new side of the group with a brighter "girls next door" image compared to their debut concepts which the members themselves called "dark". The group cited they looked up to Girls' Generation for inspiration with this album.[11]
On January 9, 2017, the group released their first single album I Think I Love U. The lead single of the same name is a brighter dance track produced by Shin Hyuk, who has previously worked with SHINee and EXO.[12]
On July 27, TS Entertainment unveiled a teaser image for Sonamoo's Happy Box Project, revealing that the group will be releasing three singles over the course of several months. The first single "Friday Night" was released on August 14. The rap portion of the single is written by NewSun.[13][14][15]
Member Euijin was confirmed to be a contestant on KBS Idol Rebooting Project The Unit, which first aired on October 28, 2017.[16] On November 6, Sonamoo continued their Happy Box Project releasing their single "I (Knew It)". The single is a medium tempo dance track composed by hitmaker e.one, who has previously worked with Wonder Girls.[17]
As of September 23, 2019, both Nahyun and Sumin have filed lawsuits seeking to terminate their contract with TS Entertainment.[18][19]
In January 2021, Sonamoo's label, TS Entertainment, privately shut down and deleted its website, leaving the fate of the group unknown.[20]
On September 9, 2021, Euijin signed a contract with Mellow Entertainment, confirming that she had left TS Entertainment and the group. On September 11, Minjae and NewSun also confirmed that they have left the company. On September 13, D.ana confirmed she had also left the company. In her statement, she mentioned that Sonamoo's activities had come to an end.[3] On December 30, High.D confirmed that she has left the company and the group.[citation needed]
^ abKo, Dong-hwan (31 December 2014). "힙합 신예그룹 '소나무' 걸그룹 평정나서" ['Bad girl' group Sonamoo raises the ante]. The Korea Times (in Korean). Archived from the original on 5 August 2017. Retrieved 8 January 2015.
^Park, Su-jeong (2 August 2017). "'컴백' 소나무, 몽환적 단체 티저..이미지 변신". Herald Pop (in Korean). Archived from the original on 2 August 2017. Retrieved 8 August 2017.
^Deja Vu (photobook). Sonamoo. South Korea: LOEN Entertainment. 2014. Credits.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
Cushion (photobook). Sonamoo. South Korea: LOEN Entertainment. 2015. Credits.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
I Like U Too Much (photobook). Sonamoo. South Korea: LOEN Entertainment. 2015. Credits.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^Kim, Na-hyun (12 December 2016). "Episode 1". The Miracle. Episode 1. Viki. Archived from the original on 19 January 2019. Retrieved 19 January 2019.
^I Think I Love You (photobook). Sonamoo. South Korea: LOEN Entertainment. 2017. Credits.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)