UP10TION is a Korean boy band consisting of ten members created by TOP Media in 2015. The name UP10TION is an acronym that stands for Unbelievable Perfect 10 members Teenage Idol Open Now. The members of the group are Jinhoo, Kuhn, Lee Jin-hyuk, Kogyeol, Bitto, Sunyoul, Wooshin, Gyujin, Xiao and Hwanhee. They debuted in 2015 with the extended play (EP) titled Top Secret.
UP10TION members are popular for making beautiful music and being very easy on the eyes. They quickly rose to prominence, especially with their popularity among teenage girls.
7 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About UP10TION
1. Their big reveal
The group made their debut in 2015 in an unconventional way. The proposed members competed in a show called Masked Rookie King. They wore a mask and showed their abilities in front of a panel of judges. The judges were Chunji from Teen Top, Andy from Shinhwa and Rokhyun and Chanyong from 100%. Those that were selected were asked to take off their mask. They later held a debut showcase in the AX Concert Hall in Seoul.
2. Musical roles of members in the group
One of the reasons why they have been so successful is because they have well-defined roles that have helped each individual to focus on their area of strength and contribute strongly to the whole body of work. Jinhoo is the leader of the group and is a lead vocalist and dancer. Kuhn is a co-leader and is the lead rapper and also a vocalist. Kogyeol is a vocalist while Lee Jin-hyuk is a rapper. Bitto is also a rapper and dancer. Wooshin, Sunyoul, Gyujin, Hwanhee, and Xiao are all very strong vocalists.
3. Songs and mini albums chart status
The group has released a total of 10 extended plays (EP) and one studio album. Their studio album titled Invitation which was released on the 19th of March 2018 peaked at #2 in Korea and #14 in Japan. Their first EP Top Secret peaked at #7 in Korea, Bravo! at #5, Spotlight at #4 in Korea and #5 in Japan. Summer Go! peaked at #3 in Korea. The mini-albums Burst and Stardom peaked at #1 in Korea. Their Special Photo Edition for 2017 and 2018 peaked at #11 and #3 in Korea respectively. Their 2018 and 2019 EPs Laberinto and The Moment of Illusion peaked at #4 and #5 in Korea.
4. Awards and recognitions
Since its debut in 2015, UP10TION has been nominated for numerous prestigious awards. They include one Melon Music Awards nomination for ‘Best New Male Artist’ in 2015 and two Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMA) nominations.
In 2016, they earned a Gaon Chart K-Pop Awards nomination for ‘New Artist of the Year’ and seven Seoul Music Awards nominations between 2016 and 2017. They also earned three Golden Disk Award nominations in 2017 and several other nominations.
The group is yet to win any of the awards they have been nominated for.
5. Age range
The 10 members of the group are around the same age range. They were all born in the 1990s with the oldest born in 1995 and the youngest in 1998.
It’s also ironic that their name refers to them as ‘teenager idol’ when they are all grown past their teenage ages now.
Read Also: 10 Popular K-pop Groups That Disbanded In 2017
6. Wooshin’s mental health issues and hiatus
It’s not uncommon for young people who are thrust into the limelight to experience some sort of difficulties as their career progresses. Being in the limelight and under scrutiny all the time has its advantages and disadvantages. Things that regular people do and get away with becomes blown out of proportion. This is exactly what happened to Wooshin. He was the first member of the group and his talents are undeniable. In 2016, he was accused of inappropriately touching Jeon So-mi who was his “The Show” co-host around her chest area during a video. Despite official statements by both parties and their agencies that it was untrue, he continued to experience backlash which caused him mental stress. The other 9 members continued to carry on their activities and even released their 6th mini album without him. After over a year-long hiatus, he came back in time for their first full album. He was also a contestant on Produce X 101 and came out second becoming a member of X1.
7. Tours and concerts
Since their career began, the group has headlined several concerts and tours. Some of them include; Japan ZEPP TOUR 2017 ID, UP10TION Christmas Concert 2017- Light UP! In JAPAN, UP10TION US Meet & Live Tour – Candyland, PTA 2018 SUMMER TOUCH <Show! 10TION>, UP10TION Europe Tour 2018 and the 2019 Laberinto Tour in North America.
