[CELEB] LOONA's Chuu prepares to showcase her vocals once again

K-pop

Published: 07 Apr. 2022, 13:33 Updated: 18 Apr. 2022, 14:18

[CELEB] LOONA's Chuu prepares to showcase her vocals once again

Chuu of girl group LOONA [BLOCKBERRY CREATIVE]

Mnet's survival show "Queendom 2" aired its first episode last week. In the weeks leading up to the official premiere, contestants have been revealing preview performance videos, raising anticipations on who will be the winner.

The show is the second season of Mnet's hit 2019 show which saw six famous female K-pop acts compete each other by each releasing a song on the same day. The winner who achieves the most chart success is awarded with a solo comeback show on the cable channel.

The lineup for this season is girl group Brave Girls, Viviz, WJSN, LOONA, Kep1er and singer Hyolyn. Between Hyolyn who debuted in 2010 and Kep1er which debuted this January, LOONA is a relatively young group but has been well-established in the K-pop scene. After it showed off a charismatic dance performance in its preview video, fans are expressing excitement that LOONA has a fighting chance of becoming this season’s winner.

LOONA performs in a preview performance video for Mnet's survival show "Queendom 2." [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Before the girl group made its debut as a 12-member team in 2018, it was best known for its unique "debut project." The group's name in Korean translates to "girl of the month," so from October 2016, one member was revealed each month with a solo song. The first four members to be revealed formed a subunit named LOONA 1/3 in 2017, the next three became LOONA Odd Eye Circle the same year and the next four formed LOONA yyxy in 2018.

The three units and a final member united to debut as one through a concert titled "LOONAbirth" in August 2018. LOONA went on to drop hits "Hi High" (2018), "Why Not?" (2020), "PTT (Paint The Town)" (2021) and more.

Member Chuu is especially well-known to the public through her frequent appearances on television shows and advertisements. Chuu was revealed as LOONA’s tenth member in December 2017 with her solo song "Heart Attack” and also belongs to the LOONA yyxy subunit.

Chuu played a lead role in tvN D's 2019 web drama "Dating Class." [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Chuu made her acting debut early on in her career through a lead role in the tvN D web series “Dating Class” (2019). But thanks to her bubbly personality and cheerful image, Chuu has seen more success on entertainment programs, proving to be a popular guest star. She has notably appeared on SBS’s YouTube show “MMTG,” Mnet’s “Running Girls,” MBC’s “Omniscient Interfering View,” “Family Register Mate” and “Hangout with Yoo.”

While active as a television personality, Chuu did not forget to prove herself first and foremost as a singer. In 2020, she starred in MBC’s “King of Masked Singer,” which features celebrities singing in front of an audience with their faces completely covered with elaborately decorated masks — their identities are hidden until the end of their songs. Many K-pop idols have been on the show to prove their vocal talent, free from preconceived notions surrounding them as idol stars and TV entertainers. Chuu impressed viewers with her expressive voice and crystal clear high notes.

Chuu performed on MBC's singing competition "King of Masked Singer" in 2020 with her identity initially hidden. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

She has also demonstrated her vocals in a number of K-drama original soundtracks, including the song “Spring Flower” for KBS’s “Into the Ring” (2020), “Hello” for Dingo Music’s “Convenience Store Fling” (2021) and “Loving U” for KBS’s “Revolutionary Sisters” (2021).

Chuu is also an active YouTuber. She opened her channel “Chuu Protect the Earth” in 2020, uploading content that centers around protecting the environment and introducing people who are active with eco-friendly efforts. The channel’s name was changed to “Chuu Can Do It” in 2021 and now features other topics as well.

LOONA [BLOCKBERRY CREATIVE]

LOONA is set to compete on “Queendom 2” until the show concludes in June. Episodes air every Thursday at 9:20 p.m. and are available for streaming around the world via local OTT (over-the-top) service platforms.

Chuu (Kim Jiwoo)

Date of birth: Oct. 20, 1999
Zodiac sign: Libra
Birthplace: Cheongju, North Chungcheong
Debut: December 2017 as a member of girl group LOONA
Agency: BlockBerry Creative

Chuu debuted in 2017 as a member of girl group LOONA through its unique “debut project” which revealed one member each month. She was revealed as the tenth member and was part of the LOONA yyxy subunit before LOONA’s official debut in 2018. The group is known for hits including "Hi High" (2018), "Why Not?" (2020) and "PTT (Paint The Town)" (2021). Chuu is a popular guest star on television shows and advertisements thanks to her bubbly personality, but she has also proved her talent as vocalist through singing competition shows and K-drama soundtracks. She is also an active YouTuber with a channel named “Chuu Can Do It," which she established in 2020. Chuu along with the other members of LOONA are currently competing on Mnet’s survival show “Queendom 2.”

This information was confirmed by BlockBerry Creative on April 1, 2022.

BY HALEY YANG [yang.hyunjoo@joongang.co.kr]