Yuju (singer)

Choi Yu-na (Korean: 최유나; born October 4, 1997),[1] better known by her stage name Yuju (Korean: 유주), is a South Korean singer. She participated in various singing competitions and signed with Source Music in 2014. She is best known for being a former member of the South Korean girl group GFriend.

In this Korean name, the family name is Choi.

Yuju
Yuju in November 2019
Born
Choi Yu-na

(1997-10-04) October 4, 1997
Deogyang-gu, Goyang, South Korea
Alma materSungshin Women's University
OccupationSinger
Years active2015–present
Musical career
GenresK-pop
InstrumentsVocals
Labels
Associated actsGFriend
Korean name
Hangul
Hanja
Revised RomanizationChoi Yu-na
McCune–ReischauerCh'oe Yuna
Stage name
Hangul
Hanja
Revised RomanizationYuju
McCune–ReischauerYu-chu
Signature

Yuju is the first Korean female idol to be declared as the winner on Fantastic Duo 2.

Career

2011–2021: Pre-debut and career with GFriend

In 2011, she competed in the first season of K-pop Star, where she was eliminated in the first round.[2]

In January 2015, Yuju made her debut as a member of GFriend[3] with the song "Glass Bead". A few months later the group released their second single, named "Me Gustas Tu". During the promotions of the song, while performing on a slippery stage, GFriend members fell on the stage eight times, gaining international attention. The group was praised for their professionalism, especially Yuju, who suffered a twisted finger during the performance.[4][5][6][7] Their next song, "Rough", won 15 times on music show programs.

Yuju sang "Spring Is Gone by Chance" for the South Korean television drama The Girl Who Sees Smells with Loco. The song won "OST Chart First Place" ten weeks in a row on Music Bank and "Best OST" at the 2015 Melon Music Awards.[8] An acoustic version of the song was also released. The soundtrack has already achieved 100M+ Digital Index and 2.5M+ Downloads on Gaon, making it the one of the several OSTs whose given a Streaming and Downloads Certifications on the platform.[9]

Yuju recorded "Billy & The Brave Guys", for the soundtrack of the animated movie Chicken Hero, which was released on February 18, 2016.[10] In March 2016, she collaborated with Sunyoul of UP10TION for a song called "Cherish".[11]

In October 2017, she collaborated with Jihoo of IZ for a song titled "Heart Signal".[12]

She also appeared on South Korean Television Show "SBS' Fantastic Duo" (Season 2) Ep. 27-28 and declared as the Final Winner of the episode, along with Wheesung performing their winning piece "The Heartbreaking Story". She is the first and only Kpop Female Idol to win on the said television show, competing among 5 Contentants whose picked over 8 potential nominees on Everysing app. The duo won $10,000 (Ten Thousand Dollars) as a prize.[13]

In June 2018, she released a digital single entitled "Love Rain" featuring Suran.[14]

On May 4, 2021, she became the host and protagonist of "Yuju is Halli Queen", as the defending champion in Halli Galli; her gaming name is Hallelujah.[15]

On May 5, 2021, Yuju served as MC for KBS "Korean Children's Song Contest".[16]

2021–present: New agency and solo debut with Rec.

On September 1, 2021, Yuju signed an exclusive contract with Konnect Entertainment, following GFriend's disbandment and departure from Source Music.[17]

Yuju debuted as a soloist on January 18, 2022, with the extended play Rec. and its lead single "Play" (놀이).[18] This is her first solo release under Konnect Entertainment and after GFriend's disbandment.

Discography
See also: GFriend discography

Extended plays
List of extended plays, showing selected details, selected chart positions, and sales figures
Title Details Peak chart
positions		 Sales
KOR
[19]
Rec. 15

Singles
List of singles, showing year released, selected chart positions, sales figures, and name of the album
Title Year Peak chart positions Sales
(DL)		 Album
KOR
Gaon
[21]
As a lead artist
"I Love You" (난 널 사랑해) 2015 — N/A King of Mask Singer Vol. 16
"Love Rain"
(feat. Suran)		 2018 —[upper-alpha 1] Non-album single
"Play" (놀이) 2022 —[upper-alpha 2] Rec.
Collaborations
"Without a Heart" (심장이 없어)
(with The Name)		 2015 — N/A King of Mask Singer Vol. 17
"Cherish" (보일 듯 말 듯)
(with Sunyoul)		 2016 31 Non-album singles
"Heart Signal" (하트시그널)
(with Jihoo)		 2017 —[upper-alpha 3] N/A
"First Love" (첫사랑)
(with Jung Key)		 38 CHERISH
"So Silly" (눈치 없긴)
(with San E)		 2021 — N/A Non-album single
"—" denotes releases that did not chart.

Soundtrack appearances
List of soundtrack appearances, showing year released, selected chart positions, sales figures, and name of the album
Title Year Peak chart positions Sales
(DL)		 Album
KOR
Gaon
[27]
"Spring Is Gone by Chance" (우연히 봄)
(with Loco)		 2015 5 The Girl Who Sees Smells OST Part 2
"Spring Is Gone by Chance" (우연히 봄) (Acoustic Ver.)
(with Loco)		 —
"Just This Song" (이 노래만) 2018 — N/A Let's Eat 3 OST Part 3
"Snowflake Love" (눈꽃사랑) —[upper-alpha 4] My Strange Hero OST Part 5
"This Way That Way" (이랬다 저랬다) 2020 — Yoobyeolna! Chef Moon OST Part 1
"First Day" —[upper-alpha 5] Was It Love? OST Part 3
"Secret"
(feat. ISHXRK)		 —[upper-alpha 6] Alice OST Part 1
"I'm in the Mood for Dancing" —[upper-alpha 7] True Beauty OST Part 2
"Falling" 2021 —[upper-alpha 8] Run On OST Part 10
"Comfort" (위로) — Bossam: Steal the Fate OST Part 11
"Comfort" (위로) (String Ver.) —[upper-alpha 9]
"Stay (Prod. by Jinyoung)" (남아있어 (Prod. by 진영))[36] — Police University OST Part 5
"—" denotes releases that did not chart.

Composition credits

All song credits are adapted from the Korea Music Copyright Association's database unless stated otherwise.[37]

List of songs, showing year released, artist name, name of the album, and credited roles
Title Year Artist Album Composer Lyricist
"Hope" 2019 GFriend Fever Season
"Apple" 2020 回:Song of the Sirens
"Eye of the Storm"
"Tarot Cards"
"Mago" 回:Walpurgis Night
"Night Drive"
"Bad Blood" (Intro) 2022 Yuju Rec.
"Play"
"Cold Winter"
"The Killa"
"Blue Nostalgia"

Awards and nominations
See also: List of awards and nominations received by GFriend
Name of the award ceremony, year presented, category, nominee of the award, and the result of the nomination
Award ceremony Year Category Nominee / Work Result Ref.
Melon Music Awards 2015 Best OST Award Yuju (with Loco)
"Spring Is Gone by Chance"		 Won [38]

Notes
  1. "Love Rain" did not enter Gaon Digital Chart, but peaked at position 55 on component Download Chart.[22]
  2. "Play" did not enter Gaon Digital Chart, but debuted and peaked at position 19 on component Download Chart.[23]
  3. "Heart Signal" did not enter Gaon Digital Chart, but peaked at position 63 on component BGM Chart.[25]
  4. "Snowflake Love" didn't enter Gaon Digital Chart, but peaked at position 58 on component BGM Chart.[30]
  5. "First Day" didn't enter Gaon Digital Chart, but peaked at position 42 on component BGM Chart.[31]
  6. "Secret" didn't enter Gaon Digital Chart, but peaked at position 81 on component BGM Chart.[32]
  7. "I'm In the Mood for Dancing" didn't enter Gaon Digital Chart, but peaked at position 39 on component BGM Chart.[33]
  8. "Falling" didn't enter Gaon Digital Chart, but peaked at position 43 on component Download Chart.[34]
  9. "Comfort" didn't enter Gaon Digital Chart, but peaked at position 90 on component BGM Chart.[35]

References
  1. Choi Jin-shil (February 14, 2015). "여.친.소① 여자친구를 소개합니다". TenAsia (in Korean). Archived from the original on February 17, 2015. Retrieved July 4, 2016.
  2. "아이유에 이어 유주까지…인재 놓치는 박진영" 여자친구 유주 못 알아봤다" (in Korean). news.kmib.co.kr. September 15, 2015. Archived from the original on December 27, 2020. Retrieved February 11, 2016.
  3. "New Rookie Group GFriend Makes Debut with ′Glass Bead′ MV". Mwave. January 15, 2015. Archived from the original on January 5, 2017. Retrieved January 15, 2015.
  4. "This Video of a K-Pop Singer Falling 8 Times in 1 Song Will Inspire You to Keep Going No Matter What". Time. September 7, 2015. Archived from the original on September 17, 2015. Retrieved September 7, 2015.
  5. "Domino dancing: K-pop group Gfriend come a cropper on slippery stage (VIDEO)". Malaymail Online. September 7, 2015. Archived from the original on September 17, 2015. Retrieved September 7, 2015.
  6. "K-pop: Yuju et SinB du groupe GFriend tombent sur scène" (in French). TVQC. September 7, 2015. Archived from the original on September 17, 2015. Retrieved September 7, 2015.
  7. "여자친구, '오늘부터 우리는' 음원 역주행…꽈당 투혼 덕분?" (in Korean). September 8, 2015. Archived from the original on September 22, 2015. Retrieved February 11, 2016.
  8. "빅뱅, '2015 멜론 뮤직 어워드' 주인공" (in Korean). newsis.com. November 8, 2015. Archived from the original on January 16, 2017. Retrieved January 15, 2017.
  9. "Gaon Download and Streaming Certification– Year 2019". gaonchart.co.kr. Archived from the original on December 27, 2020. Retrieved June 19, 2019.
  10. k-popscene.com Team (February 3, 2016). "Yuju – Billy & The Brave Guys (Chicken Hero OST)". kpopscene.com. Archived from the original on March 10, 2016. Retrieved March 9, 2016.
  11. "여자친구 유주X업텐션 선율, '보일 듯 말듯' 라이브 영상 공개" (in Korean). asiatoday.co.kr. March 12, 2016. Archived from the original on December 27, 2020. Retrieved January 15, 2017.
  12. "여자친구 유주X아이즈 지후, '하트시그널' 오늘(27일) 공개" (in Korean). EDaily. October 27, 2017. Archived from the original on December 27, 2020. Retrieved October 27, 2017.
  13. "'판듀2' 휘성X유주, 박현빈X이기광 누르고 14대 판듀 등극 (종합)" (in Korean). Newsen. Archived from the original on December 27, 2020. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
  14. Jang, Woo-young. "[신곡읽기] 여자친구 유주, 음색여신의 촉촉한 'Love Rain' (ft.수란)" (in Korean). Archived from the original on May 6, 2021. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
  15. ENG [0ROUND] 잠시만요✋ 유주 명언 하나 날리고 시작할게요!! 🍎🍋[유주는할리퀸]🍇🍌]YUJU is Halli QUEEN, archived from the original on May 8, 2021, retrieved May 8, 2021
  16. Son, Bong-seok. "KBS '창작동요대회' 어린이날 방송, 유주·나태주 진행" [KBS'Korean Children's Song Contest ' broadcast on Children's Day, Yuju and Na Taejoo] (in Korean). Archived from the original on May 6, 2021. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
  17. Lee, Min-ji (September 1, 2021). "여자친구 유주, 커넥트와 전속계약…강다니엘 CL 한솥밥(공식)". Newsen (in Korean). Retrieved August 31, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  18. Lee, Jae-hoon (January 3, 2022). 여자친구 유주, 솔로 데뷔…18일 'REC.' 발매 [GFriend Yuju, solo debut...18th 'REC.' Release]. Newsis (in Korean). Retrieved January 3, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  19. Peak chart positions on Gaon Album Chart:
    • "Rec" (in Korean). Korea Music Content Association. January 16–22, 2022. Archived from the original on January 27, 2022. Retrieved January 27, 2022 – via Gaon Chart.
  20. 2022년 01월 Album Chart [January 2022 Album Chart]. Gaon Music Chart (in Korean). Retrieved February 10, 2022.
  21. Peak chart positions on Gaon Digital Chart:
    Collaborations
    • "Cherish". March 24, 2016. Archived from the original on March 22, 2016. Retrieved December 6, 2017.
    • "First Love". December 15, 2017. Archived from the original on December 27, 2020. Retrieved December 15, 2017.
  22. "2018년 26주차 Download Chart". Gaon Chart (in Korean). June 24–30, 2018. Archived from the original on July 2, 2018. Retrieved June 21, 2021.
  23. "2022년 04주차 Download Chart" [Week 4 of 2022 Download Chart] (in Korean). Korea Music Content Association. January 16–22, 2022. Archived from the original on January 27, 2022. Retrieved January 27, 2022 – via Gaon Chart.
  24. Cumulative Sales for "Cherish":
  25. "2017년 43주차 BGM Chart". Gaon Chart (in Korean). October 22–28, 2017. Archived from the original on June 21, 2021. Retrieved June 21, 2021.
  26. Cumulative Sales for "First Love":
  27. Peak chart positions on Gaon Digital Chart:
    Soundtrack appearances
  28. "Gaon Observation Note". Gaon Chart. Korea Music Content Industry Association. Archived from the original on December 27, 2020. Retrieved June 22, 2019.
  29. Cumulative Sales for "Spring Is Gone by Chance (Acoustic Ver.)":
  30. "2018년 52주차 BGM Chart". Gaon Chart (in Korean). December 23–29, 2018. Retrieved June 21, 2021.
  31. "2020년 30주차 BGM Chart". Gaon Chart (in Korean). July 19–25, 2020. Retrieved June 21, 2021.
  32. "2020년 35주차 BGM Chart". Gaon Chart (in Korean). August 23–29, 2020. Archived from the original on October 27, 2020. Retrieved June 21, 2021.
  33. "2020년 51주차 BGM Chart". Gaon Chart (in Korean). December 13–19, 2020. Retrieved June 21, 2021.
  34. "2021년 04주차 Download Chart". Gaon Chart (in Korean). January 17–23, 2021. Archived from the original on June 22, 2021. Retrieved June 21, 2021.
  35. "2021년 23주차 BGM Chart". Gaon Chart (in Korean). May 30 – June 5, 2021. Archived from the original on June 10, 2021. Retrieved June 21, 2021.
  36. "남아있어 (경찰수업 OST Part.5)" [Remaining (Police Class OST Part.5)] (in Korean). Kakao Entertainment. Flex M. August 30, 2021. Retrieved August 30, 2021 – via Melon.
  37. "저작자 저작물 조회 팝업 | 전체검색 | 한국음악저작권협회". www.komca.or.kr. Retrieved February 8, 2022.
  38. "Spring is Gone by Chance by LOCO and YUJU won the Best OST Award on 2015 MelOn Music Awards". MelOn. Archived from the original on December 27, 2020. Retrieved November 6, 2015.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.