Boyfriend (band)
| Company type | Boy band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 2011 |
| Founder | Starship Entertainment |
| Defunct | 2019 (disbanded); reunited 2021 |
| Headquarters | South Korea |
Area served | South Korea, Japan, international |
Key people | Kim Dong-hyun, Shim Hyun-seong, Lee Jeong-min, Jo Young-min, Jo Kwang-min, No Min-woo |
| Parent | Starship Entertainment |
Boyfriend () is a South Korean boy band established by Starship Entertainment in 2011, distinguished as the first male group to include twin members. The group consists of Kim Dong-hyun, Shim Hyun-seong, Lee Jeong-min, Jo Young-min, Jo Kwang-min, and No Min-woo. Their debut occurred on Mnet's M Countdown on May 26, 2011, with the single "Boyfriend".
On May 17, 2019, Starship Entertainment declared the group's disbandment. However, they reunited on April 30, 2021, commemorating their 10th anniversary by releasing the digital track "Ending Credit" on May 26. Later that year, on December 29, they made a comeback under the new name "BF" with the EP Adonis. To celebrate their 11th anniversary, BF released the fan-dedicated song "Canvas" on May 26, 2022.
Pre-debut
Before joining Starship Entertainment, twins Youngmin and Kwangmin trained for two years under JYP Entertainment. By their 100th day as child actors, they had appeared in upwards of 300 commercials. During his high school years, Donghyun gained recognition through the variety program Conduct Zero, which depicted six unruly students transforming into model pupils.
2011: Debut
Boyfriend's debut single "Boyfriend" was launched by Starship Entertainment on May 26, 2011. Initially facing concerns from fans about limited appeal, the group reworked the choreography for "Boyfriend" after two days of practice to enhance their performances on music programs. Their subsequent track "You & I" garnered more favorable reviews.
On October 6, Boyfriend released their second single titled "Don't Touch My Girl". The December 2011 release "I'll Be There" achieved a peak position of #2 on the Gaon music charts.
2012: Love Style, Japanese debut and Janus
Boyfriend entered the Japanese market by signing with management company Being and unveiled their first Japanese special album "We Are Boyfriend" on June 6. Their official Japanese debut took place with a showcase at Nippon Budokan on June 30, which accommodated an audience of 10,000. On May 2, member Hyunseong contributed a solo song called "Only You" to the soundtrack of The King 2 Hearts.
Their debut Japanese single was "Be My Shine." Following this, Boyfriend released their first mini album "Love Style" on June 14. They successfully completed their Japanese debut showcase titled 'First Date with Boyfriend in Japan' at Nippon Budokan on July 1.
The group also produced short music videos for their second Japanese double single tracks "Dance Dance Dance" and "My Lady." Their inaugural full-length album Janus was issued in November 2012.
In December, Boyfriend released videos for the Japanese double single and held high-touch fan events at Kobe World Hall and Saitama Super Arena. They conducted their first solo concert series in Japan called "Love Communication 2012 ~Xmas Bell~," selling out all five performances totaling 12,500 seats at Tokyo Dome City Hall.
KBS Joy premiered a teaser for Boyfriend's participation in season 7 of Hello Baby, which began airing January 4, 2013.
2013: I Yah, On & On, Melody of Eyes, Seventh Mission and Pinky Santa
Boyfriend became the first non-Japanese artist to perform an anime theme song with "Hitomi no Melody," the title track of their third Japanese single album released on March 27. This song served as the ending theme for ‘Detective Conan’, prompting a special edition ‘Detective Conan’ album alongside standard versions. Melody of Eyes remained within Oricon’s top five for six consecutive days and reached number two.
On May 23, Starship Entertainment announced Boyfriend’s comeback with the digital single "On & On", scheduled for release on May 28 to mark their second anniversary. A teaser for the music video was unveiled on May 27 followed by the full release on May 28. On May 30, member Donghyun secured the lead role in the musical "Thousandth Man," which premiered at Shibuya AiiA Theater Tokyo on September 28.
On June 14, Jeongmin was admitted to hospital due to acute appendicitis and took a recovery period lasting seventeen days after discharge. During his absence, Boyfriend maintained promotional activities as a quintet.
On November 20, Boyfriend issued a special Christmas-themed premium single in Japan titled 'Pinky Santa'. The track attained number five on Oricon’s Weekly Single Chart, reinforcing their strong foothold in the Japanese music industry.
2014: Obsession, Witch and Bewitch concert
Boyfriend achieved a milestone by becoming the first K-pop act to hold a solo performance in Puerto Rico, attracting an audience of 1,700 at the 'Centro De Bellas Artes Luis A Ferre' on March 8. They further expanded their footprint in the United States with concerts in Chicago on March 11 and Dallas on March 13.
On March 26, Boyfriend unveiled their fourth Japanese single titled "My Avatar," accompanied by a music video release. By May, they began hinting at new material through selfies and a teaser trailer posted on their official YouTube channel. Their second Korean extended play, Obsession, was launched on June 4, featuring six tracks including the title song "Obsession."
Their sophomore Japanese album, Seventh Color, was introduced on July 23 in three distinct editions aimed at the Japanese audience.
Boyfriend’s comeback commenced on October 9 with the song "Witch" performed on M Countdown. The third Korean EP, Witch, arrived on October 13 and contained six songs, among them the anniversary track "On & On." They concluded the year with their inaugural domestic concert, The First Chapter in Seoul "Bewitch", held at Olympic Hall within Olympic Park on November 23.
2015–2016: Boyfriend in Wonderland, First world tour, and Japanese promotions
In March 2015, Boyfriend released their fourth Korean EP, Boyfriend in Wonderland, led by the single "Bounce." The following month marked the launch of their first global tour titled "The First Chapter: Bewitch," which included stops across Taiwan, Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia, Mexico, Finland, Russia, and France.
May 2016 saw the release of their eleventh Korean digital single "To My Bestfriend", commemorating their fifth anniversary. Later that year in November, they issued their eighth Japanese single "Jackpot", which was their second release under Japan’s Kiss Entertainment.
2017–2019: Summer, Never End, and disbandment
February 2017 featured the release of Boyfriend’s ninth Japanese single "I Miss You." Five months later, they debuted their inaugural Japanese EP titled Summer, led by the track "Summer." In August 2017, Boyfriend introduced their fifth Korean EP Never End, with "Star" as the lead song.
Four members participated in KBS’s idol-rebooting competition show The Unit. Donghyun advanced to the final stages but ultimately placed twelfth.
On May 25, 2018, Boyfriend released "Sunshower," a special track celebrating their seventh anniversary. The composition and lyrics were co-created by Jeongmin alongside Donghyun, Kwangmin, and Minwoo.
Teaser photos shared by Donghyun confirmed a Japanese comeback scheduled for February 27, 2019.
Boyfriend officially disbanded on May 17, 2019.
2021: 10th anniversary and reunion
In honor of their tenth anniversary, Boyfriend reunited and dropped the digital single "Ending Credit" on May 26, 2021.
Later that year on December 29, they rebranded as "BF" and released the EP titled Adonis.
Discography
- Janus (2012)
- Seventh Mission (2013)
- Seventh Color (2014)
- Bouquet (2019)
Members
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award Ceremony | Category | Nominee | Outcome | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 13th Mnet Asian Music Awards | Best New Male Artist | Boyfriend | Template:Nom | |
| SBS MTV Best of the Best | Hot Debut Star | Template:Nom | |||
| SBS MTV Best of the Best | Best New Artist | Template:Won | |||
| 26th Golden Disc Awards | Best New Artist | Template:Won | |||
| 21st Seoul Music Awards | Best Newcomer Award | Template:Won | |||
| 2013 | 27th Japan Gold Disc Awards | Best 3 New Artists (Asia) | Template:Won | ||
| Korean Entertainment 10th Anniversary Award in Japan | Special Jury Prize | Template:Won | |||
| 2013 MTV EMA | Best Korea Act | Template:Nom | |||
| Billboard Japan Music 2013 Awards | Animation Artist of the Year | Template:Nom | |||
| 2015 | 2015 Asia Model Awards | Popularity Singer | Template:Won | ||
| 2015 3rd YinYueTai V-Chart Awards | Korean Artist with the Most Potential | Template:Won | |||
| 2016 | 2016 MTV Asia Music Stage | Trending Male Group | Template:Won |