Chocolat (group)
| Company type | Girl group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 2011 |
| Founder | Paramount Music |
| Defunct | 2017 |
| Fate | Disbanded after contract expiration |
| Headquarters | South Korea , South Korea |
Area served | South Korea |
Key people | Jaeyoon, Min Soa, Juliane, Tia, Melanie, Lori (temporary member) |
| Products | Music (K-pop) |
| Owner | Paramount Music |
Number of employees | 5 (members) (2011–2017) |
| Parent | Paramount Music |
Chocolat (), presented as ChoColat, was a South Korean girl group formed by Paramount Music in 2011. The group's name symbolized the idea that each member embodied a unique type of chocolate. To avoid confusion with an existing group called "Chocolate," the company opted for the French spelling chocolat. The ensemble consisted of five members: Jaeyoon, Min Soa, Juliane, Tia, and Melanie. After minimal activities post-2013, Melanie announced in 2017 that their contracts had expired, marking the group's disbandment.
2011: Debut and I Like It
Chocolat made their debut on August 2, 2011, distinguishing themselves as South Korea’s first mixed-ethnicity girl group under Paramount Music. Their sound fused electronic club beats with stylistic elements reminiscent of groups such as 2NE1. The lead single "I Like It" was selected late in the production process to better align with their concept.
Their initial digital single "Syndrome" dropped on August 17, 2011, preceded by its music video. Promotional activities commenced on Mnet's M! Countdown and extended across prominent music programs. The track reached number 68 on the Gaon Weekly Digital Singles Chart and was crafted by the British songwriting collective DWB. Prior to their official debut, Chocolat made a cameo appearance in the film Mr. Idol, portraying South Korea’s top musical act.
In December 2011, they released their debut extended play (EP), which included "I Like It," penned by the creators behind Girls' Generation's "Genie," alongside other compositions by DWB. Member Jaeyoon was absent from promotional events due to health issues. The EP attained number 63 on the Gaon Weekly Albums Chart, while "I Like It" climbed to number 81 on the digital singles chart.
2012: Endorsements and One More Day
On January 5, Chocolat was unveiled as new ambassadors for NBA Korea. Later that month, on January 21, member Tia shared via Twitter that they planned to spend the Korean New Year holiday rehearsing for their upcoming single "One More Day".[1][2] This track, featured on their I Like It EP, was composed by Korean-American songwriters Jenny Hyun and Jean T. Na; it was originally demoed by Hyun under the title "Same Thing To Her".[3] Their debut stage for "One More Day" aired on KBS's Music Bank on February 3. The music video alongside physical and digital single releases followed on February 9, 2012,[4][5] featuring the title track, B-side "Get Up," and instrumental versions.[4] The video showcases choreography involving chair dancing and narrates a plot where the members capture and punish a deceitful man. The single peaked at number 83 on the Gaon Weekly Digital Singles Chart.[6]
2013: "Black Tinkerbell" and Lori's introduction
On May 29, Chocolat announced plans for a June comeback following reports of them filming a new music video. The group returned as a quartet with former main vocalist Jaeyoon no longer participating. Their new single "Black Tinkerbell" tells the tale of Peter Pan’s fairy companion, Tinkerbell, who remains devoted despite Peter’s affection for Wendy. Composed by Kim Euisung from Bring The Noiz—who drew inspiration from comparisons between the group and fairies—the song took close to two years to compose and an additional six months to finalize. The release also included the B-side track "All Night Long," created by the DWB songwriting team.
On June 5, Chocolat previewed "Black Tinkerbell" on Arirang TV's Afterschool Club. After a hiatus lasting fifteen months, both the single and its music video were released in South Korea on June 11. Their first live performance aired on KBS's Music Show! Champion on June 13, followed by an appearance on Music Bank on June 14. The single reached number 81 on the Gaon charts.
In October 2013, Lori officially became a member of Chocolat as confirmed via Arirang Radio. She had previously appeared as Wendy in the "Black Tinkerbell" music video and was originally slated to debut with the group but postponed due to educational priorities.
2017: Tia's exit and group dissolution
Following a four-year break, Tia formally departed from the ensemble on February 3, 2017. Subsequently, on April 14, Melanie disclosed in an interview that the group's contracts had officially expired in February 2017, emphasizing that this outcome had been expected from the beginning of their formation. She also revealed having minimal communication with Soa and Tia while maintaining a closer relationship with Juliane.
Past members
- Soa () (2011–2017)
- Juliane () (2011–2017)
- Tia () (2011–2017)
- Melanie () (2011–2017)
- Jaeyoon () (2011)
Temporary member
- Lori Thomas () (2013–2014), joined in October 2013
Timeline
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id:a value:rgb(1,0,0) legend:FirstGeneration id:b value:rgb(1,0.5,0) legend:SecondGeneration id:c value:rgb(0,0,1) legend:Trainee
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color:blue width:7 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from bar:Jaeyoon from:start till:08/17/2011 Color:c bar:Melanie from:start till:08/17/2011 Color:c bar:Juliane from:start till:08/17/2011 Color:c bar:Soa from:start till:08/17/2011 Color:c bar:Tia from:start till:08/17/2011 Color:c
bar:Jaeyoon from:08/17/2011 till:12/12/2011 Color:a bar:Melanie from:08/17/2011 till:03/14/2014 Color:a bar:Juliane from:08/17/2011 till:01/01/2015 Color:a bar:Soa from:08/17/2011 till:01/01/2015 Color:a bar:Tia from:08/17/2011 till:02/03/2017 Color:a
bar:Lori from:10/12/2013 till:03/15/2014 Color:b
</timeline>
Extended plays
| Title | Details | Highest chart rankings | Sales figures |
|---|---|---|---|
| KOR | |||
| I Like It |
|
22 |
|
Digital singles
| Year | Title | Highest chart rankings | Sales (Digital downloads) |
Album name | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KOR Gaon | |||||||||||||
| 2011 | "Syndrome" | 68 | 184,335+ | ChoColat First Single Album | |||||||||
| "I Like It" | 81 | 156,260+ | I Like It, The First Mini-Album | ||||||||||
| 2012 | "One More Day" | 83 | 113,873+ | ||||||||||
| 2013 | "Black Tinkerbell" | 81 | 50,350+ | Third Single Album | |||||||||
| "—" indicates releases that did not chart or were unavailable in that region. | |||||||||||||
Videography
| Year | Music Video | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | "Syndrome" | 3:35 |
| 2012 | "One More Day" | 3:40 |
| 2013 | "Black Tinkerbell" | 3:30 |
Filmography
- 2011: Appeared in "Mr 아이돌 (Idol)" (cameo role)
Awards and nominations
| Year | Ceremony | Category | Work Recognized | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Seoul Success Awards | Rookie of the Year | Chocolat | Won |
| 2011 | MTV Korea Best Of the Best | Hot Debut Star | Chocolat | Nominated |
External links
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