NeonPunch
| Company type | Girl group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | June 27, 2018 |
| Founder | A100 Entertainment |
| Defunct | August 11, 2020 |
| Headquarters | Seoul , South Korea |
Area served | South Korea |
| Products | Music albums, singles |
| Parent | A100 Entertainment |
NeonPunch () was a South Korean girl group established by A100 Entertainment. The initial members were Dayeon, Terry, Baekah, May, and Iaan, with their debut mini-album Moonlight launching on June 27, 2018. Terry exited the group in January 2019 and was succeeded by Dohee. NeonPunch's second and last mini-album, Watch Out, was released on January 30, 2019, before the group officially disbanded on August 11, 2020.
2017–2018: Formation and debut
On February 7, 2017, A100 Entertainment revealed plans for a new girl group project through a YouTube announcement, initially presenting members wearing masks to conceal their identities during cover performances. The lineup was eventually finalized to five members who formed the official group. On October 2, A100 disclosed the group's name as NeonPunch and introduced members Dayeon, Hajeong, Baekah, Arang, and Iaan via a teaser for a pre-debut reality show. NeonPunch participated in auditions for JTBC's reality program Mix Nine, with only Baekah advancing past the audition phase.
By April 13, 2018, NeonPunch had been selected as models for the beauty brand DPC, showcasing Baekah, Dayeon, Iaan alongside newcomers May and Terry. Their debut date was initially set for late May but was postponed to June. On May 8, the finalized five-member roster—Baekah, Dayeon, Iaan, May, and Terry—was officially confirmed.
NeonPunch launched their debut single album Moonlight along with its title track on June 27, 2018. Their first official performance took place on MBC's Show! Music Core on June 30. On October 4, A100 announced that Terry was taking a personal hiatus without providing further details.
2019–2020: Watch Out and disbandment
On January 16, 2019, A100 declared Terry’s permanent exit from NeonPunch due to health reasons. Dohee joined the group ahead of their comeback later that month. On January 30, NeonPunch released their second mini album Watch Out, featuring the lead single "Tic Toc."
A100 Entertainment announced NeonPunch's disbandment on August 11, 2020, attributing it to financial challenges exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Following this, members Dayeon, Baekah, and Iaan planned to re-debut as the trio XUM on August 25; however, this was delayed until September 24 due to COVID-19 exposure among staff members. XUM ultimately disbanded on June 1, 2021.
Members
- Dayeon () – leader (2018–2020)
- Terry () (2018–2019)
- Baekah () (2018–2020)
- May () (2018–2020)
- Iaan () (2018–2020)
- Dohee () (2019–2020)
Extended plays
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Sales |
|---|---|---|---|
| KOR | |||
| Moonlight |
|
37 | Template:N/A |
| Watch Out |
|
45 |
|
Singles
| Title | Release Year | Associated Album |
|---|---|---|
| "Moonlight" | 2018 | Moonlight |
| "Tic Toc" | 2019 | Watch Out |
Awards and nominations
! Ref. |- ! scope="row"|2019 | NeonPunch | 25th Korean Entertainment Arts Awards – Female Rookie of the Year | | style="text-align:center;"|[1]
External links
- ↑ Lee, Da-kyeom (March 25, 2019). 네온펀치, '2019 대한민국 연예예술상' 신인상 쾌거. Star Today (in Korean). Retrieved August 12, 2020.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
- K-pop music groups
- Musical groups from Seoul
- South Korean girl groups
- South Korean pop music groups
- Musical groups established in 2018
- Musical groups disbanded in 2020
- Musical groups disbanded due to the COVID-19 pandemic
- 2018 establishments in South Korea
- 2020 disestablishments in South Korea
- Musical groups disestablished in 2020
- CS1 uses 한국어-language script (ko)