Sugar (South Korean group)
| Company type | Girl group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 2001 |
| Founder | Lee Soo-Young |
| Defunct | December 2006 |
| Headquarters | South Korea |
Area served | South Korea, Japan |
| Owner | Starworld (until 2006) |
Sugar (슈가 in Hangul, シュガー in Japanese) was a South Korean female idol group established by Starworld in 2001. The group's final roster consisted of Ahyoomee, Hye Seung, and Lee Ha-rin.
They experienced moderate popularity in both South Korea and Japan. Notably, their Japanese tracks "Take It Shake It" and "Real Identity" served as theme songs for the anime series Kaleido Star.
Sugar officially disbanded when their contract with Starworld concluded in December 2006. Among the members, only Ahyoomee remained with Starworld until 2007 before transitioning to the affiliated label SM Entertainment.
History
Starworld, a company founded in 1997 by Lee Soo-Young—who was part of the South Korean group "Runway" and father to singer Sunny—was responsible for creating Sugar. Their public debut occurred in December 2001 with the pre-release single "Sweet Love," followed by their first full album, Tell Me Why, launched on March 13, 2002. Sugar's style often drew comparisons to contemporaries such as M.I.L.K. and Shinvi. Unlike many peer groups that released only one album, Sugar returned in 2003 with their sophomore record Shine, coinciding with member Sae Byul adopting her birth name, Hye Seung.
Their entry into the Japanese market came on February 4, 2004, with the release of the album Double Rainbow and the single "Go the Distance". Subsequent singles like "All My Loving / Cherry Blossom Train (Sakura 列車)" and "Wind and Flowers / Present / Heart & Soul" were linked to the anime Kaleido Star, achieving moderate success on music charts.
On October 6, 2004, Sugar released a Korean mini-album titled Secret. Later that year in December, member Jung Eum departed to pursue solo endeavors; she was succeeded by Lee Harin in January 2005. This updated lineup issued Japanese singles including "Heartful" and "Sunflower / LOVEACCELE," with the latter peaking at number 29 on the Oricon charts over a seven-week run.
September 2005 marked the release of their third Korean album, Sweet Lips, followed by their second Japanese album, COLORS 4 WISHES, on November 2. In May 2006, Soo Jin left the group to focus on an acting career. Subsequently, Sugar released a DVD compilation titled "7 STARS," showcasing their Japanese music videos. In July 2006, Ahyoomee embarked on a solo music career while still part of the group. Reports indicated intentions to add a new member during their hiatus to replace Soo Jin.
On December 20, 2006, Starworld officially declared Sugar's disbandment as members opted for solo paths and contracts were not extended. Ahyoomee continued as a solo artist under Starworld before moving to SM Entertainment. Meanwhile, Hye Seung pursued acting opportunities and Harin planned to focus on her music career in Japan.
Members
- Ahyoomee
- Hye Seung
- Lee Ha-rin
- Park Soo-jin
- Hwang Jung-eum
Studio albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Sales | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KOR | JPN | |||
| Korean releases | ||||
| Tell Me Why |
|
— | — | |
| Shine |
|
19 | — |
|
| Sweet Lips |
|
21 | — |
|
| Japanese releases | ||||
| Double Rainbow |
|
— | — | |
| Colors 4 Wishes |
|
— | 138 | |
| — indicates album did not chart. | ||||
Single Albums
| Album Title | Details | Highest Chart Ranking | Sales Figures |
|---|---|---|---|
| KOR | |||
| Secret |
|
25 |
|
Singles
| Single Title | Release Year | Peak Position on Charts | Associated Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | |||
| "Go The Distance" | 2004 | — | Double Rainbow |
| "All My Loving / サクラ列車" | 40 | ||
| "風と花束 / Present / Heart & Soul" | 32 | Colors 4 Wishes | |
| "Heartful" | 2005 | — | |
| "ひまわり / Loveaccele" | 29 | ||
| — indicates the single did not enter the chart. | |||
Awards
| Year | Accolades Received |
|---|---|
| 2002 | SBS Music Awards: Choice Award Winner |
| 2004 | SBS Music Awards: Award for Best Dance Performance |
| Mnet Asian Music Awards: Best Female Video Honor |