The9 (group)
| Company type | Girl group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | May 30, 2020 |
| Founder | iQIYI's Idol Youth Entertainment |
| Defunct | December 5, 2021 |
| Fate | Disbanded |
| Headquarters | China , China |
Area served | China |
Key people | Liu Yuxin (center), An Qi (leader) |
| Products | Music albums, EPs, singles |
| Owner | iQIYI's Idol Youth Entertainment |
Number of employees | 9 (members) (2020–2021) |
| Parent | iQIYI |
The9 (also presented as THE9 or THE NINE) was a Chinese girl group formed through the IQIYI survival competition Youth With You 2. The ensemble consisted of Liu Yuxin, Yu Shuxin, Xu Jiaqi, Yu Yan, Xie Keyin, An Qi, Zhao Xiaotang, Kong Xueer, and Lu Keran.
Established on May 30, 2020, and officially debuting on August 10, 2020, The9 was managed by iQIYI's Idol Youth Entertainment. The group concluded activities and disbanded on December 5, 2021, slightly extending past the originally scheduled November 30 date.
Pre-debut: Youth With You 2
The9 was formed through the reality program Youth with You 2, which aired from March 12 to May 30, 2020. As the third installment in the Idol Producer series, it featured a total of 109 trainees from various entertainment agencies competing for nine debut positions.
The final lineup was revealed on May 30, 2020: Liu Yuxin earned first place and became the group's center. Following her were Esther Yu Shuxin in second place, then Kiki Xu Jiaqi, Yu Yan, Chloe Xie Keyin, An Qi, Zhao Xiaotang, Snow Kong Xue'er, and finally K Lu Keran in ninth.
2020: Launch of promotions, debut with Sphinx X Mystery and MatriX
Following the conclusion of Youth with You Season 2 on May 30, 2020, The9 was officially formed and began training immediately. The group made appearances on variety programs such as "My Little Forest" and delivered their first live performance on June 17 at Hunan Television's 618 Super Night, performing "Yes! OK!" and "Hunt". On July 4, their official Weibo account announced An Qi (Babymonster An) as the team leader and introduced their fandom name, official colors, and signature hand gesture.
On July 10, The9 participated in the "Current Business Conference," where they were appointed as "Advance Officer for Edge Art." The members also took part in advertising campaigns and editorial features for magazines and high-end fashion labels. Member Xu Jiaqi, previously part of SNH48 Team SII and current member of sub-unit 7Senses, made a guest appearance at SNH48's 7th Request Time Senbatsu General Elections.
Their debut extended play Sphinx X Mystery (斯芬克斯X谜) was released on August 10, 2020. This EP included the lead single "SphinX" (斯芬克斯) as well as "Not Me," achieving sales exceeding 150,000 copies within less than 45 minutes and obtaining "Double Platinum" status. The music video for SphinX premiered on August 15 via Weibo and YouTube. Promotion efforts continued with appearances on variety and music programs like the 818 Super Night. Additionally, they announced their inaugural variety show titled "Let’s Party 2020" on iQIYI.
Their first full-length album MatriX (虚实X境) was launched on December 25, 2020. It featured the main track "Dumb Dumb Bomb" alongside nine solo songs by individual members. On December 31, The9 performed at the Jiangsu Satellite TV New Year's Eve gala for the year 2021.
2021: RefleXtion, THE NINE, and disbandment
Between March 26 and March 27, 2021, The9 held their debut online concert named "X-CITY," which attracted tens of thousands of viewers. This event utilized XR technology to create immersive virtual stage environments.
On June 9, 2021, they released their first anniversary EP titled RefleXtion, containing two tracks: "Hello" and "Xenogeneic." The group officially disbanded on December 5, 2021. A planned graduation concert was postponed indefinitely due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
2022–2023: Reunion Performances
The9 came together once more for their initial concert following their breakup, which took place on August 19–20, 2022, at the Harbin International Convention Exhibition and Sports Center.
They followed up with a second reunion show on October 27–28, 2023, hosted at the Nanjing Youth Olympic Sports Park, demonstrating their sustained popularity and strong connection with their audience.
Members
- Liu Yuxin / XIN Liu (刘雨昕) – Center
- Yu Shuxin / Esther Yu (虞书欣)
- Xu Jiaqi / Kiki Xu (许佳琪)
- Yu Yan (喻言)
- Xie Keyin / Shaking (谢可寅)
- An Qi / Babymonster An (安崎) – Leader
- Zhao Xiaotang (赵小棠)
- Kong Xue'er / Snow Kong (孔雪儿)
- Lu Keran / K Lu (陆柯燃)
Studio Albums
| Album | Details | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| MatriX (虚实X境) |
|
China: over 370,000 copies |
Extended Plays
| EP Title | Details | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Sphinx X Mystery (斯芬克斯X谜) |
|
China: over 1,100,000 copies |
| RefleXtion |
|
China: more than 210,000 copies |
| THE NINE |
|
China: upwards of 92,000 copies |
Singles
| Song Title | Year Released | Peak Chart Position | Album Name |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | |||
| "斯芬克斯" (SphinX) | 2020 | 5 | Sphinx X Mystery |
| "Not Me" | 9 | ||
| "Dumb Dumb Bomb" | 60 | MatriX | |
| "BiuBiu" | 26 | ||
| "Gwalla" | — | ||
| "SKIN" | 57 | ||
| "蔷薇之巅" | 39 | ||
| "Comet" | — | ||
| "Yea" | — | ||
| "T.A.N.G" | — | ||
| "Call Me By My Name" | 75 | ||
| "K'" | — | ||
| "Hello" | 2021 | 42 | RefleXtion |
| "异兽" (Exotic Beast) | 33 | ||
| "我们啊" | 80 | THE NINE | |
| "Devil's song" | — | ||
| "驭舞者" | — | ||
| "—" indicates tracks that did not chart or were not released in the specified region. | |||
Promotional singles
| Title | Release date | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| "Yes OK!" | March 12, 2020 | Official theme track for Youth With You 2 |
| "Super Shiny Summer" | July 30, 2020 | Marketing single for the Oppo Reno 4; includes appearances by XIN Liu, Esther Yu, and Zhao Xiaotang |
Music videos
| Title | Year | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| "SphinX" | 2020 | 3:42 |
Variety Shows
| Year | Program | Broadcast Network | Air Dates | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Youth With You 2 | iQiYi | March 12 – May 30 | Contestants (final winners) |
| Hunan TV 618 Super Pin Night and Hunan TV 818 Super Pin Night | Hunan Television | July | Performances of "Yes OK!", "Hunt", and "SphinX" | |
| Go Fighting! Season 6 | Dragon Television | July 26 | The9 appeared as finale guests (episode 12) | |
| Little Forest | Mango TV | August 1 – August 15 | Xu Jiaqi and Xie Keyin featured as guests (episodes 8–10) | |
| Summer Surf Shop | iQiYi | August 28 – September 5 | An Qi and Zhao Xiaotang appeared as guests (episodes 9–10) | |
| Amazing Dinner | iQiYi | August 6–7 | Xie Keyin and Zhao Xiaotang guest appearance (episode 8) | |
| Masked Dancing King Season 1 | Youku | August 16 – October 18 | Liu Yuxin and An Qi participated as contestants | |
| Let's Party! | iQiYi | September 4 – November 21 | Variety show starring the group | |
| Happy Camp (2020) | Hunan Television | September 19 | 'The9' performed as guests; Liu Yuxin, Yu Shuxin, Zhao Xiaotang involved in guest activities | |
| Go Fighting! Treasure Hunt, Season 1 | Dragon Television | September 29 | Yu Shuxin appeared as guest (episode 9) | |
| Little Giant Games | Mango TV | Xu Jiaqi served as regular cast; Kong Xue'er guest appearance; Yu Yan was unaired | ||
| Dimension Nova | iQiYi | October 21 – December 23 | Yu Shuxin featured as fixed cast member and mentor | |
| Field of Hope | Mango TV | An Qi participated as fixed cast; Zhao Xiaotang guest appearance (episode 9) |
|- |'Sending 100 Girls Home Season 4' |'Sohu' | |'Yu Shuxin made a guest appearance' |} |- | rowspan="2" |2020-2021 |'Glory is Back! Dunhuang' |'IQIYI' |'Nov.18 – Jan.21' |'Xie Keyin was fixed cast; Lu Keran appeared as guest (episode 3)' |} |- |'Ladies' Talk' |'IQIYI' |'Dec.2 – Feb.17' |'Zhao Xiaotang took on roles as fixed cast and host' |} |- |'Fourtry Season 2' |'IQIYI' |'Dec.4 – Feb.19' |'Liu Yuxin was fixed cast; Zhao Xiaotang and Kong Xue'er featured as guests' |} |- |'I Am the Actor Season 3' |'Zhejiang Television' |'Dec.12 – Mar.6' |'Xie Keyin competed as contestant' |} |- |'Treasured Village' |'Zhejiang Television' |'Dec.20 – Feb.21' |'Kong Xue'er served as fixed cast member' |} |- | rowspan="2" |2021 |'HAHAHAHAHA Season 1' |'IQIYI and Tencent Video' |'Jan.15–22' |'Guests included Yu Shuxin and Kong Xue'er' |} |- |'Youth With You 3' |'IQIYI' |'Feb.18 – May 1' |'Yu Shuxin acted as Youth Tutor; The9 and senior mentors participated in collaborative performances' |} |-
Concert
| Year | Event | Date | Platform/Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | X-City | March 26 & 27, 2021 | iQiyi (Online) |
Awards
| Award | Year | Category | Nominee / Work | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cosmo Glam Night 2020 | 2020 | Artist of the Year | THE9 | Template:Won |
| Madame Figaro Beauty Star | 2020 | Beauty Star | THE9 | Template:Won |
| 2021 iQIYI Scream Night | 2020 | Popular Female Artist | THE9 | Template:Won |
| 2020 Ifeng Fashion Choice | 2020 | Fashion Energy Group of the Year | THE9 | Template:Won |
| 2020 Sina Fashion Style Awards | 2020 | Idol Group of the Year | THE9 | Template:Won |
| Rayli Fashion Gala | 2020 | Favourite Group of the Year | THE9 | Template:Won |
| Asian Pop Music Awards | 2020 | Popularity Award (Female Group) | THE9 | Template:Won |
| Sina Film and Television Festival | 2020 | Musical Work of the Year | 斯芬克斯 (SphinX) | Template:Won |
| Sina Film and Television Festival | 2020 | Variety Show of the Year | 'Let's Party! 2020' | Template:Won |
| 2020 Baidu Entertainment Awards | 2021 | Best Group of the Year | THE9 | Template:Won |
| 2020 Weibo Night | 2021 | Weibo's Hottest Group of the Year | THE9 | Template:Won |
| Weibo Starlight Awards 2020 | 2021 | The Most Popular Artist Internationally | THE9 | Template:Won |