Trouble Maker (duo)

Trouble Maker

Company type	Sub-unit
Industry	Music
Founded	2011
Founder	Cube Entertainment
Headquarters	South Korea
Products	Music albums, singles

Trouble Maker () was a South Korean musical duo established by Cube Entertainment in 2011, consisting of Hyunseung and Hyuna.

2011: Duo formation and debut with Trouble Maker

In November 2011, Cube Entertainment brought together labelmates Hyun-seung (previously part of Beast) and Hyuna (formerly of 4Minute and Wonder Girls) to create the duo Trouble Maker. Although Hyuna had already released two solo singles, this sub-unit was marketed separately from their original groups. The act was officially introduced as 'JS & Hyuna', with Hyun-seung adopting the stage name Jay Stomp for this project.

Teaser images released on November 25 showcased a private party theme. The pair debuted their performance at the 2011 Mnet Asian Music Awards, which featured a memorable onstage kiss. Their debut mini-album and lead single, both titled "Trouble Maker," were launched on December 1, 2011.

The duo's live acts attracted criticism in South Korea due to provocative dance moves, leading Cube Entertainment to adjust their choreography during promotional activities. In December 2011, Trouble Maker performed at United Cube concerts held in London and Brazil. Their single "Trouble Maker" secured a triple crown on M! Countdown.

2013: Release of Chemistry

In October 2013, Cube Entertainment announced Trouble Maker’s return accompanied by an edgy photoshoot. On October 28, they unveiled the track "Now" from their Chemistry EP. The music video, inspired by the infamous Bonnie and Clyde narrative, received a 19+ rating due to its explicit depiction of sexual themes, alcohol consumption, and smoking. The song "Now" set a record on the music program Inkigayo by achieving the highest score of 11,000 points.

2018—2021: Exits from Cube Entertainment

On September 13, 2018, Cube Entertainment declared that Hyuna and Pentagon’s E'Dawn would be dismissed following revelations about their romantic relationship. However, this decision was reversed the following day in response to fan protests and a decline in company stock value, with plans for further negotiations announced. On October 5, Hyuna officially terminated her contract with Cube Entertainment citing prior breaches by the company.

Hyunseung also parted ways with Cube Entertainment on August 2, 2021.

Extended plays

Title	Details	Peak positions				Sales
		KOR	TWN	TWN East Asian	US World
Trouble Maker	Release date: December 1, 2011 Label: Cube Entertainment Available formats: CD, digital download	2	13	1	—	KOR sales: over 36,427 copies
Chemistry	Release date: October 28, 2013 Label: Cube Entertainment Available formats: CD, digital download	2	—	3	8	KOR sales: over 30,934 copies
"—" indicates releases that did not chart or were not distributed in that market.

Singles

Title	Year	Highest chart rankings			Sales (DL)	Album
		KOR Gaon	KOR Hot 100	JPN Hot 100
"Trouble Maker"	2011	1	2	95	KOR: 4,408,787	Trouble Maker
"Now (There Is No Tomorrow)"	2013	1	1	—	KOR: 2,500,000	Chemistry
"—" indicates tracks that did not enter the chart or were unreleased in that market.

Music videos

Year	Title
2011	"Trouble Maker"
2013	"Now"
	"Now" (Uncut Version)

Awards and nominations

Year	Award	Category	Work nominated	Outcome
2012	Mnet 20's Choice Awards	Hot Performance Star	Trouble Maker	Template:Won
	14th Mnet Asian Music Awards	Best Collaboration Performance		Template:Won
	4th Melon Music Awards	Song of the Year		Template:Nom
		Best Global Artist		Template:Nom
		Best Music Video		Template:Nom
		Hot Trend Song		Template:Won
	27th Golden Disk Awards	Best Dance Performance		Template:Won
		MSN International Award		Template:Nom
2014	World Music Awards	World's Best Song	Now	Template:Nom
		World's Best Video		Template:Nom
	Singapore Entertainment Awards	Most Popular K-pop Music Video		Template:Nom
2015	3rd European K-POP / J-POP Music Award	Best TV Stage Performance		Template:Won