Mamamoo

Mamamoo
Mamamoo in 2023
From left to right: Moonbyul, Wheein, Solar and Hwasa
Background information
OriginSeoul, South Korea
Genres
Years active2014 (2014)–present
Labels
SpinoffsMamamoo+
Members
WebsiteOfficial website

Mamamoo (Korean: 마마무; Japanese: ママム; commonly stylized in all caps) is a South Korean girl group formed and managed by RBW. The group is composed of four members: Solar, Moonbyul, Wheein, and Hwasa. Known for their strong live vocals, harmonies, and writing much of their material, they are recognized as one of the premier girl groups in K-pop.[2][3] They are highly regarded in the industry for their talent and ability to cross multiple genres with their music; from retro, jazz, and R&B concepts in their early years[4] to more contemporary hip-hop,[5] as well as emotional ballads.[6][7] Since their debut in 2014, they have been noted for challenging conventional beauty standards, breaking gender stereotypes, and conducting themselves in ways that most typical K-pop stars do not.[8][9][10][11]

Mamamoo officially debuted on June 18, 2014, with their first extended play (EP) Hello, featuring the lead single "Mr. Ambiguous". Their debut was considered by critics as one of the best K-pop debuts of 2014.[12][13] Mamamoo rose to domestic fame in 2015 with their single "Um Oh Ah Yeah" which became a sleeper hit and peaked at number three on South Korea's Gaon Digital Chart. Combined with their many appearances and victories in the popular music competition program Immortal Songs, this launched them into mainstream recognition with the public.[14] Their following release of "You're the Best" (2016) from their debut studio album Melting, proved to be a commercial success, and dominated at least eight major music sites upon release,[15] further cementing their popularity and growing momentum. In 2017, they made a splash on the international scene with their fifth EP, Purple. Its lead single "Yes I Am," earned them their first number one on the Billboard World Albums chart.[16]

The quartet went on to achieve consecutive hits with the high-charting singles "Starry Night" (2018), "Egotistic" (2018), "Gogobebe" (2019), from their "Four Seasons, Four Colors" project whereby every member took turns in becoming the focus for each album.[17] This culminated in their biggest international success to date, "HIP" from their second studio album Reality in Black becoming a number-one hit on the Billboard World Digital Song Sales chart.[18] In November 2020, the song was certified platinum by the Korea Music & Content Association (KMCA) for surpassing 100 million streams, making it their third time achieving this feat.[19] They also earned a gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ), indicating their breakthrough in the Japanese music scene.[20]

Mamamoo has received numerous accolades, most notably the Golden Disc Award for Best Group, the Mnet Asian Music Award for Best Vocal Group, multiple honors at the Seoul Music Awards, as well as the Gaon Chart Music Award for New Artist of the Year in their rookie year.

  1. ^ "Mamamoo | ビクターエンタテインメント". Archived from the original on June 16, 2021. Retrieved November 17, 2018.
  2. ^ Cabel, Inna Christine (February 25, 2023). "Mamamoo are unapologetic women, powerful and fearless". Inquirer Super. Archived from the original on March 24, 2023. Retrieved March 23, 2023.
  3. ^ 장동우 (January 16, 2017). "(Yonhap Interview) Mamamoo proves 'quality' can turn niche into mainstream". Yonhap News Agency. Archived from the original on March 28, 2023. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
  4. ^ Herman, Tamar (March 10, 2016). "Mamamoo's 'Melting' Brings Retro Soul Back to K-Pop". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 28, 2023. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
  5. ^ Herman, Tamar (November 15, 2019). "Mamamoo are Fiercely 'Hip' In New Music Video: Watch". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 28, 2023. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
  6. ^ "'Our new song is about our past, present and future,' says MAMAMOO". koreatimes. June 3, 2021. Archived from the original on March 24, 2023. Retrieved March 23, 2023.
  7. ^ "'We still have so much more to show,' says MAMAMOO". koreatimes. October 12, 2022. Archived from the original on March 24, 2023. Retrieved March 23, 2023.
  8. ^ 정주원 (February 26, 2016). "MAMAMOO can sing, knows its true colors". Yonhap News Agency. Archived from the original on March 28, 2023. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
  9. ^ "'미의 기준' 바꾼 화사의 소신 발언들" [Hwasa's convictions that changed the 'standard of beauty']. Naver News | JoongAng Ilbo (in Korean). Archived from the original on March 24, 2023. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
  10. ^ Zhang, Sarah (February 27, 2020). "K-Pop Star Moonbyul Redefines Gender Roles in Eclipse Music Video". CBR. Archived from the original on March 28, 2023. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
  11. ^ Mulenga, Natasha (June 7, 2021). "On Their New EP, K-Pop Risk-Takers MAMAMOO Are More Open Than Ever". Teen Vogue. Archived from the original on March 24, 2023. Retrieved March 24, 2023.
  12. ^ Lee, Ji-hyun (December 17, 2014). 가요전문가 28인 선정, 올 최고 신인은(연말설문) [WINNER (1st), MAMAMOO (2nd), AKMU & EXID (3rd) are 2014's Best Rookies According to Expert Panel]. Star News (in Korean). Archived from the original on June 28, 2020. Retrieved December 18, 2014 – via Naver.
  13. ^ Benjamin, Jeff (January 28, 2015). "Top 5 K-Pop Artists to Watch in 2015". Billboard. Archived from the original on June 23, 2018. Retrieved January 31, 2015.
  14. ^ Song, Yun-jeong (January 2017). "'불후의 명곡' 걸그룹 최초 왕중왕전 오른 마마무, 완벽 퍼포먼스 극찬" [Mamamoo on Immortal Songs as the first girl group to win the King of Kings, praised for their perfect performance of 'You In My Fading Memory']. 아시아경제 The Asia Business Daily (in Korean). Archived from the original on March 28, 2023. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
  15. ^ "MAMAMOO's 'You're The Best' showing absolute domination on music charts". Yahoo News. February 26, 2016. Retrieved March 23, 2023.
  16. ^ Benjamin, Jeff (July 7, 2017). "MAMAMOO Earn First No. 1 on World Albums With 'Purple'". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 24, 2023. Retrieved March 23, 2023.
  17. ^ Benjamin, Jeff (March 28, 2019). "MAMAMOO Hit New Peak on World Digital Song Sales Chart With 'Gogobebe'". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 24, 2023. Retrieved March 23, 2023.
  18. ^ Benjamin, Jeff (November 27, 2019). "MAMAMOO Score First No. 1 on World Digital Song Sales Chart With 'Hip'". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 24, 2023. Retrieved March 23, 2023.
  19. ^ Ah-reum, Park. "마마무 'HIP' 1억 스트리밍 달성 "벌써 3번째 플래티넘"" [Mamamoo's 'HIP' achieves 100 million streams, already their third platinum certification]. Naver (in Korean). Archived from the original on March 24, 2023. Retrieved March 23, 2023.
  20. ^ Recording Industry, Association of Japan (April 26, 2021). "2021年3月度ストリーミング認定" [Streaming certifications of March 2021]. プレスリリース・ニュースリリース配信シェアNo.1｜PR TIMES JAPAN. Archived from the original on March 28, 2023. Retrieved March 28, 2023.