The legendary groups born from the ‘Produce’ series are making a comeback. News of I.O.I and Wanna One’s reunions has thrilled the ‘National Producers’ who originally voted for them. The groups that once parted with tears are returning, bringing joy to their fans.
I.O.I, formed through Mnet’s ‘Produce 101’ Season 1 in 2016, has confirmed their return to the music scene to celebrate their 10th anniversary.
Swing Entertainment, which is managing the 10th-anniversary project, announced, “I.O.I (Im Na-young, Chung Ha, Kim Se-jeong, Jung Chae-yeon, Kim So-hye, Yoo Yeon-jung, Choi Yu-jung, Kim Do-yeon, and Jeon So-mi) will return this May,” adding that a new album is being prepared.
However, Kang Mi-na and Zhou Jieqiong will not participate due to prior commitments, so I.O.I will promote as a nine-member group.
I.O.I gained immense popularity with hit songs such as ‘Dream Girls,’ ‘Whatta Man,’ ‘Very Very Very,’ and ‘Downpour.’
However, due to the inherent limitations of being a project group, they disbanded in 2017, leaving fans yearning for a reunion.
This comeback marks nearly nine years since their disbandment. Its significance is heightened as members have consistently expressed their desire to reunite in various interviews and public appearances.
Wanna One’s return has also been confirmed, with their reality show ‘Wanna One Go’ set for production. The series is expected to air six episodes in April.
Despite significant challenges posed by military service and individual schedules for the male group, the project moved forward thanks to their strong determination.
Kang Daniel, who is set to enlist for military service in February, and Lai Kuan-lin, who is currently in China, will not join this time.
During an interview for his film, ‘The Man Who Lives in the Kingdom,’ Park Ji-hoon expressed regret, stating, “Kang Daniel will soon enlist, and Lai Kuan-lin is currently in China, so they were unable to join us.”
Notably, on January 27, Wanna One members Ong Seong-wu, Lee Dae-hwi, Ha Sung-woon, Yoon Ji-sung, Park Woo-jin, and Hwang Min-hyun gathered at the VIP premiere of ‘The Man Who Lives in the Kingdom’ to support Park Ji-hoon.
Both groups originated with the inherent limitations of being project groups. Their farewell concerts concluded amidst tears from fans.
While their final concert performances remain poignant memories for fans, these reunions promise to alleviate the long-standing yearning.
Furthermore, the reunions of Wanna One and I.O.I could ignite possibilities for the reunions of their junior groups, IZ*ONE and X1, thereby heightening fan expectations.
The groups created by ‘National Producers’ are now poised to rekindle the excitement of that era.
Image source: XportsnewsDB
