I.O.I
Eleven women, one temporary contract, nine years of unfinished emotional business, and a reunion that remembered the difference between “not promoting” and “not a member.”
Meet all eleven members
The 2026 promotion used nine members. The group still has eleven. Mina and Jieqiong had prior commitments; they were not erased, replaced, or quietly voted off the family group chat.
Lim Nayoung
Leader · main rapper · vocalist
2026 reunion
Chungha
Main dancer · lead vocalist
2026 reunion
Kim Se Jeong
Main vocalist
2026 reunion
Jung Chaeyeon
Vocalist · visual
2026 reunion
Zhou Jieqiong
Main dancer · vocalist · visual
Original member · absent from 2026 promotions
Kim Sohye
Vocalist · actress
2026 reunion
Yoo Yeonjung
Main vocalist
2026 reunion
Choi Yoojung
Main rapper · lead dancer · vocalist
2026 reunion
Kang Mina
Main dancer · rapper · vocalist
Original member · absent from 2026 promotions
Kim Doyeon
Lead dancer · vocalist · visual
2026 reunion
Jeon Somi
Center · lead vocalist · lead dancer
2026 reunionQuick file
Debut: May 4, 2016
Origin: Produce 101, season one
Original lineup: 11 members
Fandom: U&I
Original agencies: YMC Entertainment / CJ E&M
2026 reunion management: Swing Entertainment
Core genres: K-pop, dance-pop, synth-pop, ballad
Why they matter
I.O.I became the proof of concept for Korea’s modern survival-show project group: viewers did not only watch a lineup form; they watched the expiration date approach in real time. Every later Produce franchise group inherited part of that machinery.
The members then scattered into solo music, acting, musicals, BIG agency debuts, groups that flourished, groups that were mishandled, and careers nobody could have predicted from eleven school-uniform teaser photos.
Current song: “Suddenly”
Song reviews
“Suddenly” — Nine years disappeared the second the chorus arrived
Song meaning first, then the music video, member lines, credits, the archive-track context, and why the final “we meet again” card is not subtle enough to survive me.
History: temporary did not mean disposable
I.O.I formed from the eleven highest-ranking finalists on Mnet’s Produce 101. They debuted with Chrysalis and “Dream Girls,” promoted a seven-member unit with “Whatta Man,” reunited as eleven for “Very Very Very,” and closed the original contract period with the ballad “Downpour” and a farewell concert in January 2017.
The original run was short enough to fit inside one school year and influential enough to reshape an industry. Its messier legacy includes the survival-show labor model, fractured agency control, uneven line distribution, and the strange cruelty of asking fans to invest in a group whose ending was part of the sales pitch.
On May 4, 2026, I.O.I released the archival song “Goodbye With A Smile,” recorded in 2016 with all eleven voices. On May 19, the group returned with the six-track mini album I.O.I : LOOP and “Suddenly.” Nine members recorded and promoted the new material; Mina and Jieqiong were unable to participate because of prior commitments.
Essential discography
| Year | Release | Key tracks |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Chrysalis | “Dream Girls” · “Crush” |
| 2016 | Whatta Man | “Whatta Man (Good Man)” |
| 2016 | miss me? | “Very Very Very” · “Hold On” |
| 2017 | Final single | “Downpour” |
| 2026 | I.O.I : LOOP | “IOI (Where My Girls At)” · “Suddenly” · “SPF 100+” · “IF I” · “Then, Now and Forever” · “Goodbye With A Smile” |