Getting to Know U.Ji
In this article, Byeol Korea will provide you with a detailed explanation of everything about the former member of EXID & BESTie Jung Yoo-ji, or also known as U.Ji. As a former idol, she has a very interesting story of her journey from debuting as an idol to pursuing a solo career. Let’s check it out!
Full Profile
Stage Name: U-Ji (유지)
Birth Name: Jung Yu-ji (정유지)
Date of Birth: January 2nd, 1991
Zodiac Sign: Capricorn
Height: 168 cm (5’6″)
Weight: 50 kg (110 lbs)
Instagram: @__yudidi_
(kprofiles.com)
Debut As An Idol
U.Ji made her first appearance by debuting as a member of EXID, a K-Pop girl group that used to include members Da Mi, Hae Ryung, Ha Ni, Jung Hwa, LE, and U.Ji herself. They debuted under AB Entertainment (at that time) back on February 16th, 2012, with the album Holla and the title song “Whoz That Girl.”
It didn’t take a long time after her debut with EXID for U.Ji together with Da-mi to leave the group due to academic conflicts. U.ji decided to put her studies on priority which led her to be absent from the Korean music industry for about a year. The group then was left with the remaining 3 members, Ha Ni, Jung-hwa, and LE and was joined by two new members.
Let’s check out U.Ji’s appearances as an EXID member!
She made her second debut as an idol after being absent from the K-Pop industry. She did her comeback by joining another girl group under YNB Entertainment called BESTie. She was also followed by the other two members who previously debuted as EXID members, Da-mi and Hae-ryung. The group consisted of the 3 former EXID members and one additional member named Dahye. The group debuted with the release of their single titled “Pit A Pat.” Check out the music video below!
In 2017, the agency of the group BESTie announced that U.Ji along with Dahye terminated their contract with the agency after much discussion.
Fun Facts
Here are some fun facts about U.Ji:
- She was born in Seoul, South Korea.
- She studied at the Seoul Institute of Arts, majoring in Music.
- She used to be a trainee of JYP Entertainment.
- She was supposed to debut with Sistar’s Hyorin, EXID’s Hani, and Secret’s Ji Eun under JYP Entertainment.
- Since that planned girl group never actually debuted, she left JYP Entertainment.
- She is a former member of EXID.
- She left EXID shortly after debut, in order to finish her studies.
- She was a contestant in the Chinese singing competition I am a singer, where she took 5th place.
- She has acted in the musicals Full House as Jung Hye-won (2014), Dreamgirls (Korean version) as Deena Jones (2015).
- In February 2015, she had her solo debut with the song “Love Letter.”
- In September 2015, she released her 2nd solo single “Autumn Leaves.”
- She discovered her solo career as a musical actress through the show Immortal Song.
- She is a foodie, she loves eating.
- She wants to establish a charitable institution in the future.
- On September 5th, 2017, it was announced that U.Ji and Dahye are leaving BESTie after terminating their contracts with YNB Entertainment.
- U.Ji’s ideal type: U.Ji says that she does not have an ideal type. She says it all depends on her feelings at the time.
Solo Career
In February 2015, U.Ji released her first solo song titled “Love Letter” before she did come back with her girl group BESTie. She presented the song with catchy melodies featuring The Channels. Check out the official music video below!
U.Ji then came back again by releasing a solo song titled “Autumn Leaves.” Apparently, her second solo song managed to surprise her fans after her previous solo debut in February. This second solo song is an R&B song that tells the story of separated lovers and reminiscing about past memories. This song is also used as the soundtrack for the web drama 9 Seconds, starring BESTie’s Haeryung and actor Lee Seung-joo.
This 2-minute-long music video of “Autumn Leaves” shows fleeting emotions that the fans can also feel. Check it out!
Cover of Nobody By Wonder Girls
On the show Immortal Songs, U.Ji covered Wonder Girl’s legendary hit song “Nobody” as a dedication to singer-songwriter J.Y.Park. She managed to bring the song with a unique arrangement and create a spectacular performance. Check out her performance below!
Musical Performance In Immortal Songs 2
The song “Musical“ was covered by U.Ji in another performance on the show Immortal Songs. At the beginning of the performance, the screen behind her was showing pictures and video footage memories of her trainee days. Through this song, she wants to express that as a trainee she often compared herself to her peers that have succeeded in their career.
U.JI said, “When I randomly heard this song, I felt like I was hit in the head. ‘No one can live my life for me,’ and I have to become the protagonist of my life. This song made me re-think my future. I imagined how I would one day become the leader of a song and how I would receive the spotlight.” With her red dress, she performed like she owned the stage. Queen!
Cover of Lonely Love By Kim Hyun-jung
Still on the show Immortal Songs, U.Ji brought forth a fantastic performance by singing “Lonely Love.“ Through this song, she showed her strong and beautiful voice!
Cover of Let’s Study By Yoon Si-nae
Here is another cover by U.Ji. She covered the legendary singer’s 1983 track “Let’s Study” and managed to surprise the audiences with a musical concept. Hey, the queen wants you to study!
Cover of You Who Resemble Me By Lim Chan-jung
Another cover on Immortal Songs from our queen!
A lot of performances she has done on the show Immortal Songs. Which one is your favorite?
Latest News
Recently, U.Ji released a song for one of the popular K-dramas, namely the OST of Forest with the title “Always.” She also shared the song on her Instagram account! For those of you who want to listen to her voice, check out the song below!
She is pretty active updating on her social media account. Follow her Instagram for the latest updates from U.Ji!
That’s all about the former idol member of EXID and BESTie, U.Ji who is now a solo singer with a bunch of singing performance experiences. She went through career switches and changes but managed to succeed in giving the fans spectacular performances and a goddess-like voice. Hwaiting, queen!
