New Girl Group ARIAZ is Here to Make You Fall In Love with Their Charms
Blessed with pretty faces and immense talent, the new girl group ARIAZ (아리아즈) is surely gonna make you fall in love with their charms after seconds of knowing them! Officially debuted on October 24th, 2019, with the EP Grand Opera and the title track “Moonlight Aria” (까만 밤의 아리아), the group is a project under Rising Star Entertainment, a subsidiary agency of Star Empire. The group has six charming members Jueun, Sihyeon, Yunji, Dawon, Yeori, and Hyogyeong.
Are you ready to hear more and fall in love with them? Scroll down this article below to find all the details that you need to know!
ARIAZ Group Profile
ARIAZ (아리아즈) officially made their debut on October 24th, 2019, with the EP Grand Opera and the title track “Moonlight Aria” (까만 밤의 아리아) under Rising Star Entertainment, a subsidiary agency under Star Empire. Previously, they were also briefly known as Empire Girls (from Star Empire Entertainment) before changing their name to ARIAZ.
The group has six charming members Jueun, Sihyeon, Yunji, Dawon, Yeori, and Hyogyeong. Ahead of their debut, a few ARIAZ members were also known to participate in various survival programs such as SBS’ Superstar K 2013 (Yunji), Mnet’s Produce 101 Season 1 (Yunji and Sihyeon), and JTBC’s Mix Nine (Yunji, Sihyeon, and Hyogyeong).
Group Information
- Group name: ARIAZ (아리아즈)
- Origin: Seoul, South Korea
- Genre: K-Pop, dance, R&B
- Years active: 2018–present
- Debut Date: October 24th, 2019
- Label(s): Rising Star, Star Empire
- Members: Jueun, Sihyeon, Yunji, Dawon, Yeori, and Hyogyeong
- Official Sites:
Facebook: ARIAZ
Twitter: official_ARIAZ
Instagram: ariaz.official
Fan Café: ARIAZ.official
YouTube: 아리아즈 ARIAZ_official
vLive: ARIAZ
ARIAZ Members Profiles and Facts
Yunji Profile
Stage Name: Yunji (윤지)
Birth Name: Kim Yunji (김윤지)
Position: Leader, Main Vocalist, Lead Dancer
Date of Birth: August 26th, 1996
Zodiac Sign: Virgo
Nationality: Korean
Height: 154 cm (5’0’’)
Weight: 40 kg (88 lbs)
Blood Type: AB
Yunji Facts
- She often talks in her sleep
- Yellow and pink are her favorite colors
- She was a contestant of Mnet’s Produce 101 Season 1 and was eliminated in the first round at the 84th position
- Besides Produce 101 Season 1, she also was a contestant of JTBC’s Mix Nine and was eliminated in the second round in the 36th position
- She became a trainee of Star Empire in 2013
Dawon Profile
Stage Name: Dawon (다원)
Birth Name: Lee Dawon (이다원)
Position: Main Vocalist
Date of Birth: December 2nd, 1996
Zodiac Sign: Sagittarius
Nationality: Korean
Height: 156.9 cm (5’1″)
Weight: N/A
Blood Type: O
Dawon Facts
- She auditioned for the JTBC show Mix Nine but she didn’t pass
- She made an appearance in I Can See Your Voice Season 6 in the 6th episode performing I.O.I’s “Downpour” along with Hong Juhyeon and Im Doyeon
- She became a trainee of Star Empire in 2015
Sihyeon Profile
Stage Name: Sihyeon (시현)
Birth Name: Kang Sihyeon (강시현)
Position: Lead Vocalist, Visual
Date of Birth: July 15th, 1998
Zodiac Sign: Cancer
Nationality: Korean
Height: 160 cm (5’3”)
Weight: 44 kg (97 lbs)
Blood Type: A
Sihyeon Facts
- White, black, pink and green are her favorite colors
- Sour foods are her favorite
- She became a trainee of Star Empire in 2015
- She participated in Mnet’s Produce 101 Season 1, but was eliminated in the second round and ranked 61st
- She is also a former JTBC’s Mix Nine contestant who was eliminated in the second round and ranked 29th
- Her shoe size is 220 mm
Yeori Profile
Stage Name: Yeori (여리)
Birth Name: Choi Yeori (최여리)
Position: Main Rapper, Main Dancer, Vocalist
Date of Birth: September 8th, 1999
Zodiac Sign: Virgo
Nationality: Korean
Height: 162 cm (5’3″)
Weight: N/A
Blood Type: AB
Yeori Facts
- She used to have Choi Jiyeon as her stage name but changed it back in October 2018
- She auditioned for JTBC’s Mix Nine but she didn’t pass
- Her shoe size is 235 mm
- She became a trainee of Star Empire in 2017
Hyogyeong Profile
Stage Name: Hyogyeong (효경)
Birth Name: Jang Hyogyeong (장효경)
Position: Lead Vocalist, Lead Rapper
Date of Birth: November 15th, 1999
Zodiac Sign: Scorpio
Nationality: Korean
Height: 167 cm (5’6”)
Weight: 47 kg (105 lbs)
Blood Type: B
Hyogyeong Facts
- She can play instruments like piano and guitar
- She can speak English fluently
- Among all the other members, she is the tallest one
- She successfully ranked 8th in JTBC’s Mix Nine and entered the final but she didn’t debut
- She became a trainee of Star Empire in December 2016
- Her shoe size is 245 mm
Jueun Profile
Stage Name: Jueun (주은)
Birth Name: Jo Jueun (조주은)
Position: Vocalist, Maknae
Date of Birth: January 27th, 2001
Zodiac Sign: Aquarius
Nationality: Korean
Height: 161 cm (5’2″)
Weight: N/A
Blood Type: AB
Jueun Facts
- She was a secret member of OMZM
- She became a trainee of Star Empire in November 2016 then briefly left before rejoining the company in April 2018
- Her shoe size is 220 mm
Appearances In Survival Shows
Before they were set to debut, the members of ARIAZ have been getting used to public appearances in various survival shows to get a sense of experience in the entertainment industry. Almost all of them are not a stranger to how the industry works.
Member Yunji, for example, has appeared in three survival shows. First, she was one of the contestants of Mnet’s Produce 101 Season 1, but sadly, was eliminated in round one in the 84th position. Besides Produce 101 Season 1, she has also participated in JTBC’s Mix Nine and was eliminated in round two in the 36th position. Prior to these two shows, Yunji also made an appearance in Superstar K Season 5 back in 2013.
Yunji’s bandmate, Sihyeon, also joined her in the Mnet Produce 101 Season 1 in which she was eliminated in round two and ranked 61st. They both were preparing to debut under the girl group OMZM, but unfortunately, the debut was postponed indefinitely. Even the fan café of the group no longer exists. Aside from Produce 101 Season 1, Sihyeon was also a former JTBC’s Mix Nine contestant but was eliminated in round two and ranked 29th.
Member Hyogyeong also competed in JTBC’s Mix Nine where she represented Star Empire Entertainment. She even successfully ranked 8th in JTBC’s Mix Nine and entered the final but she didn’t get the chance to debut.
Meanwhile, Dawon also auditioned for the JTBC’s Mix Nine, but unfortunately, she didn’t make it to the next round. She finally made an appearance in I Can See Your Voice Season 6 in the 6th episode performing I.O.I’s “Downpour” along with Hong Juhyeon and Im Doyeon.
Before changing their name to ARIAZ, the group was called Empire Girls. Check out the girls’ performance for JTBC’s Mix Nine below!
Debut Era
After a lot of training and survival show appearances, the group finally debuted in 2019.
The announcement of their debut date was released by Star Empire on September 16th, 2020. They said that Empire Girls was set to debut under the name Ariaz in October 2019.
A source from Star Empire said, “Our affiliated label Rising Star Entertainment will be debuting a new six-member girl group called ARIAZ. They will release their first album in October for their official debut.”
They said that the name ARIAZ was a reference to “unique voices (Aria) coming together to create one song and stage.” E.one would be the producer behind their debut album. The producer has been known to be the man behind songs like EXO’s “Lucky,” GFRIEND’s “Paradise,” Apink’s “Push & Pull,” and Wanna One’s “Wanna” and “Day By Day.”
“ARIAZ is a group with members who have gone through rigorous training, even up to seven years. They will showcase talents that may be surprising coming from rookies and will have a concept that sets them apart. Please anticipate ARIAZ’s debut,” said the representative from Star Empire.
On October 24th, 2019, various teasers were released to anticipate the debut EP, Grand Opera. The single “Moonlight Aria” would be the lead track from their album. The group aims to release a trilogy series and Grand Opera would be the first installment of the trilogy.
The group finally released their first mini-album Grand Opera along with the music video for the “Moonlight Aria” on October 24th, 2019 at 12 p.m. KST. The song really showed the diverse and wide vocal range of each member, with the medium tempo beat that accompanies the music. The color white became the primary color of the MV.
Now, the MV has been watched for more than 370,000 times. Their MV debut was well-received by the Korean public.
“Wow they have good voices: I loved it,” one user wrote in the comment section.
“This song is literally one of the best debuts I’ve ever heard from a girl group omg,” another wrote.
“I came from that show and I can see your voice or something and that girl is even better now. FIGHTING ARIAZ!!” another user commented.
They also performed their song on the debut showcase that was held the same day as their debut album release at the Ilji Art Hall in Gangnam, Seoul.
Recently, the group got together to celebrate the birthday of Sihyeon on July 15th, 2020.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CCqpv3jluci/
In the picture, ARIAZ members are posing in front of balloons that say “happy birthday.” The caption reads, “# Aria’s #ARIAZ who love me a lot 💜.”
Seeing this heartwarming interaction, fans are flooding the comment sections with the wishes for Sihyeon.
“Aww, adorable! Happy Birthday! 🎂🎈🤗❤️,” a fan wrote.
“Saengil cukka Hamidah saengil cukka Hamidah saengil cukka Hamidah saengil cukka Hamidah Sarangeroya unnie ariaz,” another fan wrote a happy birthday message.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CDK_-z1lZjZ/
Aside from group photos and activities, the group also has been constantly updating fans with the individual selfies and videos from the members, letting fans take a look at their daily lives.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CDGtPkAla77/
Latest News
On November 19th, 2019, Rising Entertainment as ARIAZ’s agency released a statement to announce they’re taking legal action regarding the bullying rumors of member Jueun.
The statement read as follows:
“Hello, this is rising star entertainment,
“We are releasing a statement regarding the spreading of false statements and malicious slander about JuEun of ARIAZ.
“In regard to online posts and comments about JuEun, Rising Star Entertainment filed a criminal complaint on October 31st, 2019 with the Seoul Mapo Police Station against two people suspected of violation of Article 314 (Interference with Business) and Article 311 (Insult) of the Criminal Act, and Article 70 of the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection, etc.
“Since September, our company has continued to monitor malicious and slanderous posts and malicious comments based on false information that damages JuEun’s image and reputation. A self-investigation of the school JuEun went to showed that there were no records of actions or punishments in relation to ‘school violence.’ Despite that, there have been posts that talk about ‘school violence’ groundlessly and they have caused severe damage. As we cannot overlook that, we filed a criminal complaint through a legal representative using the evidence we collected.
“Therefore, we will seek civil and criminal legal action and will not make negotiations or show leniency. We will also respond strictly to any further cases of damage in the future.
“Our company will do our best so that the rookie group ARIAZ will no longer be viewed in an unfair way and will approach their fans with a good appearance. In addition, we will always watch over and lead the ARIAZ members so that they can develop as they take the right actions and have mature thoughts.
“Once again, we are always thankful for the trust and support of fans who love ARIAZ, and we ask for your unchanging warm support.”
This statement was taken to debunk the bullying rumors that have been going on since ARIAZ’s pre-debut. Before the official debut, a netizen delved into Jueun’s past and then the rumors began to spread online saying that Jueun smoked and drank alcohol while she was a minor. She is also accused as a bully at school and to a former trainee, Han Hye-ri.
Although Jueun has already apologized and addressed the issue of her past behavior to the public in ARIAZ’s debut showcase on October 24th, 2019, she did not confirm the rumors about her being a bully.
On ARIAZ’s debut showcase, a reporter discussed the controversy surrounding Jueun’s past. In response, Jueun expressed her regret and promised to be more careful with her actions in the future. On that occasion, the 2001-born K-Pop idol even couldn’t help but cry.
“I feel sorry and inspect myself for many of my past behaviors. In the future, I will work hard, and behave and think more carefully so that my group will not be affected. Therefore, hopefully, everyone will welcome us,” said Jueun tearfully.
After her apology, it seems like the public was not ready to move on. Some Korean netizens still responded in a cynical way. Here are some comments from Korean netizens taken from the site Nate:
“I can never forget the picture where she stuck out her middle finger, smoked, spat. How long will you act innocently after your debut?” commented a netter.
“So, are you the one who raised your middle finger and was caught drinking and smoking in a photo?” said a netter.
“People don’t change easily,” said another netter.
“Didn’t anyone say that dirty cloth is dirty cloth no matter how many times you wash it?” yet another netter said.
Some netizens are even still leaving malicious comments in their MV’s YouTube comment section:
“I hope ARIAZ’s Jueun will leave the group sooner rather than having to struggle with other members. ^-^ I want to expose them all over the world,” commented a user in April 2020.
“Don’t weep because it’s hard, Jueun. The children who were hit by you were hurt several times harder, and not one or two,” commented another netter.
“An Iljin debuted… If you act on the stage with tears, you think that the past will disappear..? Victims never forget the truth. I will follow you all the way, and I’m going to bother you,” another user added.
So, those are all the things that you need to know regarding the new K-Pop girl group, ARIAZ, or formerly known as Empire Girls. What do you think about them? Have you fallen in love with the members already? Let’s chat about them in the comment section below!
