K-pop Girl Group miss A Confirms Breakup

miss A, the four-member Korean girl group known for their powerful dance-pop tracks, officially came to an end on Wednesday (Dec. 27), according to its label JYP Entertainment.

Rising to prominence with their debut single “Bad Girl, Good Girl” back in 2010, the quartet saw success with following hits like the sultry “Touch” and the empowering “I Don’t Need A Man.” Their final single together was the groovy electropop standout “Only You,” off of their 2015 album Colors.

The news came after over a year of speculation regarding the group’s future, following the departure of member Jia from JYP in 2016 to pursue a career in China, and follows Min’s leaving of the company in November. The remaining two members, Suzy and Fei, renewed their contracts with the label earlier this year, and have already begun pursuing solo careers, with each having released her own EP; Suzy is also one of South Korea’s most prominent young actors.

Just a few days before ringing in the new year, 2017 continues to be a rough year for Korean girl groups; within the past 12 months alone, miss A joins Sistar, Spica, and Wonder Girls as prominent female teams that have disbanded, while stalwarts like Girls’ Generation, T-Ara and AOA have also seen members leave their labels and, in some cases, the act as a whole. 

The break-up comes at the end of the seven-year contract term limit that is prominent among K-pop acts, and often spells the final death knells for many groups.