POW is ready to blow up the K-pop scene! The boy group debuted in October 2023, and includes five talented members, named JUNGBIN, YORCH, HYUNBIN, DONGYEON, and HONG.
Keep reading for details on the boy band.
Who Is POW?
POW is a boy group under GRID Entertainment which is the agency’s first boy group, ever. They released a pre-debut single prior to debut titled “Favorite” in September 2023 and made their official debut one month later with EP album, Favorite, and title track “Dazzling.”
Just like the group’s onomatopoeia name, POW, “aspires to blow up the K-pop scene with its innovative and fun energy,” JUNGBIN explained during a press conference.
Who Are the Members of POW?
JUNGBIN, 20, serves as the K-pop group’s leader, which means he’s in charge of supporting his bandmates, helps control the band’s image and is pretty much the spokesperson for their group.
Then there’s the oldest member, YORCH, 21, whose real name is Yongsin Wongpanitnont. YORCH hails from Thailand, and was actually a pretty popular actor and model in his home country. He is a former member of the pre-debut group, Trainee A, from Big Hit Entertainment (BTS’ company), until he ultimately didn’t make the band’s final cut. As the rumors go, he rejected GRID Entertainment’s offer 5 times before ultimately deciding to debut with POW.
“I felt lost and wanted to rest when I went back to Thailand. I felt discouraged and wanted to give up on becoming a K-pop artist,” Yorch said at the conference, looking back to that time.
“When Grid first reached out to me, I rejected the offer,” he explained. “The CEO held meetings with me several times and persuaded me to decide after meeting the members and the company staff in Korea. When I came, I got along well with the members and felt I could rely on the company, so I changed my mind.”
Next is HYUNBIN, 20, one of the vocalists of the group, and was a trainee at GRID for two years prior to his debut. DONGYEON, 20, is a Filipino-Korean artist who serves as one of the main vocalists and dancers of POW.
Finally, the maknae (youngest member) of the band is HONG, 18, who is one of the main vocalists of POW.
What Is GRID Entertainment?
Grid Entertainment is a newborn South Korean music agency, which recently acquired rapper B.I.’s agency 131 Label in 2023. ICYMI, B.I. is a former member of YG Entertainment’s boy group IKON, however, he left the agency and band in 2019.
“We have assigned 131 to one of the in-house labels of [GRID Entertainment], and we will strengthen the agency as a label that focuses on solo artists,” Sim Hyejin, CEO of GRID Entertainment, said in a statement from July 2023.
Led by Sim Hyejin, GRID Entertainment was founded by former directors of YG Entertainment, SM Entertainment and other K-pop agencies.
ICYMI, the K-pop industry is pretty much made up of South Korean groups from the “big three” South Korean record companies, which include YG Entertainment (BLACKPINK, BIGBANG, IKON), JYP Entertainment (TWICE, ITZY, Stray Kids) and SM Entertainment (EXO, Girls Generation, aespa).
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