Bang & Jung & Yoo & Moon () is a South Korean

boy band A boy band is a vocal group consisting of young male singers, usually in their Teenage, teenage years or in their twenties at the time of formation. Generally, boy bands perform love songs marketed towards girls and young women. Many boy bands ...

under MA Entertainment. The group, originally consisting of Yongguk, Himchan, Daehyun, Youngjae, Jong-up, and

Zelo Choi Jun-hong (; born October 15, 1996), better known by his stage name Zelo, is a South Korean rapper and dancer best known as the former member of the South Korean boy group B.A.P. He made his recording debut with the single "Never Give Up" ...

is best known for their 7 year tenure as B.A.P (; an acronym for Best Absolute Perfect), under

TS Entertainment TS Entertainment (also known as TS ENTER ()) was a South Korean record label and entertainment agency founded in 2008 by Kim Tae‑song (). It was located at Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, South Korea. The company was responsible for managing Ko ...

, debuting with the song "

Warrior A warrior is a guardian specializing in combat or warfare, especially within the context of a tribal society, tribal or clan-based warrior culture society that recognizes a separate warrior aristocracy, social class, class, or caste. History ...

" in 2012. B.A.P quietly disbanded on February 18, 2019, following the group's contract expiration with TS Entertainment. In 2024, the group officially reunited under the name Bang & Jung & Yoo & Moon to release their next album, ''

Curtain Call A curtain call (often known as a walkdown or a final Bowing, bow) occurs at the end of a performance when one or more performers return to the stage to be recognized by the audience for the performance. In musical theatre, the performers typi ...

'' in August. Members Zelo and Himchan will not be included in the comeback as a result of Zelo's military service and Himchan's sexual assault convictions.

History

2011: Pre-debut

Group leader Yongguk was the first member to be introduced in 2011, featuring on labelmate

Song Ji-eun Song Ji-eun (; born May 5, 1990), better known mononymously as Jieun, is a South Korean singer and actress best known as a member of the South Korean girl group Secret (South Korean group), Secret. Aside from her group's activities, she has re ...

's song " Going Crazy". He also made a solo debut on August 12 with the single " I Remember", featuring

Beast Beast most often refers to: * Animal, a multicellular, eukaryotic organism in the biological kingdom Animalia * The Beast (Revelation), one of three beasts described in the Book of Revelation * Monster, a type of creature found in fiction, folklo ...

Yang Yo-seob Yang Yo-seob (; born January 5, 1990), known mononymously as Yoseob, is a South Korean singer and musical actor. He is the main vocalist of the boy group Highlight. Biography Yang was born in Seoul, South Korea on January 5, 1990, in a small f ...

. Himchan was the second member to be introduced to the public, as an MC for MTV Korea television program ''

The Show Show or The Show may refer to: Competition, event, or artistic production * Agricultural show, associated with agriculture and animal husbandry * Animal show, a judged event in the hobby of animal fancy ** Cat show ** Dog show ** Horse show ** S ...

''. On November 23,

was introduced as the third member of the group through a collaboration with Yongguk as the group Bang&Zelo. The duo released the single "Never Give Up".

2012: ''Warrior'', ''Power'', ''No Mercy'', ''Crash'' and ''Stop It''

In January 2012, the group starred in the reality program ''Ta-Dah, It's B.A.P'', which aired on

SBS MTV SBS M is a South Korean pay television music channel owned by SBS Medianet, a division of SBS Media Holdings. It features South Korean pop artists, international music, news, and a few reality and variety programs. It was launched in 2001 as t ...

. The show focused on how the six members play the role of aliens from a different planet who worked together to debut as B.A.P and invade Earth to help save their dying planet, Planet Mato. On January 25, the group's debut single "

" was released, with

MTV Korea SBS M is a South Korean pay television music channel owned by SBS Medianet, a division of SBS Media Holdings. It features South Korean pop artists, international music, news, and a few reality and variety programs. It was launched in 2001 as t ...

describing it as "powerful and charismatic". Nancy Lee of Enews World noted that the group had set out to differentiate themselves from the "pretty-boy" male idol archetype prevalent in the K-pop music industry with their "tough, bad boy image". On February 3, 2012, the corresponding EP ''

'' entered ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

''s World Albums Chart at #10. In South Korea, ''Warrior'' sold over 10,000 copies within just two days of release. In March, the group released a follow-up single, "

Secret Love Secret Love may refer to either a secret admirer or: Film, TV and theatre * ''Secret Love'' (1916 film), directed by Robert Z. Leonard * ''Secret Love'' (1994 film), directed by Edgardo "Boy" Vinarao * ''Secret Love'' (2010 film), directed by ...

", and in April they made a comeback with the single "Power" and EP of the same name. Upon its release, Power sold out its initial batch of 30,000 copies and entered at #10 on the Billboard World Albums Charts. B.A.P's third EP, '' No Mercy'', was released digitally on July 19 and physically on July 24. On August 30 the repackaged version of the EP, renamed ''Crash'', was released. On October 23, B.A.P released their fourth single and EP, titled " Stop It".

2013: ''One Shot'' and Japanese debut

In February 2013, the group began releasing material from their fifth EP, '' One Shot''. On February 21, the EP ranked No.1 on ''Billboard''s World Albums chart. In May, King Records, the Japanese record label that once signed

Rain Rain is a form of precipitation where water drop (liquid), droplets that have condensation, condensed from Water vapor#In Earth's atmosphere, atmospheric water vapor fall under gravity. Rain is a major component of the water cycle and is res ...

, signed B.A.P. They released their first Japanese music video for "

" on YouTube on September 13, and their album and single were officially released on October 9. The group's sixth EP, '' Badman'', was released on August 6 with the promotional singles "Coffee Shop", "Hurricane" and "Badman".

2014: ''First Sensibility'', world tour, ''B.A.P Unplugged 2014'' and lawsuit

On February 3, 2014, B.A.P released their first full-length studio album ''

First Sensibility ''First Sensibility'' is the first studio album by the South Korean male pop group B.A.P. It was released on February 3, 2014 under the label of TS Entertainment. It features the single "1004 (Angel)". Promotion The first 30 seconds teaser clip ...

'', containing a total of thirteen tracks including the title track "1004 (Angel)". Upon its release, the album topped the Billboard World Albums Chart, proving the group's international popularity. In Korea, ''First Sensibility'' also topped the Hanteo and Gaon monthly charts for February. The group took their first music show win on ''

Show Champion ''Show Champion'' () is a South Korean music television program broadcast live by MBC M every Wednesday at Bitmaru Broadcasting Center in Ilsan. Hosts * Shindong (February 14, 2012 – December 25, 2012) * Hahm Eun-jung (January 30, 2013 – ...

'' with "1004 (Angel)" and went on to take two more wins with the single. On April 3, B.A.P released their third Japanese single, "No Mercy", and ranked at #2 on Oricon's daily and weekly singles charts. Following promotions of "1004 (Angel)", the group commenced the B.A.P Live On Earth 2014 Continent Tour with a two-day concert in Seoul, with an estimated audience of 20,000 attendees. This was their second solo concert in Korea. The group went on to hold a total of 23 concerts in cities throughout the United States,

Asia Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...

, Australia, and

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

during the tour. Through the tour, they released the EP '' B.A.P Unplugged 2014.'' On August 11, they released their fourth Japanese single, "Excuse Me". On October 27, TS Entertainment announced that they had cancelled the South American portion of the concert tour, in order to give the group members time to rest. On November 27, it was reported that the group had filed a lawsuit against their label to nullify their contract, claiming unfair working conditions and profit distribution, including statements claiming that of the US$9 million the group had earned over the three years, each member had been paid a total of US$18,000. However, the following day, TS Entertainment issued a press release refuting the claims made, stating that there were "neither such maltreatment to the artists nor unfair clauses in the contract". Their statements were challenged when B.A.P released another statement claiming lack of accountability and saying that they were considering filing for defamation of character.

2015: Settlement with TS and ''Matrix''

On August 1, 2015, B.A.P. returned to TS Entertainment after both parties reached a settlement. They made their comeback with their eighth EP, ''

Matrix Matrix (: matrices or matrixes) or MATRIX may refer to: Science and mathematics * Matrix (mathematics), a rectangular array of numbers, symbols or expressions * Matrix (logic), part of a formula in prenex normal form * Matrix (biology), the m ...

'', and the title track "Young, Wild & Free". The free showcase "BAP 151115" was held on November 15 at Dongdaemun Design Plaza and the music video for "Young, Wild & Free" was released the following day. On November 27, 2015, exactly one year after the lawsuit, they received a music show win for the single on ''

Music Bank ''Music Bank'' () is a South Korean music program which airs every Friday at 17:15 KST on KBS2. the show is also broadcast in more than a hundred countries through KBS World. Episodes are filmed at the KBS New Wing Open Hall in Yeouido-dong, Ye ...

''.

2016: ''Carnival'', ''Put 'Em Up'', ''Noir'', and ''Fly High'', Bang Yongguk's Hiatus

In February, they released their fifth extended play, ''

Carnival Carnival (known as Shrovetide in certain localities) is a festive season that occurs at the close of the Christian pre-Lenten period, consisting of Quinquagesima or Shrove Sunday, Shrove Monday, and Shrove Tuesday or Mardi Gras. Carnival typi ...

'', containing six songs. In March, they released their first Japanese studio album, ''Best. Absolute. Perfect''. The album contained thirteen songs. Three of them ("New World", "Kingdom", and "Back in Time") were original Japanese songs. Between April–July, B.A.P performed on their ''Live On Earth 2016'' tour, including dates in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Italy, Finland, Germany, Poland, Australia, New Zealand, the U.K., and Russia. In August, they released the fifth single "Put 'Em Up". On October 25, 2016, TS Entertainment revealed that Yongguk will not be participating in the promotions for B.A.P's upcoming full-length album, ''Noir'', due to anxiety disorders. In November, B.A.P returned with their second studio album, '' Noir'' along with the music video for title song "Skydive". With Noir, B.A.P reclaimed their title as the K-Pop act with the most No.1 Albums on Billboard's World Album chart. Noir included standout track "Confession", a duet by rappers Bang Yongguk and Zelo set to a symphonic chorus that directly addressed their feelings during the lawsuit and subsequent hiatus. On November 18, the music video for their 6th Japanese single, ''Fly High'' was published on YouTube, while a physical release on December 7 included the song "Fire Flame" and a Japanese version of "With You".

2017–2019: ''Rose'', ''Blue'', ''Ego'' and departure from TS Entertainment

In March 2017, B.A.P released their sixth single album, ''Rose''. Yongguk returned from his four-month hiatus to join the rest of the group for promotions. The lead track, "Wake Me Up", was recognized by Billboard's Jeff Benjamin as the group's "most personal and accomplished single yet". The EP focused on social issues, with the "Wake Me Up" music video addressing mental health issues, whilst the first track "Dystopia" directly attacked the idea of living in any so-called utopias, disregarding them all as illusions. On June 28, 2017, the group's second Japanese studio album, ''Unlimited'', was released. On September 5, 2017, B.A.P released their seventh single album, ''

Blue Blue is one of the three primary colours in the RYB color model, RYB colour model (traditional colour theory), as well as in the RGB color model, RGB (additive) colour model. It lies between Violet (color), violet and cyan on the optical spe ...

'', with "Honeymoon" serving as the title track. On December 13, 2017, B.A.P released their eighth single album, ''Ego'', with "Hands Up" serving as the title track. On March 28, 2018, B.A.P released their third Japanese studio album, ''Massive''. In 2018, members Yongguk and Zelo left the group after their contract with TS Entertainment expired on August 19 and December 2, respectively. On February 18, 2019, the remaining four members also left TS Entertainment. However, member Jongup confirmed the possibility of reunion in the future.

2024–present: Documentary and reunion

On June 12, 2024, B.A.P announced a documentary titled "Man on the Moon". In the teaser, which included Bang Yong-guk, Moon Jong-up, Jung Dae-hyun and Yoo Young-jae, announced plans to reunite and release new music. It is unclear if Zelo will be involved in the comeback due to him undertaking his

mandatory military service Conscription, also known as the draft in the United States and Israel, is the practice in which the compulsory enlistment in a national service, mainly a military service, is enforced by law. Conscription dates back to antiquity and it contin ...

. On July 2, MA Entertainment confirmed former B.A.P members Bang Yongguk, Jung Daehyun, Yoo Youngjae, and Moon Jongup would be returning as a team. The album, ''

'', was released on August 8, with the group promoting under the name "Bang & Jung & Yoo & Moon." On November 28, MA Entertainment announced that the group would return with a winter album called ''Christmas With You''.

Artistry and influences

During the group's debut, all of the members dyed their hair blonde. The group's members have played a role in their image and musical direction, and commentators have noted a distinction between their "tough, bad-boy" image and other K-pop boy groups. The group's leader Yongguk has previously made comments on the influence that African American musicians have had on him, citing

50 Cent Curtis James Jackson III (born July 6, 1975), known professionally as 50 Cent, is an American rapper, actor, and television producer. Born in Queens, a borough of New York City, Jackson began pursuing a musical career in 1996. In 1999–2000, ...

, P. Diddy,

Pharrell Pharrell Lanscilo Williams (; born April 5, 1973), also known mononymously as Pharrell, is an American musician, singer, songwriter, rapper, record producer, and fashion designer. He first became known as one half of the music production duo ...

and other rappers as musical influences. He played a role in the production of all the tracks on B.A.P's debut EP ''

''. In addition, group member Himchan is a multi-instrumentalist influenced by

Korean traditional music Korea has produced music () for thousands of years, into the modern day. After the division of Korea in 1945, both North and South Korea have produced their own styles of music. Traditional music () produced by Korea includes court music, folk ...

. He plays a number of traditional instruments including

daegeum The ''daegeum'' (also spelled ''taegum'', ''daegum'' or ''taegŭm'') is a large bamboo flute, a transverse flute used in traditional Korean music. It has a buzzing membrane that gives it a special timbre. It is used in court, aristocratic, and f ...

janggu The ''janggu'' (, also transliterated as ''janggo'' or ''changgo'') or ''seyogo'' () is a drum often used in traditional Korean music. It consists of an hourglass-shaped body with two heads made from various types of leather. The two heads pr ...

kkwaenggwari The ''kkwaenggwari'' (; ) is a small flat gong used in traditional Korean music. It is made of brass and is played with a hard stick. It produces a distinctively high-pitched, metallic tone that breaks into a cymbal-like crashing timbre when st ...

and jing in addition to more traditional instruments including guitar, piano, and violin. All of the group's members are influenced by R&B musicians; Jongup has cited hip hop and dance music as influences and said that

Chris Brown Christopher Maurice Brown (born May 5, 1989) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor. A Pop music, pop and hip-hop-influenced contemporary R&B, R&B musician who works in a variety of genres, he has been called the "Honorific nic ...

is one of his idols, while Zelo has said he looks up to

will.i.am William James Adams Jr. (born March 15, 1975), known professionally as will.i.am (pronounced "will I am"), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer and actor. He is the frontman of the musical group Black Eyed Peas, which he ...

and

Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer and record producer. One of the most prominent figures in hip-hop, he is known for his varying musical style and polarizing cultural and political commentary. After ...

. Daehyun cites Shin Yong-jae among his musical influences while Youngjae cites

neo soul Neo soul (sometimes called progressive soul) is a genre of popular music. As a term, it was coined by music industry entrepreneur Kedar Massenburg during the late 1990s to market and describe a style of music that emerged from Soul music, soul ...

musicians as well as

Musiq Soulchild Taalib Hassan Johnson (born September 16, 1977), better known by his stage name Musiq Soulchild (or simply Musiq; pronounced "music") is an American singer-songwriter. His music blends Rhythm and blues, R&B, funk, blues, jazz, and Gospel music, ...

and

Jay Park Jay Park (born April 25, 1987), Korean name Park Jae-beom (), is an American rapper, singer-songwriter and dancer based in South Korea. He is a member of the Seattle-based breakdancing, b-boy crew Art of Movement (AOM), and founder and former ...

. B.A.P has been named a "versatile group" by

, with Yun Seong-yeol of Star News Korea lauding their charisma and on-stage performances, as well as Yongguk and Zelo's rapping and Daehyun and Youngjae's vocal abilities.

Members

Current * Yongguk (; 2012–2018, 2024–present) * Daehyun (; 2012–2019, 2024–present) * Youngjae (; 2012–2019, 2024–present) * Jongup (; 2012–2019, 2024–present) Former *

(; 2012–2018) * Himchan (; 2012–2019)

Timeline

Discography

Korean

* ''

'' (2014) * '' Noir'' (2016)

Japanese

* ''Best.Absolute.Perfect'' (2016) * ''Unlimited'' (2017) * ''Massive'' (2018)

Filmography

Television

Concerts and tours

* B.A.P Live on Earth 2013 (2013) * B.A.P 1st Japan Tour Warrior Begins (2013) * B.A.P Live on Earth 2014 Continent Tour (2014) * B.A.P Live on Earth 2016 World Tour (2016) * B.A.P 2nd Japan Tour Be.Act.Play (2017) * B.A.P 2017 World Tour Party Baby! (2017) * B.A.P 3rd Japan Tour Massive (2018) * B.A.P 2018 Live Limited (2018) * B.A.P Forever Tour (2018)

Awards and nominations

B.A.P has won 29 awards out of 38 nominations, including three

MTV Europe Music Awards The MTV Europe Music Awards (originally named MTV European Music Awards, commonly abbreviated as MTV EMA) are awards presented by Paramount International Networks to honour artists and music in pop culture. It was originally conceived as an al ...

, two

Japan Gold Disc Awards The is an award presented by the Record music Industry Association of Japan in the field of music. The Japan Gold Disc Awards have multiple Grand Prix categories, including: Artist of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year (download and ...

, three

Gaon Chart Music Awards The Circle Chart Music Awards (), formerly known as the Gaon Chart Music Awards, is a major music awards ceremony that is presented annually in South Korea by the Korea Music Content Association primarily based on the commercial performance of t ...

, and eight So-Loved Awards.

Notes

References

External links

* * {{Authority control Musical groups established in 2012 K-pop music groups South Korean dance music groups South Korean boy bands 2012 establishments in South Korea King Records (Japan) artists South Korean hip-hop groups Melon Music Award winners TS Entertainment artists Musical groups reestablished in 2024