Moonbyul

Moon Byul-yi (, born December 22, 1992), known professionally as Moonbyul (; stylized as Moon Byul), is a South Korean rapper and songwriter under RBW Entertainment. She is a member of the South Korean girl group Mamamoo and its sub-unit Mamamoo+.

Moonbyul made her solo debut in May 2018 with the digital single Selfish. According to the Korea Music Copyright Association, she has songwriting credits on over 100 songs.

Early life and education

Moon Byul-yi was born on December 22, 1992, in Bucheon, South Korea. In 2011, she was accepted into the Paekche Institute of the Arts, where she studied media music and vocals.
During her middle school years, she became interested in singing after watching TVXQ's performance of " Rising Sun". She decided to pursue singing after receiving positive feedback during a school performance. She also cited Girls' Generation and their leader Taeyeon as early influences on her career aspirations, and attended SM Entertainment's academy in an attempt to follow in her footsteps. She graduated from Wonmi High School, and later from the Paekche Institute of the Arts majoring in media, music and vocals.

Name

Moonbyul's stage name combines her family name "Moon" with her given name "Byul-yi". Her given name "Byul-yi" means ''star'' in Korean. According to Moonbyul, she has stated that her father chose the name "Byul-yi", meaning star, inspired by the night of her birth.

She uses the alias Moonstaras her rap name, which directly translates the meaning of her Korean name into English. Since her debut, she has incorporated the alias "Moonstar" in several of her lyrics, including in collaborations with other artists. The motifs of the moon and stars are often associated with her as well.

Career

Debut with Mamamoo

Moonbyul debuted as the main rapper and performer of Mamamoo on June 18, 2014, with the single "Mr.Ambiguous."The group became known for their vocal-centered musical style, according to Korean media outlets.

She joined her label RBW in 2011. Despite originally passing her audition as a vocalist and training as one, it was suggested to her by their record producer that she switch to becoming a rapper, as the group needed a rapper. Although she was rather unfamiliar with the genre and was only informed six months prior, she debuted with Mamamoo on June 19, 2014. According to the group's WAW documentary, Moonbyul also specialized in freestyle dance and hip-hop, and would show up to monthly evaluations with self-made routines she choreographed herself.

2014–2017: Mamamoo

Moonbyul debuted as a member of the girl group Mamamoo on June 19, 2014, with the release of their first extended play (EP) ''Hello''. As one of the members in charge of performance, she contributed to the choreography of the group's debut track, the lead single "Mr. Ambiguous".

Since the release of their second extended play '' Piano Man'' in November 2014, Moonbyul has co-written many of the group's lead singles, including the entirety of her own raps.

In November 2016, Mamamoo performed at the 37th annual Blue Dragon Film Awards, one of the most prestigious film awards in South Korean entertainment industry. They put a creative twist on their song " Decalcomanie" by including adlibs that referenced famous quotes and well-known lines from popular movies that year. In particular, Moonbyul's line " Jung Woo-sung, if I drink this in one shot, will you go out with me?", the moment received attention online and was widely shared on social media, contributing to the song's chart performance, along with his reaction that was captured on screen. The moment went viral in South Korea, garnering 1.5 million views within a day. The group and their song "Decalcomanie" gained a surge in popularity and rose to the top of real-time music charts, becoming a hit domestically.

In June 2017, Moonbyul released her first solo track, "Love & Hate", as part of Mamamoo's fifth EP, ''Purple''. She wrote the song based on her own past relationship, conveying the heartbreak of feeling alone even while the other person was there. Her interpretation of the bittersweetness of first love, is reflected in her dancing in the performance video as well.

2018–2020: Solo Activities

In May 2018, Moonbyul made her solo debut with the digital single "Selfish," featuring Seulgi of Red Velvet.

She released her first EP, "Dark Side of the Moon," on February 14, 2020. ''Rolling Stone'' described the album as "surprisingly expansive in the genres it explores", experimenting with a range of genres including jazz, blues, ballads and hip-hop, while the lead single "Eclipse" is described as a "powerful blend of rock, synth and trap". ''Billboard'' commended the release for continuing Mamamoo's legacy of relaying different ideas of feminine strength through their music, adding praise to Moonbyul for being "Billboard noted her use of diverse genres and performance styles". Upon release, the album charted at number one on the iTunes Top Album Chart in four countries, and ranked within the Top 5 in ten regions worldwide. Its lead single "Eclipse" also peaked at number fourteen on ''Billboard'' World Digital Song Sales chart for the week of February 14, 2020. ''Dark Side of the Moon'' sold 66,000 copies in the first week of its release alone and the album reportedly sold 66,000 copies in its first week, placing high on the Gaon Chart.

2020–2021: Venturing beyond music and successful hosting debut

In July 2020, Moonbyul was appointed as a host for the weekly radio program ''Avengirls'' on Naver NOW. Upon garnering high broadcast ratings, she launched ''Studio Moon Night'', her own flagship talk show, on February 15, 2021. With this live broadcast program that aired thrice weekly with new guests appearing each episode, she became the first Mamamoo member to venture into hosting and having a program named after her. She also composed and wrote the theme song for the show herself.

''Studio Moon Night'' was renewed for a second season in March 2022 after marking its first anniversary of being on air. In May of the same year, Moonbyul was awarded at 2022 Korea Brand Customer Loyalty Index for her work as a host in the live broadcasting category. The Brand Customer Loyalty Awards is held annually by the Korean Consumers Council to recognize the brands and personalities that have the most influence on popular culture and society, as determined through consumer research in association with the U.S. consulting firm Brand Keys.

In October 2021, she joined the cast of SBS entertainment program ''Kick a Goal.'' Moonbyul scored her first ever goal on the August 24th, 2022 episode to help her team FC Top Girl advance to the Super League, which recorded the high viewership ratings of 9.6% per minute.

On December 20, 2021, Moonbyul launched her YouTube channel, "''moonbyul2da''". In the lead-up to her third EP, Moonbyul pre-released two tracks; the single "G999", featuring fellow rapper Mirani, on December 13, 2021, and single "Shutdown", featuring Seori, on December 30, 2021.

2022: ''6equence'', solo concerts, and ''C.I.T.T (Cheese in the Trap)''

On January 19, 2022, Moonbyul released her third EP, ''6equence''. The album depicts a chronological sequence of six scenes of a romantic relationship from meeting to parting through its six tracks, reaching the climax of obsession with house-based title track "Lunatic", and is designed to be enjoyed "as if watching a short film". Moonbyul stated in the run-up to ''6equences release that she hopes to challenge the binary view of gender through her music, reflected in her androgynous musical style and gender-neutral lyrics. From March 5–6, 2022, Moonbyul held her second solo concerts ''Director's Cut: 6equence'' over two days.

On April 28, 2022, she released her fifth EP, ''C.I.T.T (Cheese in the Trap)'', containing punk rock lead single of the same name, as well as acoustic R&B track "My Moon", self-composed by Moonbyul as a song for her fans. The Album's sales of ''C.I.T.T (Cheese in the Trap)'' surpass 100,000 records sold with a single album.

Moonbyul held two shows from her first overseas solo concert Director's Cut: Japan Special Live in Osaka, Japan on August 20, 2022.

From August to November 2022, Moonbyul participated in and won the JTBC survival program '' The Second World'', a competition where rappers from K-pop girl groups engaged in a vocal performance contest. In the first round, she performed her own arrangement of Day6's ''Congratulations'', receiving a score of 2,000 points and ranking first. She secures top scores in multiple rounds. She ultimately won first place in the finale, and the phrase "어우문" (an acronym meaning "Moonbyul is going to win anyway") gained popularity in reference to her strong performance during the show.

On December 22, 2022, Moonbyul released the special single album ''The Present'', featuring the lead single ''Present'', described as a funk-based R&B track. The album marked her sixth solo release and included songs such as ''A Miracle 3 Days Ago'' and ''Chemistry''.

2023–present: First studio album and solo world tour

On January 7, 2023, Moonbyul performed at the 37th Golden Disc Awards, following her victory in the competition show " The Second World", performing her songs On My Way and Comma. Moonbyul joined the judging panel of JTBC's boy group survival program ''Peak Time'' in February 2023, replacing Mino of Winner. On April 29, Moonbyul was invited to perform at the Japanese edition of the Chimac Festival, held at the Expo Commemoration Park in Osaka, Japan. This marked her debut appearance as a solo artist in a music festival.

On February 20, 2024, Moonbyul released her first studio album ''Starlit of Muse'', featuring the lead singles "Touchin&Movin" and "Think About". The album sold over 100,000 copies in its first week, according to aon/Hanteo The 12-track album reached first place on the iTunes Top Albums Chart in ten different regions and sold over 100,000 copies in its first week. Moonbyul embarked on her first solo world tour, Museum: An Epic of Starlit with shows in Seoul, Taipei, Singapore, Hong Kong, Kaohsiung, Osaka, Tokyo and Macau.

Awards and Nominations

In the live broadcasting category at the 2022 Brand Customer Loyalty Awards, Moonbyul has received recognition.

Philanthropy

In addition to her artistic endeavours, Moonbyul has been involved in various charitable activities,she has participated in several charitable activities.

Discography

Studio albums

Extended plays

Reissues

Single albums

Singles

As lead artist

Collaborations

As featured artist

Soundtrack appearances

Other charted songs

Filmography

Web series

Television shows

Radio shows

Concerts and tours

Awards and nominations

Notes

References

External links

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{{Authority control

1992 births
Living people
People from Bucheon
Singers from Gyeonggi Province
K-pop singers
South Korean women pop singers
South Korean women rappers
South Korean female idols
South Korean jazz singers
South Korean web series actresses
21st-century South Korean women singers
21st-century South Korean rappers
21st-century South Korean actresses
South Korean hip-hop dancers
Mamamoo members