I. Introduction
B1A4 is a three (previously five) member boy group under WM Entertainment. CNU, Sandeul, and Gongchan are in their current lineup. Members Jinyoung and Baro did not renew their contracts on June 30, 2018, and thus left the group. Since then, the group has resumed activities as a three member group.
The group officially debuted on April 23, 2011. They are under WM Entertainment, but beginning in 2015, LOEN Entertainment has been in charge of distributing their physical releases.
II. Career
Before debut, all the members trained for two years. On April 11, 2011, the members were revealed through a webtoon. Back then, it was speculated that B1A4 could possibly be co-ed due to a female character being in the webtoon.
Jinyoung was announced as the first member on the same day. The rest of the members, Baro, gongchan, Sandeul, and CNU, were announced later from April 12-15. A teaser for their promotional single, O.K, was dropped on April 19. The full video and their debut EP was dropped on April 21. B1A4 performed for the first time on April 23 on MBC's Show! Music Core.
B1A4 later started performing their song, Only Learned the Bad Things, on music shows starting on June 18, 2011. They also went featured with Block B on SBS MTV's reality show Match Up, which aired on June 22. The music video for Only Learned the Bad Things was shown for the first time on this show.
The group made their Japanese debut under the record label Pony Canyon in January 2012. They also had their showcase B1A4 - Japan Showcase Live 2011 at the Sinagawa Stellar Ball in Tokyo on December 9, 2011. The tickets to attend this event sold-out under a minute. They performed nine songs for 1,000 attendees. B1A4 also won the Rookie of the Year Award at Tower Records' K-Pop Lovers! Awards 2011.
B1A4 finally made their official Japanese debut via a compilation album released on January 25, 2012.
B1A4 had their first solo concert BABA B1A4 at the SK Olympic Handball Gymnasium.
They won two awards from the 2013 Japan Gold Disc Awards from the Recording Industry Association of Japan on January 7, 2013. They also performed in the The 12th Korea Times Music Festival and KCON 2014 in Los Angeles, California. They then had their first world tour Road Trip in places such as Taiwan, Shanghai, Manila, Melbourne, Sydney, New York, Chicago, Dallas, and San Francisco from August to October, 2014.
On June 30, 2018, WM Entertainment revealed that Jinyoung and Baro did not renew their contracts and subsequently left both the group and agency. They announced on NOvember 16 that B1A4 would continue to promote as three members.
CNU officially enlisted for mandatory military service on January 22, 2019 and completed his service on August 28, 2020. The group returned with their studio album Origine on October 19, 2020.
Sandeul is set to enlist on November 11, 2021. The group is planned to drop a new digital single Huge Word on November 10 before his enlistment occurs.
III. Members
| CNU
Birth Name: Shin Dong Woo Born on June 16, 1991 in Chungbuk Cheongju, South Korea Main Dancer, Lead Vocalist, Lead Rapper |
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| Sandeul
Birth Name: Lee Jung Hwan Born on March 20, 1992 in Busan, South Korea Main Vocalist |
|
| Gongchan
Birth Name: Gong Chan Shik Born on August 14, 1993 in Jeollam Suncheon, South Korea Lead Dancer, vocalist, Visual/Face of the Group, Maknae |
Former Members
| Jinyoung
Birth Name: Jung Jin Young Born on November 18, 1991 in Cheongju, Chungcheongbukdo, South Korea Leader, Lead Vocalist |
|
| Baro
Birth Name: Cha Sun Woo Born on September 5, 1992 in Gwangju, South Korea Main Rapper |
IV. Discography
| Let's Fly | EP | April 21, 2011 | |
| It B1A4 | EP | September 16, 2011 | |
| Let's Fly/It B1A4 | Compilation Album | January 25, 2012 | |
| This Time Is Over | Single | March 5, 2012 | |
| Ignition | Studio Album | March 14, 2012 | |
| Ignition Special Edition | Reissue | May 24, 2012 | |
| 1 | Studio Album | October 24, 2012 | |
| Super Hits -Asian Edition- | Compilation Album | November 2, 2012 | |
| In the Wind | EP | November 12, 2012 | |
| Super Hits 2 -Asian Edition- | Compilation Album | June 28, 2013 | |
| What's Happening? | EP | May 8, 2013 | |
| Who Am I | Studio Album | January 13, 2014 | |
| 2 | Studio Album | March 19, 2014 | |
| Solo Day | EP | July 14, 2014 | |
| White Miracle | Single | January 21, 2015 | |
| Miracle Radio -2.5kHz- vol.1 | Compilation Album | March 11, 2015 | |
| Miracle Radio -2.5kHz- vol.2 | Compilation Album | March 11, 2015 | |
| Miracle Radio -2.5kHz- vol.3 | Compilation Album | March 11, 2015 | |
| Miracle Radio -2.5kHz- vol.54 | Compilation Album | March 11, 2015 | |
| Miracle Radio -2.5kHz- vol.5 | Compilation Album | March 11, 2015 | |
| Sweet Girl | EP | August 10, 2015 | |
| It's Christmas Time | Single | December 12, 2015 | |
| Good Timing | Studio Album | November 28, 2016 | |
| 3 | Studio Album | March 16, 2016 | |
| You and I | Single Album | March 8, 2017 | |
| B1A4 Fan Hits Korea | Compilation Album | March 8, 2017 | |
| Follow Me | Single Album | May 24, 2017 | |
| 4 | Studio Album | June 14, 2017 | |
| Rollin' | EP | September 25, 2017 | |
| - | Do You Remember | Single Album | February 7, 2018 |
| - | B1A4 Station Kiss | Compilation Album | February 21, 2018 |
| - | B1A4 Station Circle | Compilation Album | February 21, 2018 |
| - | B1A4 Station Triangle | Compilation Album | February 21, 2018 |
| - | B1A4 Station Square | Compilation Album | February 21, 2018 |
| - | 5 | Studio Album | June 27, 2018 |
| - | B1A4 Japan Best Album 2012-2018 | Compilation Album | September 26, 2018 |
| - | Happy Days | Single Album | November 18, 2018 |
| - | A Day of Love | Single | January 26, 2019 |
| - | Origine | Studio Album | October 19, 2020 |
| - | Huge Word | Digital Single | November 10, 2021 |
Features
| Win The Day
With B1A4, Nichkhun, 4Minute, Junho, Dal Shabet, MBLA!, Miss A, Nine Muses |
Album: Team SIII - Win The Day | July 5, 2012 |
| You Are A Miracle
With IU, Sung Sikyung, Girl’s Day (Minah), B1A4 (Jinyoung), EXO (Baekhyun, D.O), BEAST (Yoseob, Hyunseung), 2PM (Jun.K, Wooyoung), SNSD (Tiffany), BIG BANG (G-Dragon, Taeyang), CNBLUE (Yonghwa, Jonghyun), Infinite (Sungkyu), f(x) (Luna), Ailee, KARA (Gyuri, Jiyoung), After School (Raina), Teen Top (Niel), 2NE1 (Minzy), JYP, Miss A (Suzy), Sunmi, K.Will, SHINee (Jonghyun, Taemin) Lee Sung Chul, APink (Eunji), Super Junior (Heechul), Lee Hyori, 4Minute (Gayoon), TigerJK, Yoon Mirae |
Album: You Are A Miracle (2013 SBS Gayo Daejun Friendship Project) | December 29, 2013 |
| A Fingertips Love
With B1A4, BTOB's Eunkwang & Changsub, Oh My Girl, April, KARA's Youngji, Kassy |
A Fingertips Love | 2013 |
OST
| Sky | SBS Take Care of Us, Captain OST | January 4, 2012 |
| Hey Girl | MBC The Thousandth Man OST | August 14, 2012 |
| Sunshine | MBC We Got Married Global Edition OST | April 29, 2013 |
| With You | tvN Reply 1994 OST | November 8, 2013 |
V. Videography
Music Videos
| O.K | April 20, 2011 |
| Only Learned the Bad Things | March 2, 2016 |
| Beautiful Target | September 15, 2011 |
| Beautiful Target (ZOOM ZOOM Version) | October 6, 2011 |
| BABY I'M SORRY | 2012 |
| Sleep Well, Good Night | 2012 |
| Beautiful Target (Japanese Version) | June 3, 2012 |
| Sleep Well, Good Night (Japanese Version) | 2012 |
| Tried to Walk | May 7, 2013 |
| What's Happening? | May 7, 2013 |
| What's Happening? What - Why? (Japanese Version) | July 25, 2013 |
| With You (Reply 1994 OST) | November 7, 2013 |
| Lonely | January 12, 2014 |
| Solo Day | 2014 |
| Solo Day (Japanese Version) | September 1, 2014 |
| White Miracle | January 23, 2015 |
| Sweet Girl | August 9, 2015 |
| A Lie | November 27, 2016 |
| Rollin | September 25, 2017 |
| A Day of Love | January 26, 2019 |
| Like a Movie | October 19, 2020 |
Collaboration MV's
| Win The Day | With B1A4, 2PM's Junho and Nichkhun, 4Minute, Sistar, Dal Shabet, MBLAQ, Miss A, Nine Muses and ZE:A (2012 London Olympics - Samsung South Korea support song) |
July 6, 2012 |
| You Are A Miracle | With B1A4, Lee Seung Chul, Kim Jo Han, Park Jin Young, Tiger JK, Yoon Mirae, Lee Hyori, Sung Si Kyung, Super Junior, Brown Eyed Girls, K. Will, Sunmi, Big Bang, KARA, Girl's Generation, SHINee, 2PM, IU, After School, 2NE1, 4Minute, f(x), B2ST, CNBlue, ZE:A, Infinite, miss A, Teen Top, Girl's Day, A Pink, Ailee, EXO, B.A.P. and more (2013 SBS Gayo Daejun Friendship Project) |
December 29, 2013 |
Shows
| MTV Match Up | June 22, 2011 | SBS |
| B1A4's Selca Diary | 2012 | MTV |
| B1A4's Real Player | 2012 | - |
| B1A4's Hello Baby Season 6 | 2012 | KBS Joy |
| Wide Entertainment News | 2013 | - |
| B1A4's One Fine Day | July 21 - September 8, 2014 | MBC |
| A Song For You | August 9, 2014 | KBS2 |
VI. Videos
O.K MV
Beautiful Target (Japanese Version) MV
What's Happening? MV
Like a Movie MV
[2016 MBC Drama Awards] A Lie performance
VII. Trivia
- On May 31, 2012, B1A4 visited a fan's home to help make a meal and care for the fan's sick mother.
- B1A4 donated 140 kg rice garlands (that was donated from fans) to the Seoul SOS Youth Camp in Yangcheon District
- B1A4 is known as the "countryside-dols" (countryside idols) as all the members are from the country
- Other names they have are blood-dols (references their group name that has their blood types in them) and paper-dols (paper idols) since the "A4" can also refer to the paper type "A4"
- B1A4 has also pushed the name "saessakdol" (sprout-dol), and made up a saessakchum (sprout-dance) in many shows
- Baro is the only member with type B blood while the other members have A. That's where their name comes from. B1 + A4
- Jinyoung composed and produced Baby Good night, Lonely, and Lie
- Sandeul is friends with VIXX's Ken and BTS's V
- Gongchan made a special appearance in MAMAMOO's Piano Man MV. He played the piano man who the members were trying to sedeuce
- Baro's younger sister is also under the same label as B1A4. She is a soloist that goes by the stage name "I"
- Jinyoung is an actor. His performance in Love in the Moonlight won him Best New Actor from the 2016 KBS Drama Awards
- He recently started in the drama Police University
- In the MV for O.K, CNU hit an actress using a baseball by accident
- Their fandom name, BaNa means Ba (B1A4) and Na (the fans). Bana is also short for Banada, which means "fallen in love with". This implies that B1A4 is in love with their fans
