South Korean singer/songwriter
Chung Ha debuted as a member of K-pop girl group I.O.I. before branching out with a successful solo career that included chart peaks such as 2018's Offset EP, the single "Gotta Go," and her 2021 debut long-player
QUERENCIA.
Born Kim Chan-mi in Seoul, she spent part of her dance-loving childhood in Dallas, Texas, where she was known as Annie Kim. After moving back to South Korea, she began training in the K-pop system, competing on reality survival shows before being recruited in YMC Entertainment's 11-member girl group I.O.I. They made their debut in 2016 with the Top Five EP Chrysalis, which included the international Top Ten hit single "Whatta Man." After they hit a career chart peak with the release of their sophomore EP, Miss Me?, the group went on hiatus in early 2017.
Chung Ha continued as a solo artist, issuing her debut single, "Week," and her first solo EP, Hands on Me, which blended dance pop, ballads, and throwback K-pop. The next year, she released Offset, which hit number three in Korea and placed her on the U.S. charts for the first with a number 13 showing on the Billboard World Albums list. Injecting hip-hop and electronic flair to sleek dance-pop, Offset was soon followed by
Blooming Blue, her third EP. Taking a brief break from her solo endeavors,
Chung Ha teamed with Seulgi (Red Velvet),
Soyeon (
(G)I-dle), and SinB (
GFriend) to form the supergroup Station Young, which recorded the track "Wow Thing" for SM Entertainment's compilation SM Station X O. Back on the solo front, she closed 2018 with additional singles "Whatcha Doin" with
Super Junior's
Yesung and "Gotta Go," her highest-charting song to date.
In 2019,
Chung Ha released the summery
Flourishing EP, a Top Ten release in both Korea and the U.S. The set was her highest-selling to date and included the hit "Snapping." That autumn,
Chung Ha reunited with a re-formed I.O.I., which returned to the scene as a nine-piece. 2021 saw the release of her first full-length effort,
QUERENCIA. Built around four central themes (noble, savage, unknown, and pleasures), the 21-track LP featured guest spots from DJ and record producer
R3hab, Puerto Rican rapper
Guaynaa, and South Korean singer and songwriter
Colde. ~ Neil Z. Yeung