U-KISS | |
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From left to right: Eli, Dongho (former), Hoon, AJ (former), Kiseop, Kevin (former), Soohyun
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Background information | |
Origin | Seoul, South Korea |
Genres | |
Years active | 2008 | –present
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Associated acts |
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Website | u-kiss |
Members | |
Past members |
U-KISS (Korean: 유키스, Japanese: ユーキス) is a South Korean boy band formed by NH Media in 2008. Their name is an acronym, standing for Ubiquitous Korean International Idol Super Star. The group's current lineup is composed of Soohyun, Eli, Kiseop, Hoon and Jun.
Their breakthrough hit was Man Man Ha Ni (2009) from their EP Conti UKISS. U-KISS is known for their international popularity, especially in Latin America where they have conducted various tours. They released their first full-length album Only One on February 3, 2010. In September 2011, U-KISS released their second full-length album, NEVERLAND. They made their formal debut in Japan in 2011 with the release of the single "Tick Tack". Their second Japanese single was entitled "Forbidden Love" while their first Japanese full-length album was A Shared Dream (2012). Since their debut, the group has released three full-length albums, eleven mini-albums/EPs, one special mini-album (created for their fans), and various singles. They have also released five Japanese full-length albums, one Japanese compilation album, and five Japanese mini-albums/EPs. The group has also participated in various TV reality shows and films.
U-KISS was first formed as a six-member boy-group in 2008. Kibum and Kevin were members of the boy band XING but left the group in early 2007. The other four members were all individually selected by NH Media through auditions. U-KISS debuted in Japan on August 15, 2008 at the Power of Atamix 08. The group debuted in South Korea on August 28, 2008 with a release of their first mini album, New Generation, (N-Generation) on September 3, 2008 and a live performance of their first song Not Young on Mnet. Even though they were newcomers in the industry, U-KISS was considered for Japan-Korea collaborative project. A popular entertainment company, Yashimoto Group in Japan, invested 150 billion KRW to groom U-KISS as an internationally known group.