YERIN

South Korean vocalist, performer, and screen presence Yerin first rose to prominence in 2015 as one of the six members of GFRIEND, serving both as the ensemble’s principal dancer and a principal voice. When the act dissolved in 2021, she launched an independent path that began with the May 2022 EP Aria.

Born Jung Ye-rin in Seoul, the future idol displayed an early affinity for music and movement, completing her studies at the city’s School of Performing Arts in 2015. Although Cube and Fantagio both extended offers, she ultimately joined Source Music’s newly formed girl group alongside Sowon, Eunha, Yuju, Umji, and SinB. GFRIEND’s opening release, the January 2015 mini-album Season of Glass, entered the Gaon Albums Chart at number nine. Follow-up EPs Flower Bud and Snowflake climbed to numbers six and two, respectively, while the full-length debut LOL propelled the six-piece act onto the international stage. Their growing profile was underscored by the breakthrough singles “Me Gustas Tu,” “Rough,” and “Navillera.”

Throughout the remainder of the 2010s and into the early 2020s, Yerin shared in the rewards of K-pop success. The group’s next two Korean studio albums and seven additional mini-albums all reached the Gaon Top Three, with The Awakening, Time for the Moon Night, Fever Season, and Labyrinth each claiming the summit. Extensive Asian touring and award-show recognition further elevated their profile until, in 2021, the members collectively opted not to extend their contracts, bringing GFRIEND to a close.

Yerin subsequently aligned with Sublime Artist Agency and returned in May 2022 with her first solo mini-album. The five-song set ranged from the understated R&B of “Lalala” to the shimmering electro-pop of its title track “ARIA.”