Moonbyul of Mamamoo: the cool, stylish lead rapper, dancer and singer who overcame her lack of confidence
- Early in her career, Moonbyul failed to join a girl band because she lacked confidence, her singing was not good enough and she had to lose weight
- Even after joining Mamamoo she found it hard to find her feet in the group, but soon grew into the role
Mamamoo were the first K-pop girl group launched by South Korean idol agency WA Entertainment, now known as RBW. Since their debut in 2014, they have won acclaim for their varied musical styles – mainly influenced by retro genres such as jazz and R&B – and strong individual personalities.
Moonbyul is Mamamoo’s lead rapper, dancer and vocalist. Here’s a look at her life and career so far.
Early life
Moonbyul was born Moon Byul-yi in 1992 in the South Korean city of Bucheon. As a child, she dreamt of becoming a teacher. During middle school, she decided she wanted to become a police officer, but her love of K-pop – particularly Jung Yun-ho of K-pop duo TVXQ – pulled her in a different direction.
Before she made her debut with Mamamoo in 2014 as a rapper, Moonbyul received vocal training at various entertainment companies. During her first year of high school, she attended the SM Academy with the aim of eventually being signed by SM Entertainment, one of the largest idol companies in South Korea.
