Chungha’s rise to fame: from a Texas childhood to K-pop reality show Produce 101, a girl group debut with I.O.I, solo success and a US breakthrough

Nov 16 , 2020

From cute, Texas-bound toddler, to teen dance sensation, to bona fide idol – Chungha through the years. Photo: @Byulharang_209, @dearIOIinfo/Twitter; @chungha_official/Instagram

The Gotta Go and Roller Coaster singer was a relative unknown just four years ago, now thanks to her inventive music and street dance style she’s an ambassador for Nike and good friends with Twice’s Jihyo

There’s no doubt that Chungha’s debut as a solo artist in 2017 surprised many of her fans, who were more familiar with her impressive dance moves on reality show Produce 101 than the sound of her voice.

But since then she’s carved out a place for herself in the competitive world of K-pop, garnered much respect from critics and created her own style of music that’s not just catchy to listen to but thoroughly enjoyable to watch. Songs like Roller Coaster, Gotta Go and Snapping cemented her place in the hearts of her fans, and now she’s become one of the country’s most beloved dancing queens.

Chungha in her Play music video. Photo: MNH Entertainment

And while many may know that she made her debut with I.O.I, many don’t know much about her life before the girl group.

Born in South Korea, Chungha and her mother headed to Coppell, Texas, when she was around seven years old. She later revealed in a radio show that her aunt’s family were living in Texas at the time and were able to help her family out in the early days. When she was 14, she returned to Seoul to settle down for schooling.

Chungha nurtured her talent and passion for dance at Seoul’s NY Dance Studio. It was here that she also met the dance teachers and friends who she’d go on to share a stage with.

In the early days she was part of a waacking dance crew called X-Fever, which trained under a teacher named J Waack. The crew later appeared together on Hit the Stage in 2016.

Just like any other K-pop idol, Chungha was required to go through a training period. After passing an open audition held by JYP Entertainment and coming in third, she became a trainee under the agency for a while. It was at this point she formed friendships with Twice’s Jihyo and Stray Kids’ Bang Chan.