I.O.I

I.O.I (아이오아이) rewrote the rules of K-pop group formation. Born from Mnet's Produce 101 in 2016, the eleven-member project group debuted on May 4 with the EP Chrysalis and lead single "Dream Girls," turning a reality show voting experiment into a cultural blueprint. They promoted for less than a year before disbanding in January 2017, but the impact was permanent. Chungha emerged as one of K-pop's most respected solo artists. Jeon Somi signed with The Black Label and became a chart-topping soloist. Kim Sejeong built parallel careers in music and acting, starring in Business Proposal and The Uncanny Counter. The group's fan-voted format spawned Wanna One, IZ*ONE, and X1, fundamentally changing how the industry builds its biggest acts. After a failed reunion attempt in 2020, Swing Entertainment officially confirmed on February 23, 2026 that nine members (Lim Na-young, Chungha, Kim Sejeong, Jung Chae-yeon, Kim So-hye, Yoo Yeonjung, Choi Yoo-jung, Kim Do-yeon, and Jeon Somi) will reunite in May 2026 with a new album under SWING Entertainment's full management. A decade later, I.O.I's legacy is less about what they released and more about what they started.