Jeon Somi

Ennik Somi Douma(born March 9, 2001), known professionally by her Korean nameJeon Somi(Korean:전소미), is a South Korean and Canadiansinger signed underThe Black Label.She quickly achieved domestic fame as the first-place winner of thesurvival reality showProduce 101and a member of the show's eleven-piece project girl groupI.O.I. Following the conclusion of I.O.I's group activities, Jeon signed withYG Entertainment's subsidiary, The Black Label. She made her debut as a solo artist on June 13, 2019, with the single "Birthday". In 2021, she released her first studio albumXOXO, which included the top-ten single "Dumb Dumb". She achieved her first top-five single in South Korea with "Fast Forward" in 2023.
Ennik Somi Douma (Korean:전소미;Jeon So-mi) was born  on March 9, 2001, inWindsor, Ontario, to a South Korean mother Jeon Sun-heeand a Canadian father of German and Dutch descent,Matthew Douma; her paternal grandfather immigrated to Canada fromHeerenveen.She is the eldest of two daughters.When she was six months old, Jeon and her parents moved toYeonhui-dong, Seoulin September 2001 because her mother had developedhomesickness. Her father had previously resided in the area when he studiedTaekwondobefore moving back to Canada.At age four, she made an appearance on television with her father when he was being interviewed byKBS Newsfor his part in clearing snow in the neighborhood.
She initially attended a school for foreigners before transferring toSeoul Midong Elementary Schoolto practice Taekwondo.She stated that she experienced bullying and discrimination at the school because of her mixed ethnicity and wanted to dye her hair black and get surgery to blend in.She graduated from elementary school in 2013, after which she attendedCheongdam Middle School; she graduated on February 3, 2017.Jeon completed her secondary education atHanlim Multi Art School, majoring in Practical Music and Vocal, graduating in a ceremony held on February 7, 2020.
She first dreamed of becoming a singer after watching the music video forRihanna's "Don't Stop the Music" as a child.At age nine, she was introduced to Korean pop and discoveredPark Bomof2NE1, whom she admired for her unique voice.
Beginning in her fourth year of elementary school, Jeon auditioned at various entertainment companies in South Korea.In 2013, as a part of the Seoul Midong Elementary School's Taekwondo demonstration team, she appeared in the Children's Day Special forLet's Go! Dream Team Season 2, where she paired withPark Joon-hyung.That same year, she sang and made an appearance in a music video for English education.
In August 2014, Jeon, her mother and her grandmother briefly made an appearance onKBS2'sHello Counseloramong the studio audience.She was also cast in a cameo role alongside her sister in the 2014 filmOde to My Fatherby directorYoon Je-kyoon, who her father was acquainted with and needed two biracial children for his film.That same year, Jeon auditioned forJYP Entertainmentwith "Lonely" by2NE1and was accepted into the agency's trainee program.In 2015, she appeared in label-mateGot7's "Stop Stop It" music video alongside other female trainees.In May 2015, Jeon participated inMnetreality survival programSixteen, where she was pitted against fifteen other trainees from the agency to secure a spot in its first girl group in five years (nowTwice) after the debut ofMiss A; however, Jeon was eliminated in the final round and continued as a trainee.JYP Entertainment founderPark Jin-youngstated she had star quality but lacked preparation.
In January 2016, as a representative of her label, Jeon participated in the competition seriesProduce 101and finished in first place with 858,333 votes.After completing a two-and-a-half-year training period, fifteen-year-old Jeon officially debuted on May 4 with the project female groupI.O.Iand its firstextended playChrysalisunderYMC Entertainment.On August 9, Jeon was included in a sub-unit of I.O.I consisting of six other members.The sub-unit released the single "Whatta Man", which debuted at number two on theGaon Digital Chart.Jeon and her band-mates received their first-ever music show win with the single onSBS MTV'sThe Show.On August 29, Jeon collaborated with I.O.I band-matesChoi Yoo-jungandChunghaandKi Hui-hyeonofDIAon the digital single "Flower, Wind and You".It entered the Gaon Digital Chart at number 48.In October, Jeon was selected as the new host forThe Show, paired with singerWooshinofUP10TION.
On January 9, 2017, it was confirmed that Jeon signed a formal contract with JYP Entertainment for her solo activities on television. The agency however, revealed they had yet to decide what path her future held.Jeon's activities with I.O.I soon ended following its disbandment on January 29, 2017.Shortly afterward, she joined the second installation ofSister's Slam Dunkas a regular cast member.On March 9,Eric Namand Jeon released a collaborative digital single titled "You, Who?".The single charted at number 16 on the Gaon Digital Chart.On May 12, Jeon joined Unnies, a project group created by the production team ofSister's Slam Dunk 2. The group released the singles "Right?" and "Lalala Song".Upon release, the digital singles debuted at numbers two and 48, respectively, on the Gaon Digital Chart and numbers 10 and 22, respectively, on theBillboardWorld Digital Song Saleschart."Right?" sold over 950,000 digital copies by the year's end.
On March 28, 2017, Jeon joined theKBSweb entertainment programIdol Drama Operation Team. On the show, she and six other girl group members worked together to write their own drama series,Let's Only Walk the Flower Road, becoming accredited scriptwriters as well as acting in the series as fictional versions of themselves in a girl group.Final filming for the show took place on May 9.The seven cast members formed a project girl group called Girls Next Door and released a single as part of the show's soundtrack. The song, "Deep Blue Eyes", was co-written and co-composed byB1A4'sJinyoungand made available on June 14 throughWarner Music Korea. The group held their debut stage on July 14 atMusic Bank.In November 2017, Jeon featured on the digital single "Nov to Feb" by label-mate seniorJun. Kof2PMand performed the song in the special broadcastJun.K X Rooftop LiveonV Live.
On August 20, 2018, Jeon departed JYP Entertainment, terminating her contract with the agency following a formal discussion and mutual agreement.The following month, she signed an exclusive contract withYG Entertainment's independent subsidiary labelThe Black Label, home to South KoreanR&BsingerZion.T.Jeon revealed she joined the label soon after her meeting with CEOTeddy Park, citing his authenticity and feeling of content while imagining future plans for her as reasons.In addition, Jeon believed The Black Label would aid and allow her to focus on her growth both as an artist and a person, which aligned with her interests, in contrast with the constant promotions and releases often seen in the industry.
On February 25, 2019, The Black Label revealed Jeon was preparing to make her debut as a solo artist with a lead single produced by Teddy.Her debut single "Birthday" was released on June 13 with an accompanying music video that surpassed four million views in 24 hours onYouTube.18-year-old Jeon made her broadcast debut as a soloist onShow! Music Core, performing both "Birthday" and itsB-side"Outta My Head" on June 15.The singles entered theBillboardWorld Digital Songs Chartat numbers five and nine, respectively, while "Birthday" peaked at numbers 22 and 18 on theGaon Digital ChartandBillboardKorea K-pop 100, respectively.The lead single was also used in the trailer forNora From QueensstarringAwkwafina.Jeon soon joined the cast forLaw of the Jungle in Chuukwith her father andLose If You're Enviousas one of the panelists of hosts.
On March 28, 2020, the reality seriesI Am Somi, was released on The Black Label'sYouTubechannel, a vlogging series on Jeon's life.In the sixth episode, Jeon revealed that her next release had been delayed and the series cut short due to travelling restrictions related to thecoronavirus pandemic.On July 14, it was confirmed that Jeon would make her comeback on July 22 with a new single titled "What You Waiting For".On July 20, in conjunction with the release of "What You Waiting For", Jeon signed withInterscope RecordsandUniversal Music Groupfor representation outside ofAsia.On August 6, 2020, Jeon won her first music show trophy with "What You Waiting For" onMnet'sM Countdown.
On March 1, 2021, Jeon was invited byThe Blue Houseto commemorate the 102nd anniversary of theKorean Declaration of Independence. The ceremony was held atTapgol ParkinJongno District,Seouland attended byPresident of South Korea,Moon Jae-in.She recited a reading from the March 1 Declaration of Independence alongside foreign activist descendants, entirely in the Korean language. The Blue House revealed they selected Jeon as a multicultural representative for her popularity as an idol promoting Korean content worldwide.Jeon and most members of I.O.I reunited on their fifth debut anniversary with the livestream specialYes, I Love It!on May 4; only membersKyulkyungandMinawere absent.
On July 23, Jeon was revealed to release a new single, "Dumb Dumb", on August 2.Its music video garnered 10 million views in under 24 hours on YouTube and 20 million views in two days, both personal records.The release peaked at numbers eight and nine on theGaon Digital Chartand theBillboardKorea K-pop 100respectively, marking her first top ten single as a soloist."Dumb Dumb" also became her first chart entry in theBillboardGlobal Excl. U.S., debuting at number 130.In commemoration of the release, Jeon initiated a "Dumb Dumb Challenge" onTikTok, where the hashtag gained over 70 million views in two weeks and exceeded 122.7 million views the next day.
On October 14, 2021, The Black Label confirmed that Jeon would release her first full-length album,XOXO, and itslead single of the same nameon October 29. The digitally-released singles "Birthday", "Outta My Head", "What You Waiting For" and "Dumb Dumb" were among the tracks on the album.The album went on to debut at number six on theGaon Album Chartand sold 55,223 copies in the month of November.Lead single "XOXO" peaked at number 43 on the Gaon Digital Chart and became her first chart entry in theBillboardGlobal 200at number 185.
On July 24, 2023, Jeon announced that she would be releasing a newextended playalbumGame Planin August.The EP was released August 7, with the lead single "Fast Forward".The song was a commercial and critical success, peaking at number 5 on South Korea's Circle Digital Chart, and being named as one of the best K-pop songs of 2023 byDazedandBusiness Insider.On December 12, 2023, Jeon released the special Christmas single "Ex-Mas" in collaboration with rapperBig Naughty.
On August 2, 2024, Jeon released the summer special single "Ice Cream".
Jeon is accredited inTaekwondo, having practiced theKorean martial artfor over 10 years and taught initially by her father, who himself achieved afourth degree black belt.She held athird-degree black beltfor some time but could not gain the fourth degree due to her young age.On May 30, 2018, 17-year-old Jeon partook in the fourth degree black belt examination held byKukkiwon, wherein her skills qualified for the promotion.After she reachedage of majorityin South Korea, she applied for the conversion indanand was officially certified as a fourth degree black belt holder,the level of an instructor qualified to run and manage adojang.
Jeon and her family practiceKorean Buddhism.She has stated that she holds three passports to South Korea, Canada and the Netherlands.
As a child, Jeon enjoyed expressing herself through clothes and fashion.Her personality extended to her own style, including aLouis Vuittonbag she customized with a drawing of a unicorn, which she believed resembles herself. Jeon commented, "I like monogram patterns and colors. When I think of the monogram bag my mother carried about 10 years ago, I still think it's cool."For her single "What You Waiting For", Jeon was involved in the planning and styling process for her music video and worked closely with Serian, the current director ofVogueKorea.She selected looks portraying confidence and chose to wield a sword in the video to complete the "badass" look, with a hidden meaning relating to her birth name "Ennik", which means "sword" in Old Dutch/Old Frisian.Jeon also often invests her time inDIYprojects, enjoying taking clothing apart, putting the pieces back together, tearing them apart again, and repeating the process again as part of her experiments.
Jeon began songwriting in her third year in middle school. Her first self-composed release, "Outta My Head"(어질어질), was written while promoting as a member ofI.O.I.She was casually humming the tune following her move to The Black Label, and Teddy asked if she had come up with it. With encouragement and help from in-house producer 24,the initially bright melody turned into a mid-tempoR&Bsong and was included on her debut single album,Birthday.
Jeon usually records two versions of songs she writes, each in a different language. After grasping the "feel" of the song in English, the lyrics are changed to Korean. She explained, "For example, if the lyric is 'orange', it will be changed to 'how long' (in Korean), making similar pronunciations". The original lyrics to the hook of her single "Dumb Dumb" were "Imma say it like it is / cut the bullsh*t / you dumb dumb"; in the official version, they have been translated to Korean.Jeon attributed the longer wait between comebacks to this recording process and vouched it improves the result.
As a soloist under The Black Label, Jeon has gained greater artistic and creative control over her music and career. She stated, "There are a lot of great producers, songwriters, creatives and people I truly respect here. I've matured both professionally and personally a lot by learning from them and seeing how they do things up close. But there is still a lot to go. I'm still definitely learning".She credits Teddy as an important mentor in her growth as a songwriter: "Every songwriter and producer has their own way to express themselves artistically and Teddy is helping me to find my own way."
During her childhood, Jeon's favorite musicians wereCyndi Lauper,Rihannaand2NE1.Growing up, Jeon also listened to the music of South Korean singerSeo Taiji, whom she described as an artist who "rocked the music industry", thanks to her mother's influence.Jeon also credited her father for introducing music from various countries and listened to music on cassette tapes because of her grandmother.Jeon also citesLee Hyorias a role model in her career as a female soloist; Lee showcased multiple different concepts throughout her career, ranging from mature to bright, which Jeon views as an inspiration for her own image as an artist.1TYMleader and CEO ofThe Black Label,Teddy Park, was another key mentor and influence named by Jeon. She shared that "Teddy is without a doubt, the most successful songwriting and composing figure in K-pop, period.Period. When I first saw him, it was like seeing a unicorn up close [...] I was in awe because growing up I used to listen to his music and dream of becoming a singer [...] One piece of advice Teddy gave me was to not only just focus on being a great singer and musician, but also focus on being a great person and that's what I exactly aim to be."
Her time as anI.O.Imember contributed to her "Human Vitamin" image, which is also often referenced as one of many reasons she was considered for the endorsement offers she has received.She became the muse for Japanese skincare brandHada Laboand cosmetics brands Kiss MeandShiseidoKorea, where she was also appointed as brand ambassador.Jeon also became a model for skincare brand COSRX.She has since become a brand spokesperson for ABC Mart's shoe brand Nuovoand was selected as an endorsement model for Beanpole Sportsand fashion brand United Colors of Benetton Korea.In February 2022, she became the brand ambassador forConverse.In May 2023, she became an ambassador forThe North Face.Outside of the beauty and fashion industries, Jeon was selected as a model forNongshim's snack Petit Paris Rollbreadand hangover product HK inno.N.Jeon has also been invited to participate in campaigns forFanta,Reebok(Classic SS18 campaign, "Always Classic"),Louis Vuitton(2021 Eyewear Global Campaign),andPrada's Eternal Gold line.
In October 2021, Jeon became the public relation ambassador ofMinistry of Culture, Sports and Tourismand participated in "Korea Contents Week" campaign.
In July 2016, Jeon alongsideI.O.IbandmatesNayoungandKyulkyung, collaborated with "Shoot For Love", a campaign organized by Be Kind Organization in cooperation with the Korea Leukemia and Pediatric Cancer Association, to raise awareness and funds for children diagnosed withpediatric cancer. The trio successfully completed the missions provided and raised₩1 million.In October 2018, she became the international ambassador of The Wetskills Foundation, a Dutch non-governmental organization focused on water management.In October 2020, Jeon, with other prominent personalities, participated inW Korea's "Love Your W: Ontact Campaign", a campaign to raise awareness ofbreast cancer.
All song credits are adapted from theKorea Music Copyright Association's database unless stated otherwise.