Infinite (band)

Infinite (Korean: 인피니트; stylized as INFINITE) is a South Korean boy band formed in 2010 by Woollim Entertainment. The group is composed of six members: Sungkyu, Dongwoo, Woohyun, Sungyeol, L, and Sungjong. Originally a seven-piece group, Hoya departed from the group in August of 2017. Infinite debuted in 2010 with their EP First Invasion. Their first full album, Over the Top, was released in July 2011. Their EP New Challenge, released in March 2013, sold over 160,000 copies in South Korea alone and was one of the best-selling albums of 2013. Their second full album, Season 2, was released in May 2014.

Infinite
Background information
OriginSeoul, South Korea
Genres
Years active2010 (2010)–2019[note 1]
Labels
Associated acts
Websiteifnt7.com
Members
Past members

History

Pre-debut

Before their debut, Sung-kyu, Woo-hyun, Sung-yeol, L, and Sung-jong participated in the 2010 Vancouver Olympics in the chorus of Epik High's supporting song.[1] L, Sung-kyu, Woo-hyun, and Sung-jong appeared in Epik High's music video "RUN" while Hoya and Dong-woo served as backup dancers during promotions on music shows. On April 12, Infinite first appeared in an Mnet pre-debut reality show "You Are My Oppa" along with Lovelyz's Ji-ae and Epik High.

2010: Debut

On June 9, they debuted with their first mini album First Invasion and the title track "Come Back Again".[2] Infinite also promoted their song "She's Back" from the album.

2011: Over The Top and Japanese debut

Infinite in August 2011

The group's second mini album Evolution was released on January 7. The group promoted it with the lead single "Before the Dawn (BTD)". The group entered the Music Bank K-chart for the first time.

Infinite made their comeback with their first single album Inspirit. In the music charts, the group finally ran from the top 30 to the top 40, and also went up to the top 10 in the Music Bank K-chart.

Their first studio album Over The Top was released on July 21 along with the music video of their title track "Be Mine". They received their first music show first place award at M! Countdown on September 1 and received a "Double Crown" for winning two consecutive #1 places at M! Countdown. Following the success of Be Mine, Infinite re-released Over The Top as a repackaged album titled Paradise, along with its title track of the same name, on September 26. On October 9, Infinite came first on Inkigayo for Paradise. They then won their second trophy with Paradise on October 13 on M! Countdown.

Infinite unofficially debuted in Japan with their first Japanese single "To-Ra-Wa"[3] on January 26, which was a Japanese version of their Korean debut song, "Come Back Again". Immediately after its release, their Evolution mini album hit #3 on real-time charts for sales in Korea.[4] The song was the top downloaded ringtone on the daily charts of the K-Pop section of Japan’s top mobile website. Infinite released various rental singles including "She's Back", "BTD (Before The Dawn)", and "Nothing's Over" before they officially debuted in Japan.

Infinite made their official Japanese debut with the release of the Japanese version of "BTD" on November 19. The B-side for the single is "Can U Smile", a remake of a track from their 2nd mini album Evolution. It is the third track of their first single album Inspirit.

On December 5, they released their first Christmas song, "White Confession".

2012: First concert and Infinitize

Infinite performing at Cyworld Dream Music Festival in 2011

Infinite held their first concert 2012 Infinite Concert "Second Invasion" in Seoul's Olympic Stadium on February 11–12 and in Tokyo International Forum on February 25–26. The encore concert, 2012 Infinite Concert "Second Invasion Evolution" was held in Seoul's Olympic Stadium on April 1.

The group's second Japanese single was released on April 18. It included the Japanese version of their song "Be Mine" as its title track, as well as a Japanese version of "Julia". It peaked at #2 both in Oricon Daily and Weekly Charts. Total reported sales amounted to at least 54,218 copies.

The group's third mini album INFINITIZE on May 15. On June 14, Infinite took their first triple crown on M! Countdown with "The Chaser", which achieved the top spot on the charts for three consecutive weeks. At the end of the year, Billboard named "The Chaser" the number one KPOP song of the year.[5]

2013–2014: New Challenge, first world tour and Season 2

On March 21, the group released their fourth mini album New Challenge. The lead single was titled "Man in Love", which took seven trophies on music shows during its promotion period.[6]

The group released their first Japanese debut album, Koi ni Ochiru Toki, on June 6.[7] It took the #1 place on the Oricon’s albums chart for the week of June 3 to 9 with 69,647 copies sold.

The group then released their second single, "Destiny", on July 16.[8][9][10]The group first performed "Destiny" at the 2013 Mnet 20's Choice Awards on July 18 and began promotional performances on MBC's July 20 episode of Show! Music Core and various music programs.

Infinite began their first world tour named 2013 Infinite 1st World Tour "One Great Step" on August 9 in Seoul. The tour also included 22 shows in Asia, North America, Europe and Dubai.

On January 16, 2014 Mnet released a preview for the group's new reality show, This is INFINITE and will aired on February 6.[11][12][13]

Their first world tour encore 2013 Infinite 1st World Tour "One Great Step Returns" was held in Seoul's Olympic Gymnastics Arena on February 28 and March 1.

On April 10, 2014 Infinite released their instrumental album The Origin. Prior to this release, Infinite released the instrumental music video for their song "BTD (Before the Dawn)", which featured never-before-seen footage from the original "BTD" music video.[14][15]

On May 12, Woollim Entertainment confirmed in an interview with Newsen that Infinite's second studio album, Season 2, would be released on May 21.[16] Prior to the release of the album, Infinite held a showcase in South Korea, Japan and Taiwan, titled 1.2.3. The group held the first showcase in Japan on May 19 and Taiwan on May 20 before performing in South Korea on May 21.[17][18] On May 21, their second studio album with title Last Romeo was released.[19][20] Following the album release, Infinite held a showcase at the Jamsil Student Gymnasium in Seoul.[21] A repackaged edition for Season 2 titled Be Back was released on July 22.[22][23]

Infinite held their second summer concert "2014 Infinite Concert <That Summer 2>" in Seoul's Blue Square Samsung Card Hall with the expected total audience of 15.000 fans.[24] It consisted of 7 shows starting from 7–10 August 2014 and 14–16 August 2014 respectively.[25]

On September 11, the group had their first Billboard No. 1, with their single "Last Romeo" topping the Billboard Twitter Emerging Artists chart, becoming the first Korean act to do so, and also hitting No. 33 on Billboard Twitter Top Tracks.[26]

On December 18, Infinite released the music video their new Japanese single, "Dilemma", composed by renowned Japanese musician and guitarist Tomoyasu Hotei.[27]The single was subsequently released on December 24 and used as the centerpiece of their upcoming Dilemma Tour in Japan in early 2015.[28]

2015: Reality

Infinite embarked on their third Japan solo concert tour 2015 Japan Tour - Dilemma on February 1 in Fukuoka, following held in Tokyo, Osaka and Aichi.[29] On April 29, they a revealed promotional video (PV) for 24 Hours. 24 Hours came in third on the Oricon Weekly Chart with 56,266 copies sold.[30]

At 2015 summer K-Pop festival

Infinite released Reality, their fifth extended play, on July 13, 2015. It contains seven tracks, with the lead single titled "Bad".[31]

The group announced their second solo world tour 2015 Infinite 2nd World Tour "Infinite Effect" in July 2015. Two concerts were held in Seoul at the Olympic Stadium Arena on August 8 and 9.[32][33]

Infinite's reality show Infinite Showtime at MBC Every1 started on December 10.[34][35]

Infinite released their second Japanese album For You on December 16.[36][37]

2016–2018: Infinite Only, Hoya's departure, and Top Seed

Infinite concluded the Infinite Effect tour with two concerts titled 2015 Infinite 2nd World Tour "Infinite Effect Advance" in Seoul's Olympic Park Gymnastics Stadium from February 20–21. Infinite held their summer concert 2016 Infinite Concert <That Summer 3> in Seoul Samsung Card Hall's Blue Square from August 3–8. Prior to the concert, they released the special digital single That Summer (The Second Story) on July 8. Infinite released their first best Japanese album Best of Infinite on August 31, 2016. Their sixth extended play Infinite Only was released on September 19. It consists of seven tracks with the lead single "The Eye".

Infinite released their third Japanese album Air on May 24, 2017. On June 9, 2017 Woollim Entertainment announced that the members of Infinite were discussing renewing their contracts with the label.[38] On June 28, Korean media reported that only 6 out of 7 members had renewed their contracts.[39] On July 14, member L revealed in an interview[40] that the members were still positively discussing the contract. On August 30, it was announced that Hoya had officially left the group after deciding to not renew his contract with Woollim Entertainment.[41]

The remaining six members continued as a group, releasing their third studio album, Top Seed, in January 2018.[42] The album consists of twelve tracks with the lead single "Tell Me".[43] Sungkyu enlisted for his mandatory military service as an active duty soldier on May 14.[44]

2019–present: Military service and L's departure from Woollim

Infinite remained as five member with release digital single "Clock" on February 13.[45][46]

Sungyeol enlisted as an active duty soldier on March 26, 2019, while Dongwoo also enlisted as an active duty soldier on April 15.[47][48] Sungjong and Woohyun enlisted as public service workers on July 22 and October 24, respectively.[49][50][51]

L's exclusive contract with Woollim Entertainment expired on August 18, 2019. L uploaded a handwritten letter the following day onto his Instagram explaining his decision to leave the company "in order to take on new challenges", and that he will continue to be a part of Infinite.[52]

Sungkyu completed his military service on January 8, 2020, and held a small fan meeting following his discharge.[53]

Members

Former member

Sub-units

Discography

Korean albums

Japanese albums

Tours

Headlining

World tours
  • 2013 Infinite 1st World Tour "One Great Step" (2013–2014)
  • 2015 Infinite 2nd World Tour "Infinite Effect" (2015–2016)
Japan tours
  • Infinite Japan 1st Live "Leaping Over" (2011)
  • Infinite 2012 1st Arena Tour in Japan Second Invasion Evolution Plus (2012)
  • 2015 Infinite Japan Tour — DILEMMA (2015)
Concerts

Publication

  • Infinite 1st Photobook "IDEA"

Filmography

Film

  • Infinite Concert: Second Invasion Evolution the Movie 3D [58] (2012)
  • Grow: Infinite's Real Youth Life (2014)

Television series

Television shows

  • Mnet You're My Oppa (2010)
  • Mnet Japan Days Of Infinite (2010)
  • Mnet Sesame Player (2011)
  • KBS Birth Of A Family (2012)
  • Mnet Ranking King (2012)
  • TrunQ Korea Infinite Busan Wish Travel (2012)
  • Mnet 10 Days In Japan Story (2013)
  • Mnet This Is Infinite (2014)
  • MBC Every1 Infinite's Showtime (2015-2016)

Awards and nominations

References

Notes

  1. Indefinite hiatus due to military service

Citations

  1. "Epik High and Infinite create a support song for the athletes at the Vancouver Olympics". allkpop.
  2. 포토엔,인피니트,긴장되는 첫 무대~ (in Korean). Newsen. June 9, 2010. Retrieved March 15, 2010.
  3. "인피니트, 日 강타 'TO-RA-WA' 벨소리 1위 기염" (in Korean). Osen. January 28, 2011. Retrieved January 29, 2011.
  4. 인피니트 ‘에볼루션’ 발매 즉시 한터 실시간 차트 3위 ‘기염’ (in Korean). Nate News. January 7, 2011. Retrieved January 07, 2011.
  5. 20 Best K-Pop Songs of 2012: BIGBANG, PSY, 2NE1 & More Billboard (December 21, 2012). Retrieved on December 12, 2014.
  6. Jeon, Seonha (2013-03-22). "'뮤뱅' 인피니트, 달콤하게 돌아왔다 '맨인러브'". interview365. Retrieved 27 May 2013.
  7. "INFINITE". Universal Music Japan.
  8. https://n.news.naver.com/entertain/article/311/0000239519
  9. https://n.news.naver.com/entertain/article/213/0000351183
  10. https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/k-town/1764404/infinites-destiny-music-video-watch-the-edm-influenced-singles
  11. https://n.news.naver.com/entertain/article/382/0000709950
  12. https://n.news.naver.com/article/310/0000024965
  13. https://n.news.naver.com/entertain/article/011/0002462808
  14. https://n.news.naver.com/entertain/article/008/0003236515
  15. https://n.news.naver.com/entertain/article/109/0002757366
  16. "Infinite Confirms Comeback Date for New Album ′Season 2′". M Wave. May 12, 2014. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved May 15, 2014.
  17. https://n.news.naver.com/article/003/0005853742
  18. https://n.news.naver.com/entertain/article/109/0002782988
  19. https://n.news.naver.com/entertain/article/109/0002757366
  20. https://n.news.naver.com/entertain/article/215/0000102164
  21. https://n.news.naver.com/entertain/article/015/0003087687
  22. https://n.news.naver.com/entertain/article/311/0000362624
  23. https://n.news.naver.com/entertain/article/016/0000506983
  24. "INFINITE to hold a small-theater concert series 'That Summer 2' this August". Allkpop. Retrieved 30 June 2014.
  25. "2014 INFINITE CONCERT [그 해 여름2] 안내". Woollim Entertainment. Archived from the original on 22 October 2014. Retrieved 4 July 2014.
  26. Benjamin, Jeff (September 11, 2014). "INFINITE Become First Korean Act to Top Twitter Emerging Artist Chart, Enter Top Tracks". Billboard. Retrieved September 28, 2014.
  27. https://n.news.naver.com/entertain/article/109/0002929291
  28. "INFINITE teases fans for upcoming "Dilemma" tour in Japan". koreaboo. Jan 23, 2015. Retrieved Mar 15, 2015.
  29. "2015 INFINITE JAPAN TOUR -DILEMMA- グッズ販売詳細決定" (in Japanese). Universal Music Japan. January 27, 2015. Retrieved March 15, 2015.
  30. "INFINITE's New Japanese Single '24 Hours' Ranks 3rd On Japan's Oricon Weekly Pop Chart". KpopStarz. 2015-05-07. Retrieved 2015-12-26.
  31. https://n.news.naver.com/entertain/article/079/0002729637
  32. "[★VIDEO] INFINITE makes zombie transformation in new teaser for "INFINITE EFFECT" world tour". Koreaboo. Retrieved 2015-12-26.
  33. https://n.news.naver.com/entertain/article/215/0000345162
  34. https://n.news.naver.com/entertain/article/311/0000542731
  35. https://n.news.naver.com/entertain/article/408/0000007977
  36. https://n.news.naver.com/entertain/article/003/0006932771
  37. https://n.news.naver.com/entertain/article/312/0000158015
  38. "Woollim Entertainment speaks about INFINITE's contract renewal - allkpop.com".
  39. "6 out of 7 members of INFINITE reportedly renewed their contracts with Woollim Entertainment - allkpop.com".
  40. "'군주' 엘 "늘 구부정한 자세, 천민 이선의 위축된 모습 표현"".
  41. Ha, Na-yeong (August 30, 2017). "Archived copy" 인피니트 호야, 전속계약 종료…"6인 체제로 그룹 재정비"(공식). The Chosun Ilbo (in Korean). Chosun Ilbo Company. Archived from the original on August 30, 2017. Retrieved August 30, 2017.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  42. "After long break, Infinite revamps as six-piece with 'Top Seed'".
  43. "[종합] 6인조로 컴백한 인피니트(INFINITE) "가요계 탑시드 되겠다"".
  44. "INFINITE's Sungkyu to join Army". Yonhap News Agency. Retrieved 2018-05-09.
  45. https://n.news.naver.com/entertain/article/311/0000954382
  46. http://www.sportsq.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=320937
  47. Dong, Sun-hwa (March 22, 2019). "INFINITE's Sungyeol to enlist on March 26". The Korea Times. Retrieved October 24, 2019.
  48. "인피니트 장동우, 오늘(15일) 현역 입대.."만감교차"" [Infinite's Jang Dong-woo joins active duty today (15th)]. Daum (in Korean). April 15, 2019. Retrieved October 24, 2019.
  49. ""미리 말 못해서, 미안해요"…인피니트 성종, 깜짝 입대 발표 '친필편지' [전문]" ["I'm Sorry I Didn't Tell You in Advance," Infinite's Sungjong Announces Surprise Enlistment in Handwritten Letter]. Naver (in Korean). July 29, 2019. Retrieved October 22, 2019.
  50. Dong, Sun-hwa (July 29, 2019). "INFINITE's Sungjong starts 'public service' instead of active military duty". The Korea Times. Retrieved October 24, 2019.
  51. "인피니트 남우현, 오늘(24일) 군입대..부상으로 사회복무요원 대체복무 [단독]" [Infinite's Nam Woo-hyun enlists in military service today (24th) despite injuries]. Daum (in Korean). October 24, 2019. Retrieved October 24, 2019.
  52. An, Yun-ji (August 19, 2019). 인피니트 엘 "지난주 울림엔터와 계약 만료, 홀로서기 한다"(전문). MBN Star (in Korean). Maeil Broadcasting Network. Retrieved August 19, 2019.
  53. "인피니트 김성규, 8일 만기 전역..미니 팬미팅 개최(공식)" [Infinite's Sungkyu to be Discharged on January 8, Will Hold a Mini-Fanmeeting]. Daum (in Korean). January 2, 2020. Retrieved January 2, 2020.
  54. "Infinite – About" (in Korean). Woollim Entertainment. Retrieved November 3, 2017.
  55. "Infinite Official Homepage". Woollim Entertainment. Archived from the original on July 30, 2017. Retrieved November 3, 2017.
  56. "인피니트, 8월 '그해 여름' 콘서트".
  57. 헤럴드경제 (1 July 2014). "인피니트, 아이돌 소극장 콘서트 유행 이끈 '그 해 여름2' 8월 개최".
  58. Sunwoo, Carla (September 10, 2012). "Infinite 3-D film shown in Japan". Korea JoongAng Daily. Retrieved 2015-07-12.
  59. "Infinite's L transforms into an animation character". Xports News. Korea.com. 13 January 2012. Archived from the original on 13 July 2015. Retrieved 31 May 2015.
  60. Lee, Nancy. "Infinite Members Become Voice Actors for 'Wara! Store' Cartoon". enewsWorld. Archived from the original on 2015-12-15. Retrieved 2015-05-31.
Awards and achievements
Preceded by
f(x)
Korean Music Awards: Group Musician of the Year
2012
Succeeded by
Incumbent
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