Cao Lu is one busy K-idol this month, as she is appearing on several prime-time TV shows as well as promoting Fiestar’s second mini album A Delicate Sense. If you haven’t seen her on We Got Married, perhaps you’ve seen her on Real Men… or as a panelist on King of Masked Singer?
It’s about time this Chinese-born cutie got some more variety time, and fellow members Jei, Linzy, Hyemi and Yezi must be appreciating the extra screen exposure for Fiestar, continuing from Yezi’s solo release in January.
The LOEN Entertainment girls first debuted in August 2012, after coming together from various backgrounds. Linzy was a former YG trainee, originally pegged for 2NE1. Leader Jei was a model, and is the moody gal in Infinite’s Paradise MV. Yezi was an underground rapper, and Cao Lu had already released her own solo album in China. The original lineup included Cheska, an American-Korean rapper who now produces her own tunes.
The MV for the girls’ debut track Vista featured JYJ’s Junsu and Seungah from Sunny Hill. Just a few months later, their second single We Don’t Stop was also released. 2013 was a super busy year for all the girls, as they had individual schedules on TV shows, musicals and singing shows and another comeback track as well as filming their own reality TV show, Channel Fiestar! for SBS. They also did a short but sweet series introducing Korean vocabulary for English and Chinese K-pop fans. This show, Fiestar’s A-HA! For the Global K-Pop Fan, is a nifty idea that other labels should really pick up.
In 2014 Cheska left the group, but they continued as a fivesome, making a collaboration song for the Brazil World Cup, I Love Korea and comeback track One More. Their first mini-album Black Label was released in February 2015 and featured the smooth You’re Pitiful. From August 2015 onwards, Yezi really made her mark on the rap scene again after appearing on Unpretty Rapstar’s second season. She released her own cracking solo track Cider in January this year.
Fiestar’s comeback track Mirror is everything we’ve come to expect, dance-pop in classy heels; here’s a group of talented girls who we can expect to be busy for many more years to come.
Recommended watching
Mirror – the comeback track
Yezi’s solo track Cider
You’re Pitiful
We Don’t Stop
Vista- the debut track
Bonus 1: A-HA! Korean lessons from the girls
Bonus 2: Channel Fiestar!
Bonus 3: Cao Lu recites the Korean alphabet backwards(!)
