Yay! Code Name Burning Lovely Untouchable Emotional – better known as K-pop-rock band CNBLUE – are back in the charts, sweeping up the music show awards with tracks from their 6th mini album Blueming.
The band are Jung Yonghwa (leader, rhythm guitarist); Lee Jonghyun (lead guitarist); Kang Minhyuk (drummer); and Lee Jungshin (maknae, bassist, rapper). Their label is FNC Entertainment.
With his ability to compose as well as play great tunes, CNBLUE’s leader Yonghwa isn’t just a pretty face (but he is very pretty indeed) and it sure helped him get noticed by FNC scouts prior to debut. His photos were uploaded on a well-known ulzzang site, the same site that helped MBLAQ’s Lee Joon and B.A.P’s Himchan enter the public eye. But we almost didn’t get to meet this talented singer-songwriter, as he rejected the agency at first, only giving stardom a go after some parental encouragement.
The band’s official Korean debut date was January 2010, but they’d already officially debuted as artists in Japan, in August 2009. The first release Now or Never was in English, and didn’t rate in the Korean charts. It also featured a different member in the lineup, Kwon Kwangjin, who left soon after and was replaced by Jungshin. However, Bluetory, their first Korean release, was a huge hit.
If you haven’t listened to any of their tunes, you may recognise their faces as the members have been in hit dramas. For example, Yunghwa was in You’re Beautiful; Jonghun was in A Gentleman’s Dignity; Minhyuk was in The Heirs; and Jungshin was in Temptation.
But you really should check out their top selling mini albums; Yonghwa writes their songs, and along with writing for CNBLUE, he composes tunes for other artists (including AOA and Juniel); and OSTs for dramas he has appeared in. He also released a solo album that snagged the number one slot on Billboard’s world album chart, and performed a sold-out solo tour.
The official fandom name is Boice, a combination of CNBLUE and ‘Voice’. FNC are obviously fans of this wordplay, as the mini-album title Blueming is said to be a combination of CNBLUE and the English word ‘blooming’ to represent CNBLUE’s desire to ‘bloom’ in your life. A welcome addition for any music lover.
Recommended MVs:
You’re So Fine – from Blueming
I’m a Loner – from 2014
An MV playlist from CNBLUE’s YouTube channel
One Fine Day – Jung Yonghwa’s solo
Bonus: Watch them play the apple game on Weekly Idol!
