Irene (singer)

Irene was born Bae Joo-hyun on March 29, 1991, in Daegu, South Korea.[1] She grew up in Buk-gu.[2] Her family consists of her parents and a younger sister. She attended Haknam High School in Daegu.[3]

She joined SM Entertainment in 2009 and trained for five years.[3]

During her time as a trainee, in August 2013, she appeared in the music video of her then-labelmate Henry Lau's song "1-4-3".[4]

On December 9, 2013, Irene was one of the second batch of trainees introduced as a member of SM Rookies, a pre-debut team of trainees under SM Entertainment, alongside former trainee Lami and now-NCT member Jaehyun.[5]

During SM Rookies, in January 2014, she alongside Seulgi as well as now-NCT members Johnny and Taeyong appeared in The Celebrity magazine.[6] In February 2014, Irene, Seulgi and Taeyong appeared in the OhBoy! magazine.[7]

Various clips of Irene were released in SM Entertainment's official YouTube channel, "SMTOWN", one of which included her and Seulgi dancing to "Be Natural", a song originally performed by SM Entertainment's group S.E.S., showcasing their dancing on July 17, 2014.[8]

On July 27, 2014, she was introduced as a member and the leader of the girl group Red Velvet.[9] They made official debut with the single "Happiness". Since then, Red Velvet has released eleven EPs and two studio albums as well as two reissue albums. They have become regarded as one of the most popular K-pop groups in South Korea and worldwide. In November 2014, Irene appeared in the music video of Kyuhyun's ballad single "규현 '광화문에서 (At Gwanghwamun)".[10]

Irene in August 2015

From May 2015 to June 2016, Irene hosted the music show Music Bank with actor Park Bo-gum.[11] They both gained attention for their chemistry as well as singing and hosting skills.[12] The press called them one of the best partnerships in the show's history.[13]

In July 2016, Irene made her acting debut in the web drama Women at a Game Company where she played the female lead.[14] In the same month, Irene was cast in Hello! Our Language, a sitcom that was set on teaching viewers proper Korean, and she played as detective.[15] On October 14, Irene became a host of OnStyle's fashion show Laundry Day. The show premiered on October 22, 2016.[16] In the same month, she became a panelist on the KBS show Trick & True with bandmate Wendy.[17] In March 2017, Irene partnered with actor Kim Min-jae for the portrayal of two lovers in the MV of Red Velvet's SM Station ID "Would U".[18] In July 2019, SM Entertainment announced that Irene would be collaborating with South Korean DJ and producer Raiden on the track "The Only", which was released on August 2.[19]

On April 20, 2020, SM confirmed that Irene, alongside member Seulgi, would form Red Velvet's first sub-unit.[20] Red Velvet - Irene & Seulgi debuted on July 6 with the extended play Monster. A short solo performance MV of her, titled Episode 2: IRENE, was also released.[21] She and Seulgi also starred in a spin-off version of their reality show Level Up Project![22] On July 16, 2020, SM confirmed that Irene would be acting in the upcoming film Double Patty, which was to be released later on that year, but it was later postponed to February 2021.[23] She is to play the role of Lee Hyun-Ji, an aspiring anchor.[24][25] Irene also released her own OST, titled "A White Night", for the movie.[26]

In February 2020, Irene donated ₩100 million for the Community Chest of Korea to help support those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea.[52]

On October 21, 2020, Irene came under fire for mistreating and lashing out at a fashion editor Kang Kook-hwa (according to a now-deleted Instagram post of Kang).[53] Irene took to the social media platform to post an official statement, apologizing for her poor words and actions.[54] SM Entertainment also subsequently released a statement apologizing for causing concern to many people.[55] The heated controversy had caused widespread reaction as it sparked larger conversations about the deep-rooted "gapjil" (갑질) culture in Korean society. Experts and spokespersons of various political movements in South Korea believed that much of the public outrage towards Irene stems from the country's reckoning with "gapjil" (or abusive conduct and bullying by people in positions of power or seniority), an issue that the country has been trying to eradicate and tone down.[56] The perception of the general public in South Korea toward members of idol groups also came to light with regards to the incident, wherein women in particular are held to a higher standard compared to male artists when it comes to controversies.[56]

Following further numerous speculations in regards to the incident, staffers who had previously worked with Irene voiced their opinion to defend the musician. Some stylists, dancers, and make-up artists that worked with her had also posted on their Instagram accounts that they had never experienced such rude actions that are being shared about Irene.[57] The staffs shared that Irene is someone who has a clear understanding of what she wants and has the talent to deliver her opinions clearly; she also knows how to appreciate her staff through giving handwritten cards and gifts to staff members. Ellena Yim, a former SM stylist and visual director, also claimed there are always "two sides to every story" and it's unfortunate that people refused to look at the other side of the story as they only concentrate on what has been revealed and what they want to see.[58]

The involved fashion editor also spoke up about rumors circulating online and asked to stop the speculations. She emphasized that there was no monetary settlement, and only an exchange of "sincere apologies" occurred when they had met again.[59]