It's official! I.O.I (sans Somi and Yeonjung) to make comeback in October

[goshipgurl.livejournal.com]

I.O.I will return as 9 members in October 2019 under STUDIO BLU

Somi and Yeonjung could not join for promotions, but will still be showing their supporthttps://t.co/7yqMpXjWtB pic.twitter.com/K3kYZz7uQr

— mes #TeamPinky (@OH_mes2) June 30, 2019

Studio Blu is a subsidary of CJ E&M and home to Heize and Truedy. Also, seems like the first report from April turned out to be true after all.

sources: @oh_mes, @studiobluofficial

Comments

More info

[juhli.livejournal.com]

- Jacket Filming and Music Video filming dates are still being discussed
- Title track decided
- Choreo ready
- Studio Blu is associated with Stone Music (they co-manage various artists like Heize together), but have only opened up SNS accounts with the announcement of the IOI comeback. It's not clear if they are an actual independent label or sth like otr

[myrrhcat.livejournal.com]

october is pretty far away, so i'm not sure why somi and yeonjung can't join. but i'm still looking forward to it. i just worry that it'll feel bittersweet without all 11 members.

[allsugarfree.livejournal.com]

Y* can't put together a comeback in 4 months so your last bet is probably more realistic

[juhli.livejournal.com]

Ive seen rumors that the reunion length could be longer (6 months), so maybe thats why. I could imagine that within that time period, WJSN has a comeback planned and that the black label decided it would not be a good decision for the newly debuted solo Somi.

[myungung.livejournal.com]

if it's 6 months then I'm worried for gugudan though. it'll be a year in October if they don't comeback with anything

[dior-chic.livejournal.com]

omg omg omg omgggggg

I'll miss Yeonjung :( But she does shine more in WJSN so I'm not disappointed. I know Somi is close to the IOI girls so I wish she could be part of it, but minus that she was the main member besides Sohye (sorry girl) that I didn't care for/followed much, so I prefer this version of IOI tbh.

I get to see Nayoung performing again!!! Thats what I'm most excited about. That and Chungha with the girls again :)

Who they’re working with has a lot of potential too, Very x3 and the mini was everything I wanted but this has so much potential now that the members are older

[kyulkyung.livejournal.com]

really missed seeing kyulkyung promote in a group.. hope they'll actually put some effort into their music and promotions this time :/

[miuratenshi.livejournal.com]

As Somi is my fave member, I’m disappointed that she isn’t taking part.

But I’m excited to see most of them together again, and watch Chungha, Mina, and Yoojung slay whatever concept they’re given.

[weneedmedicine.livejournal.com]

Omg I’m excited since I didn’t get a chance to stan when they were active. Somi, well....whatever but it won’t be the same without main vocal queen Yeonjung.

[dior-chic.livejournal.com]

My same reaction to Somi and Yeonjung lol

RE: Who do you think will be center without Somi?

[adenar.livejournal.com]

Going by rankings (since that's the produce tradition) it'll be sejeong

I would like to see Doyeon get that spotlight too but at least she gets (almost more than) her fair share in WKMK!

RE: Re: Who do you think will be center without Somi?

[adenar.livejournal.com]

Yoojung is also a great vocalist so she could also take chorus lines if Mina and Nayoung will be rapping

(Though I hope that raps will be Mina/Yoojung because I have tried and tried but I have never enjoyed Nayoung's rap)

Re: Who do you think will be center without Somi?

[myrrhcat.livejournal.com]

during dream girls era there was controversy over chaeyeon being given the center, so who knows, maybe they'll go back to that
then again chungha is probably the most successful post-ioi member overall

RE: Who do you think will be center without Somi?

[dior-chic.livejournal.com]

Chungha should really be the center with her charisma and talent

RE: Who do you think will be center without Somi?

[juhli.livejournal.com]

Probably going to be influenced by the kind of concept theyll be going with.

[allsugarfree.livejournal.com]

I get why Yeonjung can't, but Somi has more to loose by not promoting with them.

Sososo happy that we will be seeing Nayoung again though!!

[lightframes.livejournal.com]

Uhhhhh I hope there's a gugudan comeback before then...

[adenar.livejournal.com]

I actually get Somi's absence more than i get Yeonjung's, though I do remember how much vitriol she got in her IOI days so I can understand her being hesitant to join in when her group has consistent activities and is beginning to take off on its own merit.

Weki Meki has been doing pretty good though so I hope this doesn't push their comeback back too much :(

Here's hoping for a gugudan comeback before then, or a new subunit. Mimi/Haebin/Soyee anyone?

[myrrhcat.livejournal.com]

omg i would be so into that subunit

[scribblyness-x.livejournal.com]

i get both tbh, poor yeonjung got so much hate during her ioi days. in the later episodes of p101, she got such a nasty edit and getting 11th place also fucked her over in some people's eyes. i remember them actually re-editing and re-uploading the crush mv just because people complained that somi/yoojung/sejeong/basically everyone else didn't have as much screen time as yeonjung.

[adenar.livejournal.com]

If I remember correctly, wasn't the hate worse than that? It wasn't just about screentime, people were criticising Yeonjung of actively stealing screentimetime from the other members and running to the front when it wasn't her part and just generally being Too Much (even though they all did that), as if you know, it wasn't an EDITED VIDEO where the EDITORS chose which cuts to use

[myungung.livejournal.com]

I felt Yeonjung was so hated during her IOI period that anything she did would get negative comments, and poor girl was really suffering. the only consolation was that the girls were very supportive of her.
they didn't even give Yeonjung the chorus/adlibs in Very Very Very

I would love for a gugudan subunit, but I doubt they'll include Soyee. Probably Nayoung/Hana/Haebin?

[adenar.livejournal.com]

I excluded Nayoung because she's already in SeMiNa, but I agree that Jellyfish wouldn't even think of Soyee (blegh). I think Nayoung/Hana/Mimi is most likely but in my dream world it's mimi/haebin/soyee and then hana/sally probably never get an actual release but occasional dance stages at any gugudan concerts

[coyote-revolver.livejournal.com]

I mean, I'm pretty sure Somi would've liked to promote with the group and that WSJN can do more than fine without Yeonjung for a bit, but greedy companies gonna greed :/

I'm really excited about this but I wish OT11 had been possible :(

[frequency.livejournal.com]

but when will we get a gugudan comeback

(i'm sorry i really don't care about IOI)

[timetobegin.livejournal.com]

Sad it wont be all 11 of them but excited af nevertheless

[accioanime.livejournal.com]

If Chungha, who is arguably the most successful out of all of them, can make it to this reunion then Somi sure as hell should be able to join, and will even greatly benefit from this. With PD101 being 4 years ago, she needs this extra nostalgia to remind people why they voted her number 1, and then maybe her next single will be number 1. I am sad Yeongjung can't join again since she already missed out on Whatta Man single.