I.O.I (아이오아이)

I.O.I was a temporary eleven-member South Korean girl group formed through the reality survival show «Produce 101», with members drawn from various different entertainment agencies and ranked into the final lineup by public voting. Under the banner of the show's producing label, the group represented one of the earliest and most influential examples of the project-group format that later became a defining feature of K-pop.

The lineup — Nayoung, Chungha, Sohye, Chaeyeon, Sejeong, Somi, Pinky, Yoojung, Mina, Yeonjung, and Doyeon — released the pre-debut single «Crush», featuring the widely popular title track «Pick Me», before officially debuting with the EP Chrysalis, led by the single «Dream Girls». The group followed up with the mini-album Miss Me?, which included the hit «너무너무너무 (Very Very Very)», one of the most commercially successful K-pop songs of its year.

Despite its short, contractually limited run, I.O.I had an outsized impact on the industry, launching the solo careers of several members — including Chungha and Somi — who went on to become major names in K-pop, and cementing the survival-show-to-group pipeline as a lasting industry model.