LOONA’s agency confirms they will not hold a comeback showcase for upcoming 11-member comeback

On December 16, LOONA’s agency Blockberry Creative confirmed that LOONA will be returning as an 11-member group. The agency also confirmed that they will not be holding a comeback or fan showcase of any kind for the release of their upcoming album.

Earlier this week, Blockberry Creative confirmed that the group will be making a comeback on January 3, with a new album titled The Origin Album ‘O'. This marks their first comeback since Chuu's controversial exit from the group.

It is believed that the decision was made to avoid answering any questions about Chuu’s departure from the group in November and their hasty comeback two months after her disputed departure.

LOONA’s agency is considering hosting a live broadcast on January 3 to celebrate their new album release

According to Korean media outlet YTN Star, Blockberry Creative is considering the possibility of hosting a live broadcast on January 3, to celebrate the album's release. However, it is believed that even if there is a live broadcast, it will be heavily monitored by the agency’s officials to ensure there is no discussion about Chuu’s exit from the agency and LOONA.

For the unversed, LOONA’s ex-member Chuu was in an ongoing tussle with Blockberry Creative over her exclusive contract. She was left out of group activities and promotions for a long time, and on November 25, Blockberry Creative announced that Chuu was removed from the group due to her problematic behavior with the staff.

Blockberry Creative further revealed that they had conducted an internal inquiry amongst staff members who disclosed, on the condition of anonymity, that Chuu’s attitude was rude and obnoxious towards them. After a thorough investigation, Blockberry Creative revealed that they had decided to remove her from the group and agency.

Chuu’s removal from the group sent shockwaves amongst fans, as many of the idol’s colleagues stood up for her and gave testimonies of her kind nature and good behavior. Fans banded together to criticize Blockberry Creative for using immoral means to remove Chuu from the group, reiterating that they will always be a 12-member group. Additionally, fans have expressed that they will not support the Butterfly singers' future activities until Blockberry Creative rectifies their situation with Chuu.

Fans were shocked to learn that Blockberry Creative announced LOONA's comeback just a few days after Chuu’s departure from the group and believe they are doing so to distract fans from the ongoing situation. The agency has so far refrained from commenting on Chuu's exit, even as the controversies surrounding it keep piling up.

Pre-orders for LOONA’s new album plummeted to shockingly low numbers

LOONA’s fans, particularly Chuu’s fans, have decided to boycott the group’s upcoming album, The Origin Album ‘O,' due to be released on January 3. This is to protest the unfair removal of Chuu from the group and support the rest of the members who have allegedly not been paid by Blockberry Creative since 2016.

On December 14, the pre-orders for the group's new album plummeted to a shockingly low number of just 93 in the first 20 hours on 'Ktown4u'. It is 98 percent less compared to the 5,098 preorders for their 11th mini-album, Flip That, which was released in June last year.

Certain K-pop stores too have been supporting ORBITs (fandom) in an attempt to boycott the release of their new album and have revealed they will not be stocking the group’s albums in the store.

About the author

Anwaya is a journalist who covers Korean Pop at Sportskeeda. She holds a post-graduation degree in Marketing and Communication. She firmly believes that Korean content is the present and future, and hopes fans find her and SK POP as the medium that connects them to their favorite Korean stars and find comfort in our content, especially curated for readers

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