BIOGRAPHY

2PM is a South Korean K-pop group. 2PM debuted with the song 10점 만점에 10점 (literal translation "10 Points Out of 10 Points") on September 4, 2008 through record label JYP Entertainment. The band began as a 7 member group (Junsu, Junho, Nichkhun, Taecyeon, Wooyoung, Chansung and Jaybeom), but controversy over derogatory statements made about South Korea on social network MySpace several years earlier led to the permanent dismissal of Park Jae-Beom in February, 2010.

2PM first became known to the public through the M.net TV documentary "Yeolheol Namah" (literal translation "Hot Blooded Young Man"), which followed a group of 13 individuals as they were mentored by JYP Entertainment into becoming eventual boy band "One Day." 3 of the 13 members were eliminated in the show and the remaining 10 individuals went on to to form the groups "2PM" and "2AM".

Pre-debut

The members of 2PM all auditioned (except Nichkhun, who was scouted)[2] to become part of JYP Entertainment. Some members already had experience in the entertainment industry, including Jun. K, who had won several singing competitions. Ok Taecyeon, Lee Junho and Hwang Chansung had participated in the show SuperStar Survival.[3] Some of the members had previously lived in the U.S., former leader Jaebeom in the Seattle area, Nichkhun in Southern California, while Taecyeon spent seven years in Massachusetts before returning to Korea.

Originally, the members of 2PM were part of a larger group known as One Day. A documentary called Hot Blood Men captured the group's training days. In this documentary, former member Jaebeom finished at the top spot and received the most fan votes. It also featured the elimination of three trainees from the group: Lee Swichi, Jeong Jinwoon, and Yoon Doo-joon were all cut. However, Jinwoon replaced Im Daehun upon the latter's withdrawal. By the end of the training process, One Day had been reduced to an eleven-member group. The band was then split into four-member ballad group 2AM and seven-member hip-hop group 2PM.


2011–12: Japanese debut and Hands Up

In May 2011, 2PM released their Japanese debut-single, "Take Off." The song was featured as an ending song in the Blue Exorcist anime series. 2PM’s first Japanese concert tour, known as the "2PM 1st Japan Tour 2011 Take Off," began in Sapporo on 6 May and ended a week later in Tokyo.

In June 2011, JYP Entertainment released the track list of their upcoming second studio album, which would be known as "Hands Up."[37] The album was released later that month on 20 June 2011. For the first time, the album featured two songs composed by 2PM members: "HOT" by Minjun and "Give it to Me" by Junho. The promotion period for the album was short; it ended just one month after the album's release. This allowed the band to prepare for their Japanese promotions and for their "Hands Up Asia Tour.

The 2PM Show began broadcasting in July 2011 on SBS’s E!TV cable channel and featured all six members. It was the first time 2PM would emcee a program with their name on it.

On 30 November 2011, 2PM released their first studio album in Japanese language, Republic of 2PM. It contains all of their Japanese singles released to date (Take Off, I'm Your Man and Ultra Lover) plus the Japanese version of their most recent Korean hit song "Hands Up", as well as a new song composed by Minjun for Japanese fans called "Hanarete Itemo" (離れていても, Even When We're Apart) and 4 other completely new songs. The main point of the album artwork motif is a taste of the 1950s and 1960s.

Oricon released their sales for 2011, announcing that 2PM was the 2nd best selling new artist in Japan, only behind Johnny & Associates's group Kis-My-FT2, with 990 million yen (12.68 million USD) only in singles, albums and DVDs sales.

In April 2012, 2PM announced plans to release a documentary film with 2AM, to be known as Beyond The One Day, in Japan. One Day refers to the group from which 2PM and 2AM both split. On 13 April, they released the trailer for the film.

Labels: JYP Entertainment (South Korea) / Ariola Japan (Japan)

Website: 2pm.jype.com