'Queendom Puzzle' members gear up for EL7Z U+P debut

The final puzzle is now complete, and the seven members of EL7Z U+P are confident in their collective debut as the project girl group next month.

The seven winners of cable network Mnet's idol competition program ″Queendom: Puzzle″ pose for a picture after the final episode aired live in August. They will form the project girl group EL7Z U+P and drop their first album in September. From left are Yeeun, Yeoreum, Yeonhee, Nana, Hwiseo, Yuki and Kei. [MNET]

The final puzzle is now complete, and the seven members of EL7Z U+P are confident in their collective debut as the project girl group next month.

EL7Z U+P, pronounced "eltz up," consists of seven members: Hwiseo from H1-KEY; Nana from woo!ah!; Yuki from Purple Kiss; Kei from Lovelyz; Yeoreum from WJSN; Yeonhee from Rocket Punch and Yeeun, a current soloist and a former member of CLC. They are the winners of cable network Mnet’s idol competition program “Queendom: Puzzle.”

“Queendom Puzzle” is Mnet’s latest entry in the “Queendom” series of idol competition shows, which kicked off in June. The program saw 26 soloists and girl group members forming different subunits throughout the show and performing a variety of stages “like a puzzle” to compete for a spot in the final seven-member project girl group, EL7Z U+P.

“We are the ones who survived the fierce competition [in ‘Queendom Puzzle'], and we have nothing to fear,” Yeeun said during a group interview held with the local media in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, on Wednesday.

Other members were also confident in the upcoming group.

“I think we are really befitting of the term ‘genius idol,’” Nana said.

“Being a ‘genius idol’ doesn’t just come down to looks, but it takes into account their charm, their ability to fill the stage and their love for the fans. And from my perspective, the members fit that criteria, and I hope we can earn that moniker.”

EL7Z U+P, unlike other project girl groups formed through the cable network’s previous audition programs, will not have a set amount of contract years. Instead, the group plans to release a total of three albums, starting with a debut album scheduled to drop in September. Although, the girl group is still in its early phases of debut preparation and has not yet decided on the album’s concept, according to Yeeun.

“Because the members each have such unique charms, we are currently in the midst of having discussions where we are coming up with ideas [for the concept],” Kei explained.

“I think our members are ‘all-rounders’ […] and while we are a project girl group, I think we are capable of releasing a proper, high-quality album and performance, instead of treating it as a one-off event.”

“We plan on showing everything we can,” Yeeun added.

Yeeun also said that while the seven members do not have plans to live together in a dorm during the project group’s duration, the members have been planning to vote on the group’s leader, who would “help make big decisions” whenever the time calls.

The seven winners of cable network Mnet's idol competition program ″Queendom: Puzzle″ during the final episode which aired live in August. They will form the project girl group EL7Z U+P and drop their first album in September. [MNET]

One unique factor of EL7Z U+P is that, as the group was formed by fans’ votes from around the world, the seven final members of the group all have a different amount of experience, ranging from Kei, a veteran with almost nine years of experience, to new faces in K-pop such as Hwiseo, who debuted last year in the group H1-KEY.

“Before we started filming ‘Queendom,’ one of the things that I worried about was how I would be able to compete with the older and more experienced participants,” Nana said. Having debuted as a member of woo!ah! in 2020, she was one of the younger members on the show with lesser experience.

“But as soon as we shot the first episode, [those thoughts] all shattered as I learned that they are filled with things that I could learn from them, both on stage and off stage. Which is why from now on, as a member of EL7Z U+P, I plan on giving back to the more experienced members.”

Hwiseo added that the experienced members have helped her, too, in many ways, from how to deal with unforeseen situations on stage to fixing the little details on their stage outfits.

Yuki, the group’s youngest, and the only Japanese member said, “Having lived in Korea for five years, I don’t have any issues communicating [in Korean], but whenever I pause for a bit because I don’t understand some words, members would pitch in quickly, and I thank them for that.”

Working with the rookie members has been a charm for Kei and other more experienced members too, as they were also able to receive more energy from the younger members.

“I was one of the younger members [of CLC], so I think I fully understand the position that the younger members are in,” Yeeun explained. “So I wanted to help them relax and laugh more, so they can talk freely in a warm environment. And I learned a lot from them too, from their energy and how they perform on stage.”

After their debut in September, EL7Z U+P will begin global activities, starting with a mini concert in Japan in October. The girl group will also be appearing on CJ ENM and Mnet’s MAMA Awards, set to take place at the end of the year.

“MAMA is a stage that I’ve been dreaming of,” Yeonhee said. “We plan on creating a legendary performance, so we can be invited again the following year!”

“There have always been truly memorable performances during each year’s MAMA […] and I hope EL7Z U+P can pull off performances that are as impactful,” Yeeun added.

“I hope we can receive the MAMA award for Best New Artist. It is something you can only receive once in a group’s career. [H1-KEY] already missed its opportunity, and I want to achieve the dream that I was unable to fulfill,” Hwiseo said.

Alongside EL7Z U+P’s debut in September, Hwiseo, Yuki and Yeonhee are also preparing for their own separate album releases: H1-KEY on Aug. 30, Purple Kiss on Sept. 5 and Rokcet Punch on Sept. 6. The three admitted that preparing for two different albums at the same time could be physically tiring, but they explained that the excitement of coming back as a member of their original group and debuting fresh as EL7Z U+P has kept them moving forward.

"While some fans think that fan and artist relationships are only one sided, I really wanted to say that I disagree with that," Yeoreum said.

“We are a group that has been voted on by the viewers of the show, and I hope people can say it was worth voting for us."

To find out more about EL7Z U+P, visit Celeb Confirmed!

BY CHO YONG-JUN [cho.yongjun1@joongang.co.kr]