Moonbyul

Biography

Moon Byul-yi (Korean: 문별이, born December 22, 1992), known professionally as Moonbyul (문별; stylized as Moon Byul), is a South Korean rapper, singer and songwriter under RBW Entertainment. She is a member of the South Korean girl group Mamamoo and its sub-unit Mamamoo+. Moonbyul made her solo debut in May 2018 with the digital single Selfish. According to the Korea Music Copyright Association, she has songwriting credits on over 100 songs.

== Early life and education == Moon Byul-yi was born on December 22, 1992, in Bucheon, South Korea. In 2011, she was accepted into the Paekche Institute of the Arts, where she studied media music and vocals. During her middle school years, she became interested in singing after watching TVXQ's performance of "Rising Sun". She decided to pursue singing after receiving positive feedback during a school performance. She also cited Girls' Generation and their leader Taeyeon as early influences on her career aspirations, and attended SM Entertainment's academy in an attempt to follow in her footsteps. She graduated from Wonmi High School, and later from the Paekche Institute of the Arts majoring in media, music and vocals.

== Name == Moonbyul's stage name combines her family name "Moon" with her given name "Byul-yi". Her given name "Byul-yi" means star in Korean. According to Moonbyul, she has stated that her father chose the name "Byul-yi", meaning star, inspired by the night of her birth. She uses the alias "Moonstar" as her rap name, which directly translates the meaning of her Korean name into English. Since her debut, she has incorporated the alias "Moonstar" in several of her lyrics, including in collaborations with other artists. The motifs of the moon and stars are often associated with her as well.

== Career ==

=== Debut with Mamamoo === Moonbyul debuted as the main rapper and performer of Mamamoo on June 18, 2014, with the single "Mr.Ambiguous."The group became known for their vocal-centered musical style, according to Korean media outlets. She joined her label RBW in 2011. Despite originally passing her audition as a vocalist and training as one, it was suggested to her by their record producer that she switch to becoming a rapper, as the group needed a rapper. Although she was rather unfamiliar with the genre and was only informed six months prior, she debuted with Mamamoo on June 19, 2014. According to the group's WAW documentary, Moonbyul also specialized in freestyle dance and hip-hop, and would show up to monthly evaluations with self-made routines she choreographed herself.

=== 2014–2017: Mamamoo ===

Moonbyul debuted as a member of the girl group Mamamoo on June 19, 2014, with the release of their first extended play (EP) Hello. As one of the members in charge of performance, she contributed to the choreography of the group's debut track, the lead single "Mr. Ambiguous". Since the release of their second extended play Piano Man in November 2014, Moonbyul has co-written many of the group's lead singles, including the entirety of her own raps. In November 2016, Mamamoo performed at the 37th annual Blue Dragon Film Awards, one of the most prestigious film awards in South Korean entertainment industry. They put a creative twist on their song "Decalcomanie" by including adlibs that referenced famous quotes and well-known lines from popular movies that year. In particular, Moonbyul's line "Jung Woo-sung, if I drink this in one shot, will you go out with me?", the moment received attention online and was widely shared on social media, contributing to the song's chart performance, along with his reaction that was captured on screen. The moment went viral in South Korea, garnering 1.5 million views within a day. The group and their song "Decalcomanie" gained a surge in popularity and rose to the top of real-time music charts, becoming a hit domestically. In June 2017, Moonbyul released her first solo track, "Love & Hate", as part of Mamamoo's fifth EP, Purple. She wrote the song based on her own past relationship, conveying the heartbreak of feeling alone even while the other person was there. Her interpretation of the bittersweetness of first love, is reflected in her dancing in the performance video as well.

=== 2018–2020: Solo Activities ===