Jeon Somi

Ennik Somi Douma (born March 9, 2001), known professionally by her Korean name Jeon Somi , is a South Korean and Canadian singer. Born in Canada to a South Korean mother and a Dutch-Canadian father, she moved to South Korea as an infant.

Jeon initially rose to fame in South Korea as the first-place winner of the survival reality show Produce 101 and as a member of the show's corresponding eleven-piece girl group I.O.I. Following the conclusion of I.O.I's activities, Jeon signed with YG Entertainment's subsidiary, The Black Label. She made her debut as a solo artist on June 13, 2019, with the single "Birthday". In 2021, she released her first studio album XOXO, which included the top-ten single "Dumb Dumb". She achieved her first top-five single in South Korea with "Fast Forward" in 2023.

Early life Ennik Somi Douma was born on March 9, 2001, in Windsor, Ontario, to a South Korean mother Jeon Sun-hee Matthew Douma; her paternal grandfather immigrated to Canada from Heerenveen. She is the eldest of two daughters. At age four, she made an appearance on television with her father when he was being interviewed by KBS News for his part in clearing snow in the neighborhood.

She initially attended a school for foreigners before transferring to to practice Taekwondo. She graduated from elementary school in 2013, after which she attended ; she graduated on February 3, 2017. Jeon completed her secondary education at Hanlim Multi Art School, majoring in Practical Music and Vocal, graduating in a ceremony held on February 7, 2020.

She first dreamed of becoming a singer after watching the music video for Rihanna's "Don't Stop the Music" as a child. At age nine, she was introduced to Korean pop and discovered Park Bom of 2NE1, whom she admired for her unique voice.

Career 2013–2017: Career beginnings and debut with I.O.I

Beginning in her fourth year of elementary school, Jeon auditioned at various entertainment companies in South Korea. That same year, she sang and made an appearance in a music video for English education.

In August 2014, Jeon, her mother and her grandmother briefly made an appearance on KBS2's Hello Counselor among the studio audience. She was also cast in a cameo role alongside her sister in the 2014 film Ode to My Father by director Yoon Je-kyoon, who her father was acquainted with and needed two biracial children for his film. That same year, Jeon auditioned for JYP Entertainment with "Lonely" by 2NE1 and was accepted into the agency's trainee program. In 2015, she appeared in label-mate Got7's "Stop Stop It" music video alongside other female trainees. In May 2015, Jeon participated in Mnet reality survival program Sixteen, where she was pitted against fifteen other trainees from the agency to secure a spot in its first girl group in five years (now Twice) after the debut of Miss A; however, Jeon was eliminated in the final round and continued as a trainee. JYP Entertainment founder Park Jin-young stated she had star quality but lacked preparation.

In January 2016, as a representative of her label, Jeon participated in the competition series Produce 101 and finished in first place with 858,333 votes. After completing a two-and-a-half-year training period, fifteen-year-old Jeon officially debuted on May 4 with the project female group I.O.I and its first extended play Chrysalis under YMC Entertainment. On August 9, Jeon was included in a sub-unit of I.O.I consisting of six other members. The sub-unit released the single "Whatta Man", which debuted at number two on the Gaon Digital Chart. Jeon and her band-mates received their first-ever music show win with the single on SBS MTV's The Show. On August 29, Jeon collaborated with I.O.I band-mates Choi Yoo-jung and Chungha and Ki Hui-hyeon of DIA on the digital single "Flower, Wind and You". It entered the Gaon Digital Chart at number 48. In October, Jeon was selected as the new host for The Show, paired with singer Wooshin of UP10TION.

On January 9, 2017, it was confirmed that Jeon signed a formal contract with JYP Entertainment for her solo activities on television. The agency however, revealed they had yet to decide what path her future held. Jeon's activities with I.O.I soon ended following its disbandment on January 29, 2017. Shortly afterward, she joined the second installation of Sister's Slam Dunk as a regular cast member. On March 9, Eric Nam and Jeon released a collaborative digital single titled "You, Who?". The single charted at number 16 on the Gaon Digital Chart. On May 12, Jeon joined Unnies, a project group created by the production team of Sister's Slam Dunk 2. The group released the singles "Right?" and "Lalala Song". Upon release, the digital singles debuted at numbers two and 48, respectively, on the Gaon Digital Chart and numbers 10 and 22, respectively, on the Billboard World Digital Song Sales chart. "Right?" sold over 950,000 digital copies by the year's end.

On March 28, 2017, Jeon joined the KBS web entertainment program Idol Drama Operation Team. On the show, she and six other girl group members worked together to write their own drama series, Let's Only Walk the Flower Road, becoming accredited scriptwriters as well as acting in the series as fictional versions of themselves in a girl group. Final filming for the show took place on May 9. The seven cast members formed a project girl group called Girls Next Door and released a single as part of the show's soundtrack. The song, "Deep Blue Eyes", was co-written and co-composed by B1A4's Jinyoung and made available on June 14 through Warner Music Korea. The group held their debut stage on July 14 at Music Bank. In November 2017, Jeon featured on the digital single "Nov to Feb" by label-mate senior Jun. K of 2PM and performed the song in the special broadcast Jun.K X Rooftop Live on V Live.

2018–present: Solo debut and mainstream success On August 20, 2018, Jeon departed JYP Entertainment, terminating her contract with the agency following a formal discussion and mutual agreement. The following month, she signed an exclusive contract with YG Entertainment's independent subsidiary label The Black Label, home to South Korean R&B singer Zion.T. Jeon revealed she joined the label soon after her meeting with CEO Teddy Park, citing his authenticity and feeling of content while imagining future plans for her as reasons.

On February 25, 2019, The Black Label revealed Jeon was preparing to make her debut as a solo artist with a lead single produced by Teddy. Her debut single "Birthday" was released on June 13 with an accompanying music video that surpassed four million views in 24 hours on YouTube. 18-year-old Jeon made her broadcast debut as a soloist on Show! Music Core, performing both "Birthday" and its B-side "Outta My Head" on June 15. The singles entered the Billboard World Digital Songs Chart at numbers five and nine, respectively, while "Birthday" peaked at numbers 22 and 18 on the Gaon Digital Chart and Billboard Korea K-pop 100, respectively. The lead single was also used in the trailer for Nora From Queens starring Awkwafina.

On March 28, 2020, the reality series I Am Somi, was released on The Black Label's YouTube channel, a vlogging series on Jeon's life. In the sixth episode, Jeon revealed that her next release had been delayed and the series cut short due to travelling restrictions related to the coronavirus pandemic. On July 14, it was confirmed that Jeon would make her comeback on July 22 with a new single titled "What You Waiting For". On July 20, in conjunction with the release of "What You Waiting For", Jeon signed with Interscope Records and Universal Music Group for representation outside of Asia.

On March 1, 2021, Jeon was invited by The Blue House to commemorate the 102nd anniversary of the Korean Declaration of Independence. The ceremony was held at Tapgol Park in Jongno District, Seoul and attended by President of South Korea, Moon Jae-in. She recited a reading from the March 1 Declaration of Independence alongside foreign activist descendants, entirely in the Korean language. The Blue House revealed they selected Jeon as a multicultural representative for her popularity as an idol promoting Korean content worldwide. Jeon and most members of I.O.I reunited on their fifth debut anniversary with the livestream special Yes, I Love It! on May 4; only members Kyulkyung and Mina were absent.

On July 23, Jeon was revealed to release a new single, "Dumb Dumb", on August 2. Its music video garnered 10 million views in under 24 hours on YouTube and 20 million views in two days, both personal records. The release peaked at numbers eight and nine on the Gaon Digital Chart and the Billboard Korea K-pop 100 respectively, marking her first top ten single as a soloist. "Dumb Dumb" also became her first chart entry in the Billboard Global Excl. U.S., debuting at number 130.

On October 14, 2021, The Black Label confirmed that Jeon would release her first full-length album, XOXO, and its lead single of the same name on October 29. The digitally-released singles "Birthday", "Outta My Head", "What You Waiting For" and "Dumb Dumb" were among the tracks on the album. The album went on to debut at number six on the Gaon Album Chart and sold 55,223 copies in the month of November. Lead single "XOXO" peaked at number 43 on the Gaon Digital Chart and became her first chart entry in the Billboard Global 200 at number 185.

On July 24, 2023, Jeon announced that she would be releasing a new extended play album Game Plan in August. The EP was released August 7, with the lead single "Fast Forward". The song was a commercial and critical success, peaking at number 5 on South Korea's Circle Digital Chart, and being named as one of the best K-pop songs of 2023 by Dazed and Business Insider. On December 12, 2023, Jeon released the special Christmas single "Ex-Mas" in collaboration with rapper Big Naughty.

On August 2, 2024, Jeon released the summer special single "Ice Cream".

On July 7, 2025, Jeon released the single "Extra". On July 21, The Black Label announced Jeon would release her second EP, Chaotic and Confused on August 11, 2025, with the track list revealed on July 30.

Personal life

Jeon is accredited in Taekwondo, having practiced the Korean martial art for over 10 years and taught initially by her father, who himself achieved a fourth degree black belt. She held a third-degree black belt for some time but could not gain the fourth degree due to her young age. On May 30, 2018, 17-year-old Jeon partook in the fourth degree black belt examination held by Kukkiwon, wherein her skills qualified for the promotion. After she reached age of majority in South Korea, she applied for the conversion in dan and was officially certified as a fourth degree black belt holder,

Jeon and her family practice Korean Buddhism.

Artistry Fashion and style As a child, Jeon enjoyed expressing herself through clothes and fashion.

Jeon began songwriting in her third year in middle school. Her first self-composed release, "Outta My Head" , was written while promoting as a member of I.O.I. She was casually humming the tune following her move to The Black Label, and Teddy asked if she had come up with it. With encouragement and help from in-house producer 24, the initially bright melody turned into a mid-tempo R&B song and was included on her debut single album, Birthday.

Jeon usually records two versions of songs she writes, each in a different language. After grasping the "feel" of the song in English, the lyrics are changed to Korean. She explained, "For example, if the lyric is 'orange', it will be changed to 'how long' (in Korean), making similar pronunciations". The original lyrics to the hook of her single "Dumb Dumb" were "Imma say it like it is / cut the bullsh*t / you dumb dumb"; in the official version, they have been translated to Korean.

As a soloist under The Black Label, Jeon has gained greater artistic and creative control over her music and career. She stated, "There are a lot of great producers, songwriters, creatives and people I truly respect here. I've matured both professionally and personally a lot by learning from them and seeing how they do things up close. But there is still a lot to go. I'm still definitely learning". Growing up, Jeon also listened to the music of South Korean singer Seo Taiji, whom she described as an artist who "rocked the music industry", thanks to her mother's influence. Jeon also credited her father for introducing music from various countries and listened to music on cassette tapes because of her grandmother. Jeon also cites Lee Hyori as a role model in her career as a female soloist; Lee showcased multiple different concepts throughout her career, ranging from mature to bright, which Jeon views as an inspiration for her own image as an artist. 1TYM leader and CEO of The Black Label, Teddy Park, was another key mentor and influence named by Jeon. She shared that "Teddy is without a doubt, the most successful songwriting and composing figure in K-pop, period. Period. When I first saw him, it was like seeing a unicorn up close [...] I was in awe because growing up I used to listen to his music and dream of becoming a singer [...] One piece of advice Teddy gave me was to not only just focus on being a great singer and musician, but also focus on being a great person and that's what I exactly aim to be."

Other ventures Endorsements

Her time as an I.O.I member contributed to her "Human Vitamin" image, which is also often referenced as one of many reasons she was considered for the endorsement offers she has received. She became the muse for Japanese skincare brand Hada Labo and cosmetics brands Kiss Me and Shiseido Korea, where she was also appointed as brand ambassador. Jeon also became a model for skincare brand COSRX. She has since become a brand spokesperson for ABC Mart's shoe brand Nuovo and was selected as an endorsement model for Beanpole Sports and fashion brand United Colors of Benetton Korea. In February 2022, she became the brand ambassador for Converse. In May 2023, she became an ambassador for The North Face. Outside of the beauty and fashion industries, Jeon was selected as a model for Nongshim's snack Petit Paris Rollbread and hangover product HK inno.N. Jeon has also been invited to participate in campaigns for Fanta, Reebok (Classic SS18 campaign, "Always Classic"), Louis Vuitton (2021 Eyewear Global Campaign), and Prada's Eternal Gold line.

In October 2021, Jeon became the public relation ambassador of Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and participated in "Korea Contents Week" campaign.

Philanthropy In July 2016, Jeon alongside I.O.I bandmates Nayoung and Kyulkyung, collaborated with "Shoot For Love", a campaign organized by Be Kind Organization in cooperation with the Korea Leukemia and Pediatric Cancer Association, to raise awareness and funds for children diagnosed with pediatric cancer. The trio successfully completed the missions provided and raised ₩1 million. In October 2018, she became the international ambassador of The Wetskills Foundation, a Dutch non-governmental organization focused on water management. In October 2020, Jeon, with other prominent personalities, participated in W Koreas "Love Your W", a campaign to raise awareness of breast cancer.

Discography

Studio albums + List of studio albums, showing selected details, selected chart positions, and sales figures Title Details Peak chart positions Sales KOR USWorld XOXO Released: October 29, 2021 Label: The Black Label, Interscope Formats: CD, digital download, streaming 6 14 KOR: 58,933

Extended plays + List of extended plays, showing selected details, selected chart positions, and sales figures Title Details Peak chart positions Sales KOR Game Plan Released: August 7, 2023 Label: The Black Label, Interscope Formats: CD, digital download, streaming 9 KOR: 66,355 Chaotic & Confused Released: August 11, 2025 Label: The Black Label, Interscope Formats: CD, digital download, streaming 17 KOR: 28,653

Singles As lead artist + List of singles as lead artist, showing year released, selected chart positions, sales figures, and name of the album Title Year Peak chart positions Sales Album KOR KOR Billb. MLY NZHot SGP USWorld "Flower, Wind and You" 2016 42 — — — — — — KOR: 38,862 "You, Who?" 2017 16 — — — — — — KOR: 191,765 "Birthday" 2019 22 18 20 28 — 5 — US: 1,000 XOXO "What You Waiting For" 2020 53 33 8 38 4 8 — "Dumb Dumb" 2021 8 9 — — 24 5 — "XOXO" 43 33 17 24 15 9 185 "Fast Forward" 2023 5 5 — 24 24 10 145 Game Plan "Ex-Mas" — — — — — — — "Ice Cream" 2024 157 — — — — — — "Extra" 2025 134 — — — — — — Chaotic & Confused "Closer" 102 — — — — — — "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that region.

As featured artist + List of singles as featured artist, showing year released and album name Title Year Album "Nov to Feb" (Jun. K featuring Jeon Somi) 2017 My 20's

Other charted songs + List of other charted songs, showing year released, selected chart positions, and name of the album Title Year Peak chartpositions Album KORDown. USWorld "Outta My Head" 2019 198 9 XOXO "Don't Let Me Go" 2021 125 — "Anymore" 130 — "Watermelon" 150 — "Gold Gold Gold" 2023 80 — Game Plan "Fxxked Up" 41 — "Pisces" 72 — "The Way" 55 — "Escapade" 2025 72 — Chaotic & Confused "Chaotic & Confused" 77 — "Delu" 90 — "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that region.

Songwriting credits All song credits are adapted from the Korea Music Copyright Association's database unless stated otherwise.

+ List of songs, showing year released, artist name, and name of the album Year Artist Song Album Lyricist Composer Credited With Credited With 2017 Unnies "Right?" 2019 Herself "Birthday" XOXO "Outta My Head" 2020 "What You Waiting For" 2021 "Dumb Dumb" "XOXO" "Don't Let Me Go" "Watermelon" 2023 "Gold Gold Gold" Game Plan "Fast Forward" "Fxxked Up" "Pisces" Herself and Big Naughty "Ex-Mas" 2025 Herself "Escapade" Chaotic & Confused "Extra" "Chaotic & Confused" "Delu" 2026 I.O.I "IOI (Where My Girls At)" I.O.I: Loop ""

Videography

Music videos

Filmography

Film Idol Drama Operation Team premiered on May 29, 2017, via Naver TV Cast and Naver V Live. It was then broadcast on KBS Joy and KBS World channel every Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, starting June 10. 2019 Not the Same Person You Used to Know Protagonist Season 2 (Episode 1) Law of the Jungle in Chuuk Cast member Episodes 393–397 I Am Somi Herself Reality documentary series 2023 Boys Planet Star master Episode 11 2025 Street Food Bikers Cast Member Cooking-themed variety show

Web shows Year Title Role Notes 2022 Your Daily Life Host TikTok Stage On Air 2023 Yes or Hot Pilot show

Hosting Year Title Notes 2016–2017 The Show with Kim Woo-seok 2017 26th Seoul Music Awards with Kim Hee-chul and Tak Jae-hoon 2018 Produce 48 Episode 1 (with Kang Daniel) Music Bank World Tour: Berlin with Park Bo-gum 2020 Unite On: Live Concert with Choi Bo-min 2021 Inkigayo with Jihoon and Sungchan of NCT SBS 2021 Super Concert In Daegu with YooA and Yunho 2022 2022 MAMA Awards Night 1 2023 2023 MAMA Awards

Music video appearances

Live performances Fanmeeting tours Title Date City Country Venue Ref. Jeon Somi Fanmeeting [CHAOS] 2025 July 19, 2025 Seoul South Korea Hyundai Card UNDERSTAGE August 1, 2025 Tokyo Japan Tachikawa Stage Garden August 3, 2025 Osaka NHK Osaka Hall

Awards and nominations

+ Name of the award ceremony, year presented, award category, nominee(s) of the award, and the result of the nomination Award ceremony Year Category Nominee(s) / Work(s) Result Allure Korea Best Of Beauty 2024 Makeup GLYF Asia Artist Awards 2021 Popularity Award – Singer (Female) Jeon Somi 2023 Asian Pop Music Awards 2021 Best Female Artist (Overseas) Top 20 Songs of the Year (Overseas) "Dumb Dumb" Top 20 Albums of the Year (Overseas) XOXO Best Album of the Year (Overseas) Best Dance Performance (Overseas) "Dumb Dumb" Best Music Video (Overseas) "XOXO" Record of the Year (Overseas) Song of the Year (Overseas) "Dumb Dumb" Circle Chart Music Awards 2022 Artist of the Year – Digital Music (August) Mubeat Global Choice Award – Female Jeon Somi 2024 The Fact Music Awards 2023 Best Music (Fall) "Fast Forward" Genie Music Awards 2019 The Female New Artist Jeon Somi Golden Disc Awards 2022 Best Performance Best Digital Song (Bonsang) "Dumb Dumb" Seezn Most Popular Artist Award Jeon Somi Hanteo Music Awards 2021 Artist Award (Female Solo) Joox Malaysia Music Awards 2022 Top 5 K-Pop Hits "Dumb Dumb" Korea First Brand Awards 2018 CF Model Jeon Somi 2022 Female Solo Singer 2026 MAMA Awards 2019 Artist of the Year Best New Female Artist Qoo10 Favorite Female Artist Worldwide Fans' Choice Top 10 2021 Best Dance Performance Solo "Dumb Dumb" Song of the Year Worldwide Fans' Choice Top 10 Jeon Somi 2023 Album of the Year Game Plan Artist of the Year Jeon Somi Best Dance Performance Female Solo "Fast Forward" Best Female Artist Jeon Somi Song of the Year "Fast Forward" Worldwide Fans' Choice Top 10 Jeon Somi Melon Music Awards 2019 Hot Trend Award Mubeat Awards 2020 Best Female Solo Seoul Music Awards 2020 Dance Performance Award "Birthday" 2022 Bonsang Award "Dumb Dumb" K-Wave Award Jeon Somi Popularity Award 2024 Bonsang Award Game Plan K-Wave Award Popularity Award