generasia:Featured article for 2011 week 10

4minute

4minute (포미닛) is a Korean pop girl group formed by Cube Entertainment. They were initially known as " Hyun A's Group" due to little information known about the group and Hyun A; a former Wonder Girls member who would re-debut with 4minute. Hyun A and Ji Hyun were the first members announced to be in the 5 member group. On May 14, 2009 Cube Entertainment released the official name of the group and slated their official debut for mid-June. In a statement, Cube Entertainment defined the meaning of the name "4minute" stating that they "...will give off each of their charms while performing for that 4 minute long performance on the stage, captivating the hearts of fans.” The teaser for "Hot Issue", their debut MV, was released on June 11, 2009. However, the teaser sparked controversy amongst netizens who claimed the teaser plagiarized an iPod advertisement.

They are best known for their hit 2009 song "MUZIK" and Hyun A, a former Wonder Girls member that left the group due to illness. They made their Japanese debut on May 5, 2010 with the release of the Japanese version of "MUZIK". The group's latest Japanese single, WHY, was released on March 9, 2011. The single was released in three editions, two limited CD+DVD editions and a regular edition. CD+DVD A edition includes the Korean songs "Taeyeonhage Dangyeonhage" and "Anjullae", previously released in Korea on their second and debut mini-album respectively.