Sixteen months after their debut, boy group TREI has announced they have terminated their contracts with the company Banana Culture Entertainment and have disbanded.
The news was first revealed by the group’s youngest member Changhyun. He stated through an Instagram post on June 15th, stating that his contract ended after a good discussion with the company. Asking fans to give lots of support and interest in his new start, he stated that he will be back with good looks and good music.
Leader Jaejun and main vocalist Juntae confirmed the news a few days later on June 18th on their Instagram pages that they also ended their contracts with Banana Culture, confirming the group has parted ways. Both members apologized for those who have been waiting for good news. Jaejun expressed that he is at a loss, but he keep trying again.
Jaejun, who has been with the company since 2011, trained for eight months before debuting as the youngest member of C-Clown and was known as Maru. He stayed with the company after the group disbanded and amidst acquisitions and mergers to eventually debut again with TREI in 2017. Originally as a duo with Changhyun who had been a trainee in the company for ten years, Juntae was later added to the group’s line-up.
Juntae expressed in his Instagram post that he was happy to receive so much love from fans through TREI, and that he will do his best to show better performances.
TREI made their official debut as a trio with their first mini-album BORN and its title song “Gravity” in February 2019. They drew attention as “EXID’s younger brother group” and gained a loyal fanbase. Many of the album’s B-sides are beloved within the K-pop community, with fans praising the group’s unique sound and addictive blend of pop, rock, and hip-hop.
We wish the members all the best in the next chapter of their careers!
Justin is an avid K-pop fanboy and a lifelong lover of music with a passion for sharing his love of underrated and lesser known groups. TREI is one of his favourite groups of recent years, and he hopes this disbandment news won’t deter people from checking out their music in the future, because it’s really something special and should not be forgotten about or left in the past. #MusicIsTimeless #GiveDisbandedGroupsAChanceToo
Media: Banana Culture Entertainment